Record project history

Hey!

Hope you had a cool week-end guys! Today we'll talk about project history. You know, sometimes when you finish the website, the client suddenly says - "Why hasn't this been done? We've discussed it about two months ago!!!" - have you seen that? Do you remember what they said back then? No one can, I assure you.

So what's the smart choice? Set up a Google document named "project name history" where project name is yours. What do you have to write there? The document should look like this:

05.19.08 Finished the site - the client says it's cool
05.16.08 Called the client - they said to paint the top menu red
05.12.08 Had a weird dream - the client making cruel love to my brain. It hurt!

How can it help and why you need this? First of all, you can always check what the client really said two months ago. Second, you can't forget anything you promised to do or just re-invent some idea you had. And of course - it could help you have a reference date to search e-mails in your Inbox etc.

You can also add any data on the project that you think is appropriate - the more you document it, the better!

You can easily maintain such document, it is simple (and you should keep it simple), it doesn't take much time but saves a lot. So...

I command you to go out, set up a Google document and make the client happy NOW!

James Dean said...

Okay, here's another hot quote for you guys, charged with high voltage electricity. Words like these have the true power to motivate. You can even make it your motto in life.

So what did James Dean (successful racer and movie actor, a 2-time Oscar nominee) actually say?

Dream as if you'll forever, live as if you'll die today.

See - it's just you and the universe. And you don't live today, or tomorrow or any other time than TODAY. So do what you should and want to!

Fulfill your promises

It may sound too banal, but you must always fulfill your promises when working with a client. Sure, sometimes you've got more important things to do, but you should remember the following: If you don't pay him or her all of your attention - you will lose the client and access to his (and his friend's) money and other resources for EVER!

Here are some tips to make it easier to you:

• Develop a plan and follow it;
• Never abandon the plan;
• Don't indulge yourself;
• Call your calls and write your letters;
• Always create value for the customer.

Also you should always give even more value than you've promised - that will keep the client happy and make him or her suggest their friends use your services, developing your client circle.

Another nice thing it will do for you is that it will build up your will power. After you start doing what you should to take your business further, it will become easier over time. You just have to make this first step.

Remember, any road begins with the first step anyway!

Check the full contents of the future book for more info!

I'd like to know how helpful this advice was, add your comments here please! And as always - I will be more than pleased to answer any questions you might have so feel free to ask them ))

10 cool free resources for web design

If you have been looking for completely free stock resources for your design team, these may be helpful to you:

1. www.sxc.hu - Free photo clipart
2. www.morguefile.com - Another free photo clip-art
3. www.freefoto.com - Free photos
4. www.office.microsoft.com/en-us/clipart- Microsoft Office Clipart
5. www.webchantier.com - Nice free vector clip-art
6. www.brandsoftheworld.com - Best vector logo clip-art
7. www.1001fonts.com - One of my favorite sites for good free fonts
8. www.lalogotheque.com - Another multi-stock (logos, fonts., etc)
9. www.lib.utexas.edu/maps - A good map collection
10. www.fromoldbooks.org - Scanned images, engravings and pictures from old books

If you want to cut your budget on stock photography and other graphic design resources, these sites will be of great help. Otherwise, they're great for inspiration, anyway!

Oh, and please feel free to share your links to free useful resources in comments below!

Nice quote by Stalin

Have problem making tough decisions? I have a very nice quote from one of the most efficient (though very cruel) leaders in history for you today:

I believe in one thing only, the power of human will.
Joseph Stalin

You can get more quotes by Stalin on this page.

Media Virus! is cool!

If you are looking for a great book on viral marketing, and you are just a beginner, you should definitely read Douglas Rushkoff's Media Virus! It's fun, it's humorous and it contains deep observations.

It will not drive you mad or make you sleep on the second chapter. I read it in under 3 days and I can say that was fun.

The book tells you how information travels, replicates and captures our attention. Just like a brain slug from Futurama.

By the way, animation series are often a good virus marketing example in themselves. (Just think about it!) So how to make people think only about your product and do it all the time? Read Media Virus and you will get an idea.

The bottom-line: a good in-depth analysis of viral marketing techniques and their impact on our lives.

My rating: (Very good)

Strong vs easy solutions

Hey there! Thanks for visiting ManageSite!

Today we'll speak about making decisions. You cannot argue that you have to solve problems once in a while. What's interesting is that there are often several solutions for each problem and it's up to you to choose one and only one of them. Each time you decide whether the solution suits your goals or not - that's the difference.

There are mostly 2 kinds of decisions:

1. Easy decisions;
2. Strong decisions.

What is the difference between strong and simple decisions then?

Easy solutions solve the moment's problems. For example, the easy solution for coping inflation would be print more money, however all of us know that's not a solution at all and will only help for a short period of time.

Strong decisions, however, are not so evident, not so cheap (compare building a whole new economic program with printing more money!) and often not so fast. But the key difference about them is that they will work for a long time (if not for life)

- for example if a country refines its economic policies, the effects in the long run will be much more visible and sensible. In fact, such decision will bring a whole new life to the project!

Why strong decisions are better? Because you won't have to mend what's bad in them afterwards, which could draw away your time, energy and money (check out Simpleology for that) If you are patient enough, these bring you closer to the goal than easy solutions do.

When making decisions, always think of long-term consequences. What will it bring? How can you use this solution later and save on it? For example, some web design studios develop their own CMS (Content Management System) solutions and later sell it to their clients or other studios instead of going the easy way and using an open-source or other free or cheap software.

A good solution pays off for a while, not just this one time.

So again, don't think of the immediate outcome only - think strategically, see how your decision what solution to use affects your whole life, everything you do.

Check out the full contents of the future book for more info!

I'd like to know how helpful this advice was, add your comments here please! And as always - I will be more than pleased to answer any questions you might have so feel free to ask them ))

22 Immutable Laws of Branding

Here is another very useful book that may help you in the difficult task of building and managing your own webdesign company.

In any business you face a task of building a strong brand identity that would help you instead of keeping you back. That would help you stand out of the crowd, bring in new customers and open new markets. Yeah, I meant building a brand.

Al Ries & Laura Ries have done an amazing job on it. This book is one of those I usually recommend: simple and pleasant to read while at the same time containing useful recommendations and practical advice. Written in the true KISS spirit, it's a good example of writing that works. Cheers for the good work!

My rating: (Very good)

No more than 3 designs, please!

Hi guys!

Today's topic is web design management again. Some (if not most) of the clients prefer to eat your brain out and make you develop as many design variants as possible (up to 50 designs in my experience which is the absolute maximum, though this particular client payed for each and every of them!) It's a very time-consuming thing and it really sucks out your design team's resources and ideas and exhausts guys mentally.

To avoid this, you can use several tactics:

- Write the number of designs in your contract (which is best) - I strongly suggest the number isn't more than 3;
- Take payment in advance;
- Special tactics, described in detail below.

I guess the two first ones are basically to simple to explain (yet very effective nonetheless) so I'll go straight to the special tactics.

Ask your lawyers to prepare a contract for you with the following trick: there will be three (3) different design versions, but you have to present them to the client one by one. If the client doesn't like the first one, he or she signs an additional agreement saying he no longer wants it and it belongs to you. Same for the other two. Anyway, prepayment is yours.

If the client doesn't like any version at all but decides to choose one of them later, he'll have to buy it back! This way the client will be much more careful when choosing a design and in most cases (around 90%) choose the first one!

This know-how will literally save you thousands of dollars. No kidding!

Check out the full contents of the future book for more info!

I'd like to know how helpful this advice was, add your comments here please! And as always - I will be more than pleased to answer any questions you might have so feel free to ask them ))

What's the secret?

Hey! Our book reviews are back after a few days! Today we'll discuss the single book that can change your mindset. The Secret.

You may already know it if you've seen the movie on DVD. In case you haven't, read on.

So what's the secret actually? Something many rich and famous people know that you don't. Something big yet ingeniously simple. As for me, this book is one of the greatest items on positive attitude. And one of the most fun to read.

It gives you the instant power to attract events in your life with thought power! Proven by me and thousands of other people all over the globe. Just find the power in yourself that you've always had but never used!

My rating: (Very good)