Nag-o-gram
Some of you said you wanted to update your web site. Where did you go? Maybe on vacation. Hope it was fun!
Anyway... Lemme kno.
_________________________________________
Got Master Files (and Backups) of Your Stuff?
|
This tip is short but r-e-a-l-l-y important. It's your business, you put a lot of time, money and sweat equity into it.
Keeping "master files" of what you create for your business and having
backups of those files will, I promise, make your life soooooo much easier down the road.
 I know this because (big confession coming...) I didn't used to (like, ten years ago when I was a newbie at this) and I so paid dearly for it. Ahhhh, live and learn, as they say.
By
"Master File" I mean files that you keep and use over and over again,
including high resolution images of your designs, logos, graphics and images; and design files of your
marketing collateral (postcards, business cards, brochures, and rack cards). Save both high resolution for print use and low
resolution for web and online use. Don't forget your documents that you use over and over, like invoices, contracts, agreements, proposals. I keep one as the
"Master File" and do knock-offs from there. That way I always have a
clean original to work from. My favorite command is going the the File
menu and doing a "Save As" to make a copy to alter and save for that
particular use.
Then, backup all the files on your computer, often.
Use an external hard drive, an online backup and storage service, or
even CDs, but DO backup and do it often. Think of it this way: What
image files and documents are you willing to lose forever if your
computer crashes before the next backup? I dunno about you, but I'm on
the computer all day creating. I don't want to lose anything, so I have
a Mac and use Time Machine with an external hard drive for hourly
backups. Actually, I have two external hard drives. They get rotated
every other day into a large fireproof safe located in a different
building. If we burn down, I can just go buy a new Mac, plug it into the
external hard drive, and I'm back in business.
So, what about you? Got Master Files and Backups??
All my best to you and yours,
P.S. Don't forget that the series, "Affordable Marketing That Really Works for You" is now available!
I wrote it and it's based on years of work with clients, discovering what works, and what doesn't. You shouldn't have to go broke just marketing your business.
This 8-part PDF and recording will help you unravel the mystery and confusion so you can make informed decisions.
It's
offered through a great company I work with, Artist Career Training
(I'm their Web Marketing Mentor) and it's tailored for anyone who is
creative and running a business. I tell it like it is: -
Why a web site, online marketing, and digital AND print marketing
materials are necessary to successfully market yourself and your
business.
-
What a Web site, online marketing, and marketing materials can, and cannot, do for you.
-
How you can get a great Web site, and update it often, without going broke.
-
When to "do it yourself," and when to invest in getting help.
-
Myth Busting: "If you build it they will come."
-
SEO - What's all the buzz about?
-
How to create cost-effective marketing materials.
-
|
Read more good stuff here. |
