Dear Friend,

Well, summer is winding down and the cooler weather of fall is approaching.  Our summer here at Next Step was busy, but not too busy to stop and enjoy the beautiful area in which we live.  Casper is growing as evidenced by the increased number of fairs, festivals, sporting events and activities we can enjoy.  Community activities along with the mountains, prairie and open spaces makes Casper a nice place to live and do business.

Next Step has chosen to move our web services to our own server.  We feel this will better serve our clients by providing increased reliability and flexibility.  Next Step's web assistant, Nathan Long, explains how the server works in Next Step Takes the Next Step in Serving.

In the face of electronic marketing and advertising, is print advertising a thing of the past?  This is the question we address in Print Advertising in Today's Market.

The Woment of Integrity Network will be starting in September.  Come join them for a weekly time of encouragement and lively discussion.

We hope you enjoy this month's E-newsletter and find it helpful.  Please don't forget to add sales@nextstep-designsolutions to your email safe list so you continue to get this newsletter.

E-Newsletters Help You Keep in Touch with Clients 

Considering an E-newsletter for your business or organization?  Next Step Design Solutions is now offering an E-newsletter service.   We are running a 10% discount on E-newsletter set ups through September 2006. Give us a call at 307-247-1384 or drop us a line at sales@nextstep-designsolutions.com. We can help you get your ideas off the ground.

Next Step Takes the Next Step in Serving

Next Step is always looking for ways to streamline our services.  We have recently decided to go with our own server.  What does this mean for our clients?  Well, let's talk with Nathan Long, one of the web assistants on the NSDS staff.  Nate explains:

"Simply put, a server is a computer dedicated to doing certain jobs.  Much like a server in a restaurant, the server carries out certain jobs for other computers.  The server  "specializes" in specific functions, and has special hardware to carry out those functions in the most efficient manner."

If you go to a really fancy restaurant, you may have a server just for desserts.  This server will be very knowledgeable about what desserts are served and will be able to give careful attention to your order, making sure it gets to you quickly and accurately.

Similarly, our server is dedicated to providing web based services for our internet bound clients.  Our server is dedicated to our clientele and is not busy multi-tasking numerous company's clients.  

Print Advertising in Today's Market

Yes, it is true, electronic advertising such as Websites and E-mail are here to stay. They are very effective and a good value for the price. Where does that leave printed advertising such as newspaper and magazine ads, brochures, mailers and business cards? The question isn’t so much which is more effective, but how can ALL avenues of advertising and marketing be used to the best advantage? Electronic and print media go hand in hand.  They promote your business through different avenues and build on each other.

Most business owners understand they need a good, distinct and well designed business card. Business cards are usually part of the personal introduction between a company representative and a client. It presents a lasting personal invitation, as well as providing basic contact information for future conversations.

Print advertising allows the provision of specific information to specific audiences. For example, mailings can be sent to neighborhoods or towns and inform potential customers about future sale events, etc. Newspaper ads similarly target a local town or region. Magazine ads will be read by a particular readership.

Brochures provide a lasting source of more detailed information for the potential customer. Brochures are meant to be taken home and looked at leisurely. They are a great way to let the customer know more about your products and services. There is something communicated when holding a beautiful, colorful brochure in hand. Print media is portable and accessible to most people.  The familiar, tried and true print media still occupies a place in advertising that cannot be replaced.

  Women of Integrity Network

Are you a woman in the work force who is looking for a supportive network of friends?  Whether you are a boss, supervisor, manager, team leader, or in training this group is for you. 

The goal of this network is to build up and encourage women to be the best they can be.  We will be reading and discussing Dr. Henry Cloud's book entitled Integrity: The Courage to Meet the Demands of Reality. Together we will learn to identify our strengths and weaknesses with the goal of building character and becoming Women of Integrity.

Our 12 week session will begin September 6th, 2006.  Please register by August 30th at www.WomenOfIntegrityNetwork.com