Designed by Row

Northern Maine Bridal Expo

rowforbes — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 20:10:55 +0000

InSights Guide Services vehicle lettering

rowforbes — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 19:42:36 +0000

Vinyl lettering is a great way to add exposure to your business. In addition, vinyl is durable and lasts for years. InSights, a hunting and outdoor recreation guide service in Northern Maine, uses its pick-up as a moving billboard; advertising Jason Forbes’ credentials and contact information. Look for InSights Guide Services website, coming soon, at www.insightsguideservice.com.

Service First Automotive sign

rowforbes — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 19:18:28 +0000

Service First Automotive business cards

rowforbes — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 18:52:51 +0000

Service First Automotive

rowforbes — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 18:03:58 +0000

Adams Steel Guitars

rowforbes — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 17:59:38 +0000

Logo Part II: The Accessories

rowforbes — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 13:19:08 +0000

Remember the little black dress from Logo Part I? If a logo is your business’ wardrobe, then color, shading and gradients are your accessories. They should be secondary to the actual form and function of the logo.

In the excitement of creating a new image, the embellishments can get out of control. Flash, glitz and color does not necessarily mean a better, more visible brand. In fact, too much bling can detract from the overall effectiveness of a logo; making it too busy and hard for the mind to make sense of in that first split-second glance.

A logo should be developed to move across a multitude of media, from web to print. It should work anytime of year and be easily implemented in every sales or marketing tool. Combining your little black dress with the proper accessories will give your business the perfect ensemble. Your brand will be true to you, your company and your mission.

Logo Part I: The Little Black Dress

rowforbes — Fri, 31 Dec 2010 14:26:43 +0000

A logo must represent you, your company, your beliefs and your product or service accurately, and preferably for the long term. Think about your brand, and namely your logo, as the clothes your business wears. It is one of the first things that potential clients will notice. Okay, this may resonate with the women more than the men, so bare with me.

Let’s take a quick trip down memory lane. Think back to your high school years. What was the going trend? Was it the tall, hair-sprayed bangs, layered socks, rolled up jeans and psychedelic eye shadow? Or maybe cat-eye glasses, beehive hairdo or bushy sideburns? Is that a look you want today? Probably not. It was a fad and, thankfully, it passed.

A business or brand image needs to be a classic, a little black dress for your company. It should be simple in design, flexible in its application and looks good no matter what other fads are going on at the time.

A New Sign for DbR

rowforbes — Fri, 31 Dec 2010 14:23:25 +0000

Instant Gratification is Overrated

rowforbes — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 18:58:47 +0000

We live in an everything-all-the-time-now-now-now society. From PPV and instant downloads to microwave meals and drive through restaurants to email, Twitter, Facebook and the web, we have the world, in a box, at our fingertips. Our children have been born into this culture. As adults we have grown up with the changes and adapted to the speed of now. But at what cost?

The instant high of a quick return is fantastic and makes you crave more. So you start cutting corners, making short-sighted decisions and forgetting about the long term.

Steven Pressfield, author of Gates of Fire and The War of Art, writes “the antidote to these scattering influences is tough-mindedness.” He defines tough-mindedness as the “ability to draw lines and boundaries within which we protect and preserve the mental and emotional space to do our work and to be true to our selves… the ability to play real hardball with ourselves when we need it.”

Whether it is the entrepreneur himself or a member of his realm of supporters, there is bound to be that one person who asks “Why hasn’t your business taken off yet? You’ve been at it for a whole year! There are other people who made it big in a week! Where’s the money? Where’s the right-now return? What’s wrong with you?”

Whoa! Hold on! There are thousands of internet companies and start-up businesses who have flashed to life only to burnout prematurely. With a lack of foundation, these towers quickly crumbled. Oh, sure, there are the lucky ones; I won’t deny that. However, building on experience, a mission and a reputation has a better chance of sustainability than any fly-by-night. Remember the story of the Tortoise and the Hare. The Tortoise wins every time. Slow and steady wins the race.

Slow and steady takes patience and diligence. Steven Pressfield believes that “what produces real work (and happiness for each of us, in my opinion) is depth, focus, concentration and commitment over time.”

Dave Ramsey, nationally-syndicated talk show host and best-selling author, has a theory on how it works. He calls it the Momentum Theorem.

“FOCUSED INTENSITY over TIME multiplied by GOD equals Unstoppable Momentum.”

Dave Ramsey says, “Not many people in our A.D.D. culture can stay FOCUSED, but those who can are on their way to winning. Ad to the focus some serious pull-your-shirt-off-and-paint-yourself-blue-at-the-football-game INTENSITY, and now you have a person who is a difference-maker. But very few companies or people can maintain that FOCUSED INTENSITY over TIME. It takes time to be great, it takes time to create critical mass, it takes time to be an ‘overnight success.’ Lastly, you and I are finite, while GOD is infinite. So, multiply your efforts through Him and watch the areas of your life move toward winning like never before.”

We have become soft and spoiled by the availability of stuff, that too many have forgotten perseverance and how to “play hardball” with ourselves. A good dose of reality is a great place to start when you feel yourself looking for that instant gratification.

Work hard, be true to yourself and be true to your clients and the authenticity of your business will shine through the now-now-now clamber.