Relationship-Based Marketing. A little goes a long way.
I recently researched different ways to showcase your client’s kind words and look like a rock star doing it. OK. Maybe that term has been over-used and you probably won’t be singing your clients testimonials but hey, that WOULD be different!

But seriously, posting those golden testimonials builds strong relationships. Not only can these be on your website, but you can request a review for Yelp!. Yelp! is an online review service powered by real customers, that lends credibility to your business and builds trust. I just opened my own account, so I can put my money where my mouth is! I will keep you posted on the results.

The Perfect Letter
If you have a letter you can go to and customize for each client, getting testimonials will be much easier. So here is one you can use and tailor to your needs.

Dear (clients name),
Thank you so much for your business! Working with clients like you, makes what I do that much more enjoyable.

In order to inform others of the valuable services we provide, along with your positive experience, would you be so kind as to answer the questions provided below? Please feel free to include any other information, so others can understand how they would benefit from working with us.

1. What problems (if any) did you have with similar service providers in the past and how did we provide better service?

2. Why did you select us?

3. What were the specific results of working with (your company name)?

4. If a potential client was not sure about using (your company name) what would you say to convince them of the benefits?

Do we have your permission to publish your testimonial on our website, Facebook page or other social media site?

Thank you so much for taking the time to answer these questions and allow us to highlight your experience with us. Please let us know if we can help you with anything else.

Sincerely (or closing of your choice)

(Your Company Name\your name)

If you need an example of what your testimonials page should look like and what to include that sticks to the Federal Trade Commission Guidelines, check out my testimonial page. By including the clients’ photo, and website, along with their kind words and a description of your relationship with the client (the FTC calls this Transparency), you create a truthworthy testimonial that is sure to impress!

Trust me, you’ll be thankful you took the time to do this. (Especially since I did the hard work for you!) Now, get out there and spread the word…your public awaits!

I live in Hanford, CA and at the present, there are not many children my kids’ age. I am learning how to do this without a home school group, but do have the support of friends in the area. We are creative when it comes to activities too, because we don’t have the money for things like soccer, basketball, etc. Then when it came to curriculum, we tried to use the “as cheap as possible way” with hand-me-down books.

That worked for about six months, but I always felt I was making do. I was always drawn to CHC (Catholic Heritage Curriculum) and out of desperation one day, I called and bought the entire first grade set, including lesson plans, without consulting my husband first! I had had it! I couldn’t have him say no…and he WOULD HAVE! (HE SAID SO!) But it worked out and we are both incredibly thankful that we did it and are seeing the results. That is good enough for him. (I had a little woman’s intuition that it might work out that way! Wink, wink.)

My son is blossoming as a result of this program. He is creative. An explorer. A comedian. A tender hearted  man-in-the-making. He is also impulsive and has a short attention span.

I needed a curriculum that would hold my hand, so to speak. This company has an extremely user friendly website. The images they use on their books and other products have a tender hearted feel. That appeals to my son. It appeals to me too.

My husband is a teacher. State curriculum was free for us, however, my little man knew how to get the answers in his reading, spelling and vocabulary combo book without really being able to read.

Catholic Heritage offers full curriculum, complete with lesson plans. I needed “school for dummies” because by trade I am a freelance graphic designer, not a teacher. God DOES have a sense of humor…if I can do this ANYONE CAN!

After figuring out my plan of attack, I started to teach him how to read using their Catholic Phonics Readers. His confidence increased, as did his enthusiasm! (Mine too!) I was so frustrated before using their products. Now I see why they (and others) recommend using a complete curriculum.

Catholic Heritage is perfect for my first and second grader. My 5th grader is using books from Seton, but we are not enrolled in the program. Their approach is very different than Catholic Heritage. Very thorough and intense curriculum…this works for some but is not what my 2 youngest could handle right now.

I am beyond thankful for CHC’s products and highly recommend you visit their page that lists their free stuff for your downloading pleasure. Sometimes you may need a coloring page to spice up the lesson a bit. I don’t know what it is, but offering my kids a coloring page after site word drills or a math lesson, get’s me a “YEH!” everytime.

My FAVORITE book from CHC for Catholic Home Schooling families is: A Year with God. Celebrating the Liturgical Year. Catholic families should not be without this valuable resource!

CHC is not paying me for this article. I am just a very satisfied customer that would like to give my testimony for mom’s that may be new to the journey of home school. I can’t say enough!

God bless.

That is what it felt like we were doing when my husband and I decided to home school this year.

Cannonball’s are usually performed by a slightly crazy, fun loving pool party attendee. The result can be a handful of mixed reactions. Some may admire their moxy, while others silently object with closed lipped smiles, while drying their faces and wringing out their clothes!

The same thing applies to home schooling your children.

You did your investigating, right? You googled home schooling, asked other home schooling mom’s and dad’s, looked at different kinds of Catholic Curriculum and finally were at peace with your decision to move forward with this adventure. But then you make the announcement to family and friends…oh boy! Some people may not be so happy for you, but that is OK. Everyone will have an opinion, but yours is what counts.

I know. I’ve been there!

Everyone’s reasons for starting this type of education are different, but the desired end result is the same for all of us Catholic’s… HEAVEN. SALVATION. PERIOD.

“So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”
1 Corinthians 13:13

LOVE. Everything grows out of it. The fruits and gifts of the spirit, virtue, humility… and so on, right? By making this decision, love can grow and be graciously given to our children. Children are made in the image and likeness of God, which means they were created to absorb love and give love.

Since we started homeschooling last June, the seeds of faith, hope and love have produced abundant fruit. And it has only been 1 year!

Three Positive Changes:

1. My son (7), who has enough energy to power a windmill, is learning self control, teamwork and self discipline. His Catholic faith is growing so much more, because I am investing my time and am around to tell him cool saint stories, bandage his skinned knees and take him on field trips. We also cook together and share our goodies with neighbors or friends in need. This teaches charity and home economics, which is very much lacking in public schools and in some marriages, for that matter! We need more MEN, real men in our world. My son knows how to fold laundry, cook, clean and how to be respectful to his sisters (since he is around them more than he would be at school.)

2. They are learning how to work together!
Right now my two girls are in the kitchen making garlic bread knots. Before this, we made a vegetable soup together, with them chopping (using my beloved Pamper Chef Chopper), stirring and cleaning up. It smells like heaven in here AND they are learning at the same time.

3. Virtues are in abundance.
“Oh, hello patience!” You can only improve in virtue if you are given the opportunity to practice it. I am challenged everyday in ways that helps me grow spiritually. Patience is what I call my “hide and seek friend”. This means that she hides in my kids’ math, english and day to day activities. And I have chosen to seek her by saying yes to God’s will for us through home schooling right here in little ‘ol Hanford, CA.

It is worth every minute!

God will bless you on your journey! We have been given the grace to teach our children and lead them right into Christ’s loving arms. We are unique! We have the sacraments. WE ARE CATHOLIC!

P.S.
My children are blossoming in so many ways. My relationship with my oldest daughter is so much better. My son who is super high energy, has a teacher that loves him and knows him and can truly teach him right and wrong…right here in the domestic church of the Coelho’s. Last but not least, my middle daughter is not getting overlooked anymore. She is quiet and pleasant, so in school, since she wasn’t a “squeaky wheel” or one to ask for help, she is at a first graders level according to state standards. All I know is, I am glad to have found out now!

I am a homeschooling mom of three and graphic designer.

Today, I came back from Mass with the kids and after checking my emails and popping over to twitter, I found a great article about “buying charitable gifts on behalf of others.” (Jessica Hische, Illustrator)

The artwork was delightfully simple and really put me in the giving mood. See for yourself.

After reading the short article and looking up Oxfam, the organization that was being promoted, I had a thought. I quickly typed in Oxfam and Planned Parenthood and just as quickly, I found there was a connection.

I loved the illustrations so much, I wanted to post them on my Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter pages. But the Holy Spirit had other plans. Instead, I did some more research and found a revised boycott list of corporations and non-profits that support Planned Parenthood in one way or another. This list was compiled by Life Decisions International.

At the LDI website above, you can order a complete list to be an informed consumer AND giver! You might also want to read this article titled “Pro-Life Group Lists Companies Backing Planned Parenthood.”

Do you care where your money goes after it leaves YOUR wallet? Now that I know some (many) of the companies I support, have a “deal” with the abortion mill and contraception store known as Planned Parenthood, I have to make some changes.

Do you?

My father has a devotion to Our Lady of Perpetual Help and as is common with a particular devotion, this was born out of tremendous heartache and suffering. Jesus and Mary knew this suffering well and have allowed us to be included in this through the gift of art. We are a visual people. St. Thomas needed to see to believe, and then in the upper room he repented when Jesus was there in the flesh.

This Our Lady of Perpetual Help Icon is a true copy of the original, painted on the kitchen table used by the Holy Family, by St. Luke.

Wikipedia states this: “The image depicts the Blessed Virgin Mary wearing a dress of dark red, representing the Passion of Jesus with a blue mantle representing her perpetual virginity and cloaked veil which represents her pure modesty. On the left side is the Saint Archangel Michael, carrying the lance and sponge of the crucifixion of Jesus. On the right is the Saint Archangel Gabriel carrying a 3-bar cross used by Popes at the time and nails. The Virgin Mary has a star on her forehead, signifying her role as Star of the Sea while the cross on the side has been claimed as to the school which has produced this icon. The Byzantine depictions of the Blessed Virgin Mary in art has three stars, one star each on the shoulder and one on the forehead. This type of icon is called Hodegetria composition, where Saint Mary is also pointing to her Son, known as a Theotokos of the Passion.^[4]

The Greek inscriptions read ( Mother of God); OAM (Archangel Michael); OA? (Archangel Gabriel); and I?-X? ( Jesus Christ ), respectively. The icon is painted with a gold background on a walnut panel which was probably painted in the islands of Crete, which at the time was then ruled by the Republic of Venice.^[5] The Cretan School was the source of the many icons imported into Europe from the late Middle Ages through the Renaissance. The icon was cleaned and restored once in 1866 and again in the year 1940.”

As you can see, color is extremely important for artists. Each one has deep meaning and lends to the personality of the work of art. The same goes for this day and age, but with a modern twist, the computer takes things to a whole new level.

Combining the old with the new is a smart way to advertise, design and market for Catholic Organizations. Because the copyright has expired after 1923, beautiful Catholic artwork like this is available for use in print and web. That is good news!

If you are planning to have a website designed, or graphic designs produced for print, make sure you hire a graphic designer like me.

For a successful and beautiful design, you need these things:
• For your graphic designer to have knowledge of the church, as well as a keen sensitivity for your project.
• Ask to complete the creative brief with the designer, not just on your own. This saves you time and contributes to the creativity that is applied to the project.
• A professional look to give your organization credibility.
• Experience. Don’t hire someone just because they are the cheapest, hire the one most qualified to make your ministry look the best it can look!

Are you a Catholic author looking for a design for your book’s cover?
Maybe you are a Christian Musician that needs a “rock star” CD cover, minus the typical rock star morals or lack thereof. I invite you take advantage of my FREE 30 min. consultation. Cover design is extremely important. Many writers might want to overlook the cover because “content is king”.

Well, if “content is king” then your cover is the queen. Don’t let them appear in public without each other! I absolutely love helping the Royal Couple, which is actually Jesus and Mary, by using my time and talents to help spread virtue, morality and the Catholic faith.

GOD BLESS!

“As a new doctor in town, I had to put the word out that, ” I am here.” Jean Coelho’s design of my website and newspaper ad did that effectively! My patients don’t just notice the information they read from the ad, but they are also impressed with how these are put together! For any business who is interested in succeeding, it’s a must that you contact MorningStar Creative Studios for your advertising needs. Thank you, Jean! I will keep on recommending you to business owners I meet! God bless you!”
Dr. Candice Golez, Hanford, CA

“Your tagline just came true! I imagined the possibilities, and love the results. You do good work, Jean!
Susan Tackett, Athena Financial, Hanford, CA

“I am very pleased with the menus Jean designed. I am so thankful to have found a graphic designer in Hanford. Now our menus are well designed and readable.”
Oswaldo at Sunshine Cafe, Hanford, CA

Thank you for all the work you have done for Hanford’s St. Vincent de Paul Center, a ministry of St. Brigid’s Catholic Church. We appreciate the services you have given in the design of our official logo and the typesetting of the logo for our stationery. Your dedication and generosity are assets to your Church, your community and our Lord. God bless you for all you do.
Rosie Cervantes, Director, St. Vincent de Paul, Hanford, CA

“I’m very grateful that Jean did such a great job with the logo design for my new practice. She had great ideas and was diligent from beginnng to end. I would gladly recommend her to anyone who needed a dedicated graphic designer.”
John Ravera, DDS, Orange County, CA

“You are SPECTACULAR!! I love it – the ad is perfect…”
Jennifer Christie, Owner of In the Spotlight, Hanford, CA

“Jean, thanks for your great work on my client’s project. You are one of the most gifted graphic designers I’ve ever worked with. I especially appreciated how well you listened and then executed the work needed. I look forward to working on many more projects with you.”
Katherine Andes, Web Content Developer

The company I am speaking of is www.stocklayouts.com.

To customize StockLayouts you need to have InDesign, Illustrator and or PhotoShop, all from the Adobe Suite. When you hire a graphic designer, like me, to make one of these templates your own, you are saving time AND money! If you have these programs, then you will be set.

SMART TIP: The Adobe Suite has a 30 day trial for these programs with no obligation to buy! However, you need alot of space on your computer to accommodate these programs.

NEW to StockLayouts are awesome templates for PowerPoint Presentations, like this one…click here

Since branding is so important, this website is a one-stop-shop for your business or the company you work for. To help you even more, you can download a PDF Portfolio Catalog containing 350+ pages of graphic design ideas and inspiration. Click here to take a peek!

Remember: Using resources such as the one listed above is a win, win situation. I don’t always suggest using a template, but with our economy, not everyone can afford to hire a designer to create marketing pieces from scratch. Some designers really frown upon using templates, but my feeling is that if you need something sooner, at a reasonable price and highly professional, you, as my client can’t loose.

The best decisions come from examining as many options as possible and THEN you can make the decision that is best for you. Be successful by knowing where to go for the best templates, fonts and images and you can only do that by hiring Jean Coelho! Get in the know.

Actually, none of the above.

I have found that if you make a marketing budget FIRST, the rest will fall into place.

Here’s why:
1. Knowing how much you can spend and how often, can prevent you from hiring a cheap (inexperienced) graphic designer. You will be more willing to pay someone what they are worth if you have a marketing plan and a reasonable budget.

2. Most people that need graphic designers are not familiar or even comfortable with this area of the business. So spending money here may not be at the top of the list.

3. Many who start small businesses estimate their sales revenue, cost of goods, overhead, salaries and gross profit. According to SCORE (Counselor’s to America’s Small Business), any funds left over will be used on marketing.

That is not a good idea, especially when you need to market more aggressively as a new competitor.

4. You get what you pay for. It’s that simple.

As a graphic designer, I have seen and felt the stress of new business owners. You may already have had an experience with a designer when you were first starting out or you are there right now.

A marketing AND graphic design expert can tell you what type of marketing campaign to start with and then help you develop a brand identity.

I would recommend a freelance graphic designer with a marketing background like myself when you are looking to do the above without the hoops found at an ad agency.

Ultimately, the “egg” is a good plan and what is born out of that is one recognizable, trustworthy chicken!

SCORE is a valuable resource.
Check out http://www.score.org/marketing_your_business.html for more ideas on marketing your business.

To get that logo that looks great on your brochures, business cards, letterhead package and website, there are three must-haves.

1. A graphic designer that is a right fit for YOU.

Let me just say that this takes some researching and interviewing. If you scan freelance graphic designer’s websites, many of them tell you that they are “the one”. I guess they could be, but you really need the one … for YOU. Find out if they are a small company, a freelancer, or a big ad agency. What do you want? Paying top dollar doesn’t always guarantee the result you need.

Look at portfolios, testimonials and experience first, then contact your prospective graphic designer and have a conversation.

For instance, take me, I am a freelance graphic designer that specializes in design for print, but dabbles in WordPress customization. I am not planning to grow my business so that I would need a staff. I take on clients as my calendar allows. This is what works for me.

2. Ask if they have a questionnaire.

Good planning and great communication will save you time and money.

3. A budget!

Knowing what you have to spend for design AND printing, makes the process a smoother one. Many freelance graphic designers charge hourly, so knowing how many hours you can afford takes away any guess work.

Email me at jeanc@jeanmcoelho.com with any questions.