8 Tips on Getting Paid for your Work

Times are tough. And everyone is out to get a good deal. But it’s really hard to pay your bills when you work for free. So here’s some tips on getting paid for your work in the service industry.

1. Agree on a price and get a deposit. I prefer 50%.

2. Make sure the deposit goes through. Sometimes those pesky checks have a way of bouncing out of your bank account. And this incurs an ugly fee.

3. Do the job on time and do it well. Who wants to pay for a crummy job. Great work means happy customers.

4. Get paid in advance for services you sub out. Sometimes clients have a way of disappearing, even if they give a deposit.

5. Get paid for the job upon completion.

Beware of these excuses:

6. I’ll pay you next week. I need the job now. (That’s what credit cards are for. Otherwise no deal.)

7. I have lots more work to give you. I will keep you so busy. Please just let me have this now. (That work will never come. If it does, good luck getting paid for it too.)

8. How about a trade? (Usually the trade is for something you don’t want or need, if you ever get it.)

Remember, your time is worth money. Check out this link:

Time is Money

How AT&T Saved Me $199

I want to thank AT&T for saving me from myself. After much media hype I was anxiously waiting for the release of a new iPhone 3G S. Prior to this big announcement I was perfectly happy with my current iPhone 3G. I love it and use it constantly. Perhaps I’m a little addicted to its many virtues. But it’s almost a year old. That’s like 7 human years. I just can’t resist a new iPhone with a 3 megapixel camera, auto focus, compass and video capabilities. I wanted it.

Just because I hardly ever use my current iPhone camera and I probably would never shoot video, I still wanted the new phone. Mainly because it’s newer and faster. How could any Apple geek refuse. The hard part was justifying spending another $199 to upgrade to the new iPhone when my current model was so new.

AT&T fixed all that. Because my 2 year contract is not up until next April I would have to pay at least $599 for a shiny new iPhone 3G S (16 gb) plus $18 upgrade fee. So now I really love my current iPhone even more.

And the best part is, by the time my contract is up next year, a newer, shinier, faster and better iPhone will most assuredly be in the works for summer 2010 release. Who knows, maybe by then Verizon will also offer the new iPhone. And that gives me more options to choose from!

So thank you AT&T. I look forward to next year.

How Terrific is Twitter?

I’m just starting to delve into Twitter so that means something newer is about to take it’s place. Well maybe not really. But sometimes it takes a while for new ideas to take hold of my consciousness.

Twitter has become THE place to go to market your business. There are scores of books on just how to do this as well as tons of info online. Twitter is the latest in micro-blogging. What are you doing now in 140 words or less. Of course you can keep adding 140 word entries until you run out of things to say.

As far as a business marketing tool, from what I’ve learned so far, Twitter is used as a form of socializing. People getting to know each other, cyberly speaking. Not so much as a place to sell products or services directly. You can direct people to your website, offer specials, contests, tips, links to articles, websites and more.

It seems everybody is following someone. Or thousands of someones. And it could be overwhelming. Just how much information do you need to know in a day? I personally am suffering from information overload.

I admit I’m addicted to my iPhone. I now follow people I don’t know on Twitter. I’ve set up a page on Facebook, MySpace, Linked In, Merchant Circle, Plaxo, Ning, Xing, and others I have forgotten about and have no time to add content to. I’ve got this blog using WordPress and have set up one on Google’s Blogger too.

I follow all the news I need to know on my iPhone too. There’s AP Mobile News, USA Today, Yahoo, NY Times, CNN, Easy News, and of course a ton of RSS feeds including the LA Times, E! Online, CBS, KFWB and many, many tech news feeds.

I’m also reading Twitter Revolution on my iPhone Kindle App, Twilight from Iceburg, Murder List on my Stanza App and real hardcover books Twitter Power and a Doris Day biography.

Plus I read the antiquated LA Times and local Daily Breeze on real newsprint.

Yikes. It’s a wonder I can’t sleep at night. There’s just too much information to process.

As I grow with Twitter and other social networking sites I will keep you informed. And if you are looking for something to fill up your time, why not follow me on Twitter! @cjuices

Is your website color friendly?

Web 2.0, Web 3.0, iPhone 3.0, Social Media, Java, Drupal, Ajax, Joomla, Facebook, Twitter, etc.

So much is constantly changing online. It’s tough to keep up. But one thing remains the same: color choices on your website are important.

We all know that color affects people in different ways. Studies have proven that certain colors create certain feelings. So it is vital that your website use the right colors to invoke the feelings you want your viewers to have.

While feelings about individual colors and color combinations vary from culture to culture, as well as individuals, certain colors generally create similar feelings in most people. Good and evil, black and white, red for urgency, blue for calm. You can easily find tons of information online. More than you care to know, perhaps.

But my point is when you or your favorite web designer are creating or updating your website, the color palate you choose is almost as important as the content you place on your website.

Just saying.

10 reasons to start your own online business.

Out of work? Now’s the perfect time to become an entrepreneur. Just find the right niche, something you feel passionate about, and get started.

1. Starting your own business is fun.
2. You can make money.
3. Express your ideas.
4. No boss to fire you.
5. Make your own hours.
6. Did I mention it can be fun?
7. You can make lots of money.
8. Relatively small start up costs.
9. Little to lose and a lot to gain.
10. Contact Creative Juices to find out all you need to know on getting your website up and running.

The Power of Positive Thinking in this Recession

There’s no escape from the bad economic news, so try to ignore it for a few minutes. Here are some ways to clear your head and end the recession:

1. Spend money. If you’re employed and have some money to spend, why not treat yourself to something small. Then you’ll be helping the economy and keeping someone employed. And they will have money to spend, etc.

2. If you don’t have money, spend some time not worrying about it. Take a walk and exercise. Stop and smell the roses. Okay, so they’re not in bloom yet. But there are pretty flowers around. Smell them.

3. Take a few deep breaths and think how lucky you are to live in a relatively peaceful country.

4. Go to the library and read about something new. Get a few ideas on how you can improve your future. Explore the internet. People watch.

5. Start a new online business and become an entrepreneur. Call Creative Juices and get a logo design and website. By spending money at Creative Juices you will help Chuck earn a living and then he will spend money and the economy will recover. Amazing but true.

Why is my company image so important?

Like it or not, your company has an image or “brand”. It’s what people visualize when they think of your business. Your image consists of your logo, your place of business, your service, product(s) and of course the people working at your business, including you.

It takes time to build an image. First impressions are extremely important. Especially today when all businesses are desperate to get and maintain their customers. If you don’t stand out and project an image of success potential clients might skip by you and head over to your competition.

Don’t let that happen to you. It is vital to the future of your business to have a strong, positive image. And the good news is you’re completely in charge of creating that image.

Your Logo is a big part of your image “brand”. It’s what people associate with your complete business entity. This includes any printed materials, web presence, physical presence and most importantly your actual product or service. Everything you do or communicate about your business should be consistent with your brand or image. It helps build customer loyalty.

Take the time to think about what you want to project to the general public. It is really hard to change your image once it takes hold so please, don’t rush it or skimp on it. Find your niche, what sets you apart. You’ll be glad you took to time to do it right.

Just like Creative Juices. There are many graphic design companies, but only one with a twisted pencil.

A creative answer to the recession.

Creative Juices Announces an Exciting Move

A Newly Remodeled Home Office with Direct Entrance

Redondo Beach, CA – Effective February 2, 2009 - The clever people at Creative Juices have found a way to save thousands of dollars a year and better serve their clients. They have created a beautiful new office space in the home of entrepreneur Charles Feldman.

A little used room has been converted into a state of the art work environment. As of February 1 you will be able to experience the new “Juice Factory”, where creative ideas happen. No more climbing stairs. Enter directly through brand new French doors. And there you are.

If you’re currently renting an office space and don’t really need to, you may want to consider using your home to run your business. Why pay for two high speed internet services? And rent, utilities, gas, insurance, etc. During a recession is makes great business sense to downsize and survive.

And by switching to an online phone service like Vonage you can keep your telephone number and keep on going.

Don’t Panic… Market. Now.

Unemployment may be at 7%, but that just means a greater majority of people who want to work, are working.

Anyway, the point is that there are still employed people spending money. Sure a lot of people have cut back. But the best way for you to increase your sales is to let more people know what you do. What is your service? Where are you located? What do you do that’s better than anyone else? How can you help them?

If you don’t advertise or market your business in some way, no one will know you exist. Or worse, they’ll think you’ve gone out of business. And these days there’s a lot of that happening.

Update your website and let people know what is going on with you and how you can help them. Promote your brand. Keep your image at the top of people’s minds.

If you don’t already have a website, you’re missing out on one of the most cost effective ways to showcase your business or service.

If you do have a website and it’s out of date, you need to update. And fast. A tired, out of date website show’s you are not on top of your game. You may be perceived as irrelevant.

Remember, when you cut your marketing and advertising, you are essentially giving your competition a clear advantage. Is that really what you want to do?

Don’t forget to call Creative Juices if you need marketing and advertising advice. 310-791-5803. Did you know weekend appointments are now available?

VOIP – How did I miss it?

While I heard about VOIP, I had no idea how much money I could save by moving my phone line(s) to Vonage.

It all began with the plan to move my business to my brand new home office. Much to my dismay, I discovered that Verizon is unable to let me keep my current phone number and would charge an additional $21 per month fee just to forward it to a new number. It seemed expensive to pay almost $250 a year just to transfer a number. And if I don’t transfer it, people will think I’ve gone out of business. That’s the number in all my ads, both online and in yellow page directories as well as the local Easy Reader. Changing the number is not a preferred option.

Along came Vonage and I discovered I don’t have to change my number. They can transfer it to their system. And with their $49.99 unlimited monthly business plan I get a free fax number. And I can keep my current fax number too. (Who uses faxes now-adays?) With free call waiting, forwarding and voicemail as well as caller ID and unlimited long distance calls (all extra with Verizon) I can save a lot of money!

Now all I have to do is install Vonage after I get the equipment. By the way, this is not a plug for Vonage, yet.