Creative Ideas for Displaying Your Business in Easy Conversation-Starters

You probably know as many people as I do who have a side gig--or a full-time business--where they can set their own schedule and work from home, such as Gold Canyon Candles, Pampered Chef, or Forever, to name some of my favorites.  Or maybe a jewelry-making or soap-making business.

These are such great options for anyone who wants to set their own schedule, work from home, etc., but they do require a certain amount of self-advertising.  You have to get yourself out there.

If you've got a business you'd like to promote, or you know someone who would, here are four creative ideas I have personally loved for displaying and advertising my business without me saying a thing!

These are great conversation starters!  I have created these items with Forever Print, which I love for its quality!  

NOTE:  I am a Forever affiliate (a decision I made because I love it so much), so you will find affiliate links in this post, from which I earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no extra cost to you.

#1 Water Bottle

Just about everyone carries a water bottle with them these days, and this is such an easy way to share with others what you do--almost by accident!  

Instead of family photos as this template shows, you can include photos of your products or something you love about your business.  If you want to design an image to go in one of those spots, Canva is an easy way to do that. 

Or, you can just choose one image and a template with a saying or monogram that fits you well, like this one below.  There are a lot of free templates, and new ones are added all the time.  

That said, there is a DIY option for designing your own water bottle.  You'll see below my DIY water bottle which I designed using Forever's Artisan digital scrapbooking software program.  It allows full flexibility, creativity, choice of fonts, etc.  I love and use Artisan for my digital photo-memory books each year, so if something you're designing yourself sounds ideal to you, you can learn more about Artisan here.  

If you don't think you'd use Artisan aside from a few business products like these but would still like to design your own water bottle (and ideas #2 and #4 coming up!), I do hire out my design services, so give me a holler since I already own Artisan.

WATER BOTTLE SPECS

• 17 oz.
• Insulated stainless steel water bottle with brushed aluminum spill-proof screw-on cap
• Hand-wash only. Not dishwasher or microwave safe. Not intended for hot liquids.

MY WATER BOTTLE

I did create my own water bottle using Artisan, and I LOVE how it turned out!!

Since I could put text and photos anywhere, it ended up exactly how I wanted it with lots of information.  I know it's hard to see on a photo of a round surface, so you can see the project itself in my Forever account here in order to see the whole design.

#2 A Tag with Your QR code

I love this great idea from a colleague!  You can use an ornament as a little advertisement AND include the QR code to your website, YouTube channel, or whatever you like! 

There are a lot of different ornament templates to choose from, so check them out here and play around with whatever looks good to you.  Most have a front and back so you can have an image on one side and the QR code image on another. 

This is the Benelux shape.

Or, there's a blank option for you to upload something you've designed (say, on Canva) or just a whole photo.

I love the idea of including a QR code that goes to your website!  This is my favorite QR code generator if you don't already have one because you can include your business logo in the center (just like I did, which I'll show you shortly)!  

ORNAMENT SPECS (several shapes and materials available)

• Includes red hanging ribbon (but it's easy to swap out for your own ribbon if you like)
• Materials: (aluminum) premium glossy coated white aluminum; (glass) glass with beveled edges and frosted backing; (acrylic) TBA
• Number of Sides: Double-Sided for metal (aluminum) ornaments; Single-Sided for glass; Single-Sided for acrylic
• Dimensions: Benelux Ornament 3" x 4" Rectangle Ornament 3" x 4"  Circle Ornament 3" x 3" Square Ornament 3" x 3"

MY BUSINESS TAG/ORNAMENT

I started out trying to create my business tag/ornament using the Create & Print templates, but I was using two images I'd created and saved previously, and the dimensions for what I was going for weren't quite right.  I ended up using Artisan, so you won't be surprised that I LOVE how it turned out!!

You can see that the metal ornaments are double-sided and come with a red ribbon for hanging.

I decided to go with some twine when I tied it on my bag.  

I'm so happy with how this turned out.  What an easy conversation starter.

#3 Business Books

What if you could make your own personalized, unique-to-you, better-than-a-catalog book showcasing your business?

And what if it only costs about $12?

I love this idea for a "brag book" you can carry in your purse or briefcase that is completely personalized to YOU!  Sure, put photos of your products and services in the book, but what about:

• testimonials
• quick tips
• how-tos
• what you love about your business

A simple 8x8 softbound template in the Create & Print software (all free) is $12.50 when you buy it during a 50% off sale (which happens every 3-5 weeks).  

You could try a basic template with a clean look like this one or a neutral like this one, or you could make one that's a little snappier and colorful like this one.  Feel free to explore more templates by navigating at the left once you're there.

FYI, the Create & Print software is super easy to use and very intuitive.  Putting a book together wouldn't take you very long.

I first got this idea from FOREVER.  The Home Office Team put together a step-by-step guide for using FOREVER that they printed as a nice hardbound book!  You can see all the pages by clicking the image below (that's the cover of the book) or scanning the QR code.

Once you've opened the link, you can swipe along the bottom to see all the pages.

I think this idea is genius!  How do you think it would work with YOUR business?  What would you love to share?  

Carrying a little purse-sized book is so much easier than carrying samples, and you can really bring it home if you include testimonials and experiences of people who have used and loved your product or services.

BOOK SPECS

• choose hardcover or softcover
• choose a free, professionally-designed template in easy, intuitive software (or design your own with Artisan software)
• 8x8 and 12x12 are available in most templates, but there are also 11.5x8 book sizes and 10x10 sizes, too

MY TESTIMONIALS BOOK

I love this idea so much!  I decided to ask my clients for testimonials.  I was honestly blown away at the response.  I had 2 or 3 people that I've never heard from before (never responded to an email, not active in my Facebook group, etc.) write the most amazing things about both Forever products & services and about the things I've helped them with (such as my YouTube channel tutorials) that I didn't even know about!!

I used the Hues of Summer template in the easy Create & Print template collection (which is free to use).  I chose that template because it has the colors of my business, but you can see all 4 of the Hues of templates to choose the color(s) that you'd like best.

You can "flip through" each page of this beautiful Testimonials book at this link using the thumbnails at the bottom.

Can you envision something like this for YOUR business or a friend's business?!  It would be amazing.

#4 Business Cards

Most people with businesses have business cards, yes, but you can do some special things with Artisan!  There aren't any limits to the design.

You could even do something fun like this:

Imagine a giveaway or a punch card!  The possibilities are endless.

I did a creative take on a business card years ago and created a little list of my events that people could attend!  

Now that I've moved most of my events online, I don't use these cards any more... but, come to think of it, this would be a great place for a QR code with a direct link to my blog tab listing all my upcoming events!

BUSINESS CARD SPECS

• Available in landscape or portrait orientation.
• Double-sided.
• 3"x2" or 2"x3"
• Set of 50

MY BUSINESS CARDS

Business cards are a specialty item only available in Artisan, but remember my For-Hire option if you'd like me to create something for you.  

I love these business cards because you can make yourself really stand out!

In fact, I love each of these creative ways to use these products to make yourself stand out in your business and let people know what you do before you even say anything!

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One Brilliant, Easy Way to Enhance Your Photography Business

If you've got a photography business, you're already attracting and connecting with people who love and want photos.  These clients and potential clients know the value of a photo.  

Here's one brilliant, easy way to make your photography business more lucrative with the clients you already have:

Incorporate Forever into your photography business.

First, we'll look at why, and then we'll look at how.  

You're going to love this.

About Forever and Why Forever Can Enhance Your Photography Business

If you're not familiar with Forever:  in a nutshell, Forever is the whole package for photos and memories.  A free Forever account allows a user like me to 

• preserve photos and memories in highest-in-the-industry, professionally-printed books one of two ways--a fast & easy option using templates, or a creative digital scrapbooking software method
• preserve photos and memories digitally in cloud photo/video storage that I own, with no monthly fees, that is guaranteed secure, private, triple-backed up, and permanent so I can pass them on to the next generation (the only of its kind out there!)
• rescue old memories from oudated media and get them digitized (film, VHS tapes, slides, scans, etc.) with professional, white-glove service that ranks highest in customer satisfaction (verified by Trustpilot)

--all of which follows expert advice to preserve photos and memories 2 ways digitally and 1 way in print.

Plus, there's so much focused on convenience:  an awesome photo storage and organization app; an auto-upload feature; photo editing within Forever Storage; easy ways to share photos, videos, and even PDFs of photo-memory books!  And probably something else I'm forgetting.

All to benefit me, and all Forever users.  And your photography clients.

They already know the value of a photo.  But they probably don't know the best way out there to store and preserve them.

I can think of two ways this would work beautifully for you as a photographer!

1. You're giving your clients a beautiful, high-quality way to turn the digital images they get from you into actual products to display and show off.  When photos are printed, they are seen and loved.  They can easily share the digital images from their Forever Storage with Grandma & Grandpa.  This becomes advertising for you.  When they see those photos again and again, they will be impressed with the images you shot.  They may book another session with you or refer someone to you.
2. You're also giving those digital images a safe place to be stored privately in the cloud that is safer than your clients' computers or a flash drive.  In Forever Storage, photos and videos (and PDFs of book/other projects) are triple-backed up and bank encrypted, with a security team managing them constantly.  That's definitely better treatment than my photos get on my computer!

How Forever Can Enhance Your Photography Business

Brilliant, right?  So, you're wondering, How exactly would this work?

OPTION 1

The simple but less-lucrative option would be to simply give Forever a try yourself, and when you love it, recommend it to others.  Every Forever account comes with a referral link, and it would be easy-peasy to add a QR code of your referral link to your business card or a link on your website.  

Include a short explanation like, "Looking for a permanent and secure place to store your photos in the cloud and showcase them in books, canvases, etc.?  Here's my recommendation:"

Or how about something like this?  I call it a Share Square.  (I'm happy to make you one!)  This could go out in an email, be shown on your website, get texted out with a "thanks for your business," or anything you like.

The monetary perk to you of using your referral link is that the new user gets a $20 coupon AND you as referrer get a $20 coupon as well!  Every time.

OPTION 2

The more-lucrative option is to earn commission on everything your clients purchase at Forever, from canvases and books to Forever Storage and Artisan digital scrapbooking software.

You do this by becoming a Forever Ambassador.  You can read more about what being a Forever Ambassador entails (and why I *love* it) here.

I can tell you from my own experience as a Forever Ambassador that because Forever is the whole package, clients often come to it for one thing and discover they could really use it for something else also.  What may start as a secure place to store the images you took for them in the cloud or a beautiful way to showcase those photos in books for grandparents for Christmas (etc.) may also end up this way:

One other entirely optional option ;) is to earn both commission and an hourly fee (of your choosing) by making books, canvases, photo gifts, etc., for your clients with Forever.  Again, the $20 coupon for a new account and the $20 coupon for the person who referred them still applies.  (Get your business cards free that way, or $20 off your own book!)  Open a Forever account for the client, then create and save the projects for them there.  They can reorder any time!  And you would, of course, earn commission again. 

I have offered this service--what I call Photo & Story Treasures for Hire--for several years now, and you can see what I do here.

There are so many possibilities here for offering packages and gaining additional revenue by incorporating Forever into your photography business!

Get Started Enhancing Your Photography Business

Whether you want to just recommend Forever with an easy QR code linked to your Referral Link or you'd like to be a Forever Ambassador, you've got a wonderful enhancement to your photography business where you're already connected with people who know the value of photos.

FYI, what becoming an Ambassador gets you: your Forever website, a back office (where you can see clients, commissions, purchases, etc.), tons of training materials at your disposal, a demo account (you can see mine here--it's a cool business resource that makes videos and photos easily shareable and even downloadable if you choose), and a truly supportive and inspiring community.  You can take advantage of as much or as little of that as fits your goals.  Nobody sets goals or "sales requirements" for you except you.

Contact me with any questions you have about being a Forever Ambassador.  When you're ready, you can sign up as a Forever Ambassador here.  I'll be assigned as your team leader and mentor, and you can do your business your way!

Learn more at the A Lasting Legacy: FOREVER for Photographers guide here:

FOREVER for photographers by Jennifer Wise 

 You already have a great business doing something that matters for people who know it matters.  See how Forever can make it even better!

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