How To Find The Best Graphic Designer

If you have a business, at some point you're going to need a graphic designer. Though you may be able to print your own business cards or letterhead, if you want them to look good and really make your business stand out, you need someone who knows how to make fonts, colors and graphic elements work together.

A graphic designer is trained to use design elements (from photos to clip art to lines and boxes to typography) to convey information or create an effect on a consumer.

Basically, what you're trying to do is let people know about you, whether it's yourself, your business or your product that you're trying to show in the best light.

So, if you really want to catch people's attention in print, you need a design that is eye-catching and leaves a positive impression. And that's where a good graphic designer is so invaluable.

What do you need?

Your first questions when hiring a graphic designer should be to yourself.

What are you presenting to the world that requires a professional design?

How will it be presentedin product packaging, in business stationery, in brochures, in magazine ads?

Do you need a logo created from scratch, or do you already have an image to work off of that just needs polishing and minor tweaks?

Do you need a single business card design, or do you want a total package with brandingassociating your product and name with something memorable, such as a trademark or jingle?

As soon as you have these questions sorted out, you're then prepared to ask graphic designers some questions.

1) Ask how long they've been in business.

Someone that can prove twenty years of experience with happy customers is probably going to charge more than someone new to the business. They are also more likely to be able to help you figure out what you're looking for, unless you have a very concrete idea to begin with. If you don't have a solid idea of what you want, a less experienced graphic designer may take several tries to create what you want, and could cost more in the long run.

2) Ask to see previous work.

Many graphic designers have a certain style. While their work doesn't all look the same, there are often similarities you'll spot in their portfoloio. One designer may specialize in a softer look (with light colors and a floral motif), while another designer may favor something edgier (sharply contrasting colors, geometric shapes). Neither is bad in and of itself, but if you're trying to set up a day spa, you'd likely go for Designer A's style rather than Designer B. A punk rock band would have the exact opposite reaction.

3) Ask for references.

You don't want to hire a graphic designer who can never finish a project on time, especially if you're on a tight timetable. Is the designer open to suggestions? Can s/he take constructive criticism? Yes, they're the designer, but you're the customer, and your opinion counts. This can work the other way too. You could hear from references that this person takes his or her time, but it's definitely worth the wait because the price is right and the end product is fabulous.

4) Who does the actual work?

Are you hiring a firm that gives the grunt work to subordinates, who may not be able to do the level of quality work you want? Or is this a one-man show, where you have to wait your turn until the graphic designer can get to your project in his roster of clients?

5) Exactly what services does the graphic designer provide?

If s/he designs a brochure, who prints it? If a banner is created, whose responsibility is it to get the real thing done? Are you going to be given a CD containing your logo and master copies of the brochure and letterhead files, then have to go elsewhere for printing, or will the CD be delivered along with your first batch of printed materials? Additionally, will you have several mock-ups to choose from, or will the designer simply create one version for your to approve or disapprove?

6) Will the graphic designer spend time consulting with you?

A good designer will take the time to listen to your ideas, and ask questions to make sure s/he is clear on your vision and the feeling you want your logo and marketing materials to evoke in potential clients.

7) Ask about copyrights.

Does the graphic designer keep the copyright and just license reproduction rights to you, or do you get the copyright? Does the designer ensure that the brand s/he creates doesn't infringe on an existing brand?

8) Ask about the price.

What is included and not included? Request a list of everything that is included, either in the form of a fee schedule or an entire project quote. Make sure you understand what you're getting yourself into, and what you're getting out of the relationship you're about to start.

You will be signing a contract and you will be in this relationship for the term of that contract. After you put your signature on something is not the time to discover you made a mistake, or had more questions.

In Conclusion

What you want to ask a graphic designer before you hire him or her is everything. Do your research on the going rate in your area for various design work, and be willing to talk to several designers before choosing one. Shop around. Ask around. If you see graphic design you like at a business, ask who did their work.

Most of all, remember that a graphic designer is supposed to give some type of memorable representation of "you", whether it's for business or for personal use. You will want an excellent working relationship that can potentially last a long, long time.

If you're looking for a graphic designer, Start Local is the best place to start! Start Local is Australia's fastest growing local search engine and business directory. Find helpful resources about graphic designers at =>

Guide to Networking in a New Country

Whether you know it or not, you have a network of friends and family that help you when you need it and laugh with you at other times. When you go to a new country you will be leaving all that behind. That is why it is so important to start networking as soon as you arrive in your new country.

Networking brings you friends and advice on all the myriad details of a life that may be quite different from the one you just left. You need to know which school to place your children into, who is the best doctor and dentist, where to shop for the best bargains and many other details, large and small.

Networking in a new country need not be intimidating. It can be as simple as joining a sporting club, the Parents and Citizen's Association at your children's school or a craft group, or any other social group. It's not hard to make yourself known to owners of the corner or coffee shop. You can even go online and join various chat forums that interest you. In no time at all you'll find that you've made many new friends who are delighted to help you out when you need it - and before long, you will be one of the locals and able to offer help to another newbie who comes along.

Moving to Perth? Visit the Saville Australia website (http://www.savilleaustralia.com.au) for more information on homes Perth and property investment Australia.

Work at Home Jobs - There Are Opportunities to Find a Job to Work From Home

There are many people that are tired of commuting and finding a job that you can work form home can be a great way for yo to stop having to drive so far to work. Some of the other great benefits to working form home is that without having to commute you will have more time to get your work done. Also you will save a lot of money because you will not be paying the $4.00+ gas prices that all of us are suffering through as well. You want to find a situation were you can work from home on your own terms because you can spend more time with your family and that is what matters most.

When searching for a job were you can work from home there are many places to search but make sure that you get the information you need to make the best choice of a great job. You can make up to $100 dollars an hour if you find the right job that you can do from the comfort of your own home.

There are so many people that have to drive more than 1 hour to get to work and it would be better to spend that time actually working and not driving. Finding a work form home job can help you to stop those long commutes. Also many people are good thinkers and coming up with new ideas for your work can happen more freely if you are in the comfort of your home.

Remember that is you are sick and tired of driving a long way to get to work then doing the same to come home then you need to get a work from home job that will give you more freedom in your life.

Learn How To: Interview for a Job

Learn About: Positive Work Habits

Bryan Burbank is an Expert in Jobs for more information go to:

Summer Jobs For School Teachers - Find the Best Ones

If you are a School Teacher and you have the summer off there are many jobs that you can do and make extra money. You can find a full time or part time job depending on how much time you want to have off. There are many opportunities that you can even work from home if you so desire.

If you are looking for a fun job then you may want to consider being a camp counselor because there are a lot of camps through the boys and girls clubs and the YMCA that always are in need of camp counselor's and it can be a fun way to spend your summer and make some extra money at the same time.

If you are the type that just doesn't like the outdoors then you may want to consider working from home because this can be a great way for you to be at home and earn some money as well. There are some great opportunities that you can do on your computer at home. You can do online surveys because they are a great way to earn extra income and the benefit is you are on your own time frame so you can do it full time or part time. Another great option is to make money blogging, this can be a great way for you to express things that you have an interest in and make money doing it as well.

Remember that if you are a Teacher and you are looking to make extra money this summer there are a lot of great options for you out there.

Learn How To: Interview for a Job

Learn About: Positive Work Habits

Bryan Burbank is an Expert in Jobs for more information go to:

How to Get Resume Results - Include Your Spiritual, Not Religious, Gifts

So you want to be a doctor, lawyer or Indian Chief? The truth is, God doesn't care what your career is as long as you make use of the gifts He gave you through the career of your choice.

As author Mark Victor Hansen says, "We're spiritual beings in a physical universe and we are here to make a spiritual contribution. Unless you are fulfilling your spiritual mission, you anesthetize yourself."

Well put. So let's wake up and feel excited about work again!

If your best spiritual gift were friendliness, you might make a perfect Wal-Mart greeter, sales person, or social host or hostess. You have to like people to be genuinely friendly and these positions match your gift.

If your chosen gift were analyzing you might find fulfilling work as a soils analyzer on a construction site, as a psychologist, plant nursery shop owner, or stockbroker. Again, your gift matches the job. The list of possibility combinations is endless.

Tom McBroom, a hiring manager for more than 25 years, says that some of what he is looking for when he reads your resume includes the talents of:

Writing

Communication

Teaching

organizing

Leadership

Good work ethics and

Curiosity

This is good information to know if you are looking for a job or career change. It's also interesting to note that all the above talents fall under the categories of God-given skills, interests and values.

Historically, we have stretched our so-called abilities to fit the position and worked under stressful conditions while we played catch up. Why add this unnecessary stress to your life if you don't have to? Unless you're specifically interested in learning something new on the job, it's a much better fit to go after what you're already good at and enjoy the results.

In the evolution of job searches, we now find ourselves sending out resumes to companies in reverse order. Where we once looked for jobs in our current industry and hoped our abilities matched what "they" were looking for, those on the cutting edge of job searching have spiritually awakened, know themselves well, and can now match what they have to offer with the best company, no matter what the industry. Today you can afford to be choosy in any career field that matches your gifts.

When you identify your top skills, interests and values, you can then tailor your career search into areas that will not only be soul fulfilling, but a more comfortable fit.

By the way, a good hiring ad will tell you specifically what qualities the company is looking for. If those qualities look like the same ones on your resume - you've hit the jackpot! If not, keep looking for a better match.

Once your revised resume is ready for submission, begin your search online.

Web search your city, nearest major cities or state for Employment Fairs and Job Fairs. Attend these job fairs with perfectly edited resumes and hand them out to the companies you find interesting.

Here's a seldom used, but effective job search technique. Contact your local Chamber of Commerce and ask when their next job fair is scheduled. Not only will you find companies, which are likely to be close to home, and are hiring, but you can also get to know some of the local business reps that can keep your resume on file.

Go online to the big job search companies, such as and find an industry that matches your interest and then narrow down your choices by matching your top skills and values to the ad.

Check your local employment agencies. Some of the best jobs begin as a temporary position and later become an offered career to you.

Web search headhunters and recruiters to find organizations that specialize in your arena.

Identifying and highlighting in your resume your unique spiritual gifts will bring quicker and more satisfying job search results.

Godseer is a company which teaches the art of Discovering Your Life's Work, using spiritual principles. Throughout history humans have explored spirituality and attempted to make sense of it in their own lives. Is there reason & purpose for my life? Yes, there is. Can I know what it is? Yes, you can.

Certified Behavioral Therapist, Spiritual Career Counselor and radio personality, Kathi Calahan's free newsletter can be found at

© 2008

How to Find Freelance Writing Jobs Online

As a freelance writer, one of the more difficult aspects of the profession is finding writing jobs that suit your needs, talents and experience. If you're a new or inexperienced writer, this process can be overwhelming at first simply because there are relatively few "how to get started as a writer" guides that are straight-forward in nature and give you step-by-step details on how to go about writing on the internet. However, it's really not that difficult to find freelance writing jobs online, and I'm going to outline a super-easy way that you can use to find writing jobs using the internet right now.

Finding freelance writing jobs using search engines

Unbeknownst to some, one of the easiest ways to find writing jobs online is by using search engines. Collectively, search engines index billions upon billions of web pages and there are plenty of writing jobs that can be found through this one simple method.

While there are a large number of search engines on the internet today, I recommend that you use G for this freelance writing job search. Google has the largest database of websites on the planet, or close to it, and website owners primarily optimize their websites for Google – which helps you to find the information you need using this search engine. But, enough with the Google praise – let's get started.

Search terms to help you find writing jobs

Before we get into which words you can use to find freelance writing jobs, we want to define a couple of terms for you in case you're not familiar with them:

Search terms, keywords, keyword phrase and keyphrase represent the words that you put into the search field in a search engine. These terms can actually have slightly different meanings in different situations, but for this tutorial of sorts just know that when I use the above terminology, I'm referring to the words that you place into the search engine text box.

In any case – here are some search terms that you can try:

Freelance writing job(s)

Freelance writing opportunity

Freelance writing opportunities

Freelance writer job(s)

Freelance writer(s) wanted

Freelance writer(s) needed

Write for us

Write for me

To use these terms effectively, simply input any one of the above keyphrases into Google and hit your enter button or the "Google Search" button. You can look through the results and click on whatever listing interests you. Please do not include the parenthesis in your search, these are meant to imply secondary terms: jobs vs. job, etc.

Narrowing your search for freelance writing jobs

Truth be told, you'll probably receive a large number of results using the search terms above – and in all honesty, there is a way to narrow down the number of listings you need to sort through by restricting your search to include only the words found in a web page's title.

To do this, enter the following into Google's search field:

allintitle:keyword phrase

You just need to replace "keyword phrase" with the keyword phrase that you intend to use for your search.

Finding writing jobs online – as easy as hitting a button

Finding freelance writing jobs online is actually pretty easy, once you get the hang of it. Because the need for website content is growing every day, the need for competent freelance writers is growing by the day as well. While there are many other ways that you could use to go about finding internet writing jobs, this method is fast, effective and best of all – it's 100% free.

Rob Ferrall has put together a report that shows freelance writers how to get started online. Visit for more information.

Make a Junk Car Donation and Help You and Your Community

How many years have you been promising yourself that you are going to restore that "muscle car" that you have sitting on blocks beside your house? Have you stopped for a moment to consider how much it will now cost to fill the tank, even if you do ever find the time and money that it will take to get it on the road today? Why not do yourself and your neighbors a favor and use it to make a junk car donation to a local charity in your community. Thats right! You can then claim the value of the car as a charitable tax deduction and use the money that you will save by not buying gas for it, to buy a sensible car that your whole family can use.

Doing Your Part in a Sensible Way

The truth of the matter, is that the longer that you wait, the less it will be worth and in another few years with gas prices where they are projected to be, you won't be able to give the car away. There are plenty of charities in your community that will accept a junk car donation and by donating it to a worthy charity you will be doing your part to help the underprivileged in your community.

Helping the Underprivileged

Charities use junk cars just like the one that you have in their job training programs, where handicapped people learn job skills, so they can live fruitful lives free of public assistance. All these years you have been griping about people living on welfare and now you can help them to acquire the skills to find a well paying job.

Get the Pink Slip

However; you will want to make sure that you have the pink slip for the vehicle before you contact the charity to come and pick it up. Also, if you have anything else on wheels they will be glad to take that too. Remember to make sure that you get a written estimate from them when they come for your junk car so you can file it away in your tax records also.

Its the Right Thing to Do

Helping a worthy charity in your community by making a junk car donation will not only help your community, but it will also help you when you find that you sleep so much better at night knowing that you have done your part.

Written by Karla Yusef. Find the best information on Junk Car Donation as well as Helping Hands Car Donation