Author Archives: admin

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PODCAST – USC’s Explore@4: Entrepreneurship

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USC Guest Panel Speakers for Explore@4: Entrepreneurship

On Wednesday, January 23rd, USC hosted Explore@4: Entrepreneurship in collaboration with the USC Entrepreneur Club. It was wonderful to get to see how USC has changed since graduating in 2005 and the E-Club has certainly grown since Ashlee Gardner and I relaunched it. I’m an avid fan of college students hearing about alternatives to the traditional career path, so Paige and I drove up from Orange County and back through rush hour just to take this opportunity.

The guest speakers were:

• Josh Hartwell, CEO of Mobile Deluxe (this guy has been doing gaming before smart phones)

• Curtis T. Jewell II, EVP of Marketing at Excel Management Systems Inc. (his own thing, not the former network marketing company)

• Jennifer Vogel, Senior Executive VP, Electric Yoga | Bisou Bisou (she’s done tons of international business)

• Courtney Thurman, CEO, SmallWerks (lil’ ol’ me and my awesome hand posing)

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Two States. One Dream.

Filed under: Blog, Business Operations, SmallWerks Announcements
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Wow. 2012 was a huge year for us at SmallWerks. This business was built on a dream – to be able to serve the best small businesses and nonprofits out there to do their art and great work. We handpicked you just like you pick us and we are so grateful for the growth that 2012 brought us and you!

It also brought some sadness. SmallWerks was built to give freedom to not only choose who we served, but to also give us time with the most important people in our lives. You saw us go through two years of The Mom’s Alive Tour and you granted us ‘time off’ when we needed it most to spend that valuable time. Again, thank you!

This November, The Mom, for whom we had The Mom’s Alive Tour, who encouraged us to start this business in the first place, got to end this part of her journey in an incredibly beautiful way. Her Memorial Service had a huge turnout with professional musicians all celebrating her life and the incredible transition. The moving video made in her memory can be seen here: https://vimeo.com/54704115.

Our new Marketing Coordinator, Paige took the lead and steered this ship for two months during this intense time. (She really rocks!) During this time, we found that she did a great job running California, and I ended up picking up clients in Colorado! We made this cross-state agency work happen and it was growing!

So we have a dream – to go BIG!

Starting February 1st, I’ll be in Colorado (Colorado Springs & Denver) the majority of the time, and back in California every other month to help with California activities and to put on some of our booming SendOutCards events (check them out at www.OCSOCStars.com and learn about it at www.SendOutCards.com/SmallWerks!) Paige is taking on California!

I’ll still be actively working on SmallWerks’ California activities – have no fear! Most of you haven’t seen me in a few months anyway! There’s so much growth ahead and we’re excited to bring you the best service that two states can give!

I know that this is big news for many of you, so feel free to ask us specific questions how this may impact you. We believe that this will be great for everyone but we know that there will be questions. Email me at Courtney at SmallWerks.com or Paige at SmallWerks.com.

Onward and upward . . . and new horizons! Two states, here we come!

This amazing print of the Denver skyline was made by JanuaryJonesPrints on Etsy. Buy her great stuff here.

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26 Inspirational Quotes of 2013

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As we enter a new year, you should have plans. Big ones. Plans so big that you can’t do them alone and shouldn’t. You’re going to need a team of people working with you to reach your limits! No one should go it alone if you can help it. Here are some great quotes that I found digging in an old box of business books I had stacked in the garage and thought you could use them too. So much of our success is in our head and not in our actions so rally the troops and go get it!

It isn’t where we came from; it’s where we’re going that counts. – Ella Fitzgerald

I’m looking for a lot of people who have an infinite capacity to not know what can’t be done. - Henry Ford

We cannot become what we want to be by remaining what we are. – Max Depree

Blessed are the flexible for they shall not be bent out of shape. - Don Ward

We knew we loved making cookies and every time we did, we made people happy. That was our business plan. - Debbi Fields

Anything can happen with the right team. That’s the beauty of creating. – Ernie Harwell

It’s not who we are that holds us back, it’s who we think we’re not. – Michael Nolan

Change is inevitable. It’s direction that counts. – Gil Atkinson

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HIRING :: Part-Time Marketing Assistant Position

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HIRING OPPORTUNITY! A part-time marketing and administrative assistant is needed for a shared office for a marketing company and a prestigious construction company. This candidate will be utilized by both companies for similar marketing and administrative activities, such as project management, client support, email marketing, social media, content development, basic accounting & invoicing, event marketing and sales support. This is a perfect job for an outgoing, proactive and communicative college graduate who is looking to learn from two growing companies. This is an independent contractor position that offers up to 20 hours a week in shared billable time and has the potential to expand and become a full-time engagement opportunity with increased responsibility with professional training. The candidate has the option to work from a professional office in Santa Ana off the 55 freeway close to Tustin and Costa Mesa or from home. Attention to detail and a proactive nature is important for this position. This opening is available immediately. Please put Marketing Support Assistant – Candidate Submission as the subject line, attach your resume as a PDF and list three references to Info{at}SmallWerks.com.

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Why Do Some Wilt While Others Thrive? No R-Words Here.

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Wilt or Thrive?

Last weekend, I went to a gorgeous wedding up in Santa Barbara, my first time ever being up in the area and because I was a good guest, I stayed late enough to bid a bubble-blowing goodbye to the bride and groom, which rewarded me with the opportunity to snag some of the gorgeous leftover bouquets.

This morning, I noticed two flowers responding very differently to the same environment, despite having the same water and access to light but one is wilted and the other is thriving. Flowers can’t chose to respond differently – they’re reactive and aside from their ability to bend themselves toward light, they have little other recourse. I couldn’t help but smile because that’s exactly how we are in this very polarizing environment. And even at bare minimum, are you bending yourself toward light or succumbing to your situations? Continue reading →

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The Real Marketing 101 :: We Need More Awesome

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It seems like this post should start like a letter you’d write to your Grandma, “I know it’s been a while since I wrote my last letter, but I think of you often”. Like most companies, I’m just as guilty of leaving long spans of time between my blog posts but constantly think that I should go write one. It’s a ‘I-think-about-you-but-don’t-care-enough-to-write’ conundrum of many companies from blog posts, to email newsletters and worse, social media, where so many of our clients and partners are actually posting comments or tweets to us and we just let them linger. Hmmm… bad form – our older relatives would be ashamed.

I’d feel worse about it if I didn’t think that somewhere in there, we’re not ignoring anyone, we just don’t feel like we have something important to say. We may be using that as an excuse or that could be real for us, and what we didn’t learn in business school or those one-hour Marketing 101 courses on how to write press releases is this – WE NEED MORE AWESOME. Not more “Me Too” marketing strategies trying to keep up in the industry, just be better. Write blog posts when you have something great to share that you’d tell your best client or your business partner and get excited about what’s coming down the pike when you write email blasts. Continue reading →

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HOW TO: Create Your Own Splash Page

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Splash pages are the introductory page to your website that feature your company logo or graphic, a flash movie, options to enter your site, and technical requirements to view you website. Splash pages load easily on your viewer’s computer and ensure that the viewer will see the information on the splash page at least once. Here are four great creators and design templates for you to create your own splash pages.

1. Ad Kreator – Ad Kreator is a do it yourself ad creating service for splash pages with hundreds of templates and no software to download. All templates and designs are hosted through Ad Kreator and the service only costs $19.95 per month, and the first design is free.

Click here to learn more.
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SmallWerks Internship Spotlight and Opportunity

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SmallWerks Inc. is emancipating Taylor and is ready for a new intern! The internship offers the great opportunity to develop your marketing skills through learning and serving others in small business marketing. Here is a breakdown of what the internship is all about and what you can do to apply!

ABOUT THE INTERNSHIP
Working with Small Businesses
SmallWerks is a full-service marketing agency that works with small businesses to increase the effectiveness of their marketing efforts. The intern will work alongside Courtney with outsourced marketing support, new marketing plans, launching businesses, and working with clients to create stable marketing teams. Tasks will include creating social media content plans, writing blogs, developing ideas for new marketing campaigns, and attending strategy based meetings with clients.
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A Social Media Look Into the Madness of ‘Movember’

Filed under: Blog, Nonprofit Marketing
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WHAT IS MOVEMBER?
Movember is a charity event held during the month of November where men grow moustaches to raise awareness, education, and funds for men’s health. Men all over the world grow their Mo’s to support the cause for men’s health, specifically prostate cancer and other cancers than affect men. Movember began in Melbourne, Australia and has grown to become a global effort with over 1.1 million participants in formal campaigns in countries including Australia, Canada, Spain, South Africa, Ireland, England, and the United States just to name a few. In 2010, participants in the United States alone raised over $7.5 million.
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Foursquare for Your Business

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Millions of times per day, people are checking in to share where they are. What if people were checking in at your business? Foursquare offers you and your customers a new way to explore your city and keep up to date on favorite companies and businesses. With over 10 million users worldwide, Foursquare is an innovative way to connect with your customers and expand the success of your business. Here is a breakdown of how to use Foursquare and its features.

FOURSQUARE FOR VENUE OWNERS
For business venue owners, Foursquare will provide you with a free set of tools to help you attract new customers and increase your brand loyalty.
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