We recently read that it takes 10 impressions to make an impact! And it fits with what we’ve told clients over and over. You may think you’re telling the world about your services or products and yet somehow they still have NO IDEA what’s going on in your business.
How do you bridge the gap? #1 Don’t put all your resources, “eggs,” in the same basket. Are you spending too much time on one communication channel while neglecting others? If your Instagram is stellar but your email list is neglected, or if you are super great at answering client emails and private messages, but your website has outdated information - you could be sending a mixed message! #2 Do your research. Where are most of your leads coming from? Have you looked at the back end of your website to see how people are finding you? You may be surprised to find that you're getting more website hits from Google searches than you are social media links. That means generating fresh content for your website and ensuring you have used SEO to your advantage could take your reach to the next level. #3 Provide a consistent experience. Do all of your impressions sound the same? At Marken, we want to engage people around our three pillars CREATE • COLLABORATE • CELEBRATE. When people visit our website or stop by our office we want their experience to feel like "Marken." If our social media page is full of grammatical errors or spammy posts, that doesn't fit our mission, and our impressions are inconsistent. To make the most of your impact, don't settle for average, mediocre or "just OK." At MARKEN, we would love to help you make those 10 impressions well! It’s time to make an impact! Party dance! When suspicions were confirmed that baby Buckner #3 is a girl, you know I hopped on Pinterest for decor ideas and pink inspiration. After snagging this art deco dresser from a Facebook garage sale, I went over to Country Gal's for some paint and DIY tips. I noticed the Plaster Paint colors before, but had never used them. Everyone at Country Gal's was so sweet. Cathy even showed me pieces in the shop she redid using the same paint.
I was eager to get started but had to wait on Texas weather to cooperate. A month later, after two great weather weekends, baby E's dresser was painted and sealed. First we removed the hardware, letting all the drawer pulls soak. Marcus scrubbed them really well and they came out looking patina, which we liked, so we decided to keep the same hardware. 3 Tactical Steps to Meet Your Business Goals in 2019 Written by Kennan Buckner Whether your running a side hustle or you own your own small business, the New Year often inspires entrepreneurs to set goals and dream a little bigger. Here are three tactical steps to help you meet your goals in the year ahead.
1. Plan With Purpose Financially speaking, plan ahead for new supplies, gear, or upcoming business expenses. Save up and pay cash. Know when your busy season will be? Plan to be busy! Sign up for a meal delivery or grocery delivery service during that time so there’s one less thing on your to-do list. Don’t give yourself the excuse to give in to food cravings. Junk food and eating out will break the bank and ultimately your health. It’s worth the effort to plan head for eating well. Prepare for stress during your busy season. Try to put a date night or extra childcare on the calendar (and in the budget) in advance. You’ll have to fight for margin in your personal life during your busy season, and you don’t want to burn out. Know when your slow season will be? Plan to attack your personal business goals (like revamping your website or cleaning and organizing the office) during this time. If you know the chance to do it is already scheduled, you can worry about it less. You’re not putting the project off - you’re waiting for a known downtime to complete it from start to finish. StyleD ShootMarken is located in the quiet, small downtown of Devine, Texas. Formerly part of Schott's Model Market, the building's character is showcased with exposed beams and 12-foot-high ceilings. The exterior color wall features stripes of bright, candy-colored bricks creating the perfect backdrop for your new favorite Insta photos. Marken offers weekend and evening reservations for special events. Whitney's Weddings & Decor specializes in wedding planning, coordinating, and also handles custom rental and decor for bridal showers, baby showers, and parties. Let the fiesta begin at Marken. And nothing says, "party," like brightly colored banners hanging from the rafters.
Whitney's festive decor also features a photo booth serape and props with phrases like, "Nacho average party" and "Taco about a party," as well as mustaches and sombreros. Glass vases with paper flowers decorate the tables, and hand-painted wooden signage points guests to the chips and queso. The tiny cactus and succulents add a decorative touch throughout the room and double as the perfect party favors at the end of the night.
"No Job is Too Big"Coworking is "the use of an office or other working environment by people who are self-employed or working for different employers, typically so as to share equipment, ideas, and knowledge." With access to professionals in other industries, collaborative workspaces lend themselves to becoming your own "lookout tower." This mini ecosystem of working professionals can help small businesses in their creative process, bolster networking relationships, and increase productivity. But you don't have to take our word for it, check out this feature by Business.com here. Coworking members (with special discounts for dedicated desk members) have access to our presentation-ready meeting room, telephone room for private calls, as well as our flexible workspace that is available on weekends and evenings for larger gatherings and workshops. "According to global research by Deskmag and Deskwanted, since working in a coworking space:
"No pup is too small"Whether your business is just a start-up, or you're doing freelance on the side (like Marcus and I did for over 8 years), no pup is too small! The Marken Co.Lab will host both free and paid workshops to help expand and grow your personal network and knowledge. Our dedicated desks with added privacy, will give members the ability to leave work items behind in locked drawers, as well as a reserved desk to work. You will also get discounts on other bookings, and one hour free use of the meeting room per month. In addition to this, our high-speed (100 down) wi-fi provided by CommZoom and self-serve coffee station will make sure nothing slows you down while you complete projects.
Community Partners
When we hosted previous Marken workshops in our home, we even had people from outside our community of Devine attend. We had people from outside our social circles travel from San Antonio to our home for the Hand Lettering with Hilary workshop. Their first question when the workshop was over, “Where do we go now?”
When people visit small towns like ours, they want to know what's unique. Where should they go to eat? What shops should they be sure to visit? That's why we believe partnering with fellow businesses as Marken Community Partners will be mutually beneficial. In order to help create a space that not only inspires the community to connect with each other and foster creativity and growth, we want to give “shout-outs” to those who have helped us along the way. We plan to create a “Must-Dos while in Devine” brochure/map that will highlight area business services, as well as places to shop and dine. While we will help connect the Devine community in our workshops and the Marken Co.Lab space, we also know that many outside the community may be drawn to Marken, and what better way to showcase our community than to point them to some of our own unique shops and businesses?
Our local Volunteer Fire Department is amazing! They work tirelessly to make sure our community is protected. Thank you to Devine Fire / Rescue for all you do.
Thanks to our video sponsors who made this video possible: Mark Kidd - State Farm Agent, Comfort Commander, Dynamic Physical Therapy, PLLC - Martin Noyola / Owner, James P McElwee, CPA - texastaxplanners.com.
COMING SOON to Devine, Texas - Every step of the way God provides. That's what we've been witness to ever since taking Marken Media Co. full-time in December 2017. We never would have planned to leave Houston (the fourth largest city in the country) to move back to my hometown of Devine to start a business. But here we are!
Dreams can be scary to say out loud. Even more scary to put on paper, or in this case a blog post. But dreaming with Marcus has been life-giving and fun. Dreaming keeps us up late at night - talking about what it would look like to grow our home-based business, Marken. Here lately we have been circling our small town of Devine, Texas, like vultures. Pretty much every “nap-time car ride” we have driven down its streets, praying, dreaming, and praying some more. We have been feeling the growing pains of needing a space outside our home to be able to grow the business and expand our services. Marken has always been a creative company. We love designing and creating everything from marketing collateral, to videos that tell stories, to easy-to-navigate websites and hosting creative workshops. These are things we will continue to do. We also dream of gathering people together, building our community, inspiring creativity, and connecting people. That’s what Marken is all about. So with that .... We have some EXCITING NEWS!
Photo credit: Tristan Wood
This fall we will be moving Marken out of our home office and into 203 E. College Ave., Suite C in Devine, Texas! Its plain 1,800-square-feet is just begging to be Marken-ized! In addition to becoming our office, we will also have a collaborative working space (or co-working space) that we’re calling the Marken Co.Lab, a music room and recording studio called Marken Music, and the Marken common area, which will be host to special events and creative workshops. We feel this is just a natural extension of who and what Marken is - and we're so excited to be on this journey! Marken Co.Lab We want to invest in this community and its future by providing an inviting, inspiring space for people to connect, learn, and work. Marken Co.Lab members can make use of our common area and dedicated meeting room/conference room space, as well as dedicated desk space. What is a collaborative work space? The popularity of collaborative working spaces is on the rise. Projections from the U.S. Co-working Forecast suggest that by 2022 the number of people in the U.S. using co-working spaces will double. Co-working is not just for millennials, but also for those taking higher education courses who need dependable internet, those working for themselves or those with “side gigs” who need a dedicated space outside of their home to be able to focus on work. It’s even for retirees who would like a social environment to work on their passion projects. Noted benefits of co-working have included:
The Marken Co.Lab will be open Monday - Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. with additional appointments by request. We are currently under construction! Anticipated open-to-the-public date is October 2018! Membership Pricing: $20/day for single day pass (for common area) $65/month for single pass (for common area) $100/month for couples pass (for common area) $350/month dedicated desk* *There will be a very limited number of dedicated desks available Member Benefits:
You'll receive a FREE Day Pass when you register for a tour!
(Remember our expected open date is October 2018!) Marken Music In addition to work collaboration, we will also have a music room. Marken Music will allow local music teachers to teach their students in an inviting space. There will be a piano on-site, and teachers who reserve the space are encouraged to bring their instruments. Private locked storage will be available in our storage area upon request. Marken will also use the space as a recording studio with the ability to record, mix, and professionally master music for clients. (Don't worry, this area will be sound-proofed so as not to bother our co-workers!) Member and Student Benefits: As part of our Marken Music family, we will help promote teachers' lesson openings and offerings to our broad email network, social media following, and inside the Marken Co.Lab. Their students’ guardians are also encouraged to enjoy the Marken Co.Lab common area space and complimentary wifi during lessons (only). Music Teacher Member Pricing: $10/hr for music teachers to reserve music studio.
Workshops & Special Events
Marken will offer reservations for weekend and evening events like bridal showers, baby showers, and small parties. Rental pricing will start at $250 for common area space, and $150 for conference room only. For reservation inquiries (after our October 2018 open date) click here. We will also plan to host a variety of creative workshops like hand lettering, painting, and floral design. Weekdays, we will host small business workshops like photography 101, social media tips, and our favorite apps for organization. Space will be limited and advance ticket purchase required for most events.
Community Partnerships
We believe that partnering with fellow businesses will be mutually beneficial. In order to help create a space that not only inspires the community to connect with each other and foster creativity and growth, we want to give “shout-outs” to those who have helped us along the way. When we hosted previous Marken workshops in our home, we even had people from outside our community of Devine attend. The first question when the workshop was over was, “Where do we go now?” We plan to create a “Must-Dos while in Devine” brochure/map that will highlight area business services, as well as places to shop and dine. While we will help connect the Devine community in our workshops and the Marken Co.Lab space, we also know that many outside the community may be drawn to Marken, and what better way to showcase our community than to point them to some of our own unique shops and businesses?
Thank you!
The Best is Yet to Come! Marcus & Kennan By Marcus Buckner Honestly, I didn't think it would work. When I realized that I needed to quit my sales job, I looked around and couldn't find any jobs that seemed to fit me. It felt like the only valid option, after prayer and some long discussions with my wife, was to make our freelance media business a full-time gig. But to be honest, I couldn't see how it could work. There weren't enough clients or enough projects in my mind to see this thing working as a full-time job. We had been doing this "thing" on the side for a supplemental income for as long as we have been married.
In December 2017, we launched Marken Media Co. (a name that my wife created by smashing our names together). Every month we have seen God provide just the right amount of clients and projects. Every month we see His provision unfold. We are so grateful to be working together as a family and being able to spend more time together. It is amazing to see our 3-year-old son Jaxson hand out business cards to potential clients and see him get excited as we explore new business opportunities. So sometimes yes, it feels like you are about to jump off a cliff in faith. But for us, the reward is worth the risk even though we do not have it all figured out. He works all things together for the good of those that love Him and are called according to His purpose! Good things are ahead! I recently got a copy of Giving it All Away...And Getting it All Back Again by Founder and CEO of Hobby Lobby, David Green. I usually read with a pen in hand so I can underline and make notes in the margins. This book was such a good read! I was challenged to dream bigger, think bigger, pray bigger, and give bigger. "Hobby Lobby takes half of total pretax earnings and plunges it directly into a portfolio of evangelical ministries," reports Forbes. We've all heard stories of successful businesses having small beginnings, and I love love love those stories. Hobby Lobby opened its first 300-square-foot store in 1972. Today, they have 822 stores! (They just opened one in Uvalde, Texas!)
Green says in the book's prologue, "The funny thing about the questions of life is that the ones we ask at the end are the one we should begin with. It is tough to craft a meaningful life without considering our end: What do we hope for, what do we dream for, relative to our lives, our family, our children?" Marcus and I are in the place right now, with a small home office, but also considering the idea of what it would look like to grow. While we have enjoyed meeting new people and clients at local coffee shops, restaurants, and even our home dining room table :) we believe we can better serve people with more square footage. Would you join us in praying for that? Anyhow, back to the book! Green shares how he grew up as a pastor's kid. His parents were often resourceful with very little, and very generous with what they had. (As a PK himself, Marcus can relate!) Green grew up, as many do, with the idea that those who were part of ministry roles like pastors and missionaries were "called," and not sure where he fit in. |
AuthorKennan is wife to Marcus, the other half of Marken Media Co., and mom to Jaxson, Caden, and furry Reba. Archives
March 2019
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