KBB - March 2009 - (Page 12)

Editorial Just Asking A few months ago, I mentioned the K+BB Designers Network on LinkedIn and invited our designer audience to join the group. Again, it’s really easy: Log on to www.linkedin.com, create a proﬁle if you haven’t already (it’s quick, easy and free!), request to join the Network and voilà, you’re in (we approve you). As I write this, we’re up to 226 members—your colleagues and peers. You can ask questions, answer questions and bounce ideas off of those who share the same passion and profession as you. There have been a lot of thought-provoking discussions and thoughtful comments posted thus far, so I thought I would pick a topic and share it with you, our K+BB readers, to keep you in the loop on what the design community is talking about and to possibly give you some ideas in managing your businesses, especially in these tough economic times. Oh, and I ﬁgure maybe, just maybe, if you get a taste of what’s going on in the Network, it will give you that extra nudge to join. I selected this question, as I believe it just may be top-of-mind for many of you: During this economy, what are some additional ways to get your name out there? Here are some excerpts from the responses, in bullet format for your convenience, as they address “the new reality” of the current times. Hopefully you, too, can beneﬁt from them: • Come up with a motto for your business, such as “When the surf’s up, go for all you can get,” or “Spend and invest only on the things that will help turn a proﬁt now and in the immediate future.” • Now is a great time to ﬁnd out how your customers are doing and how they feel about the last job you did for them. They may give you some great referrals or repeat business. • Strengthen your targeted marketing efforts. Start a newsletter for your previous client list or build a mailing list and send them necessary and interesting information. One writer recommends www.constantcontact.com. Were you published recently? Include the article. • Work on your website and maybe even start a blog. • Foreclosed homes will be bought and a new round of remodeling will begin. Be ready for that by learning about those buyers and what their needs and expectations will be. Most likely, they will be cautious types, “penny pinchers.” Find out what that means. • Align yourselves with contractors, painters, craftsmen, paint stores, carpet stores, etc. that are willing to reciprocate with leads. • Offer clinics and supply handouts with your business card attached. These can be about design choices or about the economy, such as “How to Stretch Your Dollar When Remodeling.” How about something on auditing your home for quick, energy-efﬁcient kitchen and bath updates? All great ideas, but if that doesn’t get you thinking, maybe this one will. Here’s another question that is posted on the Network: Are kitchen and bath dealers going to be the next generation’s dinosaurs? OK, now I know I’ve whetted your appetite. Join the group and find out what they’re saying about that. Off topic a little bit, but related, as I’m curious to know what you all think. I have a question. And this one is much less of a downer, as it’s, well, in my opinion, almost goofy. But I’d like you to weigh in on it. In this month’s issue, our Trends piece (page 18) is about dishwashers and the strides that have been made in their performance and how they “do it all.” This, of course, prompted me to recall an article I read (and clipped for just this purpose) in a New York newspaper a few months ago titled, “Doing the Dishes.” The tagline reads: “No oven required—create a delicious and healthful holiday meal, all in the dishwasher.” It goes on to explain that it’s often challenging to prepare such a feast in the conﬁnes of an oven and on a simple cooktop. It is tough. I know that ﬁrsthand. But, the article advises you not to worry because an ingenious idea from chef and restaurateur David Burke could save the day…and meal (and aggravation!). The dishwasher, you see, is no longer relegated to cleaning up after the meal, but can actually cook the meal, too! It all has to do with that healthy choice called steaming. Not just the “roast beast,” though. The side dishes too. Don’t believe me? He supplied recipes for such favorites as dishwasher turkey, steamed spinach with lemon and garlic, mushroom, shallots and thyme, and who could forget, stufﬁng. Yum. Just please, leave out the Cascade! OK, I promised there was a question in all of this, so here goes: Would you ever advise your clients to cook in their dishwasher? Is this crazy? Or, am I? Like I said, just asking… I Christina Trauthwein, Editor-in-Chief ctrauthwein@kbbonline.com 12 + K BB March 2009 / www.kbbonline.com / The Ofﬁcial Sponsor of K/BIS www.kbis.com July 2004 http://www.linkedin.com http://www.constantcontact.com http://www.constantcontact.com http://www.kbbonline.com http://www.kbis.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of KBB - March 2009

KBB - March 2009
Contents
Online Contents
Online News
Editorial
Digits
Consumer
Trends
Products
Profile
Design
Family Affair
Runner’s World
Access
Tech
Education
Practice
Ad Index
Editorial Index
Favorites

KBB - March 2009