A New Approach to Small Business Saturday

Small Business Saturday Picture with Pop-Up Market Info

I learned about Small Business Saturday 3 years ago when I saw someone walking around with a Shop Small canvas bag. What is Small Business Saturday? The quick history: In 2010, small businesses are hurting from an economic recession. American Express deems the first Saturday after Thanksgiving as “Small Business Saturday” and launches a campaign to …

A Successful Startup Requires All Professions

Picture Outlining Start Up Concept

*Note: Pagesculptor Studios is proud to once again sponsor Fairbanks Startup Weekend, a 54-hour focus session where participants generate new ideas, develop them into a viable business model, and present in front of a panel of judges. Coming from a tech background and an even more technologically-based marriage, owner Rachael Kvapil likes to remind people …

Do Your Products Reinforce Stereotypes?

Picture of Asphalt with 'Men' and 'Women' sprayed into the ground with opposing arrows

I don’t spend a lot of time in tourist shops. I visit one whenever I travel assuming all the rest carry a variation of products with the town/city/state/country name. The exception is Skagway, Alaska.  For the past decade, I have made an annual trip with my run team for the start of the Klondike Road …

You Could Do Everything Right and STILL Have Campaign Issues

Picture of Marketing Word Cloud

It’s an ugly truth no marketer wants to admit… On paper we have developed the perfect campaign, aimed at the perfect target market, using media and messages they can relate to.  We could execute it with high response rates and significant shares, yet for whatever reason, our objectives are never met. This reality hit a …

Planning for Startup Weekend Fairbanks Begins!

Picture from the First Meeting for Startup Weekend 2019

What business would you build in 54 hours? Alaska is a big place where people have big ideas. But until you can talk about it, and test drive your idea to learn if customers actually want it, the odds are against it becoming a success. Where do you start? Startup Weekend Fairbanks is a great place to …

The Alaska Contractor Summer Edition

Picture of the Summer 2018 Cover of The Alaska Contractor

The summer issue of The Alaska Contractor is out! Our very own Rachael Kvapil has two articles in this issue:   ~ “New arts center to bring benefits to Juneau“ ~A membership profile on DBS Enterprises LLC   Check it out!

Names Matter: Setting Up Expectations Without Knowing It

Man Holding New Member Card

Marketing articles often use terms like ‘customer,’ ‘client,’ ‘consumer,’ and ‘patron,’ interchangeably. For the most part it doesn’t matter, but my friend did identify one instance where it does. He was interviewing for a manager position at an athletic club when the General Manager began describing their ‘customers.’ My friend stopped her for clarification. “Are …

Recommended Book of the Week: 3/12/2018

Picture of the Book Get Over Your Damn Self by Romi Neustadt

Get Over Your Damn Self: The No-BS Blueprint to Building A Life-Changing Business by Romi Neustadt My rating: 5 of 5 stars Written for network marketers, but a lot of very useful information for all entrepreneurs. It is well-organized so that one chapter builds into the next. The last chapter is the best, but I …

Recommended Book of the Week: 2/26/18

Picture of the cover Never Spilt the Difference by Chris Voss

Never Split the Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It by Chris Voss My rating: 5 of 5 stars This book has already changed my life! For the first time I feel more grounded in my daily relationships and negotiations. Some of this stuff I have successfully implemented without knowing it, but not …