Justin Ellis is on vacation. While he's gone, we will be publishing with the help of "guest bloggers."

Today's guest writer is Rob Landry who runs Pemaquid Communications, a funky little Web design shop, in greater Portland. Rob's on a mission to develop a top-flight community of Web creatives in southern Maine. When he's not sitting in front of his computer Twittering, he likes to hop on his bike or in his kayak, and he plays bass guitar in Bluezberry Jam, a funky little blues band.

Rob lives in Cumberland with his wife Rachel and their two kids, Kathryn and Harry.

10 New Year's Resolutions for Portland's Digital Creatives

Nothing is going to come easy for Portland's digital creatives in 2009. Every day will have to count. Here are my suggestions (resolutions, if you will) for making it in the coming year:

Keep your overhead low - this is not the time to fritter away your cash flow on things you don't need. Daily $3 lattes are out (I know, this will be hard) and learn to love rice and beans - you'll be glad you did (and you'll be healthy).

Offer something of value - to get noticed you have to provide something worthy of consideration. Seems simple enough, but remember, people have to understand the value of the service you're offering them. It has to be crystal clear.

Be a Problem Solver # Find a need and fulfill it. Be relevant. In 2009, don't do something "just because". Those who succeed will find ways to make themselves useful to clients.

Refine your elevator pitch - who you are and what you do - and how that's better - should roll right off your tongue, in two sentences or less. And it should strike a chord.

Build up your base # The best place to look for business in 2009 is towards your existing clients. You understand their needs, and they trust you. Offer useful suggestions to help them get through a tough year, and they'll help you.

Keep it real - Sock puppets didn't cut it in 2000 (we realized there's no "New Economy" - just an Economy), and idle Twittering won't get the job done nearly a decade later. Provide a real, sustainable service. Keep the buzzwords out of your lexicon; they are a smokescreen used by those who don't know what they are talking about.

Ride the wave - On the other hand, find out all you can about the latest trends (we're back to Twitter here) and try to understand how your business, and your clients, can benefit from them. In the last few years we've seen a succession of new digital media: blogs, online video and social networks. Prediction for 2009: keep an eye on Google's Android open source operating system for mobile devices.

Challenge conventional wisdom - If most people are zigging, and you see that zagging makes more sense - do it! Don't be afraid to be controversial and talk it to a different perspective, if you believe strongly. If you're right, people will eventually come around, and by then you'll own the idea.

Be in it for the long haul - Have a plan and work your plan, day in and day out. Be consistent. Suit up to play ball every day. There are no overnight success stories - only tales of hard work and lots of midnight oil.

Be undeniably good - This is Steve Martin's advice to anyone who wants to make it in any field. Be so good you can't be ignored. That takes hard work.

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