Computer Buying Tips for Students (& others on a budget)
These brief tips are paraphrased and condensed from recent
discussions
on the Graphics Mailing List. Send your own tips too.
- Buy used. Most students don't need all the bells and whistles.
- Include the cost of software in your budget.
- Mac vs. PC: For most student work, the differences may be
neglible
but factor in the time involved to learn a new system, the system in
use at your school or whoever you may be exchanging data files with.
Portfolios
Sometimes we can find useful information in unlikely places. Do
you have a portfolio? Do you need a portfolio? Even if you don't
consider it important to the type of work you do or the clients
you work with -- look at this article on portfolios from our Secondary
School Educators Guide, Diane Walker.
Although she is talking about student portfolios I think many of
us can apply the same reasoning to our own portfolios -- whether
we use them to show off our work to clients or simply as a way to
track our own growth and increase in skills.
Bookmarks for your biz
Some "bookmark"eting ideas not mentioned in my earlier article:
- Let your bookmark double as a coupon (either the whole thing
or create a "tear off" section at one end).
- Create a bookmark newsletter. Pack a few choice tips onto a
bookmark each month and mail out as an addendum to your
regular newsletter or send with monthly invoices or other
customer mailings to save postage. They're more likely to be
kept and used (at least for a little while) instead of filed
or trashed!
- Team up with another local business to cut costs or get
wider distribution -- your message on one side, theirs on the
other.
- Laminated bookmarks last longer.
- Add your handwritten note or signature for a personal touch.
Index of Miscellaneous Tips
Business Links
