[ Designers | Illustrators | Web Designers/New Media | Photographers | Film/Video | Writers ]

Note the change to Thursday for these first two meetings. Future meeting dates may vary between Wednesdays and Thursdays. The first two meetings will be held at the Bergen Museum of Art and Science, Ridgewood Avenue, Paramus, at 7:30 pm. See you there.

Thursday, January 23 - Tax tips and traps

Should you lease or buy? Can and should you take a home office deduction? What's the best way to save for retirement? Should a family member become an employee? When are you an employee and when a self-employed contractor? Speaker Alyssa Lebovic, CPA will again have answers to these questions. This is our most 'taxing' meeting each year, but the audience learns about new IRS changes and how entrepreneurs can use the law to their advantage. Note the date change from January 16.

Thursday, February 20 - How to market on the World Wide Web

Want to know how to market your services on the Internet? Member Jim Irwin has put together a panel that will focus on small business needs at SWAN's February meeting. The panelists will discuss marketing content, strategy, and design for the Web. They will address: How do you get attention on the Web? Do the old marketing rules apply? How do you constructed an attractive, effective site?. Irwin will provide a general strategic approach. Panelist Kurt Wagner, a webmaster and a web site designer, will reveal how to create effective web sites that not only attract customers but get them to return. Panelist Tony Urgo, a graphic designer, will present case studies about those who have used the web in marketing. For the presentation, a projector will enable the audience to see the web pages being shown.

President: Wayne Pollack, designer

Vice president: Lynn Canzani, illustrator

2nd vice president: Susan Brierly-Wills, writer

Secretary: Bill Cross, writer

Treasurer: Jim Irwin, writer

Membership Director: David Val Schlinck, photographer

Program Director: Dave McCoy, illustrator

PR Director: Irma Chazotte, writer

Newsletter Director: Kathy Fairclough, writer

Members have until the meeting of January 23 to cast their vote for this slate. In addition, the following chairs were announced:

Standards and Practices: Bruce Riccitelli

Legislative: Phil Cantor

Nominating: Peter Adler.

Those who responded to the Nominating committee request for volunteers will be contacted and asked to join committees. This can be preparation for board service.

In the writers' corner, David Miranda advised getting in touch with potential and existing clients regularly, even if you don't get a response. "I recently got a call from someone I sent a package to three years ago," he said. He also asks clients to write short testimonials after each project is finished.

In the illustrators' circle, Richard Toglia stressed networking. "I got a dream project, a series of King Arthur drawings, through a SWAN referral," he said. Meanwhile, Deb Hoeffner picked up a new project right at the meeting, while Lorraine Scalamoni suggested illustrators do another group mailing of samples.

In the designers' corner, Wayne Pollack and Wally Littman were "amazed" that more designers did not approach their business with a goal or objective in mind. "It's important to set both goals and the strategies for attaining them," said Pollack. "We stressed that everyone should think about where they want to be a few years down the road."

SWAN members continue to work together. Graphic designer Carrie Oesmann and writer Barbara Ross recently beat out a New York agency to revamp a customer newsletter for American Express Incentive Services. Client management called the team's presentation a "dramatic improvement" at a 20 percent savings, compared to the agency. Writers Jane Byron and Maureen Dillon also contributed to the premiere issue.

From her new base in Milford, NJ, Joan Seguine-LeVine recently produced Perth Amboy, a photobiography of the city in which she was born and raised. The book, by Arcadia Publishing, is part of the Images of America series, and is available at major bookstores.

All members are encouraged to report abuses they encounter in the course of business to SWAN's Standards & Practices Committee, chaired by Bruce Riccitelli. Such abuses may be caused by payment problems, contractual disputes, loss or alteration of your work, copyright infringement, etc. Available to members only is the Client/Vendor Evaluation Book, which lists clients and vendors that members have reported for unprofessional and unethical business practices.