075 - Create a tri-fold brochure entitled "Joomla! for Small Businesses"

[dummyhead3]

Create an attractive tri-fold brochure using OpenOffice Writer that shows
how Joomla! is used by Small Businesses all around the world.

Good source for finding appropriate systems is a Google Search or using the
http://JoomlaPlace.org examples.


Skills Needed

* Good communication skills.
* Creativity.
* Good Public Relations Skills.
* Good Open Office Writer and communication skills.

Difficulty

Basic.

Work Product

Attractive tri-fold that could be used by Small Businesses to learn and
show others how Joomla! can be used for that purpose. Use Joomla! logo and
color scheme http://www.joomla.org/content/view/259/70/ .

Licensing

Documentation written for this task must be made available under the
Joomla! Electronic Documentation License.

Extra Credit (Optional)

Interview site owners and include their comments on Joomla!.

Time Limit

2 weeks

About me
Hello, my name is Egor Katkov, I'm 14 years old. I live in Montreal (Canada, Quebec), where I immigrated from Russia in 2001.
I program in PHP, I'm pretty good in (X)HTML (in my opinion...). I use am a supporter of open source, I've been using Ubuntu Gusty Gibbon on my PC for about four months, and have recently convinced a friend to use it also .
Peace, Egor

[dummyhead3]

Can anyone please tell me the contact information for the Joomla! team (phone number, fax, address, e-mail, city, state, etc.)
Thanks!

[dummyhead3]

OK, I'm done with an initial brochure, can you please check if it's good so I can post it on Joomla's contest page. I put it up on a server here: http://www.hamstermadness.com/Random/Joomla small biz.odt

[AmyStephen]

Hi Egor -

Nice start!

Regarding your question about contact information - the joomla.org website is the place to go. They can download software from joomla.org; get help from the forum.joomla.org; help from help.joomla.org.

I understand and appreciate sharing the philosophy behind open source and safer code. I wonder though if you might want to look at some of the types of businesses listed on http://JoomlaPlace.org and show how businesses use Joomla!. For example, Corporate, or eCommerce, or Real Estate, or Medical, or Radio, or Regional Marketing, or  Restaurants and Bars or  Small Businesses.

There are all kinds of businesses that use Joomla! - and showcasing pictures of some of those sites and some of the functions they use would be great.

We want to be careful not to advertise the sites (no URLs, for example) or even advertise a specific extension, but talking in generalities about how Joomla! and Joomla! extensions can help businesses will be good.

Not so much on open source, exactly, but LOTS on how Joomla! can help small businesses.

Thanks for participating in this contest!
Amy

[dummyhead3]

Ok, so should remove the cracker-hacker part?

[tj.ferrell]

Hello, nice start i have a few suggestions for you:
For the "What is Joomla!" section give a brief definition of what a open content management system is, then tell them why this can help them by cutting out the middle man (essentially combining the "what is Joomla!" and "I'm not a programmer and i don't want to hire one" sections). I like the "Advantages of putting my business on the web" section but move it into the inside of the brochure and tell them a little more why they need to put there site online. Maby you can include some statistics on success rates of businesses online vs. businesses online.  I do agree with removing the hackers section, security is going to be a big thing but tell them how Joomla! is secure and how rather than focus on the  hackers. I also dislike the "How can Joomla! be free" section i think this needs to go. You must remember you are trying to get people to switch over to Joomla! tell them how it can benefit them. Some things i would want to know as a small business is what does Joomla! handle? mabey focus on the news updates, the message boards, how company's can have there own forums, how they can use the RSS feeds with Joomla! tell them how they can make there business better with Joomla! and how easy it is to do. Also on the back you need to change the title and i would change the content to explain were to download Joomla! and were to get more information.You have a great start you just need to turn your focus a little. Good Luck!

[dummyhead3]

Thanks tj.feller, that helped alot!
Here is my second version: http://hamstermadness.com/Random/Joomla ... biz(2).odt. I couldn't find any statistics about online and offline businesses, that was what I intended to do in the beginning, however I could not get my hand on such information. Sorry.
Peace,
Egor

[trombonechamp]

Joomla! is a web content management system (WCMS),

CMS is more commonly used than WCMS.

however if you ever happen to have any problem using our software, you can seek out for help at the Joomla! website or at the Joomla! forums.

You make it sound like there is no one to help you.  Make sure you don't give anyone this impression.

content management system (a tool for creating highly productive web sites)

You just mentioned what a CMS is before. 

Joomla! is 100% FREE.
Joomla! is very  secure.
Joomla! is very easy to use.
Joomla! is very robust and reliable.
Joomla! is elegant, flexible, customizable, simple, powerful. 

You did not even mention that Joomla! is free (as in freedom) and open source software!  This is the biggest advantage to using it!

Joomla! is a pretty powerful application, however it's true power comes from Joomla!
Extensions. Extensions are add-ons or PlugIns that can really make Joomla! powerful.

Extensions!=Plugins.  Plugins are the replacements for Mambots.

Joomla! has many advantages over competition: the number one is Joomla! Extensions (see Joomla! Extensions section). 

You've talked about the extensions, Move on to bigger and better things here.

Joomla! has a very powerful and easy to use administration (with  a graphical user interface of course!).

This sentence doesn't make sense.

Creating a Web site can significantly increase your business' productivity, because customers will be able to find out what your Business is all about without having to talk to you in person or over the phone, because many people are simply shy, or do not want to walk down the street (or drive to the other side of town), this way, all information about your businesses is but a click a way.

This is a run on sentence.  Split it into 3 or 4 new sentences.

It would also be a good idea to add a caption to your images.

Good luck!!! 

[tj.ferrell]

Statistics are hard to find, I'll look around and if i find anything i will let you know.

Now in the second draft here are some suggestions:

In the "What is Joomla!" section:

• be sure to tell them they can still code to extend the Joomla! architecture more
• it could be reworded to flow a little better (try reading it out loud it helps you to catch flow errors) ex.

  Joomla! is a web content management system (WCMS), perfect for any kind of site, including small businesses. A WCMS is an application that lets people with no or little experience in programming create and modify their Web site with ease. Joomla! is at the height of this ease of use, however if you ever happen to have any problem using our software, you can seek out for help at the Joomla! website or at the Joomla! forums. You can also buy support from some companies that offer this service.

  it could be reworded to sound something like this

  Joomla! is a web content management system (WCMS). It is perfect for any kind of web site, including a web site for a small business. A WCMS makes web development easy for those with little to no programing experience or knowledge. Joomla! makes web development as easy as it can get. If you have any problems with any part of the software there is a very friendly community ready and able to help you, or if you prefer you can buy support from a third party company offering this service.

  this is just a sugestion you can use it if you want or do something completely different, it just seems choppy as it currently is.

On the back cover

• Please change the title to something else!!!!!!
• i would change the "Joomla! Because open source matters..." to the logo http://www.joomla.org/images/logos/Vert ... 0Color.png you really don't need the slogan
• you need to use a different picture you cant advertise for other websites all images need to be from Joomla! or things you make in gimp
• remove the http://www. from in front of the Joomla! web address

The front cover:

• i would change the Joomla! logo to this one http://www.joomla.org/images/logos/Vert ... Slogan.png and make it a little bigger
• add some style, make it attractive, an eye popper!

the "Joomla! templates and extensions"

• the image needs to be changes, mabey you could set up a dummy site with different templates and extentions visible
• once again it has some awkward sounding sentences, for example

  to polls while passing by your bandwidth usage

  this is very awkward and i don't know what you are getting at 

"What are the advantages to putting my business on the web."

• get rid of the line

  regardless of size so go with the flow, all the cool kids are doing it!

  this does not sound professional
• The picture also must go, if you do set up a dummy sight to get pictures off of you could change all the pics to be screen grabs of that

"Why should i choose Joomla!"

• bullet everything after this 

  Joomla! has many advantages over competition:

• picture again

Your doing grate you have a lot of great stuff! I would also change all the fonts to be a little larger (at least font 12). I would try to make it look more appealing to the eye ( i used open office draw so i could have a few more graphical things such as borders. Let me know if you want a template to try that.) Also i would change the layout inside the brochure, English reads left to right so put the most important things on the left and move on from there, i would order it 1. What are the advantages of putting my business online, 2. Why choose Joomla!, 3. Joomla! templates and extensions. Your doing great, and have a great start, it has been taking me 7 or 8 tries to get a final brochure out so far, so don't worry.   

ps. on other forums amy has said that she is the only one with time to work with the GHOP because everyone else is working on the final release of Joomla! 1.5 so if it takes a while to get responses that is why.
pps.

Thanks tj.feller, that helped alot!

it is tj.ferrell  i don't know if that was on purpose or not but it is verry funny that is what my dad called me as a little kid, tj feller

[tj.ferrell]

i have been browsing the web and found this site that might help but you are right evey thing i tried went into a blank wall.
http://www.websitemarketingplan.com/onl ... online.htm This website has some statistics that might be useful and it has some information that also might be useful hope it helps! Good luck

[dummyhead3]

Thanks a lot! very specific replys!

The brochure is optimized for printing... that's why it's Arabic style, I can change it to be computer optimized, but that's not really what brochures are for (I think). I created the brochure off a template also, however if you can send me your Template, I can try to transpose all of my content to it. I suggest you view it at 125% zoom. Also, I really don't have enough space, if I put the font to 12, it won't fit. Also, I'm only allowed to use Writer for this task.

About the pictures, I suppose you are concerned about the JEDL. I took them all from http://joomlaplace.org/index.php/Joomla%21_Websites which is a Joomla! Web Site, and if my understanding of the license is correct, I am allowed to do this. Correct me if I am wrong.

Version 3: http://hamstermadness.com/Random/Joomla ... biz(3).odt

Thanks a bunch!
Peace, Egor

PS: Sorry about the name, tj.ferrell. I read too fast and wrong when it comes to new words... I wish I could say "I am your father" in a Darth Vader voice.

PSS; Sorry about the back cover... forgot to change it from the template.

PSSS: I'm only allowed a limited amount of time on the computer, I hope it won't slow the process down.

[AmyStephen]

Egor -

Or is it Darth? 

Love it. I made a few minor, minor changes. I hate the thought of open source "competition" so, I changed that word to benefits. I changed the "shy" part to convenience. And, I think I lowercased a couple of captial letters, here and there.

It has a good "small business" feel to it. I like the stats you are showing. I like the examples of websites - you are certainly making clear the diversity of businesses and looks that a J! site can support. I like how you specified different types of extensions that might be appropriate for a small business.

It's good work. Thanks to those of you who assisted in this. With tj and Max's support, how can things go wrong? You all did super together.

You can upload this copy to the Google Task and I will close the task as complete.

Thank you for your contributions to the Joomla! community. I can imagine this tri-fold will be offered along with others at conferences and Joomla! Day events and at Joomla! users groups all over the world!

Amy

[dummyhead3]

Ok,the task is Complerte!
http://code.google.com/p/google-highly- ... tail?id=75
Thanks a bunch guys, you really helped me out and a lot of other people in the Joomla! community. I'm fascinated that the brochures will actually be useful!!
I learned so much about CMS and Joomla!
This was my first task and I hope to do more, especially with Joomla! even after the contest ends.
Peace,
Egor

PS: I realized why I wrote your name wrong tj, I think that I spell-checked the text and accidentally fixed your name.