Estimates and proposals and RFPs, oh my
A Request for Proposal (RFP) is like a mirage in the desert, or a dreamed-of lottery win, or simply a “Recipe for Pain,” says Ilise Benun, founder of Marketing Mentor. At the November 7 meeting of IABC/Toronto’s Professional Independent...
Alertbox reinforces value of e-newsletters
Web usability expert Jakob Nielsen is a big fan of email newsletters, which he says can “create much more of a bond between user and company than a website can.” The bad news is that the bond can be affected by usability problems like making it complicated...
Scare yourself to learn and grow
One of my neighbours used to create increasingly elaborate scenes on his front lawn at Halloween: The figure of Dracula rested in a coffin; actually the neighbour’s son, he came to life and rose as children shrieked and ran past. The blade of a guillotine,...
The last dispatch from the dorm (probably!)
My two-year degree program ended in mid-July, but that chapter came to a true end with a one-minute or so walk across the stage at the Royal Theatre in Victoria, B.C. for convocation on Tuesday. My classmates and I don’t actually have our BA in Professional...
8 lessons for freelancers from a perfectionist kitchen contractor
Having a contractor who was a perfectionist made a huge difference to the kitchen renovation that recently wrapped up at my house. I know, it seems crazy. Aiming for perfection can be a roadblock to ever actually finishing anything. But don’t we all want someone...
Yet more expressive language
I love reading the expressive ways people find to make a point. Here are my latest finds: “But even links that have nothing to do with Chinese cooking can bolster your profile if your site is barnacled with enough of them.” From a story on search...
Friday word fun, Thanksgiving version
It’s Friday, it’s Thanksgiving weekend here in Canada and I’ve just completed two “pulling a rabbit out of a hat” projects. Phew! Time for Friday word fun! Are you good at figuring out where words come from? I can attest that this...