More SEO tips for Designers

Placement Matters
When using Social Media as a method to attract viewers to your site you should think about other media outlet models. TV has prime time, radio has drive time, magazines have the first half, and newspapers have above the fold for a reason. Send your tweets and facebook updates when your audience is likely to receive them. For adults that means between 7 and 9 in the morning, around lunchtime, and again between 3 and 5. These are the times most people check their social media accounts while at work.

You can also capitalize on a big news day. If there's a political scandal, if a Kardashian gets married (or divorced), if there's a significant weather event, or any big news story. More and more people are turning to social media to check out their friends' opinions and responses. Use this for a spur of the moment sale that you tie into the event. For example a clothing store could easily have had a Herman Cain Sale: All Pants Half Off!

Ask sometimes...
SEO is really about generating interest in your website. Sure there are lots of little tricks and tweaks but sometimes we ignore the big stuff in spite of ourselves. Whether your on a date, in a marketing meeting, or an elevator one tip that always works is: "Let the other person talk." People enjoy talking, writing, and posting, so give them an outlet to do so on your website. Ask questions for viewers to answer! That is the easiest way to get started.

Social Outlets? No. Social Inlets!
Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Tumblr, etc. should not be viewed as alternative ways to get your message out. Instead they should be strategically managed to create interest in your website. Post a short introduction to the content on your site and include a link directly to that content. This works best if you keep your website updated every few days with new and interesting information that relates to your website's product or service. How should you do that? Ummmm... blog.

Keyword linking... to do or not?
Keywords should both be used as links and also as regular text within paragraphs on your site. Using keywords as internal links makes sense for websites where individual pages can be devoted to a single topic or keyword phrase. Obviously though you should not use them as links going away from that page.

Folder Names
Yes, the names of the folders you use to organize your site are important. They should relate to the subject matter of your site content. For example the URL http://www.autostuff.com/cars/coupes/under30k/nissan.html is a huge improvement over http://www.autostuff.com/vehic/2whl/000175/x_7/nissan.html.

Be the Master of Many Domains
If you have several subjects within a website or even several important keywords that you want to dominate, it might be worth having multiple domains. Why? First, search engines usually list only one page per domain for any given search, and you might want two or more. Second, directories usually accept only home pages, so you can get additional directory listings this way.
I created a domain and pointed it to my Tumblr blog... there is very little SEO friendly content but because the domain is joeburroughs.com it makes the first page of listings when you google my name... go figure!

With Links Context is Key!
Links found inside paragraphs of text relating to the subject of the linked page are more valuable than those that are isolated or separated from copy. This is true when talking about inbound links, internal links, and outbound links. So to make sure you are getting the most out of all your links include them in copy relating to the subject of the page you are linking to and most importantly ask vendors or others to include links to your pages within text copy on their site that relates directly to your keywords and page titles!

Don't hide your pages in folders!
Search engines consider folders a way to prioritize content. Those pages closest to your root folder are seen as more important and more central to the purpose of your site. The closer your pages are in your sub-directories to your index page, the better they will rank in search engines. This is because pages that are listed right off the root directory are viewed as being more important than pages that are found four or five folder levels deep in the site.

Don't Create Link Pages
While inbound links are a huge goal in the SEO game, creating a page on your site devoted to outbound links is a bad idea! If you agree to link to another company's website do so in a way that is meaningful to your viewers and to search engines. Consider writing a short blog post about a vendor that has agreed to link to your site for example. Face it, link pages are wasted content for your customers and not favored by search engines. Search engines highly value links that are in context and appear related to the linked page. Some social networking sites (like Digg and del.icio.us) do favor pages that are lists of links, but don't expect them to improve your page rank with search engines.

Think Local
It may be very hard to get high page ranks if your company sells a common product or service. Being on the first page of search results for terms like "Pizza" or "Electronics" is quite a challenge. However you may not need that to increase business. Most people shop locally for goods and services when they can and always for things that don't ship well, last minute purchases, and perishables so capitalize on this. Focus your keywords to include the name of your city, town, or even neighborhood to maximize your results when someone is searching for a local vendor. Camera stores for instance could benefit from people who need an extra memory card or battery for a special event taking place soon. So instead of competing for "Cannon replacement batteries" try "Cannon replacement batteries specific neighborhood." I have a few customers that even go so far as to include major highway names or street names in their keywords!

Optimizing Pics for Google Image Search
A large number of Internet searches are image searches. To capitalize on this you need to optimize your web images for image searches on search engines like Google. Here are a few key tips: use keywords in your Alt tags, use descriptive text around your images, name your images with a keyword, and use keywords in any links to those images. This should push your images closer to the top of images searches!

10 SEO Tips for Beginners

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SEO or Search Engine Optimization is the process of preparing your website so that search engines like Google will rank it as highly as possible when users enter keywords and phrases to be searched. Here are 10 SEO tips on how you can easily optimize your site for improved rankings:

1. Use the bold tags around some of your keywords on each page. Do NOT use them everywhere the keyword appears. Once or twice is plenty. Do not be afraid to be BOLD!
2. Be sure you have a unique, keyword rich Title Tag on every page of your website. If you MUST have the name of your business in it, put it at the very end. Your company's name will get very few searches, unless you are a huge brand like Apple. If you are a huge brand... hire me.
3. Flash animations look great, but there is no searchable content for search engines to see. Also Flash does not work on all mobile platforms. Plus most users do not have the latest version of Flash and can't see your content anyway.
4. I already mentioned that your title tags for each page should be keyword rich... so should your actual file name for each page. Many search engines, including Google, are now matching page content to the page title and the actual URL. The best way to add keywords to the URL? Yep, file name. For example http://www.jwprinting.com/products/businesscards for a company selling cheap business cards ;) Yes, that is also a shameless plug.
5. The longer your site is active the more reputable search engines assume it is. Also when you buy your domain name make sure you pay for 5 years at a minimum. Most search engines check to see how long your domain agreement is when ranking sites. Only buying one year appears like a lack of faith or seriousness and loses priority over a 5 year plus agreement.
6. If you must use Java script drop down menus, flash menu bars, image maps, or image links, be sure to put basic text links somewhere on the page for the search engine spiders to follow.
7. Updated content can help improve your search engine rankings. Add new, useful content to your pages on a very regular basis. Search engines see new content as an indicator that the information on your site is current and topical. This can boost your page rank compared with those stagnant sites where content is rarely or never updated.
8. Double check all the links to your home page throughout your site. If index.html appended to your domain name you’re splitting your links. Outside links go to http://www.domain.com and internal links go to http://www.domain.com/index.html. make them all go to http://www.domain.com
9. Get in the habit of including the words “image” or “picture” in your photo and video ALT Tags, descriptions and captions. Most user searches are for a specific keyword plus one of those words.
10. Having the same or very similar content on more than one page of your site can result in downgrading by search engines. This is especially important if you have multiple blogs integrated into your site that may have overlapping content. Keep each page or each blog entry singularly focused and remove old content before adding new more current coverage of old topics.

Hopefully these 10 tips give you enough material to get started optimizing your site for search engines like Google. Following these 10 tips will help to increase your site's page rank and allow more customers to find your site!

I wrote another book!

I have been working on this text for a few years now. Mainly I have been focused on getting images of student projects to include. However, when I realized that the only other text I could choose for my upcoming Comprehensive Illustration course cost over $190 I kicked the project into high gear.

Projects for Illustration: a workbook guide came together over the last few months and I'm happy to say has already had some sales success. This book contains a series of seven design projects to be created using mixed media. From raw illustration to complex paintings, this book explains how to make your design work. Filled with full color examples and illustrations this is truly a how to guide for creating art and design projects.

Again, I owe a big thanks to the students who were kind enough to let me use their work as examples. I have been lucky enough to have many talented designers in my program over the years.

My next project may end up being a photography text. I'm also in talks with a publisher about writing a web design text but more than anything I need some time off!

Anyway, please check out Projects for Illustration: a workbook guide and feel free to send me samples of your work to include in future versions. I really do get a kick out of seeing what other designers are doing and I'd love to update this book to include a wider variety of project ideas.

New Oil Spill Shirt Hits Home with Fans Across the US

Burroughs Bitches, a unique online clothing retailer, has hit what appears to be a home run with their new, "I'm tired of all this mother f**kin oil in this mother f**kin gulf" shirt. The oil spill based design features a cartoon on a red background. "The oil spill has been going on for 50 days now and people are fed up." says a spokesperson for Burroughs Bitches.

The Charlotte, North Carolina based clothing line has been quietly gaining popularity over the past year, and what started as a joke is growing into a pretty big deal. Online sales of this and other designs by Burroughs Bitches have been made as far away as Austria and they seem to be very popular in California, Louisiana, Florida, and Texas.

To see the shirt visit: http://www.cafepress.com/JoeBurroughs.453882447

Using New Media to Meet Your Small Business Goals: Part 5

The website acts as salesperson, secretary, and more for many small businesses. However many websites are all but invisible to the major search engines. One way to increase your company’s rankings on search engines is to create valuable content that both matches the subject of and links to your company site. Blogger is quite possibly the best new media tool to do just that. Think of Blogger as your company’s PR channel. Every noteworthy accomplishment, conference, new product, new hire, new client, etc. should be written up using the keywords you want associated with your site. The titles and first few sentences are the most important areas for keywords in your posts. Also be sure to include several links directly to the relevant pages within your site, not just to your main page. This will increase your rankings over time in the major search engines.

This is the fifth in a series of articles covering the topic of new media for the small business. For the complete article please visit www.workingcharlotte.com or pick up a copy of the May 2010 issue of Working Charlotte Magazine.

About the Author - With over 15 years in the Charlotte design community Joe Burroughs brings a range of skills to the table. He has a bachelor’s degree in Communication with a concentration in Advertising from Appalachian State University and a masters of Science in print media from the prestigious Rochester Institute of Technology. He currently chairs the graphic design department at King’s College and is a sought after lecturer on various design topics. Joe is on the cutting edge of new media in the Charlotte community helping retailers and businesses cope with social networking and search engine marketing among other issues. Joe recently accepted the position of New Media Specialist with CGR Creative an advertising agency located in the South End area of Charlotte.

Using New Media to Meet Your Small Business Goals: Part 4

Another common source of lead generation is linkedin. Many businesses dismiss linkedin, as only for job seekers or companies looking to hire new talent, but upon further examination it is a lead generating nirvana for many small businesses. Consultants, printers, marketers, and any company that services either individuals or other businesses should be fishing in this pond. Linkedin provides access to both big fish, large companies looking to hire, and small fish, talent looking for their next opportunity. The key here is positioning your company as a solution to the larger companies or as a resource to the individual job seekers.

This is the fourth in a series of articles covering the topic of new media for the small business. For the complete article please visit www.workingcharlotte.com or pick up a copy of the May 2010 issue of Working Charlotte Magazine.

About the Author - With over 15 years in the Charlotte design community Joe Burroughs brings a range of skills to the table. He has a bachelor’s degree in Communication with a concentration in Advertising from Appalachian State University and a masters of Science in print media from the prestigious Rochester Institute of Technology. He currently chairs the graphic design department at King’s College and is a sought after lecturer on various design topics. Joe is on the cutting edge of new media in the Charlotte community helping retailers and businesses cope with social networking and search engine marketing among other issues. Joe recently accepted the position of New Media Specialist with CGR Creative an advertising agency located in the South End area of Charlotte.

Using New Media to Meet Your Small Business Goals: Part 3

Generating leads is a goal of almost every business and there are several new media options available that help deliver new contacts. Twitter is an obvious choice but many businesses overlook the true power it offers. Not only can you accumulate followers who will receive your updates, but also you can actively network by using twitter’s search functions. A company that specializes in catering might search the phrase “Charlotte Wedding” or “Charlotte Event” and reply to any applicable comments. Again you want to be careful that you don’t abuse this process by being too sales heavy. Think of it as introducing yourself at a party or gathering... after all it is social media.

This is the third in a series of articles covering the topic of new media for the small business. For the complete article please visit www.workingcharlotte.com or pick up a copy of the May 2010 issue of Working Charlotte Magazine.

About the Author - With over 15 years in the Charlotte design community Joe Burroughs brings a range of skills to the table. He has a bachelor’s degree in Communication with a concentration in Advertising from Appalachian State University and a masters of Science in print media from the prestigious Rochester Institute of Technology. He currently chairs the graphic design department at King’s College and is a sought after lecturer on various design topics. Joe is on the cutting edge of new media in the Charlotte community helping retailers and businesses cope with social networking and search engine marketing among other issues. Joe recently accepted the position of New Media Specialist with CGR Creative an advertising agency located in the South End area of Charlotte.

Using New Media to Meet Your Small Business Goals: Part 2

If your business has the ability to create videos of the services you provide youtube is a great tool. If you question the ability of youtube to create brand awareness simply search the phrase “Will it blend?” in your favorite search engine. This will undoubtedly lead you to Blendtec’s website. The buzz for this brand was created by simple yet funny viral videos uploaded to youtube. There is no way to assure your business will create the next viral phenomenon but it is a great way to capture Internet surfers who are already looking for products and services similar to yours.

This is the second in a series of articles covering the topic of new media for the small business. For the complete article please visit www.workingcharlotte.com or pick up a copy of the May 2010 issue of Working Charlotte Magazine.

About the Author - With over 15 years in the Charlotte design community Joe Burroughs brings a range of skills to the table. He has a bachelor’s degree in Communication with a concentration in Advertising from Appalachian State University and a masters of Science in print media from the prestigious Rochester Institute of Technology. He currently chairs the graphic design department at King’s College and is a sought after lecturer on various design topics. Joe is on the cutting edge of new media in the Charlotte community helping retailers and businesses cope with social networking and search engine marketing among other issues. Joe recently accepted the position of New Media Specialist with CGR Creative an advertising agency located in the South End area of Charlotte.

Using New Media to Meet Your Small Business Goals: Part 1

Most small businesses have several common goals first they would like to create brand awareness, next they want to generate leads, and if they have a website they want it to be more visible. New Media can help meet all of these goals. This article will examine new media channels that can help small businesses achieve these goals and more.

One of the greatest free ways to generate brand awareness and connect with clients is facebook. It allows you to create a personal profile and from that generate a company or business page where people can become fans. Through this facebook “Fan Page” your business can create events, send invitations, update information on products or services, and upload pictures, share videos, and more. This also allows you to create links back to pages within your website which can increase your site’s rankings with the major search engines. A word of caution here: do not make all your communication sales based. The power of new media is not direct sales instead it is building relationships. In order to be successful you must constantly consider what value your content brings your audience and how you can leverage that value into building relationships. Only then can it lead to increased brand awareness.

This is the first in a series of articles covering the topic of new media for the small business. For the complete article please visit www.workingcharlotte.com or pick up a copy of the May 2010 issue of Working Charlotte Magazine.

About the Author - With over 15 years in the Charlotte design community Joe Burroughs brings a range of skills to the table. He has a bachelor’s degree in Communication with a concentration in Advertising from Appalachian State University and a masters of Science in print media from the prestigious Rochester Institute of Technology. He currently chairs the graphic design department at King’s College and is a sought after lecturer on various design topics. Joe is on the cutting edge of new media in the Charlotte community helping retailers and businesses cope with social networking and search engine marketing among other issues. Joe recently accepted the position of New Media Specialist with CGR Creative an advertising agency located in the South End area of Charlotte.

What flavor coffee do you like? Ummm... Coffee flavored?!?!

Can someone explain the obsession with making coffee taste like everything except coffee? I am not talking about Starbucks or coffee houses in general here I'm talking about in workplace break rooms. Our coffee selection at work is like the freaking United Nations! We have "International" flavors like French Vanilla, Irish Cream, Colombian Mocha, Hawaiian Kona Floral, Belgian Chocolate, & Dutch Cocoa. These are all awful by the way. We also have Amaretto, Hazelnut, and Caramel flavors to choose from. Also awful. Then there's the Signature Blend... you know, our vendor's basic coffee flavored coffee. This is decent. OK, it's awful too but at least it's not pretending to be something else.

I realize this phenomenon is not limited to coffee, we have ice cream, milkshakes, etc. In fact there seems to be a dairy component to the whole thing. In fact a lot of these non-coffee dairy products try and taste like... Coffee!?!?

I also realize that plenty of people like these products and that if they weren't popular they wouldn't sell and so on. So I've decided to become part of the problem...

Waterbutter! Watermelon flavored butter will be on the shelves shortly at your local mega-mart.

I'm working on getting it packaged in tiny watermelon shapes wrapped in foil for fine restaurant applications but there have been a few consistency issues.

I'll be uploading recipes and the like shortly so keep your eyes peeled!

Staying Busy: staying sane

I have been especially busy the past few weeks and I have pretty much enjoyed every minute of it until the last few days. Since Tuesday evening everything seemed to go wrong. It was mostly an overwhelming amount of minor stuff like software and Internet issues that caused me to redo things 3 or 4 times, or phone conversations where I was misunderstood. The point is that by Friday I needed a break.

That's where Julio and the guys at CGR Creative came in. I showed up just after 4 and they were all grinding out work. Jason was finishing up a brochure for a Veteran's charity, Purple Heart Homes, Tay was tweaking some new content for Security Guard Exchange's website, and Julio was calling back a client that was having issues with another creative agency.

They saw me walk in and Julio said, "Hey let's wrap up and grab a bite." Evidently he had had a bad day as well. Long story short Julio took us all out to Vinnie's for wings, oysters, and frosty beverages! I can't tell you how great it was to sit down with those guys and share the weeks ups and downs. I'm very lucky to have the life I do and especially the friends I have! Thanks guys!

This Blog Has Moved: to here

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I Wrote a Book This Week: sort of...

Actually it took three weeks from finding out the textbook I had previously ordered was out of print until my book, Projects for Design, was published. It may be the shortest textbook ever written, but it is done!

I owe a big thanks to the students who were kind enough to let me use their work as examples. I have been lucky enough to have many talented designers in my program over the years.

The blurb for Projects for Design defines it as, "A graphic design workbook featuring projects like corporate identity packages, postcards, newsletters, book jackets, magazines, and more." It basically, "Leads designers through these projects and gives them full color examples to help explain and inspire."

I am already working on my next book and hopefully it will be slightly more impressive. The working title is "After the Sketch" and it covers a series of projects that use a combination of traditional art techniques and modern graphic design skills. I am taking my time on this one and I fully expect it to be more substantial than Projects for Design.

Random Stuff: what's been going on

Let's see since I got back from Cancún I've been pretty busy. The new job at CGR Creative is great. I'm working on more creative projects than I have in a long while. Teaching is also going well, the January - February term just ended and I'm pretty excited about the new classes. Web design and animation are always pretty fun subjects. I am putting the finishing touches on a text book for the desktop publishing course... actually everything work related is going pretty well. In fact CGR is up for a new certification... very hush-hush but I'm pretty sure we're gonna be the country's first... hmmmm.... better not jinx it.

In other news I'm running again (4.5 miles Saturday) and I'm back to cooking more. I do love being in the kitchen. Last night I grilled flank steak and steamed some green beans, tonight I'm thinking BBQ chicken with grilled broccoli.

I still have another video to splice together from the Cancún trip but sadly time is at a significant premium right now. I'll try to get it up soon... wait... that sounds bad.

The Bathroom in Cancún: have we overdesigned everything

For Your Cure: kickoff event tonight

I am excited to be taking part in the first event put on to support For Your Cure.
Here are the details:

The Charlotte Checkers, 1065 The End, CGR Creative and The Gin Mill are sponsoring Give A Puck Night with For Your Cure! Come out to The Gin Mill and get served by the guest bartenders of the night, The Charlotte Checkers! $1.00 of each beer sold will go directly to For Your Cure! This event will be limited to those who are 21 and older.

FOR YOUR CURE is a charity that specializes in providing people suffering from cancer an outlet to occupy their mind and body through creative expression.

Date: Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Time: 7:00pm - 9:00pm
Location: The Gin Mill
Address: 1411 South Tryon St, Charlotte, NC

Job Hunting: tips for graphic designers & others looking for work

Here are a few tips for those of you looking for jobs, some of these apply to brand new job seekers, and others to those who have been out there in the field for a while.

Indeed.com

Skip Monster, Hot Jobs, Career Builder, Craig's List and all the others because Indeed.com pulls all those listings and more. This is the first place to start looking for openings.

Tell everybody

Your network of friends and friends of friends is your biggest asset when it comes to hearing about new openings, but not your only one. Sometimes it's the guy we bumped into at the coffee shop who is in the know about an open position. In today's economy most employers do not want to post an ad for a new position unless they absolutely have to. They don't want to incur the expense or have to slog through a thousand responses to find a good candidate. So call all those old college buddies, hit up your peeps on facebook, or whatever it is you need to do to let your network of contacts know that you are looking for a job.

Be specific

I hate it when people ask me to help them find a job and it turns out they don't even know what they want. We all want more money, we all want a shorter commute, we all want better benefits, we all want a better looking secretary, these things don't describe jobs... they describe perks. "I want to work in publishing" isn't much better. There are janitors who work for publishers... I'm sure I can get you a job cleaning toilets at a publisher! What the hell is it that you actually want to do?

It takes work

Finding a job you enjoy, that pays the bills, and fulfills your creative needs is, well, not easy. It requires work, self promotion, attention to detail, and commitment to see the process through. If you are not willing to drive 30 minutes for an interview, if you aren't willing to put in a few weeks as a non-paid intern, if you can't bring yourself to take out your elbow piercings for work, if you refuse to wear a tie, or work for the man, or what have you, then you are not serious about finding a job.

Cold calls and setting appointments

Yes, you must sell yourself in order to get a job. You will need to call those companies that you believe have the type of job you want. It is very unlikely that they will call you. So first you must do some research to find out who the decision maker(s) are at each company on your list, then you must prepare a short over the phone introduction that includes your name, basic qualifications, and desire to sit down with them to discuss the possibility that you could help their company, finally you must... actually call them!

It should be pointed out here that you don't want to leave the next contact up to them. Obviously this is the easy thing to do. "Well, thanks for your time today... I look forward to hearing from you." is not an acceptable way for you to get off the phone or out of a meeting. You must take control by saying something more like, "Thanks so much for your time today, can we go ahead and set up a day to meet next week or should I call you Monday in order to see how your week is shaping up?"

Don't judge a book by it's cover

Sometimes companies have more to offer than you might think. I once took an interview at a small copy shop, thinking that I could maybe get some leads on larger printers from the owner. Well, it turned out that the owner actually owned a commercial printing company that in turn owned the copy shop. I got a great job working for a great guy because of an interview I almost talked myself out of taking. Sometimes the interview is exactly what you thought and they don't have anything to offer you, but you still get experience and if they offer you the job that's a free ego boost. Simply put go on every interview you can... all you have to lose is a bit of your time and you may stand to gain way more than you think.

New Job: style consultant for CGR Creative

I am pleased to announce that I have accepted a consulting position with CGR Creative in Charlotte, North Carolina. Some of you may know that Jason Ramsey, Creative Director of CGR, is a former student of mine. I have been following his career with great interest over the last seven years and really couldn't be more excited to work with him at CGR. Jason and his partner Julio Colmenares have created a company that is innovative, creative, and really able to turn on a dime. They get behind their customers in a way that larger agencies just can't, committing all their resources to ensure the success of their client's projects. This is a shared philosophy that I have always tried to follow. Sometimes this means turning down a new project if you can't devote the time and resources needed to make it successful. Most agencies get too blinded by dollar signs and lose sight of the fact that their client's success is their own success. This commitment to client success is the driving principle behind CGR Creative and the number one reason that I am happy to give up my ringside seat to join in the fight.

I will be CGR Creative's Style Consultant so I'll be handling some traditional PR responsibilities, a few fun event planning tasks, some social media duties, but more than anything else, I'll be promoting CGR itself. CGR Creative is the fastest growing creative agency that you have never heard of and it is now my job to make sure that doesn't stay the case.

Please visit the CGR web site, to see why I am so passionate about this agency. Once you see what they are all about, I know you will want to become our fan on facebook, subscribe to our blog, and follow us on twitter.

Uggs: Hot or Not?

Well... ummm... Yes, they're hot. They're also smelly, bad for your feet, and they're sure to make you look like a pachyderm with cankles. So why do so many women still buy and wear them? It boils down to one key concept: sheep.

Uggs are made of sheepskin and lined with wool made from, you guessed it, sheep. Sheep are animals best known for doing whatever the animal in front of them is doing. So it stands to reason that if someone were to buy a pair of ugly boots sheep would do the same. In other words: you are what you wear.

Ferretgate

Ferretgate: the long story

It has been a long while since my last blog post but I have a problem that you can help with. I want a ferret. This may seem like no big dilemma but unfortunately my friends and peers seem to be polarized by this issue, so I am putting it up for a kind of vote.

Before I explain the details let me make my case. I have owned a ferret in the past. I got her when I was in college around Christmas time so I naturally named her Holly. She loved me. In fact she loved me so much that she didn't let anyone near me without nibbling at their toes or playfully barking at them, to be fair it sounded more like a chirp. She stole shiny trinkets and hid them under my bed. She curled up in my lap when I watched TV. She slept on my face. She was my world.

When I graduated from college I got a job in Columbia, SC. After living their for a few months I decided I would like to get another ferret to keep Holly company while I was at work or out. My girlfriend at the time (now wife) thoughtfully bought me one but she did not pay attention to my two rules of ferret buying.

Rules of Ferret Buying

1. Buy only female ferrets.

2. Watch the prospective ferret in the pet shop to make sure it uses the litter box.

She bought me a male ferret. He was very cute and he too adored me. However, I learned the hard way that one way male ferrets attract mates and impress other ferrets is to publicly display how good they are at acquiring, and therefor providing food. They display this by depositing solid waste all over the place.

At the time I lived in a townhouse and did not have adequate facilities or time to train away this behavior. I eventually had to give the ferrets up to a friend that lived on a farm with several rooms she could devote to the ferrets. I cried... a lot.

Now I know that I only want one female ferret. I am also committed to training her if need be to use the litter box. I want to name her Wasabi.

Here is How You Can Help

I have a T-shirt shop where you can buy either Team Ferret shirts or Team No Ferret shirts. If more people buy the Team Ferret shirts by January 17th, my birthday, I will buy a ferret. If more people buy the Team No Ferret shirts I will not buy one. I agree to abide by the decision.

Team Ferret Shirts

http://tiny.cc/teamferret

Team No Ferret Shirts

http://tiny.cc/noferret

Decision Time

I will announce the vote tally in public at The Gin Mill in Charlotte, NC on Wednesday, January 20th at 6:30. I would like to thank you in advance for your support!