Featured Women In Business: Nikki Matarasso of Blue Crane Design
April 13th, 2009 | Real Women In Business
Nikki Matarasso is the owner and marketing coordinator of Blue Crane Design. Want to be considered as a featured woman in business? Just fill out this questionnaire.
Discover how graphic design can make or break your marketing materials on April 15, when the Womenwise Marketing podcast features an interview with Max Phillips of Not Bad Design.
WM: How did you enter your current position?
NM: Up until the end of 2007 I was working happily in a steady full-time job when I became very ill. The doctors couldn’t work out what the problem was. I was fainting regularly, having seizures and falling asleep mid-sentence.
Tests were inconclusive. I couldn’t work, which drove me insane as I’ve always been the type of person who has 20 projects at once. Eventually my condition settled down slightly but working for someone was still not an option.
My boyfriend James was working nights at a petrol station and days as a freelance graphic designer to support us, but we were barely making our rent each fortnight. When the petrol station cut James’ shifts dramatically we knew we had to do something.
So we applied for the NEIS program though Sarina Russo to start our own Graphic Design business and haven’t looked back since. I work from home at my own hours doing the finance and marketing side of the business while James meets clients and does most of the design work.
WM: How did you start marketing?
NMI found that marketing was quite natural for me. I have always been a sales person whether it was selling paintings to the next-door neighbors at age six or at 19 working as a retail sales assistant. I found that I could relate to clients, discover their needs and make sure that I could follow through to the close.
WM: Did you have any preconceptions about marketing when you started?
NM: When I was working for other people I had the idea that sales and marketing were kind of dirty words. I pictured everyone trying to sell me something as the clichéd, greasy car salesmen rather than people who were trying to help.
Now that my marketing directly translates to how much groceries I have that month I understand that there is a difference between the hard sell and actually caring about your clients and their needs.
WM: How important of a role does marketing play in your day to day business?
NM: Blue Crane Design would be nowhere without our marketing. When we started this business, no one knew who we were and no one wanted to. No one would hire us if they didn’t know we existed!
WM: What marketing methods have worked best for you?
NM: We’ve have had the most success with word-of-mouth, face-to-face marketing, and internet-based social networking websites. We have also developed a following on our blogs which is very useful for us!
WM: Which have been the most challenging?
NM: Actually getting out of the office to do marketing with real people. Our time is at a premium, so we have to plan very carefully when we will go out to meet new people and market to them.
WM: How has your self image changed since you started marketing?
NM: My illness had lowered both my confidence and self esteem by preventing me from doing a lot of the things that previously defined me. Having to get out and meet new people has boosted my self esteem and proven that I can still do things I used to! It has made me more confident and self reliant.
WM: What marketing advice would you give to other women in business?
NM: Don’t give up! Everyone has those days where nothing goes right and you just want to go back to bed. DON’T DO IT! Keep at it and eventually something will click into place, you’ll be glad you did.
Related posts:
- Featured Women In Business: Marnie Bergan of Bergan Blue
- Featured Women In Business: Alice Elliott of Alice Designs
- Featured Women In Business: Ana Ottman of Creatuitive Coaching
- Featured Women In Business: Lisa Murray Of Revive Business Coaching
- Featured Women In Business: Sherrell Dorsey of LadyPR
