Still Alive

Well, it's been more than a month since all the summatives have been assigned one by one... and still I'm hanging on (by a single strand of my poor quality hair). The geography project is almost due and we still have a mile to go. Not very much... but if something goes wrong, we don't have a lot of time to fix it. The art summative is due as well, but I'm almost done it. The only problem is how to get it to look like it's good quality. I'm really kind of nervous about all this. The only summatives that I'm having fun doing is the english media and the computer project. But even those, I only have a small amount of time to get them done. So I better go...

I'm having a geo unit test two periods from now. Wish me luck!

Sent To Your Address

The next component of having your business look professional is by contacting your potential clients by means of a business letter. Advatages to doing this is that it will make your business seem less childish and more mature. Sure e-mails must be faster, or even texting... but sending letters let your clients know that you're actually willing to pay for a stamp to let them know about your services.

The most important thing to having a very professional looking business letter is that it follows the MLA format. First thing you have to do is to create the letter using your letterhead template. If you don't have your address or contact information already on your letterhead, you should place it on the top left corner of your letter. So, it should be something like this:

Pixie Willow
87 Sunnydale, Apt. # 712
Cornerstone, Neverland
A23 F45

This is what it should look like. Then, put your client's address directly (maybe a couple of spaces down) below it. So, maybe it will be like this:

Peter Pan
36 Rockygrass, Apt. # 413
Honeytree, Neverland
H67 Y89

Once you have that down, you can start your letter. What you need to have is a beginning, a middle and an end. Try not to make it too long or too short. Too long will bore your customers to no end, and too short may not be specific enough to explain what you do. Try to address your client by their last names and try to sound professional.

Dear Mr. Pan,

I would like to offer you my pixie dust business..... blah blah blah.

After your letter, close it with your name, and leave several spaces for your signature.

From Me To You

So... after making my own logo, I should have known that these two assignments that I'm doing right now would come up. Now, not only do we have to own a logo, but we should create our own letterhead and business cards as well! I'm very excited about these work because I could get in touch with my creative side and apply to computers.

I made and re-made my logo, I finally decided on one and I plan to use it for both my letterhead and card. The thing that I am having trouble with is differenciating between the necessary information that I should place on my letterhead and the card. I'm not sure if they are supposed to be the same information or not... most of the websites I go to say the same thing for both of them.

Anyway, we were required to research some tips on how to make good letterheads and business cards. I did a two-hour worth of research and I finally was able to plan a good letterhead. I haven't started on the cards just yet, only because I'm not sure how to make it attractive (yet).

So...here are a few tips on how to create a very attractive and professional looking letterhead (even if you are a ninth grader like me). Visit http://glossary.ippaper.com/default.asp?req=knowledge/article/410&catitemid=52&floater=disabled
for more information.

-You should include your logo in your letterhead (your business will be more recognizable)
-You should stick to only one or two different fonts (typeface) when creating your letterhead
-Plan a good layout (usually, the letterhead will be at the top along with the general information)
-Pick a good colour that would represent the type of service or product you are selling; using the right color will convey the right feeling
-Be creative: use gradients or bleeds to blend colors
-Include at least these info:
-logo
-company name and address
-your name
-necessary and alternate phone numbers
-e-mail address
-slogan

As I said, all of the information here are retrieved from the above website.

Making My Own Logo

As a person who is starting out her own business, it's important for me to make an impression on my clients. One of the ways to do that is to make a logo/trademark that is specific to my business so that it is easy for people to remember my service. There are several important things that should come to mind when you are planning or designing a logo. Here are a few tips to remember:

1. Simplicity: your logo shouldn't be over-crammed with images or information. It should be simple enough so that people can remember it easily. You can also add a slogan if you think it would help people know the purpose of your business immediately.

2. Uniqueness: you logo shouldn't look like an already existing trademark. This will get you in trouble or people might mistake your business for something else.

3. Colors: the colors on your logo should apply to every single media that it could be advertised in. For example, your logo should still look recognizable in a b&w newsprint or a very colorful advertisment in a website. You can also use colors to convey emotions that you want your clients or costumers to feel. Bright and powerful colors are usually red, yellow or orange. Colors such as green, blue, or purple will have a more cool and laid-back feeling.

4. Compatibility: your logo should go with the name of your business. For example, if your symbol represents or looks like some kind of vigorous activity, but your business name says "Sleep for Everyone", it gives a contradicting message. You should avoid this.

That's basically what you have to remember. To go into further depth into the explanations, you can visit these websites:

-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Logo
-http://www.grantasticdesigns.com/logos1.html
-http://www.soslogodesign.com/TenTips.html

My Business Is Official....at least soon it will be

Before we get into what my business is, it's very important to look at the things that will help or affect my business very much. There are things that can get me into trouble legally if not done or performed incorrectly. Here are some things that you need to know about:

Register Your Business Name: it is exactly what it says; register your business name. There are a few rules for this. For example, if your business name is your legal name, then you won't have to register. When you register, you will have to pay about $60-$80, and it will last for five years until it expires. Also, make sure that your name is not already taken or else you'll get sued.

Taxes: Income Tax- this tax is taken from the money you make. It takes into account things like where your business is located, your supplies, employees, advertising, equipments, etc.

Goods and Service Tax- this is GST, something that has always been taken from all of the goods and services paid for. You should only register for GST if your business makes more than $30,000 a year.

Retail Sales Tax- this is also known as PST (which is 8% in Ontario).

Payroll Deductions: (this is only required if you have employees. This isn't as important as the others for my business project, so if you want more information about this, go to: http://www.sbe.gov.on.ca/ontcan/sbe/en/st_yrguide3_en.jsp#5

Business Records: You have to keep a book of records by law, and all of your income tax up until six years after you received it.

Licenses: you need these in order to have your business approved by the government. It includes things such as where you can build your business or the qualifications of your employees.

Zoning: (sorry, I'm not very clear with the difference between this and premises. If you do, please tell me.)

Insurance: this is what protects you from risks that can damage you or your business. There are many types of insurance out there, and so the best way to save money is to get it in a package. Some types of insurance are: Property, Disability , or General Liability insurance.

Renting or Buying Premises: this refers to the specific location of your business: like a spot in the mall, or a small place around the plaza, etc. If your business is particularly small or you're just starting out, you may want to rent instead of buy premises. However, you may need to sign a lease with the owner.

Business Communications: When you want your business to be very reliable, you must keep contact with your customers. You might want to think about getting things like a personal computer/laptop, softwares (the Microsoft Office is really good to have), internet, cell phones, fax, photocopier, scanner, and a document shredder. You should also built a website about your business. This will make it easier for customers to contact you or to view your general service/products.

Hiring Employees: You may not need employees at first, but if your business grows, it's important to get some help. When you hire employees, you need to consider things like: paying your employees regularly, keeping records of them, giving them a safe working environment, etc. Also, there are a few acts you must consider: Employment Standards Act, Pay Equality Act, Occupational Health and Safety Act, and Smoking in the Workplace Act.

All of these info are retrieved (and put into own words) from
<http://www.sbe.gov.on.ca/ontcan/sbe/en/st_yrguide3_en.jsp#5>.
If you want more information, you can visit this website.

The 90th!

This blog post is my 90th post! Yay!

But not so yay! It turns out that the summative for computers is being started today. It's about starting a business over summer that I'm capable of doing. I'm thinking about it right now. If you want to see what it's all about, go here:

http:g9computes.blogspot.com

Flash! Everybody, Flash!

Okay, so I'm not talking about clothes. This is after all a computer class. So, you'd probably have a good idea about what I'm going to talk about.

This is probably the best unit I have in computer. I've been waiting a long time for this. It's basically doing animation using Macromedia Flash. As of right now, we were taught about doing simple things like moving things around using TWEEN. I think it's pretty cool that you don't have to individually make a frame for each movement. This can come really handy with other subjects.

Anyway, the basic thing that you need to know about making animation using this software is that it works very similarly with Photoshop. There are layers that can come in advantage for you, the tools are pretty much the same; the only thing different is the fact that there is a timeline at the upper side of your window. This shows your basic animation.

If you want to make a movement, highlight several frames on your timeline, right click it and choose 'Copy Key Frame'. This will give you the frames that you want in it. Right click it again and then choose 'Create Motion Tween'. If you choose that, move the object you want the action in, and stop it when you're done the movement. Using TWEEN basically records your movement.

ONE CATCH: Your movement must only be a simple one. This is because TWEEN can only capture your action from where you started to the place you ended. If you did flips and turns in the middle of your action, it will not be recorded. If played, this motion will simply turn out to be a movement between where you started to where your object is at the end.

I'll tell you more when I become a little bit more of an 'expert'.