Take this Quote and Post It

October 14th, 2011 by Richard Podsada

Steve Jobs Quote on Post-It NoteSteve Jobs quotes to inspire and make you smile

From designing circuit boards to the wonder of Pixar’s Toy Story to world of Apple, Steve Jobs left his mark on history as a true icon of the tech industry.

Steve Jobs was a visionary and a creative genius who inspired us with his list of accomplishments and innovative spirit. But he also left us with words of wisdom—as powerful as any of his products.

Today we leave you with 10 memorable Steve Jobs quotes. Write each quote on a post-it, stick a new one to your computer every day, and let some of these “lessons in wisdom” motivate and inspire you.

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Steve Jobs 1955-2011

October 5th, 2011 by Richard Podsada

Today the world has lost an incredible visionary who has changed our lives and shaped our culture. Our thoughts go out to everybody who’s life has been touched by Steve in one way or another. May you Rest in Peace, and thank you for everything you’ve done for the world.

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The Secret Ingredient That All Great Business Leaders Have

September 20th, 2011 by Richard Podsada

Great Business LeadersI have always looked up to and admired the business greats of our times. People like Ray Croc, Sam Walton, Steve Jobs, Richard Branson, Henry Ford, Phil Knight. People who started businesses which are not only enormously successful, they have shaped the world and even our culture.

Reading these stories, I was inspired by how they started their businesses in garages and built them into international empires. But underneath my fascination and enthusiasm, there was a much quieter voice speaking to me. A quiet, dark voice that said: “These people had special advantages you do not have. You will never do what they did.” And whether I spoke those words aloud or not, I secretly believed them. Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in Leadership, Personal Development | 2 Comments »

Designers: How to Get an Apple Quality Monitor Without Spending $800+

August 12th, 2011 by Richard Podsada

Apple Quality Monitors for LessApple monitors are renown for their color quality, wide viewing angles, and beautiful design. They are indeed the holy grail of monitors, especially for designers and printers who need accurate color reproduction under a variety of lighting conditions.

But of course, many designers can’t afford to spend $800+ on a new monitor, as beautiful as it may be. So most head down to their local Future Shop or London Drugs to choose from the myriad of home-grade monitors made by major brands like Samsung, LG, Viewsonic and Acer.

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Posted in Design, General | 2 Comments »

Problems to Avoid When Registering Your Domain Name

August 4th, 2011 by Richard Podsada

Domain Name Registration - Protect Your DomainAs a web design company, we very often run into clients who have a domain name (e.g. yourcompany.com) registered but have no idea where it was registered or how to access it. This often happens when the domain was registered by an employee or previous owner that has left the company and didn’t pass on the details when they left. This can create a lot of headaches when you need to build a new website or change something about your email setup in the future. This article shows you some simple steps you can take to safeguard your domain registration and avoid problems down the road.

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Your PowerPoint Presentations: Smashing Success or Train Wreck?

July 7th, 2011 by Richard Podsada

Considered the companion of many speakers and the buddy of the board room, PowerPoint has taken the corporate world by storm.

And when done well, that storm has the potential to pack a real punch.

Unfortunately, think Sleepy Hollow meets Donald Trump. PowerPoint has become an office activity that more often than not leaves audiences sweating profusely, fighting off an overwhelming sense of doom.

And sometimes it just puts us to sleep.

Plenty has been written on PowerPoint and how to use it effectively. We’ve seen our share of good and bad PowerPoint presentations, so we’d like to share this video by Don McMillan that demonstrates some hilarious insight how NOT to use this tool.

…BEWARE, you may recognize yourself…

Posted in Creativity, Design, Sales | No Comments »

One place you probably never thought to advertise your web developer job ad

June 30th, 2011 by Richard Podsada

If you’re advertising a web developer job (nine10 is right now), one place you should post it may be the least obvious: in the source code of your website’s HTML:

PHP Web Developer Job Posting

Viewing the source on nine10.ca reveals our hidden job ad

Being a web developer for years, I know that one of the first things I do when visiting a site I’m interested in is to view the source to see what it was made in. Placing a brief job ad in your comments at the top of the site source is a great way to target other web developers looking for a career!

View Our PHP Web Developer Job Posting

Posted in Business, Creativity | 1 Comment »

Smart Businesses Connect with People on the Go

June 20th, 2011 by Richard Podsada

Smart Businesses Connect with People on the GoIf you’re an entrepreneur, you likely understand that to be successful and competitive in the marketplace, customer service needs to reach people “right here, right now.” People expect information in real time—with the click of a link or a touch on the screen. And they want it while they are waiting at their doctor’s office, walking down the street, or relaxing in their easy chair.

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Posted in Branding, Business, Marketing, Mobile | No Comments »

Dear Client: Why Your Logo Costs As Much As It Does

June 3rd, 2011 by Richard Podsada

Logo Design CostThere have been times when we quoted the price of a logo design and the client was shocked. If you’ve been in sales for a while, you’ve surely seen this before: Their eyes open, lips shut, and they become very timid and reserved for the remainder of the meeting.

What went wrong?

Well, first of all, the price we were quoting was well within reasonable industry norms. In fact it was a bargain for the amount of time, effort and skill that goes into the proper design of a logo and supporting files and documentation.

But the client didn’t have the same expectations or experience, and that is totally understandable. They don’t work in our industry, have likely never had a logo designed before, and did not expect it to cost as much as it does. After all, how long does it take to sketch a couple of ideas, right?

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What I Wish Somebody Had Told Me Before I Started My Business

June 1st, 2011 by Richard Podsada

What I Wish Sombody Had Told Me Before I Started My BusinessDating all the way back to high school, I have been running a website design or graphic design business of some kind or another. I started off as a sole proprietor. I later registered as a corporation, and eventually merged that corporation into what is now nine10 Incorporated. During this long and winding road, I learned many lessons about business. Some of them took me a long time to learn, some I learned quickly, but most were taught at the school of hard knocks. Had there been someone to share insight with me, things might have been easier, right from the start.

Now, understanding both the struggles in starting a business and now being on the successful end, I have a desire to share what I learned along the way with those that are just starting out. My hope is, that by sharing what I have learned, I can minimize and reduce the business struggles that so often accompany new business startups. The following is a small collection of key insights I wish I had known from day one.

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Posted in Business, General, Leadership, Personal Development | 2 Comments »

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