3 Great Business Resources!

I had to share three great experiences I had just this week and it is only Tuesday!

I am a firm believer in finding new and fun ways of improving on whatever you love to do. As some of you know, I publish a Pug Notes Quarterly Newsletter and email it to all of my wonderful customers every 3 months to say hello, share what is new and best of all share their own pugs and stories in the "Meet the Pugs" section which is my favorite part of the whole publication.

I have been sending out an HTML format version for about a year using Mail Chimp. To make a long story short, I just finished dotting my i's and crossing my t's in my new Spring Newsletter when I decided that I wanted to try a whole new company to create my newsletter to get a more refined product both for the user and the writer. I think Mail Chimp can produce great results, but not without a lot of tweaking and their html editor is far from easy to use.

So, yesterday, I spent the whole day reworking my Newsletter with Constant Contact. I cannot say enough great things about them. Their interface, template choices and flexibility to make them your own and amazing customer service have made me their biggest fan ever!

I am excited to release the Spring 2008 Newsletter in about 10 days, when Spring has sprung. If you would like your very own copy delivered to your inbox, please just email me and let me know. I will be happy to send one to you.

The second great business experience is finding a wonderful new book, I'd Rather Be in the Studio! by Alyson Stanfield. I am excited to learn new skills in reaching new customers and building business for Pug Notes.

I first heard about it by reading a recommendation on Claudine Hellsmuth's blog which I visit everyday. She is an amazing artist and a marketing genius who really inspires me.

I am excited to also find out that Alyson Stanfield is from Golden, CO and will be having a book signing in Boulder on Thursday April 3rd from 12-2 at my friend, Theresa Haberkorn's, artist studio. I have talked about Theresa before. I met her 3 years ago when I attend my very first woodcut class. She was the inspiration for carving woodblocks, collagraph printmaking and my hand-carved stamps.

My third great business resource is VistaPrint.com. I found them this year through my friend, Linda O'Neill, another amazing artist who inspires me everyday. I made post cards and business cards with them and was so impressed with their quality, service and amazing prices that I surprised my sister, Melanie with her very own set of cards for her Etsy Store, Shop Moe Moe.

I love how they turned out and wanted to share them and my yet again, wonderful experience with Vista Print.

I was having so much fun creating my newsletter, ordering my book and meeting Melanie to surprise her with her new cards, that I did not get a chance to walk Emmitt yesterday! I must go now because I have a pug starring at me with his lip pursed waiting for me to walk him. :)