I love this article… Need Extra Money for the Holidays? Just Become a Photographer!

Why do I love it? Because it’s hilarious…

Most of us in the creative and/or technology industry have had to deal with this.

Designers, web developers, photographers, you name it.

Since the price of computers, software, cameras, and other previously expensive or specialized equipment has come down to the level that the average person can afford them, everyone thinks they are a designer, or web developer, or photographer.

And don’t get me wrong, I’m all for people learning new skills and trying their hand at making money with those skills, but if it were that easy, we’d all be doing it, and we’d all be rich… or broke… or something.

And I’m not about to tell people they are ruining an industry. If you love doing something, then you should do it. If you can provide amazing work cheaper than someone else, go for it. It’ll be up to you to decide if you’re ruining an industry. But keep in mind, after years of honing your craft, someone else will come along and offer to do what you do even cheaper. That’s just how it works.

Whew, I didn’t mean to get all heavy there… What I meant was, Happy Holidays! And if you need extra cash this holiday season, you might have better luck looking for loose change in the couch cushions than you will if you have no photography skills and try selling portraits of people after the fact.

Happy New Year! :)

Our friends at The Pfister Hotel are in competition with the folks over at Koss in a Battle of the Brands… and to help them out, we made a little video featuring Charles Pfister as you’ve never seen him before.

So with all that, please head over to The Business Journal and cast your vote for The Pfister!

Charles thanks you. :)

Best Buy has 2,500 employees helping people on Twitter

2011 Social Media Marketing Report – 58% of marketers surveyed are using social media for 6 hours or more every week

Facebook now tops Google for weekly traffic in the US

The second largest search engine in the world is YouTube

There are more 70 translations available on Facebook

After 23 years, Pepsi dropped TV advertising for last year’s Superbowl to spend $20 million on a social media campaign

It seems like the sharing of ideas is also helping companies increase their share of the profits. Businesses are reaching customers in a new and intimate way – and it’s proving to pay off.

The results are in! I’m very proud to announce that Z2 has been named to the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce‘s annual “Future 50” list of rapidly growing companies in southeastern Wisconsin for 2011.

The Future 50 program recognizes privately-owned companies in the seven-county Milwaukee region that have been in business for at least three years and have shown significant revenue and employment growth. Here’s the full list of companies who were named to the Future 50.

We’ll officially receive our award at a luncheon on Thursday, Sept. 15, at The Pfister Hotel (who just happens to be one of our favorite clients). Around that time, watch for our profile in a special edition of BizTimes Milwaukee magazine.

We’d like to thank our amazing clients and hard-working staff for helping to contribute to our growth and success over the past several years and we look forward to an exciting future.