Blog
12.05.2008
I have the following domains and websites for sale. All prices are negotiable. Please email me at info@madhatterdesigncompany.com if you’re interested!
flippinsweetdesign.com – Comes with WordPress-based website and all content – $300
freshappetite.com – Comes with Joomla-based website – $300
poshwalls.com – Comes with logo design – $150
ncwbe.org – Comes with WordPress-based website, logo, banners, and all content – $400
wptheme911.com – Comes with logo, if desired – $150
youngfoxconsulting.com – Make Offer
youngphotoart.com – Make Offer
granolavogue.com – Domain Only $50
wannabehealthnut.com – Comes with Joomla-based website $200
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »
09.29.2008
Darn it, we still can’t get these Flash files embedded, but here’s another link to another great tip!
This week we show you how and where to change the font size and color for your WordPress content.
Check it out here!
Posted in Uncategorized, Wordpress QuickTips | No Comments »
09.23.2008
That’s right! It’s our very first Quick Tip for WordPress! We’re having some issues with our Flash Embed plugin, but that’s not stopping us!
Click here to view How to Change the Background Color for your WordPress Site. You’ll need Flash Player to view it. Enjoy and feel free to comment!
Note: This video was created using the Jing Project.Thank you to Serena of Virtual Business Solutions On Demand for sharing her find with us!
Posted in Uncategorized, Wordpress QuickTips | No Comments »
09.19.2008
So my lovely white-trash neighbors have already started celebrating Halloween. They filled their yard with 2 blow-up spook houses, real, fresh-dirt graves with headstones, and creepy blaring music that repeats every 20 seconds. It’s a nightmare on my street. And dear GAWD, it’s only the 3rd week of September? Oh, right…they put these decorations up last week, my husband reminds me.
When we took our garbage bins to the curb last week, I remarked that it looked like “Devil Christmas” in their yard. My husband laughed, but I was serious! These people have Halloween lights in the shape of spider webs and ghouls in every window! As if the 2 blow-up spook houses weren’t enough…
It seems their yard has become the new hangout for the neighborhood children….should we worry about this? Maybe they like having 10 kids traipse through their lawn until the sun goes down? I dunno…seems a little creepy to me. But then again, the fact that they like to celebrate Halloween so dramatically and so early is creepy in and of itself.
We do have to give them credit, though…the music is off and the houses are deflated by at least 8:30, and they don’t turn it all on every evening…thank gawd! I guess in their excitement over Devil Christmas they have some bit of brain in their heads.
Want to know the most hilarious part? Of course you do. For the last 2 years, we have had a total (total for BOTH YEARS) of 7 trick-or-treaters. Yep. Seven. Siete. Seize. Na-na. But we did have several houses sell on our block, and several families with young kids moved in. Damn it. Guess that means I have to actually give out the candy this year instead of eating it myself…poo.
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »
09.17.2008
That’s right! It’s been a crazy week at MHD getting ready for the grand opening of RAINFLOWER COMPANY, Floral Artiste Extraordinaire Mirella Veltri’s exciting new flower boutique!
If you’re in the Toronto area, please stop in and partake in the deliciousness. It will be a fabulous good time with prizes, champange, and yummy sweets!
Drop by Rainflower’s new website and order a bouquet for someone you love!
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »
09.10.2008
I’m not one to bring politics into business, but I would like to proudly proclaim that as a business owner, woman, and plain old citizen of the USA, I support Barak Obama for the next President of the United States.
There. I said it. Don’t agree with me? Fine. But don’t slander a good man in the name of lifting up a rich, pompous bastard. And all of you know that’s what McCain is. If he becomes president, it’s likely I won’t be able to express myself like this on my blog, nor will my husband and I be able to afford to support our family.
Barak is in support of small business owners and women. He is more middle-class than McCain will ever be. He IS the minority and he knows what we’ve all been through.
I read a comic strip once that said, “Voting for president is like trying to pick the best mosquito out of the swarm.” Yes, Barak might have his own set of shortcomings, but come on, people! He is the best choice we have. And personally, I think he’ll do a darn good job.
Oh, and this whole “lipstick on a pig” thing is out of control. McCain’s people need to shut the hell up and focus on their own problems – like choosing an inexperienced twit for vice president. Wow. Nice choice, McCain.
Ok, that’s all I really have to say. Mostly I wanted to publicly proclaim my support. 
Posted in General Stuff, Personal, Politics, Uncategorized, rAnts aNd RaVeS | 2 Comments »
09.09.2008
I’ve talked a little bit about the booming new world of Virtual Assistants thus far in my blogging endeavors. I started thinking that maybe my readers do not realize just how many virtual assistants I have worked with. Maybe my average reader/site visitor doesn’t understand why I keep rambling on about how I know so much about VAs and their branding mistakes.
Well, let me tell you…I have worked with a lot of virtual assistants. When I say a lot, I mean a. lot. Now, that does not, by any means, make me a VA expert or guru or anything like that. Just trust that I have seen my fair share of branding blunders (if you’ll excuse the alliteration). I still have a fair number of VAs coming to me for logo design, etc. wanting me to “brand their new business.” I completely understand why I would be asked to do this (Hello!? I’m a graphic designer!) but a lot of VAs have the wrong idea about where branding actually begins.
Branding does not begin with the designer (thoough designers are hired to help make the brand recognizable and unique). Branding begins with the business idea.
Ok, so you want to be a virtual assistant. Great. There are now what, 5000 or so known VAs? Fabulous. How are you going to stand out from the crowd?
“Standing out from the crowd” does not mean you have a slick new logo that looks like no one else’s. Standing out means that you have a niche. A corner of the market that you are ready to take on. Your niche is an area of expertise that you latch onto and brand your new business accordingly.
Branding is mentioned all over the Web, but I would like to express my personal view on the subject. Branding, in its simplest form, is what everyone else thinks about you. Not what you think about yourself. Branding is more than just a logo and some letterhead. Branding is your business name, your website, your work style, your communication style. It is the promises you make, the way you treat clients, and the things you say in forums and on blogs. It encompasses all that is you and your business.
In short, branding is not something to be taken lightly, and waaaaaaay too many virtual assistants do just that.
If you’re reading this now and you’re considering starting a VA practice, I urge you to consider your branding the most important part of the start up process. It will help you decide how, where, and when to market. It will help you decide what kind of website you will need, and it will help you create a stable and lasting image for your business from the very beginning.
I’m planning a few more posts for virtual assistants, and then it’s on to other things. Don’t forget to subscribe for updates.
As a side note: You don’t have to have tons of cash to build your brand, but there are some things better left to the pros. If you aren’t a designer, hire one to create your logo. A designer (especially one that has served literally almost 50 VAs in some fashion) knows what is out there already. A designer can create the proper files for printing and web production. A designer can create a memorable icon for your brand.
I’m not just saying that because I want to design more VA logos. I’m saying that because I have been there. I have seen what works and what doesn’t. Budget money for your logo to be designed by a pro. You won’t regret it.
Posted in Branding, Uncategorized, VAs, Virtual Assistants, rAnts aNd RaVeS | No Comments »
09.08.2008
If you’re in the Toronto area, you don’t want to miss this ball! Une Belle Soirée is the grand opening event for Rainflower Company, my dear friend’s fabulous new floral design company. You may have seen her site listed in our web portfolio. We built a fabulous custom WordPress theme centered around Rainflower’s branding and Mirella’s lovely design. Please stop by to see her beautiful work, and if you’re in Toronto, you’ll want to attend the grand opening for the chance to win prizes and receive special offers on flowers and event design services! (Yeah, we know it’s RSVP by the 12th, but drop us a line and we’ll make sure you get to partake in the goodies!)
Posted in Clients, Events, News, Uncategorized | No Comments »
09.07.2008
All businesses go through slumps and peaks, changes and ruts, and times of uncertainty. I blamed it on the economy, the president, the short number of hours in a day. The fact is, though, it was my fault. I did not recognize that it was time to revisit my goals.
So before I go any further, I’d like to thank my dear friend Mirella of Rainflower Company for helping me realize that I needed to make changes. Mirella is a fabulous florist in the Brampton, Ontario area. If you have a wedding coming up, trust me, you want this gal to handle the flowers!
Over the past two years, I have served several industries, but one emerging group has been the core of my existence as on online business owner.
The Virtual Assistant Industry is key to my development as a business owner and designer. Most of my clients have been women, but they are so much more than that. Many of the VAs I’ve “met” are moms, and many have a full-time job outside of the home. Most are searching for a viable business that will allow them to work from home, and thus, have the freedom to care for their families, or simply be home with a loved one.
The VA industry helped build me to where I am today, and it is due to the fabulous women I have met and consulted with along the way.
When I first started my business, I thought a lot about how I would measure success. I define success as happiness and balance in my life. That means I may have to juggle a variety of things to meet my goals, but that is what works for me. I’ve come to a point in my life where that balance is finally revealing its secrets – thus the new Mad Hatter was born.
My goal with the redesign is to focus on women-owned and women-centered businesses. I am always open to working with clients of any gender, color, or creed, but I would like my fellow rockin’ business women to know that I know exactly where you are…and exactly where you want to go. Let’s work together to build our businesses and make a better life for our families.
Now that the mushy stuff is over, get on over to MadHatterDesignCompany.com and check out the improvements! And don’t forget to stay tuned for our new portfolio, featuring some of our latest and most fabulous projects! We’re gearing up to offer some exciting deals for the fall season, as well as announce our new charity program.
XOXO,
Bri
aka The Mad Hatter
Posted in News, Uncategorized | No Comments »
