A Blog by Sanna Lee Consulting

The Winner Is...

2010-12-16T09:56:00.002-06:00

Tony Smith from Round Rock Enterprises (DanceStaff)!

Congratulations Tony! Your $50 Visa Gift Card will arrive in the mail soon.

Thank you to all who participated. Your kind words are very appreciated.

Happy Holidays to you! May 2011 bring you good luck and joy.

Thank You to Clients of 2010!

2010-12-08T14:56:00.002-06:00

To all of those who I've had the opportunity to work with this past year...

I want to offer a fun contest to my valued clients of 2010! Since a couple minutes of your time is required to participate, you will also be entered to win a $50 Visa gift card. I simply ask that you leave a recommendation for me on LinkedIn regarding the work that SLC has completed for your firm in the past year. The lucky winner will be drawn Wednesday, December 15th from the pool of candidates who leave a recommendation!

Please let me know if you have any questions. Thank you so much for being a client. Should you decide to leave a recommendation, I would like to thank you in advance for your participation!

Happy Holidays!

2010 MIMA Summit: A success or failure?

2010-09-29T12:10:00.008-05:00

I’m not a critic. I’m not an analyst.
I’m not a judgmental person. I don’t read “critics picks” in any publication, because typically, I don’t care.

But first, my motivation here. Despite typically being a "critic skeptic" I have some thoughts on this event and feel compelled to write about the 2010 MIMA Summit at the Hilton Hotel in Minneapolis, primarily since the Summit managed to accomplish something that is rare: it was both bad & good (or should I say: really bad and really good) at the same time.

Second, a tiny bit of background. I own a small but explosive business; my clients love the work; I am a student. Enough background.

$595 (or $95 for students) for Summit Registration

Okay, lets be practical, the cost of the Summit, both in dollars and time is not a drop in the bucket; naturally, one develops expectations to justify the time and the cost (i.e. great information, entertainment, enjoyment, knowledge, networking, etc.).

So, Was it Worth The Cost?

At times yes, at other times, no. Let me summarize for you.

I'll start with the morning KeyNote Speaker: @Garyvee – this guy was phenomenal (and swears like a drunken sailor, no lie). His story is inspiring and worth telling – he was born in Belarus, came to the US, took the family business and in 10 years increased revenues by 1,400%. How many of us can say we’ve done the same? So this guy is unique, right? He is worth listening to and learning from. Smashing success.

On to the break-out “learning” sessions. Now you have to understand, this is hard for me. My instinct is to sugar-coat my thoughts, and not be entirely honest (MN nice). . . I want to say all my sessions were fabulous. But I can’t. They were not all fabulous. Nor enlightening, nor a learning experience. I did not gain by being at them. I should have been at my desk, replying to clients and working on projects instead. One session was analogy heavy and felt like a pseudo-psychology class. To make matters worse, the presenter cut questions short since he had to go to the bathroom. How prepared was he to give his presentation?

That being said, there were 2 (out of 4) sessions I attended that were really great. They were Content Curation by @magnify and Driving B2B Conversions with @Kbodnar32. These guys were good. You can watch the video at the MIMA website (coming soon) and for most, it would be worth your time (packed with useful and applicable perspective).

Lunch Time
Food was good. Service was great. And then – enter the afternoon keynote @baratunde. There is no short synopsis of words that will communicate this experience. @baratunde was … boring. Yes, boring. He shared a story of him being a ‘mayor’ on FourSquare and entering a large, drawn-out, unrealistic “campaign” for Mayorship with another contestant. Bad video, bad sound, and his message could have been communicated in 10 minutes- after which he could have told us something inspirational, educational or just plain entertaining (he is a comedian after all, and based on the personality this guy has, I know he can pull off a lot better).

Finally, the evening social - a success. Good conversation, tasty food & drink, and that sums up the evening (to those who provided great conversation, I don't mean to discount that here, just don't feel it necessary to expand).

I Will Go Again

Yes. I will attend future Summit events. I may even enjoy them more since I'll know what to expect. However, I will call it like it is, if I endure one more painful session filled with mental shouting as various factions claim they alone possess the key to marketing and that all other perspectives are nearly obsolete.

My Suggestion?
Were I a MIMA board member, I would insist on raising the bar on who is featured at the Summit. I'd rather have less quantity and more quality.

Last, but Not Least.

The volunteers did an excellent job and deserved more recognition.

What Do You Think?

Was the Summit a success, a failure or both? Leave your comment below or drop me an email. It would make my day.

Growth Share Matrix Applied to Marketing

2010-04-15T14:14:00.003-05:00

Happy Thursday!

I know, I know. There is supposed to be a newly designed blog here instead of what you see... I've been talking about the new blog since early 2010. That is the bad news. The good news - we are well on our way to renaming and branding SLC!

In the meantime, I would like to post a short power point presentation I gave on the Growth Share Matrix recently. The presentation takes a good look at the four quadrants of the matrix (cash cows, stars, question marks and dogs). This in-depth analysis is healthy for any business to undergo. Although it is important to keep in mind, the matrix was designed for large Fortune 500 corporations and is a somewhat theoretical approach.

Enjoy the power point - and if you have questions feel free to send an email!

Growth Share Matrix Applied to Marketing

Google Unveils "Nexus One"

2010-01-05T15:03:00.013-06:00

Happy New Year to all!
I am looking forward to an exciting year, and wish all the best to you as well.

Instead of writing a lengthy blog, I would like to give you a heads up on Google's new Nexus One - a "super phone" that is said to rival Apple's iPhone.

The phone has mixed reviews. Some say the Nexus One doesn't offer a whole lot to compete in the way of the iPhone. Others say the wealth of sensors and radios built into the phone as well as the integration of voice functions are features that simply can not be ignored. For example, saying "Navigate to the Minneapolis Art Institute" would execute a Google search for the term and automatically returns a map with turn-by-turn navigation.

The Nexus One also boasts the following features:

A 5 mega-pixel LED flash camera
One of my personal favorites - Every text field is voice-enabled. Every time you speak, it will process your speech into text.
It comes with features such as a light sensor, GPS, and accelerometer.
Google worked with the team at CoolIris to visualize photons on the Nexus One in a 3D environment. If you tap on an album, you’ll be able to quickly scan and load photos. You can also tip and dip photos based on your hand motions and the accelerometer.
Customization is a key to the Nexus One. There are five home screens to customize your interface.
it Weighs a mere 130 grams, (about as much as a Swiss army knife).
Another personal favorite - Google sells an unlocked version of the phone. Granted, the unlocked version is much more expensive. But still... this was my one MAJOR beef with the iPhone. Who wants to sign up with AT&T?!
Noise Cancellation. The Nexus One has a second microphone on the back that monitors inbound noise and automatically cancels it out (anyone who’s used Bose noise cancellation headphoneswill appreciate this). It does a great job of canceling out machinery and wind noise on the other end of the call. In tests, call recipients noticed a substantial increase in call quality on this phone versus either the Droid or the iPhone.

I'll let you decide for yourself. I'd like to know what you think. Which phone are you most likely to buy, and why?

Sources: Google, Mashable, Information Week, Fox News, TechCrunch, PC World, CNet

What Every Great Website Includes: A Guide to Fabulous Web Design

2009-12-21T15:31:00.007-06:00

Often times, business owners feel overwhelmed when deciding on content for their new website. This is where an experienced web designer steps up to the plate and makes solid recommendations. For successful marketing, each website needs to be unique, so it is touch to generalize what needs to be included on any site. Many “musts” are industry related; for example, a medical clinic should include a list of physicians, while a car dealership should list (at least some) inventory for the visitor to browse. That being said, there are several aspects to consider when building a professional, high-quality website.

The ABC’s of Layout for a New Web Site
When beginning the design of a new site, it helps to start with the basics. Most businesses, whether they are product or service oriented should include the following categories/pages on their site:

Home

About

Services/Products

Contact

By sorting content and information into these categories, the ground-work has been laid. Any information, videos, images or other content that does not fit into these categories will need a home as well. Be creative; come up with a way to organize the remaining content. Perhaps an FAQ, News/Links, Portfolio, or Support page would fit the bill.

A side note: I recommend including a "news" type page where relevant content is regularly updated. Here is why: search engines love new, fresh and relevant content. Each time a search engine spyder crawls the site and finds new content, it increases the chances of ranking higher in the organic search listings. This is one of the Search Engine Optimization (SEO) basics.

Site Map
A site map is very important when it comes to SEO. It contains all of the site page links and their mapping. When any search engine crawls the site URL, it can easily crawl and index every page, if it sees the well formulated site map.

Solid Page Title
If you were handed a book, article or sheet of paper and were asked to quickly summarize the content, the first thing you would probably review is the title. Search engines operate the same way.

Search engines also display the title of the page in the search results. The more accurate the title, the more likely it will draw in relevant visitors. Page titles should be different for every page on the site, and can include keywords, and catchy language. As each search engine uses different rules to determine how relevant a page is to a particular search query, it is difficult to develop universal rules for improving search engine ranking. However, improving the page title is one technique that applies to just about all the engines.

Instead of this title:
<TITLE>Johnson Resort Home Page</TITLE>

Consider this one:
<TITLE>Johnson Resort: boating, fishing, family fun, hiking, horseback riding</TITLE>

The descriptive title increases the chance that the page will appear in any queary for family fun, fishing, boating, hiking or horseback riding. Be generous with your use of keywords. Remember that most engines allow up to 70 characters in the page title, however all 70 characters will not show up in the top part of the internet browser. (See Image below)

Professional Design, Images & Colors
"Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works."
- Steve Jobs

A high quality website is never a template that has content filled into each area. Not ever. Some freelance, fly-by-night, here-today-gone-tomorrow, wanna-be designers will tell you that using a template is ok. And sometimes, only very occasionally a template will work. But a website that is a true valuable marketing piece, does not just "work". The site should wow the visitor, and draw them in. It should be usable, easy to navigate, appealing, informative and memorable.

To accomplish this is more difficult than one would think. A few pointers:

Create easy navigation and links to all of the site pages
If the site is large, consider implementing a search bar
Colors should be inviting, not blinding or overwhelming. Remember that the visitors eye should travel the design smoothly and without confusion. Too much color inhibits the necessary visual rhythm that every well-designed site incorporates.
Use color to emphasize the brand, product or content. But don't get carried away. Color shouldn't make the site difficult to read or distracting.
Use images that are relevant to the site and fit well with the symmetry and balance of the layout. Too many large images leave no focal point, while too many small images create clutter. Keep image file size down, so the site can quickly load.

Last, but not Least:
A few last-minute pointers to keep in mind when designing a new site.

Good grammar, correct spelling, proper sentence structure and readable text are a few MUSTS. Nothing screams amateur more than a misspelled word or in-proper grammar (think: than vs. then, or your vs. you're).
Make sure all links are working. A website with broken links create bad impressions and demonstrate lack of quality.
Make content scannable. There are varying recommendations out there, however it is common knowledge that people simply do not read websites word for word. Use bullet points, headers, sub-headers, and bold text.
Convey what the site is about in SECONDS. Visitors don't want to dig for information. Say what the site is, and do it fast.
Do not use Microsoft FrontPage. This point extends to other cheap HTML editors, and many online HTML site builders. While they appear to make design easy - the output is poorly crafted code, incompatibility between browsers and bugs, bugs and more bugs.

Good luck and have fun designing that new site! Feel free to leave a comment below and let me know how your latest web project is coming along.

Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah to you and yours!

End Of Year Reflection

2009-12-15T19:03:00.010-06:00

When writing your next blog, drafting your business goals for 2010, or simply reflecting on 2009, consider the following questions.

What are your goals?
What steps are you taking to accomplish those goals?
Who are you trying to please?
What are you promising?
How much money are you trying to make?
How much freedom are you willing to trade for opportunity?
What are you trying to change?
What do you want people to say about you?
Which people?

(and after each answer, ask 'why?')

Source: http://sethgodin.typepad.com/

Stand Out Above the Crowd

2009-12-11T16:11:00.019-06:00

Businesses often underestimate the power of great website design. For many businesses, especially smaller ones, having an online presence is new and uncharted territory. These businesses often fall into the trap of thinking that simply because they have a home on the world wide web, that it is enough. Not so.

According to some sources, there are as many as 51.22 BILLION sites on the world wide web. Many of these websites are very rarely viewed, if ever. In order to stand out above this huge crowd of 51 billion sites, there are critical factors that must be included in a website. These factors include, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), corporate branding, customer interaction, and most importantly (in many ways) - an aesthetic design, a unique feel, and an online experience that is truly memorable for the visitor.

Lets break things down further. We've all had that website experience that left us with a headache. Maybe it was an online store you were trying to order a product from; where it seemed that the website store was trying to make the ordering process as difficult as possible. Perhaps your migraine-web-experience occurred when registering for vehicle tabs, where, to your dismay you discovered all of the relevant information and "help" was buried deep in the website information vault, never to be found by you. Whatever the horrible web experience, we've all had one.

As a business owner, you do not want your customers to feel this frustration when visiting your business on the web. Your site should be a haven of information and service, providing the customer with support and information. It should not be overwhelming, difficult to navigate, frustrating to sort through or downright miserable.

How to Avoid Yours Being the Nightmare Site:

1) Keep it simple - think about your text content and then reduce until only the very relevant and useful information is left. Here is why: people rarely read web pages word for word; instead, visitors scan the page and quickly pick out individual sentences, words, and headings. According to research conducted by AlertBox.com, 79% of their test users scanned any new page they came across, while only 16% read the page word for word. A few other suggestions:

highlight keywords
use meaningful, descriptive sub-headings
bulleted lists are great for quickly conveying information in a concise manner
limit one key point per paragraph (visitors may miss additional points that may be "buried" in the paragraph
As a guideline on the web, reduce word count by 50% of what would be typical for printed marketing literature or conventional writing

2) Think about your audience - don't market to your peer group or competitors. Market your customers. Talk to them, tell them relevant information - phone number, address, directions, services or products provided and so on.
3) When working with your web designer, choose a layout and colors that are appealing and complimentary. This will help the visitors eye move around the page. The design of the site should make the content easy to navigate, while keeping colors crisp and clean. Too much variation in color will overwhelm the visitor, while no design and lack of color can make the site downright boring.

I have pictured a few great web site designs below.... As much as I would like to, I am not going to list websites I do not like - but there are many of them out there, you've all seen them!

Mac vs. PC ... or is it PC vs. Mac? Taking a look at the debate.

2009-12-04T22:28:00.015-06:00

Ever wondered what is at the bottom of the Mac vs. PC debate? Maybe you were never aware that there exists such a debate ... well, it does. And it is not going away any time soon... in fact, this debate will likely be never ending, unless of course one product or the other enters extinction. Ask a Mac user, and they'll tell you PC's are on their way out. Ask a PC user, and they'll tell you Mac's are a minority, and will always be a minority! In my opinion, both parties are wrong - Macs and PCs are here to stay.

Background Info:

Here is a bit of background. There are several stereotypes around both platforms, however a few basic facts will be a great starting point for our discussion (for those of you completely out of this loop).

Mac is an Apple product (if you didn't know this, I welcome you to planet earth). Mac computers use Apple's operating system (most recent version is the OS X SnowLeopard), however they can run Microsoft Windows as well.
PC stands for Personal Computer, and technically Mac's fall into this category. However, for most purposes, Mac's are not referred to as PCs. PC typically stands for everything other than Macs that run Microsoft Windows as their operating system.

Common Arguments coming from PC users:

You'll find, if you choose to investigate this topic, that there is an elusive group out there that vehemently despises Mac computers, and claims their owners "don't know any better" than to buy a Mac. I say this group is elusive, because they are. They are people who hole themselves up and play computer games at functions called LAN parties for hours ... no, actually for DAYS on end (not kidding). This rare person that wastes time in this manner is categorized as a "gamer". Gamers even have their own language; for example to be called a "noob" is an insult. To be called a "Mac fanboy" in their world, is pulling out the big guns. This group loves sweet graphics, fast computers, huge processor capability and gigantic monitors... and this group LOVES PCs.

If you don't identify with this group, but are a PC user, don't worry. Not all PC users are viewed as gamers. I am one of them. I like my PC because I am used to it, because it was fairly inexpensive, and because it is mine (ha. I know, pretty weak reasons). I am not a PC loyalist. After spending time researching in order to write this blog, I have been swayed to strongly consider purchasing a Mac next time I need to upgrade. Anyway, I digress.

A loyalist PC Users' Perspective on Macs
Lets get into what PC fans say about Macs. A few of the points are valid, many of them are not. I'll clear up some of the myths, but the focus is to summarize the PC users perspective.

Argument 1) PC users commonly claim that Mac computers are overpriced. According to the May 2008 issue of Popular Mechanics, this is not true. At the end of the Popular Mechanics study, they say "Our biggest surprise, however, was that the PCs were not the relative bargains we expected them to be. The Asus M51sr costs the same as a MacBook, while the Gateway One actually costs $300 more than an iMac. That means for the price of the Gateway you could buy an iMac, boost its hard drive to match the Gateway's, purchase a copy of Vista to boot - and still save $100."

Argument 2) They will say PC's are simply better. When asked to elaborate as to why, PC enthusiasts will say because they are cheaper... I know, we already went over this... when the PC enthusiast realizes this, they will then stutter, stumble and spout - "Vista/Windows Seven runs more software and applications". This may be true, but consider this: how many of those add-on software programs and applications do you really want? Most of them just bog down your system. Also keep in mind: Snow Leopard (Mac operating system) requires 5GB of free disk space, while Windows 7 has a minimum recommended requirement of 16GB for the 32-bit OS and 20GB for the 64-bit OS!

Argument 3) Two words: Steve Jobs. I know, you're thinking "what does the CEO of Apple have to do with why I shouldn't buy a Mac?". It has everything to do with it according to Preston Gralla, a PC fan who writes a blog for Computer World. Mr. Gralla says "There's no doubt that Steve Jobs is a master marketer. And he also knows good design. But he's also vindictive, sends his lawyers after people who report leaked information about Apple products, and has hypnotized Apple users into drinking the true-believer Kool Aid. Don't reward him by making him richer."

I could go on, but I don't want to lose you, my reader, in a monotonous and monstrously long blog. If you want to read more about what PC users say about Mac's, I suggest you Google it. On the same note: If you are bored, and looking for entertainment - go down to the U of M, visit the IT computer lab and find an engineering student who looks like a gamer. (Hint: if he looks like a gamer, he is a gamer). Here comes the fun part: tell him that he should buy a Mac, and explain why. As you speak, you will witness an earthling undergo an internal explosion... you'll know the explosion is taking place when you see steam spilling out of his ears, at which point he'll call you a Mac fanboy. Anyway... again, I digress.

A Mac User's Perspective

Of course, there are those Mac owners that have been sucked up by marketing. But, once sucked in to the Mac world, these people do not turn back. That being said, most Mac users are educated consumers that simply want quality, and Apple has produced tall claims that are hard to stack up against, including:

Since Mac does not run executable files like a PC, it is tougher to sneak malicious programs onto your Mac computer... hence, expensive virus protection software is not needed on a Mac. (PC's also do not necessarily need virus protection software, but then one must rely heavily on the Windows firewall, which will prompt you to grant permission for basically everything... and good luck navigating the internet safely).
In July 2009, NPD, a market research firm released market share numbers that show Mac has 91% of the market share for $1,000+ computers. Keep an eye on what happens now that Apple is selling their 13 MacBook for just under $1,000.... Not to mention that Apple is currently the 4th largest computer manufacturer in the world.
Macs are faster. This has been proven in multiple benchmark studies. According to Popular Mechanics, in their speed trials the Mac operating system "... trounced Vista in all-important tasks such as boot-up, shutdown and program-launch times." They even tested Vista on the Macs using Apple's platform, and found that Apple computers ran faster than the PCs.
Further adding to the mystique of a Mac, a few years ago the latest Mac computers were capable of processing a teraflop of data, which labeled them as super computers. These Mac computers could not be shipped oversees without government permission due to national security issues, as they are powerful enough to run a sophisticated weapons program. PCs never fell into this category.

The Verdict:

Many aspects of the machines are the same: both Macs and PCs use Intel processors. Both buy hard drives, graphics cards and memory from the same small group of suppliers. The largest underlying difference between the two is the operating system. After reading through detailed benchmark studies published from both sides of the fence, I realized I needed to talk to people and ask them why they love their Mac or PC.

I did this because I realized in some ways this debate comes down to a personal preference that is set by a variety of factors. This debate is perhaps similar to Chevy vs. Ford, or more accurately Toyota vs. Mercedes. A highly respected computer genius from the Minneapolis area puts it simply, by saying...

"Think of Mac as a Mercedes-Benz and PCs as a Toyota. Toyota might sell more cars and they might work ok, but Mercedes-Benz sells a better car with better service. You won't hear Toyota owners telling Mercedes-Benz owners that they buy them just for style, or to fit in or because they don't know any better."

Photography. Good Shots are Essential for Marketing.

2009-11-13T13:26:00.008-06:00

Do you ever buy something because it looks like _______! (Excuse my terminology, or lack-there-of, but it seems appropriate in this case). Do you find yourself wanting any item that is gray, shadowed, looks old and worn out and the image on the website is blurry? Chances are - nope. In fact - remove "chances are" ... the answer is NO. People don't buy unsightly items. Marketing humans is easy, in a sense. Human nature likes shiny, crisp, clean, new. So when designing a piece of marketing literature or new website, I LOVE LOVE LOVE great pictures. It makes my job so much easier. Imagine trying to design a killer brochure with a photo that was taken by a point-and-shoot Fujifilm in a dusty garage that has horrible lighting.... you know what my first reaction is? Oh no. And then delete. And then, I scour istockphoto for any fitting stock images. And when that fails, I open photoshop and get to work. Photoshop can do a lot. But it can not take an awful, horrible, downright ugly image and make it beautiful. Which is why I am so happy I met Paul Weber.

Recently, I was able to work with Paul, a Minneapolis area photographer on a photo shoot. He took product shots for a website I am building (Slumber Designs - lovely upholstered bedroom furniture). His studio is located in North East Minneapolis, in an old grain building which is filled with character and charm. As we were setting up, we got to know each other a bit - it turns out, Paul and I have a connection. Last week, he was carrying on in conversation with none other than my Granny and Gramps at his mothers 75th birthday party! What a small world. Here, I've been searching for a good photographer to work with - and out of the blue, I find Paul Weber. And it turns out, he grew up in my home town of Brainerd and knows my family. Anyway. Enough background info.

Back to product photography. Earlier this week, Jen (Owner/President of Slumber Designs), Paul and I found ourselves in his studio with the Slumber Designs inventory ... there we were, arranging bedding, lighting, pillows, camera, etc. to get the perfect shot. It takes an incredible amount of meticulous attention to detail to capture the perfect image on camera. We used pins, tape, blocks, shims, and apple crates to arrange and hold things in place. We steamed the sheets, eliminated wrinkles, perfected angles, adjusted lighting and Paul worked his magic.

Check out the series below.

STEP 1. BEFORE PAUL ....
Point and shoot camera image:

STEP 2. BEFORE PAUL ....
At this point, I was going through the turmoil of delete. then istock search (which of course doesn't work for product shots). and here photoshop at its best (this is my touched-up version of the image above)

STEP 3. WORKING WITH PAUL ....
tuck. pin. tape. steam. adjust. and start again - tuck. pin. tape. steam .... you get the idea.

(Jen - steamin' away. These wrinkles didn't have a chance against her. )

(I worked on this corner forever. two pins finally did the trick.)

(Paul - doing his thing)

STEP 4. THE FINAL PRODUCT ....
it was worth it.

(sneak preview - the rest will be on the Slumber Design website)

(Close up. The detail and color is AWESOME. I bet you can imagine exactly what type of fabric this headboard was made of. And that is what we want. Contrast this to the original image at the very top, which shows no detail.)

The website that will be home to these images will soon be complete. And when it is, I'll give you a heads up so you can check out the Slumber Design creations.

Last but not least, a few tips - in case you simply must take your own shots.

Take way more shots than you think you'll need. You'll find, many of them aren't usable.
Talk to your designer; ask what dimensions will be needed for the website or brochure.
Avoid dark images against light backgrounds
In order to ensure your images are sharp, make sure you know how to FOCUS your camera. The auto focus on a lot of digital cameras does not focus precisely. Read the user-manual if you must.
Lighting is everything. Use indirect, soft lighting. (No bright sunlight. No spotlights.)
Be patient & HAVE FUN!

Incredible. Inspirational. William Kamkwamba.

2009-11-08T17:13:00.000-06:00

I recently came across this story that has had international attention. I found it to be inspirational. Incredible. Motivating. And moving, in its own way. This guy, William Kamkwamba, from Malawi- has very little education and builds a windmill from scrap parts that generates electricity. Did I mention he did this at age 14? The first windmill he built, powers four light bulbs and two radios in his home, in his tiny village in Malawi.

Watch.

Google Wave - what is it?

2009-11-08T16:48:00.000-06:00

I'm sure you've heard the hype about Google's latest - Google Wave. But what is it?

Initially the Wave was released only to developers, and more recently one million licenses were released in a preview edition. To get access to the Wave, you must get an invitation to do so. To request an invitation (that seems like an oxymoron, doesn't it?) click here.

Google Wave is basically an open-source, web based communication and collaboration tool that allows participants to work on documents in real time from their own computers. In other words, it allows groups to work on the same file, at the same time. And because it is web-based, group members can be at any computer, any where, as long as the computer has an internet connection.

The Google Wave was designed as the next generation of internet communicating and is described by Google as "equal parts conversation and document".

According to Wikipedia, when working with Google Wave, recipients are notified of changes/replies in all waves in which they are active and, upon opening a wave, may review those changes in chronological order.
Waves can function not only as e-mails and threaded conversations but also as an instant messaging service when many participants are online at the same time.

To learn more about Google Wave, check out these links.

Women and Business.

2009-10-30T09:36:00.000-05:00

In a study released this month, numbers clearly show how much of an impact women-owned businesses have on the U.S. economy. The report, The Economic Impact of Women Owned Business in the United States provides an in-depth and comprehensive look at women owned firms and the impact of the businesses'.

The study was conducted by the Center for Women's Business Research and was funded by the National Women's Business Council and Walmart. This in-depth look at the economic impact of women-owned businesses is a first and illuminates the true economic contributions of these firms.

A few interesting findings:

Women owned small businesses employ 23 million people and have an economic impact of $3 trillion.
If women-owned businesses were their own country, they would have the 5th largest GDP in the world, ahead of countries including France, the United Kingdom and Italy.
If women-owned businesses were their own country, they would have a greater GDP than Canada, India and Vietnam COMBINED.
Industries where women-owned businesses have the highest revenues include: professional, scientific, technical services, retail, wholesale, business services, communication, media, administrative, support, and waste remediation.

I'll leave you with an excerpt from the April 12, 2006 issue of the Economist:

"The increase in female employment in the rich world has been the main driving force of growth in the past couple of decades. Those women have contributed more to global GDP growth than have either new technology, or the new giants, China and India."

Awakenings.

2009-10-28T10:29:00.002-05:00

Good morning. Forget about slowly getting my feet wet ... I am going to dive headfirst into this blog and say I am feeling so excited about life and Sanna Lee Consulting. This feeling is a rarity that must be savored. It is an enthusiasm that propels me to extend my boundaries both personally and professionally. This feeling shows me open doors everywhere and so many opportunities that my head spins. You see, this feeling comes only occasionally, and is never predictable. Perhaps my unusual schedule this morning triggered it...

BEEP BEEP BEEP

"ughhhh. What is that awful noise. Be quiet..... zzzzzz"

Ten minutes later.

BEEP BEEP BEEP

"what time is it? You have got to be kidding me. It is 5:25 AM. Let me check the clock again. Yep. It says A.M. Am I seriously considering getting out of this warm bed at 5:25 AM? Nope. Snooze. zzzzzzz"

Ten minutes later.

BEEP BEEP BEEP

"Will you go away you obnoxious and cruel thing?! Why did I buy this phone anyway? All it does is beep and make noise. Ughh. [long sigh] Great. Now I am talking to my phone. Which is an inanimate object. Which means normal people don't talk to things like it. This is why I have a rule not to get up at such an unearthly hour... I do strange things like talk to myself and my phone."

This is what goes on in my head whenever forced to drag myself into a cold, dark and WAY-TO-EARLY world. (By the way, way-to-early- by definition is anything before the sun debuts itself to the world for the day. And if you dispute that, then you better check your facts against the Sanna Lee Guide to Everything In Life which clearly states that not only is 5:30 AM unearthly, but it also should be removed from the clock entirely so that if one is forced to wake at that hour, they don't have to face the cruelty of realizing it).

Anyway... I'm dragging you back out of my thoughts and into the present. So, I got up - got ready, kissed my husband goodbye and out the door I went. At this point, I was feeling mildly awake. It, of course was still dark, since I was up before the sun had even considered rising.

You're probably wondering what in the world got me out of bed so early. It was not a shopping trip. It was not a vacation. It was not a baby. It was not a taekwondo sparring match, nor any other work-out/exercise related event. It was not a gourmet steak dinner. It was not even coffee and chocolate - which you all know how much I love. Here is my secret - it was opportunity. Simple as that.

And simple as that, the world makes sense to me. You see: I grew up wondering what is wrong with my dad. He has been a self-employed General Contractor for as long as I remember... and each morning of each day of each week, he has confirmed that he is indeed an outlandish and peculiar creature... because, he CHOSE to wake BEFORE the crack of dawn. And not just once in a while. EVERY DAY. (Well, maybe there have been one or two exceptions. But I can't remember them). He has always loved mornings. And I have always hated them. For as long as I remember this has been the case. Until now. I hesitate to even say this, because it is so outrageous coming from me, but today I understand my dad and have even started to savor mornings.

My attitude has changed because I realize there is unlimited opportunity in this world. It is what you make of it. I know I sound cliché. But it is true. So, my blog in short: who can sleep when there is a whole world out there! Go for your dreams. Accomplish your goals. Forget about the clock and open your eyes!

Carpe Diem.

P.S. In case you are still wondering, I met with a networking group in Eden Prairie for breakfast. It is a great group that come together to promote each other and themselves. Bryan Erickson (an M.D of Printology from Minute Man Press) was kind enough to inform me of this group, and brought me as his guest. He is a great guy and a great printer. Let me know if you need his contact info.

Fonts - They Make or Break a Design

2009-10-20T13:58:00.003-05:00

The importance of typography in design can not be overestimated.
A unique font, and its balance of geometric forms gives your design a certain feel. By simply changing the font in your logo for example, the feel can go from an elegant design, to a classic modern piece. One must be careful when choosing fonts, as there are literally thousands of free low-quality fonts to choose from. Many of these would never be used in a professional design.

A few things to consider when browsing fonts include:

Legibility: How easy is the font to read?
Usability: Is the font easily integrated into the design and layout of your document?
Accessibility: Using a universal typeface for web content is very important. If your visitor does not have the font you used installed on their computer, then it may not appear on their screen as you intended, or they may not be able to view it at all. Bottom line: when using a unique font, make sure it is an image (such as a logo, or an image header).
Target Audience: Keep in mind who will be reading your marketing peice. Is it geared toward children, elderly, the tech-savvy, or middle aged people? For the elderly, a large font may be best. For children, consider an easy-to-read decorative font.

Once you have chosen a font, there are a few other things to keep in mind. Color contrast is important. The font should stand out from the background. It should also be sized appropriately and should not distract overly from the main focus of your document; which is to promote your product or service.

That being said, I have listed a few of my personal favorites.

Click here to download this font.

Click here to download Pea Smashtastic.

Click here to download Chica Mono.

Click here to download Jellyka.

Another great site that converts your handwritten sample into a usable and down-loadable font is FontGarden.

Shoot me an email with a list of your favorites. I look forward to hearing from you!

Google does NOT use the key words meta tag in web ranking!

2009-10-18T21:12:00.000-05:00

Contrary to popular belief, Google does not use the keywords meta tag to rank your website in its search results. In fact, they began disregarding the keywords meta tag long ago due to abuse; web developers too often inserted irrelevant content here, diluting the real purpose of the "keyword meta tag".

Watch the video

Read the entire article by clicking here.

Thank you to the Rockford & Greenfield Area Business Summit Group!

2009-10-09T11:52:00.000-05:00

Earlier this summer I had the opportunity to speak to the Rockford and Greenfield Area Business Summit group about web design, web content for small business, and using ones website as an online marketing tool. This group is currently working to form an area Chamber of Commerce and consists of over 40 businesses with talented professionals working as chiropractors, dentists, realators, accountants, plumbers, electricians, consultants, interior decorators, bankers, property investors and so on.

The presentation went well. I covered a lot of information and enjoyed getting to know more of the Rockford and Greenfield locals and business owners that were in attendance. This group has a great vibe and lots of energy. As diverse as this group is, they all meet for similar reasons, the top few being; networking, information/education, sense of community and to strengthen the local business community.

An Attempt to Inspire the Start-Ups Out There

2009-10-07T14:07:00.004-05:00

GROWING A SMALL BUSINESS is not a piece of cake. It requires drive, dedication, hard work and luck. I have learned a few things points over the last year that I would like to share with you. If you are considering starting your own business; perhaps you'll find this helpful. If you are a customer, perhaps this will be interesting. If you are a friend; perhaps boring and not worth your time. Either way, thanks for visiting and let me know what you think.

KEEP IT REAL:
Choosing a direction is tough. Knowing who to target is tougher. In order to be successful, you need to understand your customer and their needs. This statement is cliche'. Everyone knows this. But how to accomplish it is a completely different story. My recommendation is first and foremost to be REAL. If your business does not suit you - then get out of it. You can not pretend to be a carpet installer when your passion is writing. It is tough to be a coffee connoisseur if your fascination is the intricacies of cement work. Don't try to get Salesman of the Year if you are an anti-social introvert that would rather plug digits into your Ti-86 and think about quantum physics. Your customers can tell: you are either excited about your work, or not. Your excitement should permeate everything you do. You should build energy and enthusiasm to each project you touch.

DON'T GIVE UP:

Failure is giving up. Small business is brutal. There is always someone out there that will under-cut your price. There is always someone else who has been in the business for 100 years (or whatever they claim), and has more "experience". There is the lucky-duck who just so happened to inherit a trillion dollars from his rich great-uncle and can spend money like mad on advertising. But then, there is also the multi-million dollar company that was started by a mechanical engineer and his school-teacher wife. How did they get there? Simple. They had a great idea, a sound business plan, dedication and hard work. And they did not give up. Not ever.

When growing a customer base, there are those days when no one gets back to you and there are no projects in the works. There are days when it is raining and gloomy and you were just hung-up on for the 18th time in a row. There are days when you spend hard earned money on advertising, and not seeing any results. There are those days when you want to give up and go back to the steady paycheck and corporate drone.

On these days, you must ask yourself: do you believe in your product or service? Do you have a sound business strategy? If you BELIEVE in yourself and your business, you should not give up. You must pick yourself up and continue plugging along. Take a moment to examine what you've been doing and evaluate what could be wrong. How can you fine tune your business strategy to promote successful baby-steps toward growth. I can not emphasize enough that the key to success, is setting yourself up for success- not failure. I recommend you outline goals that are attainable. Be realistic. Be reasonable. And in the end, you can shoot for the stars!

NETWORK. NETWORK. AND NETWORK SOME MORE.

I can not emphasize how important it is to network. Join your local Chamber of Commerce. Get on Facebook. Talk to people on the bus about your business. Talk to the barista at Starbucks. Tell your hairdresser. Get to know your neighbors. Add your business to Manta and Merchant Circle. Get the word out- let people know what you are doing. Be confident and friendly. Do NOT be pushy. Enough said.

I would love to hear about your business. What do you do? What works for you? What doesn't? What is your worst experience? What is your biggest success?