Donna Tech Designs » Business

Article in the Philadelphia Business Journal

Donna Serdula — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 16:34:27 +0000

The Philadelphia Business Journal’s article all about DonnaTechDesigns came out today! It was such a surprise! I got a call from a very nice woman asking me if I would like her company to preserve the article for posterity in a beautiful ebony frame… and I was like, “HUH?!?”
“Don’t you know? There’s an article about your company in the Philadelphia Business Journal!”
“Wowsers!”
Yes, it’s true. I did indeed exclaim, “Wowsers!”

I hung up with her and immediately ran out to buy a couple copies. I was happy to find a Philadelphia Business Journal basket at the local Bagel Junction. Apparently my mother hadn’t yet been tipped off and so there were copies to be found… now that she knows, there won’t be an article left within a 50 mile radius. (Just teasing!)

I am so happy with the article! I will admit that I was a little nervous. Who knows how something is going to be interpreted, but I worried needlessly. Athena was a delight in person and she wrote a very lovely article that makes me feel all effervescent inside. The main point that I wanted to get across was that I train businesses to be self reliant on new technology. And it’s not just Websites but any type of Internet Marketing that they need: Social Media, Social Networking, Email Newsletters, Blogging, Videos, Optimization, etc… The other thing I really wanted to get in there was my love of public speaking and how I want to do more of it. Those points made it in and I am pleased!

The article is scanned below– check it out and let me know what you think!

An interview?

Donna Serdula — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 18:04:52 +0000

Something very exciting happened to me last week. I got a call from a journalist with the Philadelphia Business Journal. She had heard about the work I am doing and wanted to interview me for an article she’s writing about young entrepreneurs. I think the surge of joy I felt at that moment had more to do with being considered young than an entrepreneur!

We met at the local Starbucks and she asked me a ton of questions like why did I start my little business and how was it working out for me. She asked about challenges I faced and what were my plans for growth. Some of the questions were easy, others were difficult. It’s odd getting interviewed– I am usually the one asking questions! Regardless, it was fun and a few days later she sent a photographer out to shoot pictures of me at the store of one of my clients.

The article should come out next week or maybe the week after, if it comes out at all. Whenever it shows up, I hope the article is kind to me and even more so, I hope it provides another channel for me to connect with people who need my services. We shall see!

Domain Registry of America SCAM

Donna Serdula — Fri, 21 May 2010 18:34:23 +0000

Over the past two weeks, I’ve had a couple customers contact me with questions regarding a letter they received from Domain Registry of America. The document looks like a very official invoice. It says that if you act now, you can renew your Website’s domain registration and SAVE MONEY! This gets me so angry. I do not like companies trying to FOOL my customers!

Yes, ladies and gentleman, THIS IS A SCAM! There are NO SAVINGS here. The Domain Registry of America wants $30.00 to renew your registration for one year. This is not savings! The typical cost of domain registration is $9.95. And sometimes you can get it cheaper. Here’s proof.

So how did they get your address? They obtained your information through the publicly accessible WHOIS database.

Domain Registry of America preys on people trying to convince them they need to renew early and through them. It’s not true! If you get this notice, just toss it out! IGNORE IT! Renew through your hosting company when it’s time to renew or leave it up to your Webmaster/mistress. If you have questions, please feel free to contact me. I’d be happy to answer your questions.

March Newsletter Vol.2

Donna Serdula — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 21:30:28 +0000

I made a pact to publish a monthly newsletter with myself back in February. March was quickly coming to an end and I couldn’t let it pass without a newsletter! I mean, how would that look? So I sat down Sunday night and started writing. By Monday morning around 10:30, I pushed send and my little newsletter traveled down the information highway to all the emails on my verified list. Check it out: DonnaTechDesigns Newsletter: Social Networking in 3 Minutes or Less.

I know the email gods say you really shouldn’t send out a newsletter on Monday morning but I figured it would be the perfect time since everyone else is probably playing by the rules. I got a pretty decent open rate which makes me happy and justifies my crazy rebel thought process.

If you read the newsletter and have anything to share– constructive criticism, ideas for the next edition, epistles of love, please comment! I’d love to hear from you.

Lower Bucks Business Expo!

Donna Serdula — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 21:28:51 +0000

It was a last minute decision to rent a booth at the Lower Bucks County Chamber of Commerce’s Expo. Originally my plan was to just walk around and talk to people but the more I contemplated doing that, the more I began to feel like a cheap jerk who wants to sell but doesn’t want to buy. And so I ponied up and got a table. I am glad I did! I met some great people, many of whom I know I can help grow their business!

I also did something I never thought I would do… I printed brochures! It’s true! I often brag about being paperless and not giving prospects anything to throw away after I leave but I decided it was better to have something to give away in this situation. Here’s a copy of the brochure if you’d like to read it. Just imagine it’s printed on shiny silver paper! Staples is amazing, that’s all I can say.

The expo was a great event and I can’t wait to participate next year!

DonnaTechDesigns Newsletter Vol. 1

Donna Serdula — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 20:49:17 +0000

I just sent out my first newsletter today! It was quite an undertaking. I wrote all the content myself! It was important to me that the newsletter was well-written and interesting to the reader. I get so many newsletters delivered to my inbox but there are very few I read or look forward to reading. My favorites are Jeffrey Gitomer’s Sales Caffeine and Dreamhost’s monthly newsletter. I took A LOT of inspiration from both of them.

So what did I take from them?

I wrote the newsletter in a very conversational tone so the reader would feel as if I was there talking to them. I tried to include some interesting and useful tips and tricks that my reader could put to use immediately. I edited the newsletter over and over trying to get rid of all extraneous words and content. It’s important that the newsletter is short and sweet. People don’t have time anymore for cutesy stuff. The last thing was the design. I wanted it to be very clean looking– interesting without busy.

Check out the DonnaTechDesigns Newsletter (Vol. 1) and let me know if there’s anything you would like included in next month’s edition!

Yardley News

Donna Serdula — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 18:41:28 +0000

Another Chamber Success Story

I got a phone call from my mother telling me that one of the gals from the gym told my sister that there was a huge picture of me in the paper. Lisa told my mother and my mother ran out to Wawa to find this elusive picture! She finally found it in the Yardley News. She called me to tell me she bought 4 copies!

Right after my To Tweet or Not To Tweet presentation at the Lower Bucks Chamber of Commerce, I was asked to write a quick little testimonial on my involvement and experience with the Chamber. It was easy for me to write a testimonial because so much of my business comes from the Lower Bucks Chamber of Commerce and I love all the educational events they host, especially the Sharpen Your Edge Seminars and the Technology Forums. I included the requested head shot and thought nothing else of it until my mom called me.

I am absolutely bowled over that it actually ran in the newspaper! And in such a prominent position! I thought it would be just a small little blip on a back page if it actually even made it in the paper.

Thanks again to the amazing Lower Bucks Chamber of Commerce for helping us small businesses get the word out about our services! You guys are terrific!

Easy as A-B-C!

Donna Serdula — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 20:24:57 +0000

I’ve been working on Alpha-Beta Computer Solutions’ Website. Alpha Beta is a computer repair company located in Bristol, PA. I installed the CMS and designed a customized theme. I am working on optimizing it for Search Engines AND I integrated his Social Media outposts on it as well.

I am not yet finished but check it out and let me know what you think!