fusion IT clients and creative colleagues may be interested the the following events. Contact us (info in footer) or leave a comment to suggest other events which inspire, connect & equip creative businesses.

Monday, July 12th

6:30 – 8:00 PM Back Bay Creative Coworkers Meetup. Discuss plans for ka-POW-er (spaces) Back Bay – a planned Coworking space for writers, designers, producers, filmmakers and other small creative businesses in Boston’s Back Bay neighborhood – let’s pool ideas and contacts, and make it a reality!

Wednesday, July 14th

6:30 – 9:30 PM Boston Final Cut Pro User Group Workflow Mixer at Autodesk, Waltham. Patrick Inhofer will present the Boston premiere of “The Tao of Color Grading – Featuring the Euphonix MC Color control surface and Apple’s Color”. Then Dean Schirm of Autodesk will demystify Smoke for Mac OS X. FREE (registration required)

Saturday or Sunday, July 17th or 18th

All Day. Philip Bloom “Harnessing the Power of your DSLR” Workshop. $99. Same all-day seminar, both days.

Derek Sivers offers some excellent advice on hiring a programmer, though three of the first four steps can be applied to almost any creative endeavor in which you are hiring outside expertise. Those steps are:

• Reduce your big idea to “Version 1.0”. What is the “bare minimum that would make you happy, and people would find useful.”
• Write a simple overview of what it does.
• Break it up into milestones. (Approximately a day’s work)

It’s sobering to think about how many projects I’ve come across which only communicate a few vague adjectives such as “cool” or “cutting edge” to the designers and programmers. If nothing else, start with Derek’s advice.

This Harvard Business Review post by Mavericks at Work author, Bill Taylor, gives us something to think about over the weekend.

It’s a question posed by ad legend Roy Spence of GSD&M:  If your company went out of business tomorrow, would anybody really miss you and why?

Your employees? Your clients? Your Vendors? Are you making the sort of impact on them that a year later, their lives and businesses would still be impacted? Taylor states:

“If your customers can live without you, eventually they will.”

How can you differentiate your business from your competitors? How can you create emotional connections around your brand? How can you create an experience for your clients? How can you forge better relationships with the people who bring you business?

If you think your small business doesn’t need this level of planning and strategy? Think again.

fusion IT clients and creative colleagues may be interested the the following events. Contact us (info in footer) or leave a comment to suggest other events which inspire, connect & equip creative businesses.

This week is quite possibly the biggest week ever for Production, Post, and Advertising events in Boston!

Tuesday, June 22nd

5 – 9PM Rule Boston Camera 1st Annual Tech Expo at Rule | Boston Camera, 395 Western Ave (Drop Off and Pick Up Entrance) · Boston, MA (fusion IT will be there!)

6 – 9PM Pecha Kucha Boston 18 Elks Lodge, 55 Bishop Richard Allen Dr, Cambridge (near Central Sq T) (a fusion IT favorite; just not this time)

Wednesday, June 23rd

6 – 9PM Revolve Nation’s Boston Entrepreneur Group - Summer “Kick-Off” Event: Large Group Networking at The Greatest Bar, 262 friend Street, 4th floor, Boston, MA. A great way for small businesses to pick up an entrepreneurial vibe. Check it out! (fusion IT will be there!)

Thursday, June 24th

8 – 10 AM MITX presents Content Strategy – Understanding Context and Deciding Delivery Methods at UK Trade & Investment, 1 Broadway, Cambridge, MA

8 AM – 6 PM Ad Club of Boston presents The EDGE Conference: Branded in Boston. This event has SOLD OUT! There is now a waiting list.

Friday, June 25th

5 – 9:30 PM 1st Annual Boston SuperMeet! fusion IT is a Media Sponsor of this event. Back Bay Events Center, John Hancock Hall, 180 Berkeley Street, Boston, MA. Click HERE to get FREE admission. (fusion IT will be there!)

Mass. Production Coalition presents the Premiere of Knight and Day (filmed here in Massachusetts!) This fundraiser has SOLD OUT! WooHoo!

Saturday & Sunday, June 26th & 27th

All Day, both days. The world-famous Dov S-S Simens 2-Day Film School visits Boston. Let us know what you think.

NEXT WEEK

Monday, June 28th

6:30 – 8:00 PM Back Bay Creative Coworkers Meetup
Discuss plans for ka-POW-er (spaces) Back Bay – a planned Coworking space in Boston’s Back Bay neighborhood – pool ideas and contacts, and make it a reality!

fusion IT clients and creative colleagues may be interested the the following events. Contact us (info in footer) or leave a comment to suggest other events which inspire, connect & equip creative businesses.

Wednesday June 16th,

10AM – 12PM Rule Learning Labs “HD-SLR Cameras”

6:30  - 9:00PM SMPTE-NE Presentation “3D – Shoot it, Watch it” at Rule. Registration CLOSED at 1PM, Monday, June 14th.

BIG week next week! – Forget about working!!!:
Tuesday June 22nd, 5 – 9PM Rule Boston Camera 1st Annual Tech Expo

Tuesday June 22nd, 6 – 9PM Pecha Kucha Boston 18 (a fusion IT favorite!)

Wednesday, June 23rd, 6 – 9PM Revolve Nation’s Boston Entrepreneur Group - Summer “Kick-Off” Event: Large Group Networking at The Greatest Bar

Thursday June 24th Ad Club of Boston presents The EDGE Conference: Branded in Boston.

Friday June 25th 1st Annual Boston SuperMeet! fusion IT is a Media Sponsor of this event. Click HERE to get FREE admission.

Friday June 25th Mass. Production Coalition presents the Premiere of Knight and Day (filmed here in Massachusetts!) This fundraiser is SOLD OUT! WooHoo!

Small Business Trends has a great article detailing all the various challenges in choosing the perfect name for your business.

The article covers legal aspects, domain names (which factor into your e-mail addresses) as well as Twitter and social media. Because so many .com domains are taken, you will likely have to get a little creative, perhaps using a company slogan.

It’s an iterative process fraught with setbacks. And you only have one chance to get it right! Be sure to work with a branding specialist, or at least a handful of brand-savvy colleagues.

fusion IT clients and creative colleagues may be interested the the following events. Contact us (info in footer) or leave a comment to suggest other events which inspire, connect & equip creative businesses.

Wednesday June 9th

10AM – 12PM Rule Learning Labs “Monitor Solutions for Field Shoots” (no info on web site. RSVP to events@rule.com)

6:30 – 9:30PM Boston Avid User Group Meeting at CDIA, Waltham.

Next Week
Wednesday June 16th, 10AM – 12PM Rule Learning Labs “HD-SLR Cameras” (no info on web site. RSVP to events@rule.com)

Last week of June – Forget about working!!!:
Tuesday June 22nd, 5PM – 9PM Rule Boston Camera 1st Annual Tech Expo

Tuesday June 22nd, 6PM – 9PM Pecha Kucha Boston 18 (a fusion IT favorite!)

Thursday June 24th Ad Club of Boston presents The EDGE Conference: Branded in Boston.

Friday June 25th 1st Annual Boston SuperMeet! fusion IT is a Media Sponsor of this event. Click HERE to get FREE admission.

Friday June 25th Mass. Production Coalition presents the Premiere of Knight and Day (filmed here in Massachusetts!) Tickets must be purchased in ADVANCE.

Take a look at this comical chart that measures your computer skills based on your e-mail address*. It’s funny because there is a grain of truth to it, as most people use one of these services or those of their home Internet Service Provider (ISP). Unfortunately, many freelancers, sole proprietors, and small business also fit into this category.

So what’s wrong with using your home ISP/Yahoo/AOL/Hotmail/Gmail account for business? Two things.

First, you are forfeiting a  branding opportunity, whether it is your ”personal brand” or your company’s brand. Second, and closely tied to your brand, is trust. If you do not have your own domain name (something.com or .org or .net) for your e-Mail (and website!), your business seems temporary or amateur.

Quoting Nine Essential Trust Indicators for Your SMB Web Site:

It’s a lot easier to trust someone who has clearly invested in their business over someone who simply stumbled across a free Yahoo or Gmail account… It’s a very simple trust cue that packs a big punch.

In other words, people are less likely to bring you their business. More bluntly, you are turning away money.

Chances are, getting a domain name for your business is one of those things you’ve thought about, but put off because of the hassle. Perhaps you couldn’t find a domain that you liked. Perhaps you bought a domain and got overwhelmed by all the choices and technicalities at the domain name “registrar”. Maybe changing your e-mail address seemed like a huge headache.

Whatever your reason, it’s time you gave the issue some serious thought.

fusion IT has helped numerous professionals and business set up new domains (along with their web sites and e-mail accounts) and we have overcome every possible obstacle. We can confidently guide you through any domain name, web site, and/or e-mail transition. And we are streamlining the process to keep it simple and affordable. Contact us today for fixed price domain name registration (or transition) packages. (Contact info is below in the footer.)

(*Unfortunately, the chart leaves out Internet provider address such as @comcast.net or verizon.net, which we, if forced, would have to rank below Gmail.)

fusion IT clients and creative colleagues may be interested the the following events this week. Contact us (info in footer) or leave a comment to suggest other events which inspire, connect & equip creative businesses.

Thursday June 3rd
9AM – 5PM (Every 2 hours) HB Communications will be demoing AutoDesk Smoke for Mac OS X. Sign up for private sessions to be held in Downtown Boston. 11AM Session might be full. Ask about 9AM/1PM/3PM.

3PM – 4PM (two half-hour sessions) fusion IT Open Office Hours. Big picture (Mac) IT, Pro Video, and technology advice, without cost or obligation.

6:30PM – 8:30PM Mass. Innovation Nights at the Waltham IBM Innovation Center.

Friday June 4th
6PM – 8:30PM Boston Final Cut Pro User Group Final Cut Fridays at Apple Store Boylston Street featuring Taz Goldstein of HandHeldHollywood.com

8PM – 11PM Fritz Lang’s original vision of METROPOLIS, newly restored, opens Friday for 1 week ONLY at Coolidge Corner Theater http://bit.ly/dCEOTe Film buffs, you know how big this is!

plan ahead…

Next Week:
Wednesday June 9th Boston Avid User Group Meeting.

Last week of June – Forget about working!!!:
Tuesday June 22nd, 5PM – 9PM Rule Boston Camera 1st Annual Tech Expo

Tuesday June 22nd, 6PM – 9PM Pecha Kucha Boston 18 (a fusion IT favorite!)

Thursday June 24th Ad Club of Boston presents The EDGE Conference: Branded in Boston.

Friday June 25th 1st Annual Boston SuperMeet! fusion IT is a Media Sponsor of this event. Click HERE to get FREE admission.

Friday June 25th Mass. Production Coalition presents the Premiere of Knight and Day (filmed here in Massachusetts!) Tickets must be purchased in ADVANCE.

We’ve been attending the annual MacWorld and NAB Final Cut Pro User Group SuperMeets for years and we are HUGE fans. Hundreds (sometimes more than a thousand) Final Cut editors, great vendors, excellent presentations from the stage, and raffles featuring tens of thousands of dollars worth of gear! What’s not to love!?

Well now, you don’t have to travel to SF or Vegas to attend, because the SuperMeet is coming to Boston.

The best news of all? Because fusion IT is a Media Sponsor, we can get you in for FREE!

Here’s what you need to do:

1. Go to the SuperMeet Registration page.
2. Click on “Enter Discount Code”
3. Enter “fusionIT”
4. Click on “Apply Discount”
5. Click on “Register” to register yourself (and your friends!) for FREE.

Register now before the code expires!

Visit the SuperMeet Website for all the details. We’ll see you there!