New Frontier

What's been on my mind the past couple of weeks (at least in the marketing section of my brain)? Among other things, QR codes. I've been hearing about them and seeing them pop up everywhere, but until recently, have kept the idea of getting one for lil' ol' moi on the back burner. What is a QR code, you ask? It is a series of pixels arranged in a design, which, when scanned with a smart phone or tablet, takes you to a specific website.

scan me!

Odds are, you're seeing them pop up everywhere as well. Anyway, just like every other new social media/ networking/ marketing           "you need to do this today" thing that I come across everyday, when I first heard about regular folks like myself getting them, I said, yeah, that sounds good, but it'll just have to go on the bottom of the pages long to-do list. Well, in the same spirit that has moved me to finally find time to update my website, get the mobile version functional, and make other progress, I, Renée Parker, am finally going to generate a QR code for myself! Humor me, I'm taking baby steps to bigger things :o).

Just by googling "QR code generator", you'll find a slew of websites where you can plug in a website and instantly download a custom QR code to use as a direct link. I plan to create one to use on stickers, which I will then slap on my business cards, my packaging, my forehead, etc.

This is the back of my business card with a sample QR code sticker

 These are the days where one must make their work easy access, and cater to the world of plugged-in folks with short attention spans, lol. Edited to add: Scan applications used on smartphones, tablets, and other devices can easily be downloaded free of charge. There are numerous different scan apps available, and they can be found on itunes, the android marketplace, or by googling "scanner application". Many of these applications are primarily used by consumers for comparison shopping by scanning traditional barcodes in stores, but also work for QR codes!

So that's my latest scheme. Stay tuned-- who can say what else is brewing, lol.

Stick to It

a paper mache bowl and bead pass the moisture test

I am almost out of instruction stickers. In my micro business, before shipping, I often slap little info stickers onto my pieces. Some to indicate materials used, some to help people find me, and some to recommend how to use (or not use) my work. 

An Artist's Tools

In this edition of An Artist's Tools, I am highlighting tools that fall on the opposite end of the spectrum from the very first edition of AAT. I guess this thing will be all over the map, depending on my moods and the tools handy for photographing. The first post featured my most basic drawing tools. Today I'd like to share the mini marketing and sales kit that fits right into whatever purse I happen to be carrying on a given day. Pared down over years of trial and error (and a few missed opportunities), here it is:

 1. Handy mini measuring tape, great for supply and part measuring when shopping for specific projects, also good for measuring a space for art installation. 2. Square card reader with custom QR code sticker, so customers can pay with a card or cash, receive a receipt via email, and then scan the code with their device to visit my website instantly.
3. Folding pocket stamp with my phone number. I don't include it on my cards because I loathe talking on the phone (and the lack of paper trail with phone conversations about projects!), so I only stamp it when absolutely necessary. 4. Mini pen 5. Business card case. 6. Smart phone with a mirrored screen cover, to make sure there's no spinach in my teeth. ;o) 7. Mini notebook.

"Be proactive!"

card swiper with sticker, close up

That's it. Ready for (almost) anything.