Multimedia Maniac

The commercial property you choose upon which to set up your graphic design business should speak volumes about the business itself. It should be appealing, the architecture should be stunning and memorable, and of course the signage should be creative but completely utilitarian.

You Are What You Look Like

First impressions are everything and are formed in the first 10 seconds of an introduction. When people drive past your graphic design business what do you want them to think? Your building will need to be large enough to house examples of your work, for all types of clientele. Some would prefer simplistic over creative; some want more artistic graphic designs than the bare essentials; and some clients want to have far more say in the design for which they’re looking—rather than handing it over to the graphic artist.

Architecture And Landscaping

If you’re renting your commercial property, be sure that if it isn’t already aesthetically appealing that it is in your lease that you are allowed to make landscaping and architectural changes. If you’re starting from scratch you’re in luck; since you’re a graphic designer you should be able to draw up extremely appealing and artistic designs and ideas for both landscaping and architecture.

Consult a financial planner before deciding whether renting or buying suits you best.

Charging for your multimedia services can turn out to be quite a profitable business if you are prepared. The most important piece of these equations may be finding a reputable credit card payment processing company. Choosing the proper company for your business needs will create multiple options for creating additional income while adding some credibility to your website as well. The innovations in the credit card processing industry are making it easier for business owners to turn additional profits while saving more on expenses.

Choose the Best Credit Card Processing Company

There are many specialty companies that offer small business credit card processing services to particular types of businesses as well as larger companies that provide advances services for several different types of business models. The most important step here is to pick a reputable company. Owners want to select a credit card processing company that will add some credibility to the business by impressing online customers. It is also important to feel confident your media rights are ensured and payments are consistent and prompt.

Choose the Best Credit Card Processing Options

There are many specialty companies as well as larger companies that can help owners of multimedia services save additional money on expenses as well as create multiple avenues of additional income. Many credit card processing companies will offer free setup services to multimedia business owners to help them save on the initial expenses. Some of these companies will also offer services free of contractual obligations. There are also specialty multimedia credit card processors that offer lucrative referral programs and bonuses for certain tiers or transaction numbers.

There are many opportunities available for multimedia companies to have beneficial business relationship with their credit card processing company. The most important factors are choosing a reputable and reliable company. It is also wise to explore the different options for bonuses and other lucrative programs processing companies offer to increase your income as a multimedia business owner.

No, I can’t listen to the American correspondents. Even Reuters reporting is all about the bankers stealing everything they touch. You can’t turn on anything without becoming horribly depressed.
It’s on my television, my laptop, and all over the radio.

I am constantly left with an ominous all over feeling …

It’s official. I have a new job: Deputy Editor in Chief of NOS News. An amazing challenge, a great honour and it’s gonna be a lot of fun.

I will start June 2nd. Which means I will return to my native Holland after having been away for over thirteen years. But hey, New York City, Washington DC, London and now Hilversum seems like a logical move.

The boss blogged about it: Read it here. Apparently he wants me to keep blogging. So don’t go away. Neither do I.

Twenty students from my alma mater, the very superior Tilburg School of Journalism, sent me some feedback on a recent multimedia production in Wales.

They were very polite.

Very honest, that too. Ouch.

(Check for yourself, albeit in Dutch, in the comments below the entry on multimedia math.)

I find it vitally important nowadays to hear from journalism students. We teach them how to become responsible journalists (values when telling the story), they teach us how to become responsive journalists (valuable ways of telling the story).

On that front, check out what Mindy McAdams is doing at the University of Florida. (Click on the pic.)

Mindy McAdams (photo Diversity Institute at Vanderbilt University)

On her college website she shares her syllabus on multimedia journalism for students. We also see some material from students, taking their first steps as multimedia story tellers. Exciting stuff, that proves one thing: Students and teachers learn from each other more than ever before.

A while ago, I queried my fellow members of the Online News Association. Simple question:

What non-American sites do you regularly visit?

Within hours my mail box was bulking with responses. At least, that’s what I hoped. But alas, in vain. After some subtle prodding I did get some better idea what (mostly American) online-colleagues consider international inspiration.

Let me list them all:

- BBC Daily

- Reuters Alert Net

- Canadian Broadcasting Company

- El Periodico

And that was about it, although some funny guy mentioned that we shouldn’t forget the international flavor of Alaska and New Mexico.

Damn colleagues, we just can’t be bothered, can we?

As I was about to give up, someone alerted me to the following site:

Global Voices Online, managed by Curt Poff, who plugged his site as follows: “It’s not hard news. But still, you get a good idea about what folks are blogging about in far-flung locations around the world.”

And so I find myself for some time already, mostly after midnight, surfing the world wide web of blogging. Little pearl in that international ocean of opinions is by far the bloggers from Burma. It is a beautiful world.

So this is what tomorrow’s BBC website will look like. The online colleagues who we love to hate. Despise to be more exact, because they’re so bloody brilliant. A sneak preview. You didn’t hear it from me.

Click on the picture (of granny’s BBC era) to go straight to the new website

And to explain the face-lift, Richard Titus (Acting Head of User Experience) writes about drawing inspiration from sources as Facebook, iGoogle and NetVibes in his entry on, where else, the BBC Internet Blog.

Acting Head

Or did it? My local Indian restaurant reminded me of the tragedy. There will be a charity dinner this weekend. Because it was a big disaster. Apparently.

I had totally forgotten about it. Which is bizar for a cyclone, named Sidr, that killed 3,300 people, left millions homeless and wiped out fifteen villages, infrastructure and crops.

Bangladesh has appealed for 2.2 billion dollars in aid. So where are we, the media, to keep this story on the front page and at the top of the news bulletins?

We are nowhere to be found.

I ‘news googled’ the tragedy and mainly stumbled upon stories from the wire services. Then I went to YouTube and searched for dramatic pictures. Al-Jazeera jumped out.

New media journalism is so simple nowadays, isn’t it? If it’s on YouTube, if millions are watching it, if people on social networks keep passing it on, it’s gotta be good, so it will be news eventually.

It’s like the CNN Factor from ages ago. If CNN is there, then it must be important. That’s how Africa stayed on the agenda and world leaders couldn’t hide behind the argument ‘we didn’t know’.

I’m afraid cyclone Sidr did not only do a devastating job, but the little bastard was also successful in hiding the story from the rest of the world.

Or maybe we just didn’t look hard enough. After all, there were no tourists with their mobile phone hanging out on the beach, doing our job.

It’s really a sanitized version of the truth…

…and realize, that working multimedia means that it’s three times as bad.

You may always wake me up for a nice bit of gossip. Especially when it involves neighbours. For that same reason, I keep going back to a website with (for me as a Londoner) useless news about the village where I grew up: Oisterwijk in The Netherlands.

Local news is magnetic. And it beats many big national or international stories. Put local and local together, mix it with the YouTube phenomenon that thrives on the High Street, and you might end up with something like this:

Click on the funny guy to get to the website

It’s called Ik Op TV, which simply means: Me On Television. The modern equivalent, cynically speaking, of waving as a dumbass at the camera when a tv crew shows up on the weekly market.

It’s a little smarter than that, and I salute the initiative. On this site you can upload your stories, your experiences, your opinions. And if it passes the editorial selection process, your movies might be shown on regional television.

It is a clever combining of forces. Who doesn’t want to be on TV? Biggest thrill, it will drive your neighbour crazy. And it will definitely lead to much more gossip in the neighbourhood.