Spring is Sproinging, the snow is thawing and it appears the economy is too. Good news all around! If you're a business owner, you've probably noticed a small uptake in your work load or sales, a little increase in your income and a busier meeting schedule. It can only get better from here so take a moment to look at your staffing needs and decide if it's time to help out with the unemployment rate and do some hiring.
If you need some help getting your business back on track, contact the Business Ownership Initiative of Indiana at 917.3266 ext. 100. BOI is SBA supported and provides free business counseling, and free or low-cost workshops for entrepreneurs.
 Marketing 101— Putting Your Best Face Forward
With the invention of the home computer, came a development of which I have to admit, I'm very grateful, and that's desktop publishing. It's what has allowed me to be in business, along with all those years of college and student loans that now dog me. But I digress.
The downside of desktop publishing is that usually without the years of college (and student loans, etc.) is that someone who can use the software but doesn't necessarily have the training to understand what good design is, thinks, "Look at all these cool fonts! Let's really jazz this thing up and make it look sweet!" Let's just say, not always a good idea. Fonts, also known as typefaces, are works of art in themselves and often carry historical or socio-political connotations that the average computer user might not be aware of. At the very least, a font can evoke an emotional or psychological response in the viewer.
It's not enough to choose a script font to make something look fancy. Look at the two examples in the image above, Freestyle Script and Jane Austen. Yes, both are script fonts, so they're in the same category, but they have very different connotations and very different uses. Freestyle Script is modern, playful and a little feminine. Jane Austen is based on, yes, the signature and writing of Jane Austen so it's style is late 18th and early 19th century. It's not particularly easy to read in large doses, but perfect for an antiquated style or a use that evokes writing. What do you think of when you see Asimov, or Charlemagne or GoudyMedieval in the sample? It's not enough to pick a font or fonts that look good, what are you really trying to say? The font often speaks louder than the words.
New!
Thank you to Kelly McNulty for letting me know about Magic Jack, this amazing little device that can save you a lot of money on your phone bills. You plug the jack into your computer's USB port, plug a phone into the back of it, and you have a low-cost phone line that only runs $40 for the first year and $20 a year after that. Perfect for a home-based business when you don't want to give out your home or cell number, perfect for people who have several businesses and want to keep a separate number for each, or perfect for people who just want to pay less for their phone.
 Welcome New Clients!
AlephMEDIA welcomes Northern Heating & Cooling and PlaqueMaker Plus, both of Indianapolis.
Northern Heating & Cooling installs and maintains residential and commercial heating and cooling systems, specializing in the historic Meridian Kessler district. They are also the service providers for the Governor's Mansion on Meridian Street. PlaqueMaker Plus creates awards and framed magazine covers and feature stories, allowing you to design your own piece through their Web site.
 AlephMEDIA Recommends...
...Melaleuca, The Wellness Company. I started using the all-natural cleaning products, vitamin supplements and other items from Melaleuca and have been very impressed! The cleaning products contain tea tree oil, have no chemicals so you can have a healthier living environment, and the multivitamins are the best I've ever used. For more information or to set up a preferred member account and receive a discount on your purchases, contat Jana Backofen at 698.9701.
Upcoming Networking Events
- BRB–Business Referral Breakfast — Tuesday, March 2 at 7:30 a.m., Office Suites West - Across from Kohl's - Conf. room 1
- Affiliated Women International West Neighborhood Meeting — Tuesday, March 2 at 9 a.m., IHOP, 10143 Rockville Rd.
- Rainmakers Rush Hour — Wednesday, March 10 at 5:30 p.m., Fox & Hound, off 82nd street just west of Allisonville Rd.
- Network of Women in Business Northside Lunch — Thursday, March 11 at 11:30 a.m., Chili's, 3960 E. 82nd Street
- Smaller Indiana's Hole in the Wall Lunch — Friday, March 19 at 1 p.m., Murphy's Steakhouse, 4189 N. Keystone Avenue
- At the Top Networking — Thursday, March 25 at 4:30 p.m., The Skyline Club, One America Square
- JCC Business Network — Wednesday, March 17 at 6:30 p.m., Arthur M. Glick JCC, 6701 Hoover Road
This is a far from exhaustive list of networking events in the area. If you'd like your organization's events listed, please send me an e-mail.
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