Modifying your cover photo is a relatively simple task and really improves the look of your page. Below are a few examples of some cover photos and pages I recently updated for some of my clients.

https://www.facebook.com/broadwaytables
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Bob-Duffy-Associates/196556293704136
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Law-Office-of-Patricia-L-Andel-APC/107525992598508

For more information on customizing your business page, be sure to check out this video from Facebook:

This web site was set up entirely on WordPress and included a custom designed WordPress theme. Using WordPress allows the client to easily make minor updates to the site and to include news releases and information in a blog format. The site also makes use of social media, including a Facebook share button, a Twitter tweet button, an embedded Twitter stream and social sharing buttons on the blog.

About Paula Johns Communications:

Paula Johns has more than 20 years of award-winning marketing communications experience including Custom PR Programs and PR Campaigns, Social Media Support and Content Development. After beginning her career at the Silicon Valley area’s largest high-technology PR firm, Paula then went on to serve as a senior-level PR manager in the San Diego area for a mix of emerging technology companies and well-known PR agencies.  She started own PR consulting business in 2000 and offers expert marketing support, without charging the high fees that an agency or larger consulting group might charge.

For more information about Paula Johns Communications, visit: paulajohnscommunications.com.

This web site was set up entirely on WordPress, allowing the foundation to be able to easily make minor updates to the site and to include news releases and information in a blog format. The site design includes a custom designed WordPress theme, the ability to make donations online and an online photo gallery.

About The Joe Moylan Youth Hockey Foundation:

The Joe Moylan Youth Hockey Foundation, Inc. will provide scholarships to young hockey enthusiasts, in Walpole and surrounding areas, who show passion, promise, sportsmanship and teamwork within the sport. Their purpose is to honor Joe Moylan’s hockey legacy and offer financial support to young players who may not be able to reach their true athletic potential without equipment, ice time and coaching. Their hope is to enable a young player to go on to a college level scholarship or professional status.

For more information about The Joe Moylan Youth Hockey Foundation, visit: www.jlmyouthhockeyfoundation.com.

This new web site will help the family promote the recently formed Santa Cruz Compassion Network, which is designed to unite people as a community to help others who are suffering. The site includes informational pages about the family and the Santa Cruz Compassion Network, information about offering financial support and an integrated WordPress blog.

About Kirkendall Ministries:

The Kirkendall Ministries web site serves as a hub for information – a way to connect with the family and see what they are doing. Since Jacob’s injury, they have shared their lives with many and this site will allow them to continue the conversation with the community that grew around them. Through the Santa Cruz Compassion Network they hope to “unite, equip, and mobilize the collective Church to be a proactive and responsive catalyst of Christ’s compassionate love in and to their community.” This is their opportunity to make sure that none are left alone in suffering.

For more information about Kirkendall Ministries, visit: www.kirkendallministries.com.

Originally, the site was a WordPress site and was written in both English and Japanese. San Diego Web Solutions was engaged to split the blog into two separate blogs, one in Japanese and one in English. The new site makes it easier for readers to see posts in their preferred language and sign up for the correct newsletter. The site now has separate RSS feeds as well. Another important change to the site was to give the client more control over site edits. The navigation menu was re-designed so that the client could add links to it and additional training was provided to allow for sidebar updates and easy WordPress backups. Minor graphic changes were added to change the site from a 3 column to a 2 column format but the overall design and color scheme remains the same. Additional social media features were added as well including a Facebook fan box, Twitter feed, Facebook like button, Facebook share button and a TweetMe button.

About My Peaceful Family:

My Peaceful Family was founded by Etsuko Tsukagoshi, a certified Parent Educator through the International Network for Children and Families. She offers coaching to help people be at peace within and create cooperative, honest and strong family relationships.

Etsuko teaches a 5-week course titled “Redirecting Children’s Behavior” in San Diego, as well as one-on-one coaching via telephone or Skype. Her clients are individual expats or those with families and/or with children, and she can coach on any issues they may face in their host country.

For more information about My Peaceful Family, visit: http://www.mypeacefulfamily.com.

This new web site will help Inika Small Earth raise awareness about sustainability issues in San Diego schools and provide resources and training information for people to start recycling programs in their schools.  The site design included a custom WordPress theme, social media integration, online photo galleries and online registrations.

About Inika Small Earth:

Inika Small Earth is a group of parents, teachers and students in San Diego interested in making our schools more sustainable.  This organization hopes to develop programs that bring the community together to empower our children to live greener and teach our kids by example how to reduce their environmental footprint and find simple solutions that save money for school districts, and enrich the lives and future of our children.

Inika seeks to help schools address the problems of waste, health, finances and environmental impact through a comprehensive five pillar approach: Reduce, Recycle, Rebalance, Nourish, and Renew. Through the Small Earth Recycling Program, Inika plans to train members of the school community – parents, teachers and students to serve as their community’s Recycling Masters. Recycling Masters will learn about issues in the waste management industry, the impact of waste diversion programs on a school’s budget and how it’s possible to spearhead a recycling program at school that can reduce waste management costs, raise funds for the PTA and help the environment along the way.

For more information about Inika Small Earth, visit: http://www.inikasmallearth.org.

This new web site will help Scribner Communications promote PR services including: PR & Brand Strategy, Content Development, Social Media Support, Media/Analyst Relations Programs, Product Launches and Trade Show Media Support. The site design includes a small amount of flash animation, an integrated WordPress blog and Twitter feed.

About Scribner Communications: Scribner Communications has nearly two decades of hands-on experience providing PR expertise to businesses from varied industries located throughout the country including small start-ups, established mid-sized organizations and large public companies alike. Scribner Communications builds public relations programs that combine traditional PR strategies with new social media tactics for optimal results and offers companies top-notch, effective public relations and social media programs without the high-end price tag.

For more information about Scribner Communications, visit: http://www.scribnercomm.com.

Don’t Bankrupt Your Small Business By Being Perfect!

No matter how seriously you take your small business or how dedicated you are to your clients, perfectionism is a mistake that will kill you.

It’s like a virus that never seems to go away and it can really take a toll on you personally and your businesses health.

Unfortunately I see way too many small business owners who are perfectionists and I see the way this holds them back.Now…I am speaking from experience as I’m a “recovering perfectionist.” When I was brand new in my own business, my perfectionism nearly killed my success.

I had to learn the hard way to let that go and move forward even though everything was not absolutely perfect.

If you’re a perfectionist (and you know who you are) here’s a phrase you’ll want to stitch into the fiber of your being…good enough is good enough!

A colleague of mine is really struggling in his business right now. He’s really great at what he does and makes sure everything is always done right. There is just one big problem…he’s an incurable perfectionist and because of this he is on the verge of bankrupting his business.

Everything and I mean everything has to be perfect.

Because of the perfect job he always does, his services cost about 3 times as much as others in his industry. His services have to cost more…it takes him forever to get things perfect!

When I suggested that he hire someone as a “junior” worker to do jobs that really don’t have to be perfect, he said, “No.” His reason, “They won’t do as good of a job as I will.”

Sound familiar?

Perfectionism is one of the quickest ways to bankrupt your small business. My colleague is in a world of hurt, because he won’t let good enough be good enough.

Here’s the deal, people will pay for good enough — most won’t pay for perfection…it costs too much and good enough gets the job done. If you strive to always make sure your services are perfect, this will hinder you.

We’ve all head the saying “If you want something done right, do it yourself.” If this is how you feel about every single task related to your business, you’re setting yourself up for failure.

Or if you feel that everything has to be perfect before it’s released, sold, marketed or whatever, you’re setting yourself up to never get things done in your business. Now of course I mean you should provide a fantastic service and great value to your clients, but if you are selling perfection…you are selling a fantasy. Nothing will ever be perfect.

Good enough is good enough!

Perfectionism hinders your ability to handle more work, because it takes you so much longer to get anything done than your competition. Yes, you can set yourself apart from the crowd by doing an outstanding job. But an outstanding job does not have to be perfect!

Would your clients really notice the difference, or care even half as much as you do that your work is perfect while someone else’s is good enough? Clients want work completed on time and at a fair price more than they want a “perfect” job.

Overcoming perfectionism isn’t easy if it’s a habit you’ve developed, but the rewards for your small business will make it more than worthwhile.

Practice recognizing when projects are good enough, and then let them go. I know…this is sooooo much easier said than done. But you have to practice it and consciously make a decision that good enough is good enough.

One great strategy is to hire some help to handle tasks you don’t need to complete yourself or that don’t have to be perfect, so you have more time to devote to clients.

You’ll be amazed at how much more you can accomplish without compromising on your client’s level of satisfaction with your service — when you learn and practice that good enough is truly good enough.

Of course not all large design firms will offer such poor service and if your site is going to be a large-scale, database driven or e-commerce site, you may need that “team of designers” working for you. But if your business is just you or a very small consulting business and you need a site to promote your services, hiring an independent web consultant may be a better fit. Here are just a few reasons why an independent web designer could be a better choice for your web design needs:

1. An independent web designer is a small business owner just like you. They will have a better understanding of your needs and can not only design a nice site for you but may be able to offer tips and advice for marketing your services that are similar to how they market themselves. As a small business owner or sole proprietor, an independent web designer will have a good understanding of your challenges, your desires and your goals.

2. You will have one contact person for everything. Your web designer is also the person providing you the contract and invoices. And when you have questions regarding your site, time lines and technical issues, you will always be able to contact the same person to have those issues addressed.  If you run into issues or are not happy with the service you’ve been provided, you’ll have one person to hold accountable and will not be tied to a long term contract if you decide to part ways.

3. Possibility for a long term relationship. When dealing with a large web firm, you may find that every time you call, the previous designer you worked with is no longer with the company. If you work with an independent web designer, you’ll have the ability to develop a long term relationship.  This person could be more than just another vendor providing you a service.  An independent web consultant could become someone you network with who may send business your way.  Your site will most likely be used in their portfolio and marketing, which means they are also promoting your business for you.

Although an independent web designer may not be a perfect fit for everyone, if you’re a sole proprietor or a small firm selling a service, you may find it’s a perfect fit for you.  You’ll be working with someone you can develop a personal relationship with and who wants your business to succeed.

JVC Consulting has worked with more than 35 companies in over a dozen countries successfully delivering results since 1996. Their team is comprised of professionals with experience leading all aspects of the change process. Their services are not just about improving profitability but also about rapidly increasing quality and customer satisfaction. Their risked-based compensation ensures alignment with management goals and a high ROI for our clients.

For more information about JVC Consulting, please visit: www.jvc-consulting.com.