CYGNETURE
The Newsletter of SWAN
November 1996
Self-employed Writers and Artists Network,
Inc.
New programs announced
Reserve the following four dates on your
calendar. All but the December meeting will be held at the Bergen
Museum, Paramus, at 7:30 pm. Note that in 1997, some meetings
will be held on Thursdays.
Wednesday November 20
How to get your foot in the door
New business is the key to a growing business.
But how do you do it-how do you get that first foot in the door?
Each discipline will conduct its own roundtable
discussion. Led by a successful entrepreneur, members and guests
will explore how to approach that hot prospect. What gets you the
first interview? What turns prospective clients off? Sharing
ideas is what SWAN is all about, so bring your own innovative
approaches and network with others in your own discipline.
Whether you're entering the field or expanding your business,
this program is for you.
Tuesday December 17
The holiday party
The season of good cheer in upon us again. This
is a fun-filled evening highlighted by music and chatter. Bring a
covered dish to share and a book to exchange.
The meeting place is Flat Rock Brook Nature
Center in Englewood, just off Route 4. Time: 7:30 pm.
Thursday January 16
Tax tips and traps
Should you lease or buy? Should a family member
become an employee? When are you an employee and when a
self-employed contractor?
This is our most 'taxing' meeting each year,
but the audience learns about new tax changes and how
entrepreneurs can use the law to their advantage. The speaker is
CPA Alyssa Lebovic.
Thursday February 20
How to market on the Internet
Most members should have their page up on the
SWAN website by this winter. Now, learn how to use your page to
market your services.
What
else is in this Issue?
WHAT YOU MISSED
10 ways to market yourself
"How to succeed in business by really
trying was the subtitle of Ken Roman's talk at the September SWAN
meeting. Now president of his own marketing firm, The Printed
Message, he was formerly president and head of sales for a top
Manhattan printing firm.
Roman's formula for marketing yourself is
simple: "The ultimate bottom line demands that you put
yourself at risk, hang in, stay cool, keep the faith, and always
deliver more than is contractually expected."
He cited 10 marketing "do's":
1. Plan for success. Work your plan, but keep
it simple.
2. Know you whom want to sell. Target your
market.
3. Get a prospect's attention with creative
devices.
4. Use the "rhythm" method of
repetition-50 percent of your time should be vital "sweat
work" contacts.
5. Develop a company identity-name and logo are
keys.
6. Keep a high profile to develop a positive
perception.
7. Develop a sales support program that
showcases your work samples creatively.
8. Service, service, service. With it, you can
negotiate more favorable pricing.
9. Develop customer loyalty, so customers think
of you first.
10. Ask for referrals. They are key business
builders.
- Steve Traiman, Writer.
What else is in this Issue?
SWAN Notes
Annual dues will be $100 beginning in 1997.
Partial-year dues for those who join after April 1 will be $70.
This modest $5 increase, the first in three years, was voted by
the SWAN Board at its September meeting.
The Board noted its appreciation to designer Myron Freling,
who produced the meeting card notices during the past year. This
year's cards are being produced by vice president Wayne Pollack and program director Dave McCoy.
What else is in this Issue?
A call to (board)
duty
It's time to stand up and be counted-in the
SWAN election. Nominating chair Deb Hoeffner is again putting together a slate for Board approval.
Members may also nominate themselves or other members.
Ballots will be mailed out by December 1 and
voting will take place by December 31. New Board members serve
for two years, beginning in May, 1997.
Also serving on the nominating committee
are Janet
Manning and Claudine
Calabrese.
What else is in this Issue?
Helping SWAN helps you!
SWAN is all about networking, and one of the
best ways to network is joining a committee. Currently, there is
a special need for volunteers to conduct portfolio reviews. As
the first member an applicant meets, you may become a valuable
professional contact for them. Indeed, such contacts often result
in later collaborative projects.
The Membership Committee is looking for members from all
disciplines If you are willing to help, please leave a message on the SWAN
hotline (after the announcement) or e-mail the Membership Committee
-Lynn Canzani,
Illustrator
What else is in this Issue?
Have you 'webvertised' lately?
Where do SWAN members advertise their creative
services, and how much does it cost?
Not long ago, I placed ad ad in a local
organization's publication. The cost: $350. To date, I've
received one response, but no job has resulted. My 1996 Chamber
of Commerce dues were $176, and an ad in its directory cost $140.
Unfortunately, the directory was delayed, and so I have no leads
yet.
In contrast, I can establish a home page on the
SWAN website (www.swan-net.com) for as low as $70-$20 for the
space, and $50 to scan and/or create the page.
Remember, advertising in newspapers or the
yellow pages limits your message to a specific geographic area.
Now, thanks to technology, distance is not a limitation. The fax,
the modem, and the web allow us to market ourselves globally.
This doesn't mean you should eliminate
successful methods of local advertising, but you owe it to
yourself to give global advertising a try.
SWAN provides a ground-floor opportunity at
very low cost.
If you're not convinced, consider a one-year
trial.Make that leap of faith. If you still have doubts, call Ted Thomas or WebMaster Stan Cohen for
guidance. Ted will also advise you on how to submit material for
your page.
- Barbara K. Carlton,
writer
What else is in this Issue?
Who's afraid of the Internet?
"The web is just a communications tool,
the means to an end," said board member Lynn Canzani who conducted the October meeting. Assisted by website
designer and member Sandra Miller , she
employed a laptop computer, modem, and projection screen to
demonstrate the SWAN web site, the home pages of individual
members, and how members can present their skills.
"The web represents the single biggest
change in the way we do business since the computer was
introduced," Canzani said. "Your clients use the web.
It's as necessary for you as an answering machine."
The big advantage, she said, is that
prospective clients can get work samples immediately, instead of
waiting for members to send them by mail. The SWAN site is also
registered with all search engines, and WebMaster Stan Cohen offers searchers key words from the member's own
description. Thus, customers can search the web, find SWAN, and
then identify the persons in SWAN who can meet their needs.
Canzani also discussed Internet service
providers, whose monthly fees range from $15 to $25, depending on
the degree of service offered, and the advantages of keeping AOL
or Compuserve as well.
David McCoy and Neil Nathanson
assisted in putting the program together. SWAN WebMaster Stan Cohen worked with Lynn Canzani to
develop the evenings' program content.
What else is in this Issue?
CREDITS
Copyright © 1996 Cygneture
SWAN seeks news about members and their achievements.
EDITOR: Bob Parker
STAFF WRITERS:
Kathy Fairclough
Cindy Mehallow
Luisa Frey-Gaynor
Printed Newsletter Graphic Design: Carrie Oesmann
What else is in this
Issue?
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