Check out more of my science illustration portfolio and how illustration can help for interpretive signange.

Along with creating the basic design for her Wordpress site and search engine optimization techniques, I helped her integrate social networking tools, follow her blog via RSS and through Feedburner, and a sign up for her newsletter through a Constant Contact widget. I then helped create and connect her Facebook Fan Page, her Constant Contact sign ups via facebook and her Linked in to both her website and to each other. Now when she blogs, her Facebook Fan Page wall posts automatically update AND her blog followers receive an update via email. I can’t wait to see how this web platform will help Eve’s mission to transform Chico lawns into edible, native landscapes!

Dates: 3 Thursdays: September 30, October 7 and 14th
Time: 6:30-8:30 PM
Location: Tentatively the TDPRD Community Building, TBD

Myself and Laura Guntren (Business Development and Marketing Coach) are offering a 3-part workshop series for entrepreneurs. This series is designed to give small business owners/entrepreneurs the tools they need to develop a basic marketing strategy, which will help them successfully grow their business. By the end of the workshop the participants will have the tools needed to:

● Create a brand identity that will allow them to consistently and effectively promote their business.
● Position their products and services in a way that differentiates themselves from their competitors.
● Identify simple marketing techniques they can use to attract more GREAT customers (and keep those customers coming back for more).
● Build a basic marketing plan that will help them achieve your goals in a timely manner, without exhausting themselves (or their budget).

Teaching small business owners how to attract and maintain a profitable customer base is critical to the economic health of our community. As these businesses grow and thrive they provide jobs, educational opportunities, industry and commerce to the residents of our Sierra Nevada community.

NOTE: If you think “everyone” is your target market, believe that you will get website traffic without having a marketing plan, or are not sure if you need a website, a Facebook fanpage, or business cards, then this is the workshop for you.

About the presenters: Together Laura and I bring over 15 years of regional and national marketing experience and effective design experience into this workshop. The workshop dates are Sept 30th, Oct 7th, and 14th, from 6:30-8:30 pm. LIMITED TIME OFFER: Get a 25% discount for pre-registration – available until September 15: $90 for the entire series + a materials fee of $15. After Sept 15th: $120 for the series + a materials fee of $15. Contact me to register by calling 530-587-7492 or email sara@sarazimmerman.net.

This is just one of the designs I did for the Humane Society of Truckee Tahoe called "Graphic Dog"

I adopted my late malamute, Dakota, from the Humane Society of Truckee Tahoe (HSTT). So when the HSTT asked me to help design them some newshirts, I just had to do it as a way to give back to the place that helped me find my late, furry friend. They allowed me entire artistic freedom, asking that the 4 designs had something to do with dogs or cats. I came up with 4 fun ones which they got printed and released last night at the fabulous Truckee Thursdays event. This morning, I also received a great testimonial about  the feedback from my designs:

We got the shirts yesterday and they are awesome! We brought them to Truckee Thursdays and they were VERY popular…everyone looooved them! ~ Steph Jensen, Executive Director, Humane Society of Truckee-Tahoe.

These shirts are currently available at the HSTT booth for the next 5 Truckee Thursdays and soon to be released on their online shop.

However, as good as it sounds, it takes some time to get people to find your page and make a purchase. Knowing this, Fine Art America has created a handful of ways you can promote your work. One of my favorites is their Facebook Shopping Cart. After you create an artist profile AND a Facebook account, viewers can access and buy your art reproductions all from a tab called “Shop” on your Facebook page without even leaving Facebook.

Flowing, acrylic on canvas, by Sara Zimmerman

Four of my Woman in Raw series artworks are being featuring in a Summer Group Art Show in the Truckee Community Center. The group exhibit features works from ten Truckee artists, including Aimee Had, Pamela McAdoo, Brooke Bishop, Carole Sesko, Eva Nichols, Sara Zimmerman, Pam Krone, Elizabeth Carmel, Cathee van Rossem St Clair and Rick Krasensky. This summer art exhibit is on display from July 1 – September 15, 2010 in the North Corridor at the Truckee Community Recreation Center located at 8924 Donner Pass Road, at the Pioneer Center Roundabout. 530 582-7720. www.tdrpd.com. Take a peek if you can.

Blogs to Follow:
- Sara’s blog: scroll down to the right and you will find a place to enter your email address for blog updates at http://www.sarazimmerman.net/more/blog/.
- Seth Godin: go to http://sethgodin.typepad.com/ and enter your email address on the left
- Marketing Sherpa: go to http://www.marketingsherpa.com/index.html and a pop up will ask you for your info.

Business Resources:
- Sara Zimmerman Art, Illustration and Design, Graphic and Web Design that will make you stand out, 530-587-7492, sara@sarazimmerman.net
- Laura Guntren, Business and Marketing Coach, 530-386-141,7 LCGuntren@hotmail.com, free 1/2 hour consultations
- Small Business Administration: http://www.sba.gov/
- Small Business Development Center: closest is Roseville at www.sbdcsierra.org
- Books we discussed last night.

Recommended Social Networks:
(Some of these have tricks to how to create and build them. If you don’t know what you’re doing and need help, please ask before you spend a ton of time).
- Facebook and a Facebook Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com
- Linked In: http://www.linkedin.com/
- Twitter: http://twitter.com/

eCards to send to clients:
- Send Out Cards: http://www.sendoutcards.com (you can also have your marketing materials made onto these)
- Smile box: http://www.smilebox.com

I know I presented a lot of stuff and it can be a bit overwhelming. However, both Laura and I are happy to help you create what you need, from a game plan that fits your time and budget to the actual materials itself. We can help you plan, set up your social networks, your email campaigns, your print/web ads, and integrate you blog and website, and the list goes on….

Additionally, I am thinking of making this a longer workshop (thank you for your feedback to recommend it) and delve deeper into the actual marketing efforts I recommended. I will keep you posted on that. In the meantime, if you have any questions or would like to schedule some time, (or know someone who needs a hand), please send them my way. I am very happy to work with small business owners so I can help them move towards their dreams. And if you want to write me some other feedback or a testimonial, please feel free to do by email, through my Linked In, on my Facebook Fan Page, or on Google.

A special thanks to the girls at Full Circle Movement for letting me host this workshop there and for Juju Z. Treat Company in providing some tasty, chocolate stuffed marshmallows.

Stay stoked and true to your passion!