Tag Archive for: Web Design Newmarket

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Top 3 Stock Photo Websites

stock photo

A picture is worth a thousand words. This saying is very accurate! Using photos is extremely important as people are drawn more to photos rather than text. Using stock photos has become a very popular choice for people as it saves you the time and money of hiring a photographer. Stock photos can be found online and are already created and ready to be downloaded for your use. Before downloading a stock photo, you will need to pay for it in order to hold the license (although some websites do offer free stock photos).

Types of Uses for Stock Photos

There are two most common uses for stock photos: commercial use and editorial use.

Commercial Use:

  • Marketing
  • Social Media
  • Branding
  • Used on Your Website

Editorial Use:

Accompanying text content such as:

  • Blogs
  • Articles
  • Magazines
  • Newspapers

We have done extensive research on various stock photo websites and have come up with our top 3. Best of all, we have included paid and free options.

Pexels (Free)

Pexels is a royalty free, high-resolution photo marketplace. All photos on Pexels are free for commercial and personal use. Pexels offers thousands of photo options all at high resolution, and they even offer free stock videos as well. Unlike many stock photo websites, Pexels does not require you to register for an account – anyone can upload and download photos! Giving credit to the author is not necessary but is definitely appreciated by both Pexels and the author. Just remember, you CANNOT use these photos for resale.

Pixabay (Free)

Pixabay is another free stock photo website that offers photos, videos, vectors, illustrations and more. Currently, there are more than 1 million options to choose from on Pixabay. All contents are released under Creative Commons CC0. This makes them safe to use without asking for permission or giving credit to the author/artist. Like Pexels, Pixabay does not require you to create an account in order to download the photos, although certain features do require registration. You may not use the photos and videos from Pixabay for resale, but you can most definitely use the graphics they offer for personal or commercial use.

123rf (Paid)

123rf is a paid stock photo website that offers millions of options to choose from, however this is our personal favourite here at Rosewood. This stock photo site offers thousands of photos, videos, audio, and vectors. You can choose to either do a monthly subscription plan or pay for credits and top them up as you need them.

Each photo/video is downloaded based on size. You can choose to download small (2 credits), medium (4 credits), large (6 credits), or extra-large (10 credits). Typically for most uses, small will work just fine. However, if you require a higher resolution photo, you may want to purchase medium, large, or extra-large. Like Pexels and Pixabay, the contents offered on 123rf are not allowed for resale, unless you purchase an extended license. One thing that is especially great about 123rf is the customer support they offer. When you create an account, you will be assigned an account manager who can help you with any questions or concerns you may have.

Let’s Recap

After looking into Pexels, Pixabay and 123rf, we can honestly say that all three of the stock photo platforms are great! If you aren’t looking to spend money at this time, Pexels or Pixabay is a great option for you. If you are looking for a little bit of an improved and efficient library to choose from and are willing to pay for it, 123rf is your best option.

Let’s Connect

Rosewood is a digital marketing agency outside Toronto dedicated to helping entrepreneurs and small businesses grow their online presence. We work with clients across North America and Europe to identify, strategize and reach their marketing goals!

You can join the conversation online on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn. Or contact us to chat about your marketing goals for 2020!

Sign up for our Newsletter to keep up with our latest news!

Until next time,

Cassandra

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Entrepreneurs in Residence: Tips for Growing Your Team

team

On Thursday, November 14th, Rosewood Founder & CEO, Deanna Simone spoke at the annual Entrepreneurs in Residence by the Aurora Public Library. The event invites 4 local entrepreneurs/small business owners to share their personal stories of entrepreneurship and then form a panel to answer attendees’ questions and share tips for growing your team.

Question #1: What Would You Tell Your Past Self About Your Business?

The questions were great! Deanna’s personal favourite was, “If you could go back in time and tell your entrepreneurial self something about your business, what would it be?” What a great question!

Deanna’s answer was, “I would go back and tell myself that you don’t have to do this alone. Asking for help and support is NOT a weakness. That being said, I would have encouraged myself to hire staff/subcontractors sooner. I waited 3 years into my business to hire someone, and I wish I had done it sooner!”.

She went on to say that “growing your business can be a daunting concept. Not only are you giving up control of your “baby”, but you have to spend time to find the right people. Practice your interviewing skills and know what values you are looking for in potential teammates”.

Question #2: How Did You Know It Was Time to Hire Someone?

One question was directed specifically at Deanna, “How did you know it was time to hire someone?”. My response was firstly, there were many signs and I wish I had done it sooner! I was overworked, overwhelmed and making way too many sacrifices. I remember pulling out my laptop after Thanksgiving dinner and working while eating pumpkin pie, or working until 1am Christmas morning so that I could have a few hours off the next day for Christmas dinner. There was a time I was wanting to quit because it was too much.

And then I read the book, Clockwork – How to Make Your Business Run Itself by Mike Michalowitz. It changed my life. It helped me realize that my time was better spent on certain areas. When I broke down the different tasks and responsibilities, it became clear where my time was best spent and what items could be delegated to someone else.  It also taught me about delegation, which is such a skill (but I’ll keep this for another time).

Since then, I’ve never looked back and we continue on with managed growth!

Tips for Growing Your Team

Since then Rosewood now has a solid team of three internal members, and a looser structure built up of several subcontractors who specialize in their individual areas. While there have certainly been setbacks, we wouldn’t trade it for anything. The team members we have now are the “A” team, and set the bar for attracting future talent with shared values.

Setting Your Organizational Values

My favourite saying is, “You can’t teach personality”. It’s so true! So instead of focusing on a set skill-set, I look for candidates who have the following traits:

  • Eagerness to improve the skills they already possess
  • Willingness to learn
  • Exceptional communication skills (as this is the Queen Bee Role of Rosewood as an organization)
  • Aptitude for technology (while not a personality trait, they should have a solid foundation in technical aptitude in order to build their skills)

As you can see from the list above, only one item has to do with technical skills. While this may sound bizarre coming from a technical business, if they have a solid technical foundation and an aptitude for learning – I can teach them anything.  This is partially because one of my strengths (and favourite things to do) is teach!

The Rosewood team now is exceptional. They bring in such an array of skills and foster a supportive environment. Although we’re subcontractor-based, we work as a team and foster a company culture together.

If you weren’t able to make it to the event, we’ve got you covered! Click here to watch Deanna’s presentation.

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How A Strong Local Network Can Transform your Business

local business networking rosewood va deanna simone

As a small business owner – you know that networking is one of the most important skills that you should learn in order to make your business a success story. Building a successful business takes time and dedication, so it is a great idea to have a network of business professionals to keep you inspired and motivated.

By surrounding yourself with people who share a similar passion and determination, you are more likely to move forward and achieve the results you want. Business networking is a valuable way to expand your knowledge, learn from the success of others, acquire new clients, increase your brand’s awareness, and make friends! 

Rosewood strongly believes in the power of teamwork to successfully reach goals – both personally and professionally. But what’s even more valued, is forming a strong and active LOCAL business network that can help your business grow and flourish in the specific city or region that you serve.

And there are a ton of local business, philanthropic, and interest-based groups to connect with! From “Mom’s in Business” to Green Connections – which supports environmentally and socially conscious business practices.

Rosewood LOVES to Network!

Rosewood is a proud member of:

We also recommend:

Here at Rosewood, we are huge fans of Organic Networking, and just getting out there and meeting people! Selling is typically an afterthought after forming these amazing business relationships.

And one last thing – networking groups take a bit of a hiatus in the summer, but September is just around the corner! Now is the time to check out some of these groups. You can usually attend for free as a guest your first time.

Our Top 5 Benefits to Local Business Networking (not in any particular order!)

  1. Business Opportunities
  2. Valuable Advice
  3. New Clientele
  4. Enhance your Personal Brand
  5. Friendship!

These are just a few of the incredible reasons why local business networking is so important for both your personal and professional growth. Connecting with people who have business experience and share similar interests will undoubtedly help your own brand flourish!

Let’s Connect

Do you have any networking questions or comments to share? Feel free to get in touch with us directly for guidance – we are always happy to help. And of course, we would love to connect with you on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook!

Happy Networking!

Ananta

Content Coordinator

Rosewood Inc.

Photo courtesy of Rhonda McNeil of Catch the Brand Photography

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