Allen Ave. Designs Blog

Throughout the years, Allen Ave. Designs has had the pleasure of working with some of the best designers, photographers and artists in the business. But this week, our office is buzzing about Megan Eisenberg. She’s 8 yrs. old, has Autism and creates some of the best illustrations we’ve seen in a long time. Artism by M.E. is fantastic and we are loving her work.

As we are getting near launching our 2 new lines of bags we decided it is time for a photo shoot. Photo shoots are fun yet they are amazing in how much time and energy they can take. Everything from finding the right people, location and day to making sure all the equipment works and is at the right location. Over the years we have been fortunate to work with some great people and always appreciate their help. I think we always assume a photos shoot will be fast, precise and perfect every time. I have yet to hit my timeline, but I guess that is the creative workflow for any project. You never know what the perfect shot will be, until you see it. Stay tuned for all the new fun soon.

Both, our team is divided between MAC lovers and PC diehards. Depends on who does what, you will not get a neutral computer user, either it’s Team Apple or Team PC. Why must we choose between the two? I am a happy user of both, PC’s are great for office and everyday applications…because it has a monstrous selection of applications and choices. MAC’s are aesthitically pleasing to look at, functions beautifully and is more suited to a designers needs…so I ask, must I choose or can we just love both.

Working from home can be a great start to going green. Reducing your commuting time will be beneficial to the environment and stress level. It’s a great idea on paper but many people (including myself) will tell you that it isn’t as easy as one might imagine. Sure, today I am writing this entry in my comfy pajamas while managing to put in three conference calls with executives and buyers who are in cubicles and conference rooms. Does it sound hard? Of course not! But there are drawbacks to working from home.

My first few attempts of working from home felt isolated, tiresome and stifled my creativity. I needed to take stock and start over. So with many trials and errors, I found ways to help the transition. In order to create and maintain a healthy home working environment….I made time to schedule breaks to help keep my mind and body moving throughout the day. To fend off the feeling of being confined, I had to create a comfortable and productive work space (it took me over six different lay-outs to be happy).

I also came to the realization that I couldn’t go cold turkey and work from home 100% of the time. I couldn’t run my business without spending face time with my staff. As a great compromise, I work from home two days a week. It was the perfect amount of time for me to find peace and quiet (without feeling isolated) to recharge my batteries and work on creative projects.

So have I successfully gone green? Not really, but it’s a start.

Every article, news segment and radio program I’ve seen and heard has been bombarding the public with news focused on Wall Street. Yet, the heart of American economy was built on and remains in the small business sector. Small businesses with less than 500 employees drive the U.S economy by providing jobs to over half of the nations private workforce. What does that translate to? The answer is small businesses represent 99.7% of the nations employer workforce. Data also shows that they employ 57.4 million Americans or 50.6% of the non-farm private sector workforce. So where is the media coverage and government help for small businesses? Instead of watching another painful Senate hearing with executives who are clearly not in touch and disconnected from reality; let’s look at the facts facing small business owners.

Banks have withdrawn loans and credit lines. SBA has made the process of applying for a loan an almost impossible avenue. Credit card companies have unfairly lowered credit limit and raised interest rates as high as 28%. This scenario isn’t for business owners who have defaulted on loans or have bad credit ratings; this is happening to owners who have excellent credit scores and have not defaulted on loans. Basically, on paper….many well qualified businesses are shut-out from financial resources that will allow them to grow and prosper. So where does a small business owner like myself go for funding? I have no clear answer, only hope and endurance to pursue all leads.

So with help from my staff….we navigate these turbulent economic waters with help from our small business community. The same community that is carrying the weight of big businesses mistakes, greed and now fear.

Perhaps someone planning the new stimulus package will understand that small businesses is like a trunk of a tree and larger corporations are the branches that grow from strong roots. If large sums of money is placed upon those branches, it will still fall away if the roots have died and cannot support it. So back to my original statement. The answer to this economic crisis has to start from the bottom, grow it to be strong so it may weather all kinds of climates.