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My First Year In Cyber Space

2008-07-16T19:49:00.001-07:00

My first year as a Cyberpreneur was a steeplearning-curve. I was an academic beforestarting an online business, so I had a lot to learn.But even if you were in offline-business before goingonline, you may still have to learn some new skills-online business is a whole new ball-game. Here aresome of the things I learnt in my first year in CyberSpace:

(1) Be careful who you register your domain with.Some domain name registrars make it very difficult tochange your web host.

I registered my first two domains with a registrarthat caused me more headaches than I care to thinkabout.

When I needed to transfer one of my domain names to anew web host, my original email address had changed. Iwas no longer able to send them an email from thataddress and so I couldn't authenticate my request fordomain transfer.

So I tried to update my personal record with my newemail address. I got a message saying that I couldonly change my email address by sending an email frommy original email address (which no longer existed).

This bureaucratic nightmare went on for 4 weeks. Toadd to my frustration, I was communicating with amachine, not a human being. By the end of that time Ihad no less than 35 computer-generated emails tellingme that my domain could not be transferred.

Finally, I sent my request for domain transfer in a5-page fax, including photocopy of my passport. Theythen sent me an email saying my request for domaintransfer could not be processed because my request wasnot on company letterhead.

So I designed a letterhead and re-submitted the 5-pagefax. Finally, 6 weeks after my first request, my domain wastransferred.

To avoid this kind of experience I recommend you useregister.com: http://www.register.com

Using their online Domain Manager, it took me lessthan two minutes to transfer my domain!

(2) A slow-loading index page is still one of themain reasons that online businesses lose customers.

Surveys show that the average surfer will wait no morethan 8 seconds for a web page to load before movingonto another website. So 'load-time' is a vitalconsideration when you choose a web host.

Below is a website that allows you to check the load-timeof a web host:http://www.hostpulse.com/app/networktools/ping.asp

(3) Once you've designed your home page and uploadedit to your server space, check to see what it lookslike to other people. What you're seeing may not bewhat other people are seeing.

I once designed a home page I was very proud of - Ihad added a piece of javascript that gave the day anddate.

Then one day I checked my home page at Anybrowser.com.I was horrified to see that my home page was invisibleexcept for my company logo and the navigation bar. Fortwo weeks it had been virtually blank to mostvisitors! So take a minute and look at your websitethrough your visitors' browser:http://www.anybrowser.com/siteviewer.html

(4) If a customer asks you for a refund, give it tothem immediately, even if you think it's unjustified.You'll be out of pocket by a few dollars, but yourname and your integrity will be intact. Your good nameis perhaps your most precious commodity on theInternet. Remember these words from Shakespeare:

"Who steals my purse steals trash;

'tis something, nothing;

'Twas mine, 'tis his, and has been slave to thousands;

But he that filches from me my good name

Robs me of that which not enriches him,

And makes me poor indeed."

(Othello, Act III. Scene III.)

(5) Reply to emails quickly. Nothing impresses memore on the Internet than a rapid response to abusiness enquiry. Try and respond within 2 hours, orat least within 24 hours.

(6) Never reply angrily to abusive emails or flames.People who send flames want you to reply, but there isnothing to be gained by replying. An abusive email canbe very disturbing, but the best thing to do is ignoreit. Better still delete it - that way you remove itfrom your life and you remove the temptation to reply.

(7) Lastly, never give up. Most successes are due tosheer persistence:

"Nothing in the world can take the place of

persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common

than unsuccessful men of talent. Genius will not; the

world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and

determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan, 'press

on' has solved, and always will solve, the problems of

the human race." (Calvin Coolidge)

By Michael Southon

How to Write Classified Ads that Get Results Now.

2008-07-16T19:48:00.017-07:00

SELLING DIRECTLY FROM A CLASSIFIED AD

Classified ads can be used to sell products directly from the ad.
This works best for items costing no more than
approximately $5. The best use for classified ads is to utilize
them in obtaining inquiries. This is called the two step
approach. The first step is to get maximum inquiries from the
classified ad, in the second step the promotional package is sent
to the prospect and as many inquiries as possible are converted
to buyers.

CLASSIFIED ADS FOR MAXIMUM INQUIRIES

Classified ads are substantially less expensive than small space
ads, but by no means are they cheap. Most national publications
catering to the mail order business charge from $3 to $8 per
word. A well laid out ad should consist of about 20 words which
includes the company name and address. It is important that you
remind yourself that only the purpose is to get the prospect to
take immediate action and write for more information.

Before you write the ad know exactly what it is you want to sell.
You must know very specifically what you are going to accomplish
through this ad. Once you have determined what you want to get
across to the reader, write it out in one or more complete
sentences. For example, you have the reproduction rights for
several reports and want to market them. So the objective is: "I
want to get the maximum number of responses to inquire about my
self-publishing material which has excellent income potential and
is easy to market, especially for a newcomer to the business."

This ad may read as follows:

TREMENDOUS PROFITS THROUGH SELF-PUBLISHING! Start part-time. Easy
to do. Request free Special Report! XYZ Publishing/E, PO Box
1000, Frederick, MD 20908.

THE OPENING LINE

The first 3 or 4 words-- are critical. Since there are hundreds
of classified ads in any given publication you must be able to
get the reader who scans all, or some of them, to stop in his
tracks when he gets to your ad and read your ad and then take
action.

Open any publication and review the ads and you will see that
many of those ads have absolutely no purpose. They are a total
waste of money. But that is good for you since I am sure you will
make a real effort to get your message across. Here are a couple
of examples of useless ads:

Still Looking For A New Beginning? Write.......

What do they mean by that? How does any of that pertain tome and
what am I supposed to make of that? Here is another one:

The Easiest Business On Earth. Valuable information mailed
free.....

Do you think many people are going to write in for an ad like
that. Especially not since there are hundreds of other ads in
competition for the readers' time.

THE OBJECT IS TO GET THE READER TO TAKE ACTION - NOW!

In less that 25 words you have to create a message that will make
a reader stop; give him a reason - benefits to him - why this is
for him; tell him what to do - action; and provide the vital
information. It is as simple and as complicated as that. Simple
because you know what you want to accomplish, but complicated
because it has to be done with so few words. I think you can see
why it is virtually impossible to sell a $10 or $20 item from a
classified ad. You just would not have enough space to tell a
story compelling enough to convince someone to part with $10 or
$20.

SELF-CENTERED ADVERTISING COPY IS INEFFECTIVE

With some practice you should have no problem getting lots of
inquiries from your ads. Stay away from "Self-centered
advertising copy", copy that speaks about you. How great you or
your company are, or how great your product is.

The only thing the reader cares about is himself. What's in in
for Number One! Nothing else.

SOME COST SAVING TIPS

Almost all weekly and monthly publication will charge for each
word including your company name and address. Most daily
newspapers have a per line rate. Since just the address can take
up from 6-10 words here are some ways you can save money.

The following ad has 23 words.

TREMENDOUS PROFITS THROUGH SELF-PUBLISHING
Start part-time. Easy to do.
XYZ Publishing Co.
Dept 12 P.O. Box 1000 Frederick, MD 20908

This ad has 21 words.

TREMENDOUS PROFITS THROUGH SELF-PUBLISHING
Start part-time. Easy to do. Free details.
XYZ Publishing/E (The E becomes the code instead of Dept 12
PO Box 1000
Frederick, MD 20908

Or this one which has 18 words

SELF-PUBLISHING, TREMENDOUS PROFITS!
Start part-time. Easy! Free report.
XYZ Publishing/E
PO Box 1000
Frederick, MD 20908

Some publications charge 2 words for the zip code and state, some
only one. If you live in a city which consists of several words
such as Palm Beach Gardens you are only charged for 1 word.

Evaluate the cost effectiveness of your ad by the cost per
inquiry and not the cost of the ad. Example a $150 ad generates
170 inquiries $0.88 per word versus a $28 ad which generates 15
inquiries at a cost of $1.87 each.

WHEN THE INQUIRIES START ARRIVING

If you have written and placed an effective ad and the inquiries
start rolling in, the most important job, or actually several
jobs have to be done. They are as follows:

1. Your sales/promotional package must be ready before the first
inquiry arrives and it must be answered promptly, preferably the
same day but certainly within 48 hours. The longer you wait the
more chances are that a competitor will win out over you.
Although some people will wait for weeks before they make a
decision, many will act within days.

2. The ad you are placing is just the beginning. The names which
are generated from the ad must be used again and again in order
for your total advertising effort to be effective in the long
term.

3. A percentage of your inquiries from this first ad will become
buyers. You need to send these buyers additional offers within
several weeks after their first purchase and thereafter mail at
least 3 times per year to them. You drop them from your list if
they have not bought anything for about 8 - 12 months.

4. The inquiries that did not buy buy this time may still buy at
a later time. You can send them the same material again, or a
similar offer. It is advisable to send 2-3 more mailing to them.

Many mail order companies may only make a small profit or just
break even when the actual sales results are measured against a
single ad. But over the life of the customers which are converted
from those inquiries and the subsequent purchases from the
inquiries who were not converted from the initial ad many
hundreds or thousands of additional dollars will be generated.

Copyright 2004 by DeAnna Spencer

This article may be reproduced freely on the Internet as long as the resource box remains intact.

By DeAnna

12 Ways to Reduce Postage

2008-07-16T19:48:00.015-07:00

1. Never send a letter that weighs less than 30 gms. Five size
8-1/2x11 circulars can be mailed with a 1st class postage stamp.
By using all 10 sides with a variety of offers you have a
greater chance of receiving an order.

2. When you advertise, state the price of your product and add Plus
Postage e.g. "A DOZEN AND ONE WAYS TO REDUCE POSTAGE" $1 plus
stamp or SASE (self addressed stamped envelope). When inviting
inquiries always say "For information send SASE".

3. Advertise that you will do paid mailing. Set a competitive
price and recover some if not all of the costs involved in
mailing your own offers.

4. Write a good plan or folio; then create a good ad to sell it.
Or offer it to others on a "commission" or "all profit" basis
and fill the orders for a SASE. Your offers can then go along
for a free ride when you fill the orders.

5. Make up an interesting ad sheet. Use up some of the spaces for
your own ads then sell enough ads to others to cover the cost of
postage, printing, advertising etc.

6. Advertise a "Free Big Mail for Postage - the More Postage the
More Mail". (Big mail consists of at least one mailorder
publication plus a variety of circulars).

7. Do exchange mailing. You mail 100 of another dealer's circulars
and they will mail 100 or yours.

8. Purchase an accurate postal scale. Then you will never add more
postage than necessary OR you can use up the full value of the
postage being used.

9. Reduce postage by using Bulk Mail. Inquire at
the Post Office. This requires the mailer (U.S.) to sort their
mail by state and zip code and mail at least 200 like pieces at
one time.

10. Stamps that have not been canceled due to an error of the
postal cancellation machine may be used again.

11. Accept stamps from another country. If you can't use them trade
with a dealer from that country for stamps that you can use or
buy something from them paying them with stamps of equal value.

12. Watch mailorder publications for dealers who have new stamps to
sell at a reduced price.

Note: It is false economy to not send a SASE when making
inquiries of other dealers. You are more likely to receive
an answer much more quickly and it improves business relations.
Copyright 2004 by DeAnna Spencer
This information may be freely distributed on the Internet as long as the resource box remains intact.

By DeAnna

Getting Started in the Mail Order Business. How Much Does It Cost?

2008-07-16T19:48:00.013-07:00

INTRODUCTION

To get any business started successfully takes many ingredients. All requirements fall into one of the following four key categories: 1. Desire, 2. Knowledge, 3. Time, and 4. Available funds. This report deals only with the financial requirements of starting a mail order business. Hopefully it will help the reader to evaluate whether he is financially able to embark upon a business venture that will bring about success. It is generally true that it takes substantially less money to get started in many mail order businesses than in a variety of other businesses.

Many a promoter will want you to belive that it is possible to get started successfully for $50, $100, or even $200. However, it is totally false. It does take more than that. How much more depends on many factors which I will try to define as much as is possible here.

Since the mail order business covers a vast number of services and products I would like to define the contents of this report to deal with the selling of information products. This is where my expertise lies. While the same or similar conditions may apply to any number of other mail order businesses, there may however be some differences to selling information products such as books, etc.

The following makes a number of assumptions. The most important ones are:

1. The operator ( or operators) of the new mail order business is employed or has other means of income.. He will not need to derive any profit from his new business for a period of time.. How long will depend on many factors.

2. This is a home based business which has no employees.

3. The business, at the start - until volume reaches $3,000 to $5,000 per month - will utilize the drop shipping services of a wholesale company.

4. Basic office equipment such as desk, file cabinet, computer, etc... are on hand.

A WORD OF CAUTION AT THE START AND RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO YOU

This is an exciting business and it can be extremely profitable once it reaches a certain momentum. However, like almost all businesses it is a very cost sensitive business.

As you are getting started in planning and setting up your new business think and act with caution when it pertains to any expenditures. This is one of the most difficult things to do since you are probably very enthusiastic and want to do everything today. So you need to learn HOW TO CONTROL YOUR ENTHUSIASM or it is going to cost you lost of extra money.

In this state of enthusiasm we tend to think that there is nothing we can do wrong and since we will be making lots of money in a few months lets get all necessary and often unnecessary supplies and equipment. It would be much better to wait until profits of the business make it possible to acquire what is needed. In the meantime you can make do with less. To be able to do so is a most important quality for the owner of a small to do so is a most important quality for the owner of a small business.

If you are a parent think of your new business as a child. There will be a never ending sequence of surprises. And as the business grows so will its demands, and yes its expenses.

START-UP EXPENSES -- INITIAL STAGE

The below listed expenses will be incurred in the very early stages of setting up your business. This is at a time when you probably are not sure as yet what you will be selling. You will be writing to different companies for information to come up with the right product selection. Once you have decided what it is you will be selling you have to line up reliable suppliers, This is also a good time to buy a few books to help you with your mail order education. Although most expenses incurred in this phase are relatively small they will add up quickly.

These prices are estimates. Prices will vary according to your location.

Stationery and envelopes...............................................50.00

P.O. Box rental........................................60.00 per year

Miscellaneous office supplies..........................30.00

Postage................................................50.00

Educational..........................................45.00

TOTAL................................................235.00

START-UP EXPENSES -- SECONDARY STAGE

You have now reached the point at which you have decided upon one or more reliable suppliers for the product you wish to market. You may also be ready to have some promotional material printed. In addition you may be placing one or two classified ads for testing purposes.

Once again, please remember that these prices are estimates only.

Dealership or distributorship (1 or more)...................................................80.00

Small supply of brochures or catalogs...............................................50.00

Printing of sales letter, order form, Return envelopes, etc......................................................90.00

1 test ad, classified (national magazine)..........................................100.00

Business or traders license...............................................30.00

Postage............................................25.00

TOTAL.............................................375.00

Until now you have only had expenses for your new business. You have not derived any revenue yet. In the next and final stage of starting your business you may have some revenues. Stage one and two may take from approximately 3 to 6 months.

START-UP EXPENSES -- THIRD STAGE

You have now reached a stage were you will expand your advertising, or alternately you may go the direct marketing route and rent a mailing list. The comparison of expenses and revenue results of a direct marketing effort versus classified advertising need to be carefully evaluated. Since expenses for a direct marketing effort are generally higher than for a small advertising campaign, the below listed expenses focus on an advertising campaign,

Estimates provided for illustrative purpsoes only.

Advertising -- 3 classified ads........................................................................280.00

Postage for several hundred inquiries derived from adverting effort....................................................75.00

Miscellaneous office supplies.................................................................30.00

TOTAL..................................................................385.00

SUMMARY

The combined expenses as listed above total just under $1000. They are based on broad estimates and may vary somewhat by area of the country and individual circumstances. The figures are reflecting a minimum amount. Some individuals may be able to cut expenses further. Since this planning period takes several months the expenses as shown above can be allocated over a period of 4-6 months.

The above figures represent a conservative start. For those who want to get started more aggressively expenses would be higher. While many of the basic start-up costs would be the same the expenses that would increase would primarily deal with additional advertising, printing and postage expenses. By how much would largely be an individual decision.

Since most new businesses fail because of lack of funds, it would be advisable for an individual who does not have the necessary funds to get started to wait until he does. In addition to the basic start-up expenses an individual should also consider that most businesses will loose money for several months and sometimes much longer than that. Unfortunately no matter how well you plan, circumstances often change and we must make allowances for those eventualities.

Copyright 2004 by DeAnna Spencer

Note to editors: To show my appreciation to the editors that use my articles, I offer a free solo ad. Simply send an email to me by using the form on the contact me page on my website to tell me the url the article was used on or send me a copy of the ezine it was used in.

This article may be redistributed freely on the Internet as long as the resource box remains intact.

By DeAnna

Santa - The Brand

2008-07-16T19:48:00.011-07:00

Every Christmas Eve, a burglar named Santa busts into homes around the world, but he has never been charged with B&E. He has one of the best, most positive brands around and it continues to inoculate him against any hint of impropriety, as it has for generations.

Why does Santa's brand remain so strong? Because Santa is:

? Consistent

? Unique

? Customer-focused

? Viral

Let's examine these to see what lessons we can learn.

First off, Santa has a positioning statement and has used it to stay true to his mission for decades.

It is this consistency that has helped him build a brand franchise that is the envy of other marketers. No matter what kind of communication vehicle he uses, the message is measured against the positioning statement.

Fed-Ex and UPS also deliver packages, but they don't do it in the middle of the night in a sleigh drawn by eight tiny reindeer. Santa has cornered the market on uniqueness.

He has not strayed from the market he identified in his positioning statement. His target is not every carbon-based life form. He focuses on kids. End of story. Talk about customer intimacy. Santa has perfected data mining.

Who else knows if you:

? are sleeping or awake

? want a Barbie or a baseball bat

? have been naughty or nice

Santa invented viral marketing. As his customers get older and become parents, they market to the emerging group of customers for him. They know that if they deliver Santa's message, they will benefit from their children's good behavior.

And it's not just the parents. Other marketers help him, too. Santa has never spent a dime on advertising. He has used good public relations tactics to develop, manage and maintain solid relationships with marketers who advertise for him. Consider the Coca-Cola ads featuring Mr. Claus. Think of all the newspaper inserts that carry his picture during the holidays. Then, there are all those helpers in department stores everywhere.

Because of his adherence to simple marketing tactics, everyone loves Santa. Not bad for an old burglar with a reindeer fetish.

By Harry Hoover

Brand Your Consulting Brilliance

2008-07-16T19:48:00.009-07:00

Today's competitive marketplace for consulting services is no longer responsive to the marketing strategies that worked in the past. The services you provide should speak volumes about your consulting business. Think about what happens when you hear phrases such as "the ultimate driving machine," "don't leave home without it," and "just do it." Chances are good that you can immediately associate them with BMW, American Express, and Nike. These companies have mastered "brand brilliance." Brand your consulting brilliance because the future of your business depends on it.

There's an old adage, "Perception is reality." Simply stated, the perception of a brand lies in its ability to influence a client's behavior. When you have successfully branded your business, in the client's eye there is no service in the marketplace quite like your service.

All consulting businesses should have a distinct, sustainable, and competitive advantage to differentiate their services from the competition. I call this process of identifying your advantage "Brand Your Consulting Brilliance."

Here are six simple steps to brand and differentiate your services in the new economy.

1. Think client focus first.
The client's reality: Consulting businesses exist to serve clients. Develop a client visitation calendar and schedule in-person visits. Look the client in the eye and say, "I am here to serve you." Follow up and follow through on all client-related matters in a timely manner.

Create a client questionnaire so clients can rate the performance of your services. You want them to tell you how you're doing and what you can do to serve them better. It's also a way to discover what challenges they are currently facing. Be relentless in your client retention efforts.

2. Discover a distinct advantage that will set you apart from competitors.
Start by articulating your "unique marketing proposition," a statement of all of the qualities and characteristics that set your services apart in the marketplace. Analyze your services: What skills and services do we provide that are distinctive, measurable, and add value? Which of our past successes can we leverage in the marketplace? And don't forget to ask colleagues what they see as your competitive strengths.

Communicate these messages reinforcing your unique marketing proposition anytime you have an opportunity to write or speak about your consulting firm and what you have to offer to prospective clients.

3. Generate publicity.
What others say about your brand is much more powerful and credible than what you can say about it yourself. When it comes to branding your consulting brilliance, favorable publicity in the media or word of mouth is far superior to advertising. So how do you generate the publicity "buzz"? Create a buzz about your brand by being visible: speaking at seminars, publishing a newsletter on your website, participating as a host or guest on television or radio talk shows, writing a column in a reputable trade journal, and networking.

4. Promote a powerful perception of quality in the client's mind.
What is quality if not a perception that resides in the mind of the client? You build quality intangibles around trust, reliability, excellent people, and innovative client services. Show clients that you can interpret and process their information to convert it to results oriented solutions. What you say is important, but what you do is even more important for reinforcing their perception of your brand quality.

Keep the lines of communication open. The goal of branding your consulting brilliance is to convince the client that your brand is worth their trust and worth a premium price.

5. Establish your credentials as an industry leader in the field.
Clients like to know they are doing business with an industry leader. Make clients aware of your consulting acumen, presence, and commitment. Know your clients' businesses inside out - what they do, why they do it, how they do it. Tout your firm's successful track record of accomplishment in working with companies like theirs.

Build and sustain credibility with clients by strengthening your client relationships, developing a client retention strategy, demonstrating that you value your new clients, and going the extra mile for them.

6. Practice consistency in building your consulting brilliance.
Stay focused on implementing the branding of your consulting brilliance. Keep abreast of marketing trends in your profession and position yourself as a recognized expert. Make the most of your unique marketing proposition. Accelerate and elevate the perceived value of your brand in the marketplace.

In short, to brand your consulting brilliance, know what you have to offer, know how to differentiate it, and know how to market it.

By Robert Moment

You Bored Me at Hello - Top Three Strategies for Networking Your Brand

2008-07-16T19:48:00.007-07:00

"You had me at hello," those famous words from the movie Jerry McGuire let Tom Cruise know that Rene Zellweger's character was hooked from that point and the rest of his talking was unnecessary. When in networking situations, many small business owners leave people with a slightly different feeling. If questioned for the truth, what would likely be said is, "you bored me at hello!" That is definitely not a great way to grow your business into a powerful name brand. Networking works, but not if you leave your prospects bored.

Networking opportunities are everywhere. You can find them at Chamber of Commerce and Better Business Bureau events, not to mention when you are in line at the grocery store. There are even groups of people who regularly meet solely for the purpose of networking. Unfortunately, all of the networking opportunities in the world will not help grow your business unless people remember you and your company after you are gone.

Here are three strategies to avoid boring people during your next networking opportunity:

1) Gone in Thirty-Seconds - Attention spans are getting shorter and shorter. Any longer than thirty seconds for your "elevator speech" and you will be tuned out. People cannot sit through a thirty-second commercial without changing the channel on the television. Your business will be treated the same way. They will start thinking about what they need to pick up on the way home or other random thoughts. Many times, they are simply waiting for you to stop talking so they can try to sell you on their business. Your brand message must be short, simple and to the point. If you ramble too much, the person will start feeling like Charlie Brown in school - "wahwah, wah wah wah," "yes ma'am."

2) Red or Black - Pick a color. Roulette gives you the option of betting on red or black. If you bet red, you win when it hits on any red number. Winning is good. If it hits on any black number, you lose. Losing is not so good. However, when you "hedge" and bet on red and black together you are guaranteed to not win. In a networking situation, limit what you talk about. Sure, you are risking leaving out something the prospect would like to hear. However, unless you get lucky and mention it first, the odds are that you will lose their attention by then anyway. Limit the scope of your brand, or say everything and be remembered for nothing.

3) Listen - That's right, you are remembered more when you listen. Most of us go through our day fighting to be heard. It feels really good to be acknowledged and understood. So good that we automatically think highly of the person listening to us. Listening demonstrates that you value the person talking. Sincerely listen to what the other person has to say and they will leave with high regard for you and your business.

There ya have it, networking success as simple as 1, 2, 3! Follow all three strategies and you are sure to notice a sharp improvement in your networking. Before you know it, you will leave your future clients saying "you sold me at hello!" Now, those types of responses build a powerful brand!

By Kevin Kearns

Eye On The Pie: Branding From an Investors P.O.V.

2008-07-16T19:48:00.005-07:00

When building a business as a brand it's important to avoid a myopic view and consider another important aspect of the business game as well-- investing. After any amount of toil and hard work to create a valuable product, service or company the big game is when you go public-- when money-minded people want more, they want a piece of your brand pie.

For many entrepreneurs who are just starting out or are flying solo for any amount of years, it's often inconceivable that anyone would want a piece of their business in the future when they are struggling to grow now. For those who find themselves in this implausible thought or for those who believe in the 'brass ring' of going public there are four things you should consider now that will enable that kind of big future.

On a recent flight from Los Angeles to Orlando I experienced a flight of fancy beyond anything I have ever felt before. When I booked through Delta airlines, I was issued a ticket on a company I had not heard of before called Song. I thought it odd but nothing beyond that. That all changed from the moment I got to the gate.

Waiting for the plane to board, I sensed a light buzz flowing through people at the gate. They were actually thrilled to be waiting. I thought that happy gas had been pumped into just this section because across from us was another group on another airline waiting to board who were not feeling the same thing. Then the pre-boarding began.

A male Latin voice came over the intercom and began the boarding with... a joke-- a different experience. He then went on to announce the boarding procedure with so much joy that I couldn't wait to get in line. I wasn't even in a hurry to get on the plane. When I got to the door, the woman taking my ticket greeted me as if I arrived at her home for a party-- a very different experience.

I walked on the plane and heard upbeat music, saw the colorful comfortable seats, and was greeted by fashionably dressed flight-attendants by the time I sat down, the first thing I said to Nanci, a perky brunette from Atlanta, was "How can I invest in Song?" The plane hadn't even taken off yet!

When working with entrepreneurs and businesses of all sizes, I often stress the need to create a brand experience for the customer from every point of contact. Never was this point hit home so beautifully... and so fun.

Let's breakdown my desire to invest in this company just from just a single contact in four points of connection we humans can relate to:

One, most airlines are scrambling to cover losses and willing to slash prices to get people flying again-- Delta included. As they scramble to react, new airlines were capturing market share with lower price points. With Song, Delta made the decision to expand rather than dilute Delta's existing brand and value proposition. They needed to go in another direction and create something completely different to join the battle. Now I wasn't here too observe this personally, but it seems to me they responded like a nimble entrepreneur eyeing a market opportunity, not a giant digging in. To make big advances, bold steps are needed.

Two, from the very beginning they had me emotionally. From the moment I was at the gate through when I stepped off the plane they touched me. I got to choose from a menu of great food and I got to choose my entertainment-- the music selection was better than a record store. I felt so good I didn't even think I was in the air. No emotional detail was spared. They nailed it big time. It was all planned down to the detail. I wouldn't have been surprised if the Captain came on and introduced Cirque du Soleil (the famed performers from Canada) would be performing soon. They had me from... the joke. Create and experience I'll buy more than a ticket.

Three, they were able to make this emotional impact on me because the airline itself came from a deep place of belief. After the unfortunate events of September 11th, the airline industry was reeling. Delta employees knew they had to do something to capture the hearts of flyers or cutbacks and layoffs were on the horizon. They believed they had to deliver an exceptional service never before experienced at a price that the public would pay. No more doing business as usual, they had to create something that they personally would want to experience. They took the big business of flight and made it deeply personal. They were able to get me emotionally because of their deep belief.

Four, as a smart investor I knew that if Song was able to keep up this level of experience for their customers in a dependable fashion that it would indeed become "the airline of choice" for me. I also knew there are lots of me's in the world. At this rate of experience, it would be no time at all before they expanded their routes and create a powerful brand presence in the marketplace. A smart investor knows to follow their own instincts and invest in more than just the numbers-- what they experience as valuable-- what they believe in.

And all of this was woven together with the CEO's passion of music, hence the name. This was by far the best branded experience I have ever witnessed... no... experienced!

If investors look at businesses from this viewpoint, then shouldn't you as a business owner do the same?

Whether you are a small business owner or a new entrepreneur develop your brand by focusing on "experience," doing so will undoubtedly put your business closer to your customer AND closer to the investment pie. And you will also enjoy the journey!

Unfortunately, Song is not public... yet. I'm first in line.

By Kim A. Castle

Optimize Your Mailing List For Better Results

2008-07-16T19:48:00.003-07:00

A list of customers who have previously bought from you is your most important asset. These are the customers who will provide you with return business, which is more profitable than the first sale. Are you getting the most from your customer list? There are some secrets you should know, so you can squeeze the most benefits out of your mailing list.

Most business' customer lists consist of this information: Name, Address, City, State, Zip. That's it. Unfortunately, this mailing list is almost worthless. You need to have more information in your files than just that. I have 32 information fields in my customer database! You should be able to set these up in your computer's database, or, if you don't use a computer (you REALLY should), all this information should fit on a large size index card in a card file. Here are the fields I have in my customer database:

Product Code Publication Issue Purchase LastName Of Customer FirstName of Customer Address1; Address2 / POBox City; State; Zip; Amount Paid Ship Date Phone Number

Almost any address possible can be put into my database without having to leave out information or abbreviate. The next three are for phone numbers. You MUST have your customer's phone numbers, when possible, to be able to follow up quickly and efficiently. Making one phone call can be the difference between a big sale or NO sale.

The InqDate field is where I record the date the customer first inquired about my products and services, and the date I sent the information, since it's always the same day (there's no excuse not to follow up your inquiries on the same day you receive them). This information, coupled with the ReferSource field, tells me when my ads are hitting, and how quickly people are responding to them. If I see that inquiries are coming in slowly, or long after the ad is out, I know that I need more action incentives in my next ad. The ReferSource field is where I enter the "key" from my ad. I use a letter code after my street address to indicate which publication and issue the inquiry comes from. I also code my mailings, for the same reason.

I enter a date into the two FollowUp fields to indicate when I want to send follow up literature to customers who don't order on the first try. I usually put a date two weeks from the InqDate in FollowUp1, and one two weeks later than that in FollowUp2. Then, every day, I run a search on these two fields to pull up any records that have today's date as a follow up date. I can then print labels and put them on the envelopes and literature I have ready for follow ups.

I use the next three fields (SubDate, SubAmount, RenewDate) for the newsletter I publish. These would have the date I receive their subscription, the amount they paid (I sometimes run special prices), and the date I want to send subscription renewal information (usually 10 1/2 months from the SubDate). I can then print labels in the same manner as I do for the FollowUp fields.

Next come the Purchase fields. I have three sets of purchase fields, one for each purchase the customer makes. In the Purch1 field, I enter a code for the product they have purchased. The other two fields get the date and amount of the purchase. The second and third sets of fields get the same information for the customer's second and third purchases. The best customers to mail offers to are the ones that have purchased within the last 90 days, so I don't have to worry about many customers making more than three purchases during that time period (though I hope they will!). If someone does make a fourth purchase, I move the second and third sets of data up to the first and second lines, and enter the new purchase information in the third data set.

These fields are extremely important. I can instantly pull up a list of customers that have purchased within the past 90 days, or 60 days, or 30 days, or even 15 days. When you rent out your house mailing list, like I do, this information is vital. The rental amount you can charge increases as the amount of time since the customer's purchase decreases.

The Comments field is used to store any miscellaneous information about the customer that I think is important to know.

I use the final field, Cust#, for a specially coded customer number that I assign each customer. I use this code to identify the recipient of any commissions I may pay to customers who have brought business my way.

That's a lot of information, and you may be wondering why I would need all of that. Well, I've already told you how I use the purchase data fields for identifying the "age" of the customers. I can also use the TotAmount field to compile a list of customers who have bought more than a certain amount from me. Together, these field searches can be used to produce a customized mailing list of, for example, customers who have bought more than $50 in the past 30 days. These would be the most responsive people to mail to, and would render the highest rental rate.

I can also use certain mailing list fields to identify people who should be dropped from my list. For example, I can search for customers with FollowUp2 dates that are four weeks past today's date, and TotAmounts of zero. These customers could be erased from my list. Or, I could leave them on file, and put a word or two in the Comments field reminding me not to mail anything else to them, in case they inquire again. This saves me the cost of mailing something to someone who probably won't respond. They might, but chances are they won't.

Finally, if I get a customer who has returned too many orders, or has defrauded me in some way, I can put that information in the Comments field. Then, if they order again, when their file comes up, I will see their history, and can use extra caution with them.

As you can see, if you use foresight when initially setting up your customer list, you will have a valuable tool that you can use to increase your order potential, increase your income through specialized list rental, and decrease your mailing costs by eliminating "deadwood" from your list. This is one of the most important methods you can use to increase your chances of success.

Copyright 2004 by DeAnna Spencer

Note to editors:
To show my appreciation to the editors that use my articles, I offer a free solo ad. Simply send an email to me by using the form on the contact me page on my website to tell me the url the article was used on or send me a copy of the ezine it was used in.

By DeAnna

Creating Powerful Names for Products, Services, and Your Business

2008-07-16T19:48:00.001-07:00

The name of your business is important--it's one of the first things potential customers know about it. And having unique names for each of your products and services can be a powerful selling tool. One way to make yourself and your business attractive is to have something exclusive and enticing, promising benefits. Good names for your business, products and services can do that. Good names market for you.

Do you have a hard time coming up with names? Perhaps you called your business ABC Enterprises, because you just couldn't think of anything else. What does that name say about you and what you do? Nothing. Nada. Zip. It doesn't tell customers why they would want to do business with you, because they have no idea what it is that you do, or who you do it for.

Here's my favorite way to come up with a name. I call it "Idea Storming." OK, I just did it to you. Marketing with a name, that is. "Idea Storming" is a name I came up with to describe one of my services. Brainstorming has been done to death. Been there, done that, got the t-shirt from the seminar. Idea Storming puts a slight twist on it. You recognize the concept, but it has a different name, and it ties to my Idea Lady identity. Not a spectacular example, but see how it works?

Anyway, I help my clients to Idea Storm, but here's how you can do it on your own. Get a piece of paper and a pen. Write down every word or phrase you can think of to describe your business. What do you do? Who are your clients? What results do you get for them? What words would your clients use to describe what you do? How would they describe the feeling they got doing business with you? Why is your business better than others?

Once you've got a nice, long list, keep going. Get out your thesaurus (or use the one in your word processor) to come up with words with meanings similar to what you wrote down. Scan books and magazine articles for words and phrases that jump off the page at you. Talk to friends and associates, and get them to Idea Storm with you.

Now, take your list and start combining the words and phrases. Take this word and add it to that one. Use this phrase, but substitute that word. Take pieces of two words and make a brand new word.

I've used this method to come up with lots of names and titles over the last few years. This is how I created names such as The Idea Lady, Solo-preneuring, and many more.

Another great benefit of Idea Storming is that even the words and phrases you don't use in your name can be used in a slogan, on your business cards, in sales letters, in brochures and in other marketing materials.

This technique is simple. But it really works.

By Cathy Stucker

Trademark Your Business - Lessons Learned

2008-07-16T19:47:00.017-07:00

Small business owners learn many lessons the hard way - through the school of hard knocks. I recently experienced my own tough lesson concerning the importance trademarking my business name. Like many solo-entrepreneurs on a tight budget, the thought of trademarking my business name was not high on my priority list. Had I placed more importance on it, I might have saved myself some anxious moments, not to mention a few hundred dollars in attorney fees!

As a member of a couple different virtual assistant membership organizations, I often look with interest at other VA's business names and website URL's. One day I noticed a new member announcement for one of the groups and saw a listing for VA Office Solutions. Now this one hit a little too close to home for me - after all, my business name is VA Office Solution. I also noticed that she had a domain name to match.

Have you figured out my first mistake yet? I could have kicked myself for not purchasing the domain name, http://www.vaofficesolutions.com, which is so close to my own domain name of www.vaofficesolution.com. After all, even some of my own clients inadvertently add an "s" to the end of my business name in correspondence. I certainly didn't want people to look for my business on the Internet, and mistakenly find this other website! This could potentially be very confusing for both of us, especially considering we both operate similar businesses and conduct our business virtually, working with people all over the country.

Well the first thing I did was a little research on this domain name. I was able to find the owner and saw that the name had only recently been purchased, and had only been purchased for a one year period. This indicated to me that this was a new business, and she had only just started using this name.

Then next step was to get some legal advice. I had met an attorney who specializes in trademark law at a networking event so I gave her a call and asked to meet with her. I learned that I definitely had a good case, as I'd been using the trademark since 2001. Even though I had not formally registered the trademark with the USPTO (U.S. Patent and Trademark Office), I still had first use of the trademark, which gives me certain rights.

After meeting with the attorney, I decided that my first step should be filing my trademark with the USPTO (http://www.uspto.gov). Now this is something that I could do myself, without paying an attorney, but taking into consideration my own time constraints and her expertise, I decided to let her handle it for me. Also, since there would need to be a letter drafted to the trademark infringer after my trademark had been filed, I just felt more comfortable letting my attorney draft a letter that would be effective enough to get the infringer to stop using the trademark and take the website down.

So how did it all end? Well I got my trademark registered and we sent the letter to the trademark infringer. She agreed to stop using the trademark and took the website down. All in all, the entire process took about three months. I feel very lucky though, as I was able to find this infringer very soon after she opened her doors for business. By getting it done quickly, it should not have been devastating to her business and did not have an apparent affect on my business.

So what should you consider when deciding if you should trademark your business name? First you should conduct some research to make sure you're not infringing on someone else's trademark. You may be forced to stop using it if that's the case. If you decide to trademark your business name, then you must be prepared to enforce your mark. If you allow others to use the mark, then you can face abandonment and risk losing your own trademark. You should also consider the domain name issue. Do not make the mistake I did and let someone else snatch up a domain name that matches your trademark.

By Jean Hanson

The Secrets of Starting Business Successfully

2008-07-16T19:47:00.015-07:00

Starting Business Secrets will help you to start your own business successfully.

The American Dream is, and always will be, to come up with an idea, start a business and become rich from your own efforts. Based upon this motivation, thousands of businesses fail each year, due primarily to not being familiar with the basics involved in running a business.

This report will enlighten you, and give you a number of suggestions you can use to better guarantee your chances for success. This report is written with the warning that any and every business venture contains certain inherent risks, and any number of alternatives. We do not espouse that any one way is the right way or that our suggestions are the only way. On the contrary, we advise that before investing any money in a business venture, you seek counselling and help from a qualified accountant and/or attorney.

Just about the first thing you should consider before deciding to start or purchase a business is the legal form you'll be operating under. There are basically four choices: sole proprietorship, partnership, limited partnership, and/or corporation.

Each has a number of advantages and disadvantages. We'll try to enumerate some of them for you.

As much as anything else, for many people starting a business is a form of ego-gratification, and they form a corporation for some sort of prestige gain - just to say, "I own a corporation."

With just a little bit of observation, you'll find that one of the major causes of business failures is due to the founder wasting start-up capital on frills, such as an impressive store- front office, expensive furnishings, and corporate legal costs.

One of the basic traits you must develop it you're going to be successful in business, is a tight hold on your expenditures. In fact, a good rule of thumb is that anything that does not make money for yo or protect your investment, should not be purchased at this time. Very definitely, this applies to the expense of setting up your own corporation.

Unless you have a partnership and start your business as such, the only real advantage to forming a corporation would appear to be that a corporate structure will semi-protect the property you personally own.

As an example, you own a home and car. You form a corporation to protect these possessions from business losses. Yet, if you can be found guilty of misusing corporate funds, your business creditors can pierce the corporate shield and come after your possessions.

Basically, if you invest everything you have in your business, as most newcomers do, you don't usually need a corporation because you have nothing to protect. Your household possessions, personal belongings, generally your car, and even a portion of the equity in your home is protected by the homestead provision of the Federal Bankruptcy Act, and cannot be taken away from you.

As a sole proprietor or partner of a business you'll be paying taxes on your overall earnings, much the same as if you were holding down a salaried or hourly paid job. Whether you do or don't take out money as a salary will have no bearing on the earnings of your business and tax return.

The often advertised advantage of incorporating, that you can manipulate your salary in order to save on tax dollars, is real because of corporation laws. However, the IRS frowns on this practice. When your business is successful and making a lot of money, definitely check with your accountant on the advantages of incorporating.

As a corporation, you'll be subject to a number of other drawbacks as well: generally higher state taxes, stricter laws concerning the operation of your business, more elaborate accounting procedures, and legal papers that are required just about every time you make a major move or sign almost any contract. Thus, your legal and accounting fees will be much higher as a corporation than will those required for a sole proprietorship type of business.

As a sole proprietor or partnership, you'll find many areas require the registration of your business name. The cost however, is minimal, ranging from $5 to $100. About the best way to find out what laws apply in your area, is to call your bank and ask if they need a fictitious name registration card or certificate in order for you to open a business account.

Selecting a name for your business is quite important to you and particularly relative to advertising. Your business name should describe the product or services you offer. Fancy names such as, Linda's Clipping Service will lose potential "walk-in and passing" customers to the beauty shop across the street that calls itself, Patti's Beauty Salon or Jane's Hair Styling Shop.

The advantage of using your full name in the title of your business, such as Johnny Jones' Meat Lockers, has the advantage of making credit somewhat easier to come by - provided you pay your bills on time - but it also includes the disadvantage of confining your services to a local or at most, a regional area.

Should you buy, lease, or rent a space for your business? think twice before you make any decision along these lines. Most businesses tend to grow quickly or they never get off the ground.

There are a few exceptions, but only a very few, that tend to grow at a modified rate.

So, buying a piece of property and setting up your business on or within that property, obligates you to ownership regardless of what happens to your business.

Leases are almost always very strong contracts written by attorneys to the advantage of the property-owner. When you sign an agreement to pay someone for the use of their space over any length of time, you're "nailed in" to paying for that space regardless of what happens to your business.

In the beginning, it's wise to either get the shortest-term lease possible, or arrange to rent with an option to lease at a later date. This does not apply to a retail business, unless your particular business happens to be an untried one.

Definitely, you should open a business bank account. In selecting a bank for your business, scout around and look for one that can, and will help you. Determine what your banking needs will be, and then via telephone, interview the managers of the banks in your area. The important convenient bank to your business location.

A point to remember: the closer you can make the relationship between you and the bank manager, the better your chances are going to be for approval on loans and/or special favors you may need at a later date.

Try to become acquainted with as many of the bank employees as possible. The better you know them, the more courtesies they'll be extending especially to you in the course of your association.

Just as a doctor is a specialist in his field, and you go to him for medical problems, your banker is a specialist in his field and you should go to him for your money problems. In business, you'll have to learn that everyone is an expert in his own line of work, and in your associations with other business people, refrain from acting like a "sharpie" and/or pretending that you know exactly how everything works in someone else's specialty.

You'll find that very often, different banks specialize in different types of businesses. As an example, you're sure to find banks that specialize in real estate transactions, export- import businesses, and even manufacturing operations only.

What I'm saying here is that if you're planning to sella fairly expensive item, your customers will probably need and/or want financing. It will behoove you to select a bank familiar with your type of product that will afford your customers, through you, contract financing.

Some of the questions you should ask of your banker include the following:

Is it necessary to maintain a certain balance in your account before the bank will approve a loan for you? What qualifications must you have in order to obtain a line of credit with the bank?

Does the bank limit the number of loans, or types of loans it will approve for small businesses?

What is the bank's policy regarding the size of a check you might deposit that requires holding for collection?

And what about checks less than that amount - will they be immediately credited to your account?

In almost all types of businesses, it will be to your benefit to set up with your bank, a method of handling VISA, Master Charge, and regional credit cards. The important thing here is to ultimately set up your account in the bank that will service all of these credit transactions for you - one stop for all your banking needs. In most instances, you'll find that having the capability to fill orders/make sales via credit card transactions, will increase your volume of sales appreciatively.

Once you've made the decision as to which bank is going to handle your account, you'll need your Social Security Number or your Federal Employer's Identification Number, your driver's license, the fictitious name certificate, and if you're requesting a VISA or Master Charge franchise, you'll also need a financial statement.

For corporations, you'll also need a corporate resolution approving of the opening of your business account.

There are different policies exercised in just about every state regarding installation/hook-up charges by the telephone and utility companies. Some require a deposit, and some don't.

You'll find that a great number of city business license departments are there solely for the purpose of collecting another tax. Depending on the type of business you're asking a license for, the building and zoning people may inspect your premises for soundness of structure and safety. Generally, you won't encounter any difficulties - you simply pay your fee to operate your business in that city, and the clerk types your name onto a city license certificate.

Relative to sales tax permits and licenses, each state's rules and regulations very widely. The best thing to do is call your state offices and ask for information concerning registry and collection procedures. Many states require an advance deposit or bond, and you'll find that some wholesalers or manufacturers will not sell to you at wholesale prices until you can show them your sales tax permit or number.

Should your business entail selling your products or services across state lines, in another state, you're not required to collect taxes except in those where you have offices or stores.

You may find also that your particular business requires the collection of Federal Excise Taxes. For information along these lines, check in with your local office of the Internal Revenue Service.

Some states also require certain businesses to hold state licenses, such as those required in many states for TV Repairmen.

These are known as "occupational permits" and are most often required of barbers, hair stylists, real estate people and a number of other consumer oriented businesses. If you have any doubts, check with your state offices for a list of those occupations that require licensing.

Any business doing business in any type of interstate commerce is subject to federal regulations, usually through the Federal Trade Commission. This means that any business that shops, sells or advertises in more than one state is subject to such regulation, and this includes even the smallest of mail order operations.

Normally, very few business people ever have and contact with the federal regulatory agencies. The only exceptions being when there is a question of your operating your business unethically or illegally.

Any business that sells or distributes food in any manner almost always requires a county health department permit. If your business falls into this category, simply call the county health department and invite them out to your place of business for an inspection. The fees generally range from about $25, depending on the size of your business when they first inspect it for permit approval.

There are also a number of businesses that require inspection by a fire marshall, and fire department approval. Generally, these are those that handle flammable materials or attract large numbers of people, such as a theater. Overall, the local fire department has to be allowed to inspect your premises whenever they desire to do so.

You may also run into a requirement for an air and/or water pollution control permit. These specifically apply to any business that burns anything, discharges anything into the sewers or waterways, or use any gas-producing product, such as a paint sprayer.

Without a doubt, you'll need to check on local regulations relating to advertising display signs. Each city or township makes its own rules and then enforces those rules according to its own thinking -check before you contract to have a sign made for your business.

The design and placement of your sign is very important to your business - specifically to retail establishments - but let me remind you that your business sign is usually the first thing a potential customer sees and as such, it should catch his eye and leave an impression that lasts. It would be a good idea to ride around your town and take a look at the signs that catch your eye, and try to determine the impression of the business that sign leaves on you. This is a basic learning formula for determining the design, size and placement of your business sign.

Some of the other things to consider before opening for business - If you intend to employ one or more employees, you'll be required to deduct Federal Income Taxes, and Social Security payments from their checks. This will involve your filing for a Federal Tax Number and necessitates contact with your local IRS Office.

Most states have "unemployment taxes" which will have to be deducted from the paychecks of any employees you hire. And there are a number of states that have income taxes - disability insurance - and any number of other taxes. Again, the best thing to do is check with your local office of the IRS. And above all else, don't forget to ask for the rules of the minimum wage law, and comply.

When your business grows to the point of needing additional help, don't be afraid to look for and hire the help you need. when you're ready to hire someone, simply run an ad in your local paper and/or register your needs with the local office of your state's employment service. Businesses either grow or die, and those that grow eventually need more people in order to continue growing.

When that time comes, hire the additional people you need, and your business will continue growing. If you don't, for whatever reason, you'll find yourself married to your business and your business growth stymied.

Regardless of how small your business is when you begin, never walk in with the thought in mind that it's something to keep you busy. Anyone with an attitude of that kind is a fool. You begin and make a business successful in order to realize financial freedom. Establish your business. Put it on its feet, and then hire other people to do the work for you. And those businesses that require an operations manager, or someone to run a phase of the business you're too busy to handle, hire the person needed or the business will surely suffer.

To protect the investment of your business, you need business insurance. If you've never had any experience with business insurance, simply look under the heading of "business insurance" in your phone directory. Ask for bids from several different companies or agents...Primarily, you should have a policy that gives you general liability, fire, workmen's compensation, business interruption, and vehicle coverage. You amy also want coverage against possible losses related to burglary, robbery, Life & Accident, Key Man, and Fidelity Bonds.

As the sole proprietor of a business, you won't be paid as an employee, so there will be no income tax deducted from whatever you withdraw from the company's earnings. What you'll have to do is a gain check with the IRS Office for a Tax Guide For Small Businesses Handbook, and probably end up filing an estimated tax return on a quarterly basis.

The minute you open your doors for business, you'll have to spend some time engaged in the work of bookkeeping. Exactly how, and using what forms, you keep books, should be on the recommendations of a good tax counselor...The same holds true for your overall business and/or payroll accounting system. Look for an experienced CPA that knows the accounting problems to your particular kind of business, and solicit his advise/counseling.

If your business is going to involve the possible purchase or lease of operating equipment, again seek the help of your tax counselor for the most advantageous method of obtaining the needed equipment.

Basically, arranging for your suppliers to give you materials on credit will depend upon your honesty and personal financial statement. The best way is usually a personal visit to the person with the power to approve or disapprove of credit at the company where you want to set up a credit account. Show him your financial statement, and explain your prospects for success. Then assure him that you've always honored all of your obligations, and that if ever there's a question or problem, you'd like for him to call you at home. And of course, give him your home phone number.

We won't go into the exigencies of advertising your products, services or business here, but there is something along these lines you should always keep in mind. The best kind of advertising your business can receive is that you don't really pay for - publicity.

When something unusual happens to you, your business, or your employees - that's news, so be sure to tell the news media in your area about it.

The most important ingredient of your eventual success will be the soundness of the planning you did before you started your business. Any number of bad things can really throw your business into a tailspin, but it you've done your homework well - really set up a detailed business plan before starting - your losses or setbacks will be minimal. Success takes planning, and within this report, you've got a basic checklist...The rest is up to you...Good luck, and may your life overflow with success in all that you undertake from this moment forward.

By Julia Tang

Build Customer Loyalty by Promoting Your Customers

2008-07-16T19:47:00.013-07:00

Do you want to attract new customers while building greater loyalty among your current customers? Include your customers in your marketing and promotions. By creating greater awareness of your customers (and their businesses) you may help to build their businesses and increase their demand for your products and services. Whether or not using customers in your marketing causes them to buy more from you, your willingness to showcase them will cause them to feel more attachment to you and will encourage them to remain customers for a long time to come. Here are a few ways you can make this work for you.

Ask your customers to share their success stories and get their permission to use them. How have they benefitted from their association with you? Have them share their stories on audio or video or in print and use them in your marketing. In their ads, Sterling Bank in Houston has their small business customers tell how they grew their businesses with the help of their Sterling bankers. It sends a great message about the bank, and increases awareness of the featured businesses.

Tell your customers' stories in your newsletter. If you publish a print or online newsletter, include profiles of your customers and tell how you worked with them to help them succeed. Or, use the stories in your print ads. A photo of a happy customer accompanied by the story of what you did for them is very persuasive.

Audio and video recordings of customer stories can be incorporated into your television and radio advertising. Hearing customers in their own words is a powerful way to communicate the benefits of doing business with you, and your customers will appreciate the visibility they get when they are featured in your ads. You can also use streaming audio and video files at your web site.

Feature links to your customers' web sites from yours. It doesn't cost anything to add a few links, and customers will appreciate the extra visibility. It may also help improve the search engine rankings, not only for your customers' web sites, but for yours as well.

Make connections between customers. Do you have customers who could benefit from knowing other customers? Perhaps you could make referrals to bring them together. Or, host a networking event where they can get to know each other.

Include customers in your publicity. The media like to have multiple sources for stories, perhaps to back up what you are saying or to provide another point of view. In one case, I was able to get a client included in a story and she was able to get one of her clients into the story, too! Your clients will not only appreciate that you got them publicity, they will be impressed with your media "pull."

Promoting your customers as well as yourself is a great win-win for your business. Look for opportunities to create a greater bond between yourself and your customers by including them in your marketing and promotions.

By Cathy Stucker

Setting the Right Price

2008-07-16T19:47:00.011-07:00

One of the ways people get to know you is by the identity you project. Your company name, the way you present yourself, your business card and brochure, where you work, and other ways you conduct your business create an image that gives your customers information about you.

Pricing is a part of your image, too. Many entrepreneurs make the mistake of underpricing. They believe that the only way to attract customers is to have the lowest possible price. But this attitude can damage your business.

First of all, when you underprice you won't be adequately compensated for your time. You must be able to make enough money to pay your bills and grow your business, or you won't be in business very long.

Ironically, underpricing can actually result in getting fewer customers, not more. Think about this from the customer's perspective. Let's say you are looking for someone to do a job for you. You contact five companies, and get prices of $4000, $2700, $2500, $2400, and $1000. Which one would you select?

Assuming that the quotes are all based on the same specifications, most people would immediately eliminate the $4000 quote as being way out of line; however, they would also be suspicious of the $1000 quote. Why is it so much less than the others? Do they use substandard materials? Are their workers less skilled? Will they do a poor job--if they do the job at all?

Price isn't the only factor people consider when making a purchase. You might choose the $2700 quote because you decide the price is reasonable, and someone from the company called you back quickly. You get a good feeling from their responsiveness, and decide they may be worth a few dollars more than the lowest bidder.

Some markets are more price sensitive than others, and there is probably a price point you can't exceed for your product or service. But coming in far below the "going rate" can be just as harmful to your business as overpricing.

By Cathy Stucker.

Brand Building 201: Finding The Ideal Way

2008-07-16T19:47:00.009-07:00

The strongest and longest lasting brands branch off of an existing category. Branching takes patience and time. There are two speeds for launching a brand, each one with its own pros and cons.

Speed A, like a hot air balloon, takes a long time to prepare before the actual launch. PR, media marketing, favors A. Longevity success favors A. A tree grows stronger with a well-established roots. And this can only occur with good soil, careful fertilizing, watering, and time.

Speed B, like a helicopter, takes off quickly but requires more fuel on take off, fuel that isn't there later on. Advertising favors B. Speed B for the Internet means viral marketing--spreading by word of mouth. For the Net, this is usually e-mail marketing.

The main reason A is usually a wiser choice is because people are suspicious of new and different. Another reason why it takes any business years to build their success. A typical reaction: "Wait and see if this new concept turns out to be worth while". Letting the brand build slowly using PR techniques can be like watching a tree grow. You can be lulled into falling asleep, however, don't be. There is a pivoting point where PR needs to turn into massive advertising.

There are two hurdles each speed endures--credibility and conventional. Advertising fails because it usually can't convey credibility. It can create conventional--people want to buy what other people want. People buy to be normal. People like to visit restaurants that have lots of cars out front. Yet conventional cannot succeed without credibility. Credibility is why the most effective brand launching starts with PR. The only exception to this rule is selling to the early adopter market.

Real success is a combination of short-lived and longevity products and services. Short-lived can provide the additional capital needed to fuel big advertising campaigns or new research. If you look at the toy industry, you can see every Christmas they have short-lived fad items and they still maintain items, like the Slinky, now celebrating over 50 years.

Service businesses need to use a combination as well. Few in these areas understand the concept and usually brush it off as N/A, non-applicable, to them. Mainly due to the need for multiple marketing campaigns and the work needed to plan and implement. This holds a higher truth the smaller the practice usually due to time limitations.

Another gear in the branding wheel is the number of generations of buyers. Each generation have their own way of buying charactertics. The only answer for this, is to know how they are thinking and why they make the choices they do.

How do you move fast enough in a slow building process and still build credibility along the way? You can use the same method many public relations firms use--the leak. You leak the information before its ready for launching. The gestation length of the leaking period depends on the radicalness of the concept. The more revolutionary the concept, the less advertising should play into the campaign.

Advertising is used for brand maintenance not brand building. As I mentioned earlier, advertising lacks credibility, the crucial element for brand building.

The best way for PR use is to announce a new category not a new product. The media wants to talk about what's new and what's hot, not what's better. What they say about you delivers credibility. It's because someone else is talking about you.

Launching a PR campaign and an Advertising campaign are two totally different plans. This is a frequently misunderstood concept.

For the accompaning article, Seven Simple Steps To A PR Launch, visit the Abundance Center's article section.

By Catherine Franz

Standing Under the Umbrella And Still Getting Wet

2008-07-16T19:47:00.007-07:00

Make More Money Making a Name for Yourself

Calling all realtors, financial planners, insurance brokers, multi-level & network marketers, and anyone else who works in the precarious and often misunderstood position of operating under a large company brand umbrella yet operating as a separate business unto itself. You may find that you're standing under the umbrella and you're still getting wet-- not enjoying the unlimited personal and financial rewards that business opportunity offers.

Do you have trouble distinguishing yourself from another person working under the same umbrella brand? Do you feel the sting of this coming from the cubicle right next to you?

Do you sometimes feel that you don't get the support that you thought you would from the umbrella brand? Or, find your requests to the corporate office ignored?

Do you experience the pinch that comes from needing to tow the corporate line and the expectation to create your financial success as if you were operating your business as your own?

You can stop looking around. I'm not in your office. Really. You can stop looking around and you need to stop relying on the brand umbrella that you thought would provide you so much. Staying under there will only cause you more discomfort and take you further from fulfilling the dreams you had when you first started.

Don't look so dejected all is not lost. There's something you can do to turn the entire lose-lose situation around, but you have to be committed to being really successful and devoted to being truly happy. Not everyone is cut out for that. Are you?

Often, I have been hired to distinguish top-performing realtors from other realtors --their competition. Ninety-eight percent of time, the first thing my job calls for is to open the grip they have on their brokerage firm. You read it right, their grip on, not the grip the firm has on them. Once their clutch is relaxed, I can then successfully guide a real estate professional (or any type of broker or salesperson) to develop their own business as a brand; all the while honoring the larger umbrella brand that provides them the credibility and product value they need to cultivate their business. Working with an umbrella brand is a blessing, but it is not a crutch!

This applies to financial planners and insurance brokers as well with added attention given to the sensitive legal requirements of the larger institution. While a financial planner or insurance broker may drive everyday to an office building, park in the garage, walk past a receptionist sitting under the big brokerage logo, they eventually walk into their office or cubicle, sit at the desk of their own business and are responsible for getting their own clients and generating their own financial success.

Multi-level marketers and network marketers need to take a good step back from the brand they are selling because the umbrella brand's grasp is often even tighter. This keeps the majority of MLM participants from ever really hitting the marks that were promised as possible. The problem is not that the promised marks aren't possible. They're just so much more difficult to hit coming from the perspective at which most MLM salespersons operate.

When it comes to creating the business success you want in any of these or similar situations, it's not about distancing yourself from the umbrella brand's identity... it's about creating one of your own.

You need to take into your awareness that people don't just buy a product or service, they buy an experience. They buy something they believe in. They buy a feeling they can count on-- over and over and over. This is where you actually have an edge over the 'umbrella.'

The brand conglomerates find it very difficult to meet the experiential and emotional needs of the customers. They are just too big. You have the edge because you have what they don't; the individual customer and you connect with them on a daily basis.

It's what you do with that connection and how you communicate it that makes all the difference. This can be broken down into four important key factors:

* Realize that the umbrella brand is not a job, it's a tool that you've invested in to assist you in offering a top-quality product or service. It's an instrument that both the public and yourself recognize as of value in your specific field. If you think of it as one of many possible tools, even if you never employ another one, you will put your brand umbrella in the proper perspective and actually be able to use it more fully.

* Connect your own power to your business, after all, it is YOUR business. You are responsible for getting clients. You are responsible for keeping them. At the end of the day, you have to answer to your own disappointment or success. Remember, the power in any business is not the image of a business, it's not even the idea of the business, its the connection to the customer. They always will be yours.

* Establish your own brand voice through all your business communications. Design your own look and feel to your materials. Don't just rely on what the umbrella brand provides you. Everyone else in your situation is doing that. Depending solely on the big brand's voice will not only hurt you, your customers will find it impossible to separate you from your competition.

Note: When developing your own materials, you do need to take into consideration the large brand logo, colors and even language. After all, not only did you choose that umbrella brand for a reason, your brand will need to work along side with it.

* Know that your umbrella brand may be wary of your independence but they will most certainly love your financial success. They may buck some when you begin to deviate, but remember, going along with their plan is probably perpetuating your indistinguishable situation in the first place. Plain and simple... when you look great they look great. When you make money, they make money. When you make a lot more, they make a lot more. Period.

It's quite simple. You can make more money and experience greater enjoyment doing exactly what you're doing and working with the same umbrella brand, if you simply change your perspective.

By shifting your understanding from working under to working with your umbrella, you will find yourself using the 'the big brand umbrella' as a tool, staying dry AND basking in the bright sunlight of success.

Kim A. Castle, Co-founder BrandU?, Co-Author of Why BrandU: Big Business Success No Matter Your Size, and the BrandU? Bible, the only step-by-step workbook for developing your business as a brand.

By Kim Castle

Branding - More Than Just a Statement - A Memory Scar

2008-07-16T19:47:00.005-07:00

Conjure up in your mind broad rolling meadows with runs of cattle or stock of some type, all discriminate by virtue of a registered brand. That's a most common and accepted understanding of branding.

You have just now used your mind to develop a picture that promises easy recall. You may not yet be aware but there's always a new secret marketing aid being developed and made available ... nearly every day of the week.

I'd be one of many that could point out who the target group is for all of these hidden treasures and industrious salespeople. But if you're reading this, then take a bow and a large step forward! You are in fact the "demand" component of the supply that's being generated.

Now what happens when you also join the ranks of the industrious? It doesn't take a whole deal of thinking to recognize that you can easily get lost in the traffic, especially if you are starting up a business of your own. Being known as an absolute is a very real way of defeating some of that traffic; not the only way but a very effective one.

Your general copy writing and headline creation tactics certainly help the cause but in a saturated market environment you need to embrace every advantage.

Exactly what then, can you do, to be noticed? Question well asked and the answer ..... consider branding yourself.

The reason branding works is that it gives individuality to the value you provide to those that come to your site. If they don't come to your site then its through your e-mails, e-zines, blogs and advertisements.

It makes folk recall your Site and perhaps even prompts them to bookmark. Do it right and they might even opt to scan for forthcoming product that carries your brand name.

You'll be far more noticeable if you can create something that settles on someone's mind. Catch the imagination of your readers, use unique or quirky themes and make that difference that magnetizes your audience.

By way of example, let me relate a branding experience using a quick story.... tangent if you will.

There's a huge red rock located in the middle of Australia that was at one time known as Ayers Rock. More recently it has adopted the term Uluru.

The rock and the country around it belong to a group of Aboriginal people called Pitjantjatjara and Yankunytjatjara.

So, the people also have been renamed and are now referred to as "Anangu" because it's easier.

These people have a history rich in story and in this case they identify the various faces of the rock using that approach.

One saga goes something like this..... A long, long time ago, in the time of the Tjukurpa, which the Aborigines call the dreamtime, the animals gave shape to a rock.

There was a young woma python, or Kuniya, that was passing by and was surprised by a group of Liru, which are venomous snakes. Kuniya, not being from that area, was affronted by the Liru who threw spears at the python and killed him.

So hard did they throw their spears that the points made holes in the rock.

The Pythons ancestor, also a Kuniya, was so angered by this that he killed one of the Liru with a stick.

So, on the west face of the rock there are holes that are said to be from the points of the Lirus' spears and on the south face of the rock, Kuniya the woma python can still be seen as a dark wavy line on Uluru.

Now the story in itself doesn't mean a whole lot but if you are ever able to visit Uluru, you will happen to find a south and a west side of the rock that now has individuality because it's been branded.

To any one else this is simply a rock but to you, you now know there exists Western and Southern rock walls that hold special understandings. These are unique and remembered even if not in the original light.

Get yourself branded and stand out from the rocks that exist in your niche marketplace.

Start with your ads, an article or two and build from that into your website. Regardless of what appearance might do to enhance any efforts, it's generally how you stick in a customer's mind that produces results.

By Dave Jones

The Big Uneasy: Clearing the Clouds of Guess

2008-07-16T19:47:00.003-07:00

People often come to me to assist them with developing their brand because they are unable to accomplish the business success they desire. They're experiencing what we call the Big Uneasy--the state of being when things are hard. They are stuck in an idea, unable to make it happen, and dreams are unfulfilled. Life is heavy, there's a lack of flow... the Big Uneasy has taken over.

Knowledge is needed to alleviate the discomfort-- to grow your business, to make the right decisions. In our information-rich world of today there is a multitude of help available.

Multi-day, multi-speaker and multi-vendor events have become the norm. More help is coming to the rescue everyday. These essential events open people up to a greater world of possibility-- as well as something else that can be debilitating-- the clouds of guess.

Yes, you heard me right, the clouds of guess.

The breeding ground for the clouds of guess is amongst the amazing speakers sharing valuable experience and powerful tools at many multi-day events and the wonderful people seeking to grow and fully participate in success. I recently discovered this excruciating phenomenon on the speaking trail with my own company.

Like experiencing the marine layer as it gradually rolls in at dusk from the ocean, during the first day of the event the clouds were nearly undetectable--masked by the crowd's excitement and enthusiasm. But as day two and three day rolled out, the clouds of guess were swirling overhead. Hundreds of people became engulfed in these clouds. At first I thought it was simply information overload, however looking closer I found the "clouds" were really DECISION overload. "How do I decide which expert to go with?", "What tool is right for me for the money?", "What approach is best for my business right now?". These business owners were trying to decide without having a solid method to make a decision so...they were reduced to guessing.

By the end of the multi-day event they were unable to make any powerful decisions for their business. Only a skillful few were able to circumvent the clouds. What did they know, that most others didn't?

We often trip ourselves up by asking the wrong questions. The question isn't, what expert, tool or approach that can assist you best. If you are listening to someone on the stage they are most likely successful infopreneurs; and certainly has something of value to share with you. The real question is "where am I in my business, service or product at this specific point and what comes first."

We all take something for granted in our lives, myself included. A member of the Producers Guild of America with a background producing theatre, television, interactive games and the Internet, and an education in architecture, I often forget the value of the "process" perspective that I have honed.

Please know that there is an indisputable process necessary to produce anything-- especially something of value. And the process clears away the clouds of guess and prevents them from ever returning.

However, if the order of the process is altered, or if a step is skipped, something WILL go wrong. Not only will those clouds return, the new question will be... how much and how bad will it hurt?

The major milestones of a typical production process (bringing a idea into manifestation) in the language of entertainment is:

? Development (idea, concept & script)

? Pre-production (how will it be made, delivered, budgeting, casting, etc.)

? Production (making it)

? Post-production (delivering it)

Translating these major milestones to manifesting any business, service or product:

? Idea, Concept & Branding

? Productization - how will it be made or delivered, priced, where it fits in the existing product line or market, etc.

? Making it

? Marketing it

Use ALL those steps and the success you seek is yours.

The discipline and excellence you put into each step and every little thing you do is what allows success to manifest. The very process that you use directly impacts the speed of your result. Skipping a step in the process or doing it incompletely WILL delay or even prevent you from making your success happen.

Before your make any implementation decision, be clear about where you are in the manifestation process. I guarantee, operating in this place of clarity will keep away the clouds of guess and turn your Big Uneasy completely around.

Now that you know this, go out and make it happen!

W. Vito Montone, Co-founder BrandU?, Co-Author of Why Brand: Big Business Success No Matter Your Size, and BrandU? Bible, the only step-by-step workbook for developing your business as a brand. www.whybrandu.com.

By Castle Montone

Go Ask Alice

2008-07-16T19:47:00.001-07:00

One of fiction's finest marketing minds, The Cheshire Cat, once told Alice in Wonderland something all business owners and marketers should remember:

"If you don't care where you are going, it doesn't make a difference which path you take."

For businesses bent upon success, it does matter which path you take. A positioning statement helps you chart your path to success because it lets all your audiences - internal and external - know where your organization stands in the battle for your consumers' minds.

Positioning: What Is It?

You should not confuse a positioning statement with your market position. As Harry Beckwith states in his book Selling the Invisible, "A position is a cold-hearted, no-nonsense statement of how you are perceived in the minds of your prospects. A positioning statement, by contrast expresses how you wish to be perceived. It is the core message you want to deliver in every medium."

Your positioning statement will be found where three items intersect:

- your business acumen/aspirations
- your market
- what truly differentiates you

Of the three, it is your market which holds the key to your positioning. That doesn't mean that your acumen and aspirations are irrelevant. You must have a clear understanding and shared agreement on these at the management level in order to develop an effective positioning statement.

My approach to developing an effective positioning statement and an actionable marketing plan begins with gaining this understanding. Here's how we go about it, and you can too:

- interviews with management and employees to learn job responsibilities, current marketing practices, as well as to surface questions for customer interviews

- a review of appropriate primary and secondary research

- a series of one-on-one customer interviews

Customer interviews allow us to probe for information such as:

- how customers perceive your "product" and other products in the category. what the customer wants from the product category he is not now receiving. what is the primary customer benefit of your product

- how your customers currently position your brand. how customers perceive your competitors

- what media habits, lifestyles do customers share. what industries do they work in, what are their titles, what associations do they belong to

- how do customers want to be communicated with

Once all the information is in, you may develop a positioning statement that clearly says who you are, defines your audiences, indicates what markets you are targeting, and states what makes you different from your competitors.

Once this is done, everyone knows where they are going and then it's easy to find the right path.

By Harry Hoover

Don't Get Caught In the Trap: The BIG Difference Between Personal and Business Branding

2008-07-11T22:06:00.001-07:00

When you're all alone in the privacy of your home office, surrounded by your computer, your phone and your business idea, have you ever asked yourself, "Where's the line between me in my business and the business in me"?

With hundreds of thousands of home-based businesses starting every year, and few ever flourishing, the topic of branding has become hot, hot, hot. And thanks to experts touting the need for a personal brand in sole proprietor businesses the confusion is growing. It's no wonder. Business... personal... personal... business-- what IS the big difference any way?

Last week, I was guiding a client (a service-based sole practioner) through the same step-by-step process that I take every company (sole practioner, entrepreneur or a business of any size) through to develop their brand and I noticed that as we got deeper and deeper into the process, she was having more and more trouble coming up with answers. The very answers that would separate her from other people engaged the same exact business and distinctly establish her brand.

In the middle of working on the most important step in the branding process-- the brand statement--I asked her the simple question, "Why does she do business she does?" she burst into tears. Halfway into the box of Kleenex she finally, revealed the most amazing answer as to why she was in her chosen field in the first place. Honestly, I think she stunned herself. We both sat silent for over a minute in awe of the power she had tapped into with her discovery. (Don't let anyone fool you, this is from where the true power of branding comes.)

Then doubt reared its ugly head and like a butterfly emerging from a new cocoon, a series of questions poured out of her: "Is this my business or is it me?" "Is why I do what I do really that important?" "Why is it so hard for me to stand in the power of my business and really make something of it?"

You get the picture? You may even be standing in a similar picture, even wrestling with the same questions yourself. Bless you if you're not. Let's look at the difference between 'your business' and 'you the person' and see if we can clear up this question once and for all.

A business: (be it Niketown or Bob's Shoe Bonanza) Delivers a product or service to fulfill a customer need. You: Deliver a product or service to fulfill a customer need.

A business: Establishes a certain value that a customer can rely on from every contact with their product or service. You: Establish a certain value that a customer can rely on from every contact with your product or service. (If not, get on it immediately!)

A business: Communicates consistently to reach the customers that have a need for their product or service. You: Communicate consistently to reach the customers that have a need for your product or service. (If not, what are you waiting for?)

A business: Enjoys a financial reward equal to the amount of customers that it serves, AND a personal reward for the creator/C.E.O. You: Enjoy a financial reward equal to the amount of customers that you serve AND YOU get to experience the personal reward yourself.

If you look at just these four basic, bottom-line points, the difference between a business and you as a sole business owner is... nothing; unless you count the added bonus of you getting a financial AND personal reward.

At the start of every single business, throughout history, there has never been a separation between the person starting it and the business itself. If you asked any business figure-head today, Bill Gates of Microsoft, or Jeff Bezos of Amazon.com, or if they took over a company like Meg Whitman for Ebay, or Carly Fiorina for Hewlett- Packard, they would tell you that there is no difference in who 'they are' and what 'they bring' to their business. Why? Because there's no room for a difference. It's the alignment that makes it possible to reach the highest of the heights.

It's challenging enough to make any business succeed. It's tough enough to make any business reside in the mind of a customer. Why would you remove the very power of 'you' in every shape and form from your business?! Why not every day do the thing that moves you the most? You are the only thing that sets your business apart-- you just need a process of tapping into your power, connecting it to your business, and a systematic way of communicating it to your customers over and over and over again.

When developing your amazing business as a brand, throw the doors wide open. Create it as you would if you were reaching millions. You can always decide exactly how many millions later. Thinking of your brand as just a 'personal' one will do the opposite. Keep it small.

If you work for yourself, be it your own business, network marketing, or even an agent/broker condition under a corporate umbrella, you are the CEO of your business. Every CEO brings themselves personally to their business. The great ones bring every thing they are to their creation, every moment.

The majority of our lives are spent doing what we call work. As an entrepreneur or business owner, you have the wonderful opportunity to make it more. Make it your creation. Think of yourself as the Creator of an Entrepreneur Organization. When you wake up tomorrow, instead of saying to yourself, "I'm going to work" say "I'm going to create." And the operative word is I'm. The true power of really making something in your business will come from investing in it the most valuable commodity you have-- you.

There is no separation on the road to big business success: just because you're personally on it. True big business success comes to those who know, it's not just business-- it's personal too.

Written by Kim Castle, the Co-founder of BrandU? - the home of only step-by- step process for developing your business as a brand from the inside out!

To get information on upcoming BrandU one-day workshops: http:// www.whybrandu.com/Public/events/workshop/index.cfm?semID=13

Get your Why You?!(sm) monthly ezine for easy-to-read tips and informative insights on branding. To subscribe: http://www.whybrandu.com/

"BrandU? - Big Business Success No Matter Your Size"

Branding Is Not Selling Out: ITS SELLING IN

2008-07-11T22:05:00.017-07:00

Ever see an amazing band perform and wonder why you've never heard of them before? Ever see an astonishing artist on the street and wonder why isn't their work isn¹t in a gallery? Ever see an astounding independent film and wonder why people all over the world don't know about it?

Me too!

It breaks my heart to know that there are musicians, painters, sculptors, and filmmakers everywhere starving. Starving... for their art.

Why is a branding expert like me, who mostly deals with entrepreneurs and small business owners, addressing musicians, artists, and filmmakers? It's simple. Artists are the ultimate entrepreneurs.

Think about it. Some create products and look for a market; others look at a market and create products. Every entrepreneur starts the same way! It's the notion of business that often trips artists up.

Creating any piece of music, art, or film, is like creating a product. I'm not suggesting that all products, art-based or otherwise, are equal. We all know a good product, or painting, or film or vacuum cleaner when we experience it. Its just with some artists, imaginary barriers get created. These illusive barriers can keep them from creating the very success they want.

All creators have the same goals: to make a good product that is useful or meaningful, have it well liked by many people and to be paid portionally to the market they reach. Who doesn't want that? Making music, paintings, sculptures, photography or film should be addressed like any business with the same attention to the big picture, IF you want to make a great living from it. But something often holds artistic creators back from making a great living from their art.

As usual fear is the culprit.

Artists sometimes fear that if they develop the recognition and financial success that comes from branding from them 'selves', their peers will think that they've 'sold-out' if they 'make it'. Fellow starving artists might say that on the surface, but what they are really saying is that they are envious of the success that you have created. It's far easier to put down someone else's success than to make it them self. What's more important: what your peers think OR having your 'art' enjoyed by as many people as possible and having the financial freedom that comes along with it?

Another fear that may prevent artists from taking their craft mainstream is that they think that they will lose control of it by becoming a business and, heaven forbid, a BIG business at that. Just like the art you make, what your business becomes is in your control. If you develop your brand based on your vision of it from the start, you protect it from becoming something else. Business is not bad - people that run them can make bad decisions. The power of your business is always in your hands.

The largest fear for some artists is that the very nature of getting paid, and paid well, for their art will change it. This will then set in motion the loss of creative connection with the 'art' itself. I would argue that those that get lost were not very centered on their purpose and passion in the first place.

It's odd to think that financial freedom, the freedom to do whatever you want, could cause one to lose their way. In one of our workshops, we were fortunate to have a successful artist who was ready to take his brand to the next level. When I asked him what does he do, he answered, 'Whatever I want.' Who doesn't want that?!

With the money you get from branding your craft, you can set up systems so that it doesn't interfere with your focus; donate to causes, invest in real estate, create other products/partnerships. You can even hire the people to manage it all. Leaving you free to... create.

The bottom line is simple, everyone has control over what they do and what they manifest, it's just that most people haven't been shown how. Commitment to your 'art' does not preclude your ability to make money from it. In fact, the more financial freedom you create for yourself, the more art you can create. A branding mindset is taking that control into your own hands and owning the future. And it must truly start from the inside - from your innate talent and your grand vision for your art. Branding your art comes down to your commitment to yourself and to the art itself. Branding is not only slogans and TV ads; it's the power to be who you are and communicating it to everyone proudly.

The definition of artist:

1. somebody who creates art

2. somebody who does something with great skill and creativity

3. somebody who is very good at doing something

Nowhere does it say you have to starve to make good art or good products. Remember that the next time a musician, or painter, or sculptor, or filmmaker you know breaks through to success. Ask yourself, what are you really committed to? Don't cheat the world of your gift. Developing a brand mindset with integrity from the inside out is guaranteed to reach more people. Period.

If you do something that you really love, you're really good at it, and people pay you to keep doing it, then branding it is not selling out, it's selling in... to you!

Written by Kim Castle

Too Dull? Too Sharp?

2008-07-11T22:05:00.015-07:00

You work hard getting the right cover message and words for your brochure. Now, you want to give it a look, an image.

Why a look? Most consultants see themselves as hard working and pragmatic. They believe the look of their materials is unimportant. After-all, clients are hiring expertise not looks, right? Not so!

People buy people first, ideas second and things third. Your brochure represents you. It is you when you're not around.

What sort of image do you want to convey? Would you visit a prospect wearing a cheap, out-of-date suit, looking sad and second-class? Unlikely. However, many people do just that, when they use low-quality, poorly designed brochures. Your brochure represents you when you are not there. Make sure it is dressed in the fashion and quality you would use for yourself. Before you run out and find yourself a tailor or take up sewing, you should first look at your competition's material and other's material. Collect brochures that strike you as effective, and those that are poor. Think of it as fingering through GQ or Vogue looking for a new outfit. Figure out what makes the good brochures work and where the bad brochures fail. What kind of attitude do they portray?

Then try to come up with something that combines some of the elements from successful designs. But, be careful, don't create a zoot suit. And, make sure it fits. Look at the layout of your page--is it a dense wall of words? Don't make your prospects work to find out what they need to know--because, bet on it, they won't. Lay your information out in bite-sized pieces, with revealing headings, to help your reader grasp the main message. These are like the accessories you wear. Small signals that give the viewer an indication of what you are like and what you do. Be it a Rolex or a mood ring.

Two important, but often unrecognized, problems with brochures are poor grammar and poor typography. You might as well wear brown shoes with a blue suit. Your audience may not know what is amiss with your materials, but they'll be disturbed. Use high-quality, and appropriate, visuals (colours, graphics, etc.) to illuminate and support your message. If you use clip art, choose it carefully. Use the same style and quality of art throughout your brochure. And, make sure it relates to what it is illustrating. That is, make sure your tie matches your suit. Poor visuals will only get in the way and muddle your message.

You don't have to dress like a Bay Street lawyer, and your brochure doesn't have to be glossy. Dressing comfortably, yet appropriately, is the key and the same holds true for designing a brochure. You wouldn't wear black tie to a picnic, so why design a brochure that's black tie when your target is chips and dip. Or vice versa.

The bottom line: a poor brochure, like an cheap outfit, will damage you more than it will help; it's a waste of time and money, while a good brochure is your company's representative, a reflection of you.

By Keith Thirgood

The Positioning of Success

2008-07-11T22:05:00.013-07:00

Many businesses of today are often driven to compete striclty on price, quality, and features of their products and services. Companies who prosper over the long term don't simply offer the best deals, the best quality, or the most impressive bells and whistles. If you want to win big in today's cutting edge world of business, you have to begin by thinking differently and by challenging the status quo. Whether you are a new or an established business owner, these ten powerful strategies will position your company for big success.

(1) Adopt the philosophy of "Givers Gain."

In 2003, the members of Business Network International (BNI) passed over 2 million referrals to each other. Founded by CEO Ivan Misner, BNI is a business and professional networking organization that offers members the opportunity to share ideas, contacts and most importantly, referrals. Misner founded BNI based on the philosophy of "Givers Gain," which is the belief that in order to get business, it is important to first give business. One of the critical factors in achieving success rests in the ability to develop reciprocal relationships where two parties naturally refer business to each other on a consistent basis. "It's not what you know but who you know" has never been so true as it is in today's competitive world of business. For more information on Ivan Misner and his philosophy of "Giver's Gain," access an interview here:

http://www.cvcommunity.com/utility/showArticle/?objectID=1452

(2) Focus on Soft Innovations

In today's competitive marketplace, the old equation of spending more on advertising to increase profits it not working as it once did. In his latest book, Free Prize Inside, author Seth Godin, makes a strong case for using soft innovations as a way to get noticed in this crowded and noisy world. Soft innovations are the small yet insightful ideas that can take your product or service from good to remarkable. They are often hidden, and they usually solve a problem that is " peripheral to what your product is ostensibly about." At first glance, you think the soft innovation does not mean much, but once you have it in place, it becomes an essential part of your product or service. Examples of soft innovations include Starbuck's Cards, Dinosaur-shaped pasta for kids, and Amazon.com cutting its ad spend and offering free shipping with the money saved. For more information, read an interview with Seth Godin in Today's Coach here:

http://www.cvcommunity.com/utility/showArticle/index.cfm?objectID=1524

(3) Re-groove!

How do you operate when the heat is on? How do you respond to chaos? When new skills or new behaviors are needed, how do you respond? Knowing what to do and how to do it is one thing but being able to respond effectively and to keep your cool under pressure and on a consistent basis is a very different ballgame. As leaders in today's world, it is crucial to learn how to work differently and how to be able to shift and bend to meet expectations which here one day and gone the next. The half-life of a great idea or a new product or service has never been shorter, and it is up to you as a business owner to become masterful with reshaping strategies, adding new perks to old products, and to stay on top of your game in the face of dramatically changing circumstances. You may find that your strength of achievement was required to get your company up and running but that same strength is now squelching the creativity of your team. It's time to Re-Groove! It's time to unlock the incredible potential that is inside of you that is required to get the job done under present day demands. If you are dedicated to re-grooving (getting past the old worn out grooves of your past conditioning,) it is essential to work with a coach or trainer who can coach you through the new behaviors quickly and in real time. By learning to re-groove, you will be able to create incredible opportunities for your company and for yourself.

(4) Make your brand a "state of mind"

Are you winning when it comes to style, a smart and accessible mix of products and services, and first rate customer service? If so, Bravo! However, this is just a part of the equation of what it takes to truly succeed. In order to create a brand that is truly memorable, it is crucial for you to live an inspired life and to make your brand a "state of mind" for your customers. This state of mind could be a feeling of trust and confidence, a sense of well being, or a state of knowing that you are buying from a company who has your best interests at heart. This state of mind cannot develop behind the confines of the walls of your business. It grows and develops when you are in the middle of your potential buyers?in restaurants, traveling, checking out the competition, playing sports, tinkering with a hobby, having fun and lots of it! If you are living fully and in relationship with others, you will be re-energized every day and you will give your customers a vision of what an inspired life actually looks like, because you are living one! Your brand will become much more than your trimmings...it will become the connection that others feel when they think of you as a valued person in their lives.

(5) Become masterful at mobilizing resources

The ability to galvanize resources, both human and monetary, and to build effective and efficient projects with them is a critical component of success in today's marketplace. We are quick to look first at the monetary costs of a project and quickly get cold feet, when the reality is that we have valuable resources hidden in our personal and professional lives which may not cost a dime. Social capital is one resource that is one of the most valuable assets available to business owners of today. The term social capital emphasizes that very specific benefits are made available from the trust, reciprocity, information, and cooperation associated with social networks. The value of social capital is that people can draw on the wisdom of each other to solve common problems, especially as it relates to money, time, and resources.

(6) Buck conventional wisdom

In 1971, Rollin King and Herb Kelleher decided to start an airline that you might say?was different and a little bit quirky. They began with one simple notion: If you get your passengers to their destinations on time, at the lowest fare possible, and make sure they have a fantastic time doing it, people will choose you over a competing airline. This is the story of Southwest Airlines, who chose to move beyond the status quo by offering services and a sense of style that bucked conventional wisdom. With their focus on fun, games, and "Love Southwest Style," Southwest has made its mark with its strong focus on stellar customer service and conveniences such as allowing customers to proceed to their departure gate without stopping at the ticket counter, skycap, or self-service kiosk. Most importantly, Southwest has honed in on searching for important personal qualities in those they hire-- the perfect blend of energy, humor, team spirit, and self-confidence to match its famously offbeat culture. Southwest was once dismissed as a maverick, as their strategies seemed strange to the "airline powerhouses." These same powerhouses are now looking in awe at what this "maverick" has built. The strategy of originality worked?It had the sticking power required for success.

(7) Become a Talent Farm

When recruiting new employees, what are you looking for? Raw talent? Raw communication skills? Intellect? Athletic ability? Commitment? Skills? Flexbility? What about all of this and more? If you are a company who wants to operate at the leading edge, where change is the greatest and success is the goal, you will want to recruit the most talented group of people you can find?those people who are self- starters and who are living boldly in the world. By developing a "talent farm" culture, you can instill a mindset of excellence from the top to the bottom of your organization. This culture encompasses a deeply held belief that having high caliber people is crucial to your success. With this "talent farm" approach to recruiting, your company will also be required to recruit great talent every day. Successful businesses and organizations have a strong sense of what they are looking for, and they are always on the look for new talent and ways to retain them for a lifetime.

(8) Embrace your core values

What is it in life that you most value? Do you value beauty, leadership, creativity, stability, or family? You can choose to orient your life around your wants and needs or the list of things you feel you "should" be doing, but if you embrace your core values and build your life around them, you will find experience inspiration and joy at a level you never thought was possible. Whole Foods Market is one of the fastest growing supermarkets of today, because its commitment to fresh, nutritious products is a value that keeps customers coming back for more and employees happy, hard working, and committed. When you focus your business on doing what feels right and what fulfills you, you will have no regrets, because you have been true to the very core of your being.

(9) Become a "white hot center" of influence

A "white hot center" of influence is an organization or group that you most want your company to be aligned with tightly and in a relationship which is reciprocal. One connection into a strong center of influence can position your company to attract a stream of qualified opportunities. (Example: You are an interior designer, and you want to be in the middle of Southern Accent or Better Homes and Gardens Magazine.) In order to attract a "white hot center" of influence, you have to become what you want to attract. Be well educated, highly skilled, experienced, trained and innovative in your product development. Fill your network with other business owners who are up to big things in the world and who are experts in their respective fields. Attract talented people into your company, and tap each and every talent and skill available in your company. As you begin to raise your bar in all areas of your business and enhance your network, you will eventually become a "white hot center" that will attract others by the thousands.

(10) Just Begin!

Start where you are, and begin today to create success in your life. Drop the excuses, reasons or people to blame, dis-empowering attitudes and behaviors and get on with the business of living the life you know you were born to live. Do what you know you want to do, and do it with passion. Begin today to create the tomorrow you want. As Peter Drucker said, "The best way to predict the future is to create it"

This piece was originally submitted by Bea Fields and Kimberly George

2008-07-11T22:05:00.011-07:00

Are You Brand Worthy? Are You Brand Worthy?

Branding is a one hot topic, although it is wildly misunderstood. To make things even more confusing, branding is often tossed in the same basket as marketing which makes its application to an entrepreneur or sole-practioner even more unclear.

While out speaking on branding, the question that I hear most is "How do I know if my business or service is brand material?" With businesses opening left and right, and more and more closing each year, I'm glad there are smart business owners open to understanding the issue.

If you've found yourself asking the same thing, don't worry you're not alone. Perhaps, this can shed some light.

At a recent luncheon, the same question came up again in a different way. I was seated next to an attorney whose sole practice focuses on elder abuse cases, he asked me in rapid succession (a manner that showed me he'd be great in court):

"Isn't branding for businesses that make a lot of stuff?" "Doesn't branding apply only if you want to sell a lot of stuff?" "Isn't branding pointless for my kind of business?"

Smiling, I fired back, "yes, yes, and... no".

Yes, branding is most often associated with businesses that make a lot of stuff. Yes, branding is advantageous if you want to sell a lot of stuff. No, branding is not pointless because every business makes something (or offers a service) and wants to sell it. Branding is about making your product or service known to as many potential customers as possible, consistently, with the most effective use of your time and money. Branding is about repeat business. Branding is about effortless referrals. Wouldn't that be a benefit to ANY business, especially yours?

To help you gain more brand-worthy clarity, ask yourself the following questions:

1. Am I really passionate about what I am doing with my business, service or product? And I mean REALLY! If not, is there something more you can be doing in it to turn your passion switch on? It takes an amazing amount of energy and persistence to make a business take hold in the customer's mind. With more and more businesses competing for headspace, it's imperative that you set yourself apart. If you are not cooking with the fuel that passion gives you, you're missing out on a very crucial element that could mean the difference between thriving and closing.

2. Do I have a big vision of my business, service or product? Do you dream of reaching lots of customers in different ways with your product or service? Do you see a way to deliver your product or service to an increasing amount of people with less and less effort? Did you create a mindset or special approach in your field that can be delivered in a variety of mediums, i.e.- speaking, books, audio CDs, consulting, etc. Do you envision moving beyond an hour-for-hour way of providing your service? All of these support a big vision. , Not only do we begin from the inside out, when approaching your brand, we create from where you will be in five years as if it is now. Small vision does just that, keeps you small. The choice is always yours.

3. Is my product or service a real benefit to lots of customers? It's important that you answer this one as honestly and openly as possible. I was very passionate and had a huge vision for a career as a mime! (Yes, you read that correctly... a mime.) However, no amount of passion and vision would make people buy it on a large scale. Thanks to Marceau Marceau, the mime card had been played out. You may find that by being truthful with your answers will lead to branding even better products and services.

4. Am I prepared to surround myself with a team or the knowledge to accomplish the business success that developing my business as a brand delivers? The plus side of being an entrepreneur is that you may wear many hats in your business. The negative side is that you feel like you have to! The truth is, you don't! You're an expert in your field and you need to honor that expertise by supporting it with a variety of other skill sets to make your indelible mark; logo design, copywriting, website design, your marketing plan creation and execution, and others. The important thing is that you realize...you're in command...because it's your ship! And being a commander takes knowing where you want to go, gathering the maps to make the journey, and the crew to make it happen.

If your answers to these questions are yes, then you have the makings to develop your business as a brand. You just need the knowledge and practice to do so. If you're shaky on some of the questions, find out why. Even if you never develop your business as a brand, solid yeses to these simple questions will only make your business more successful and more enjoyable. After all, isn't that we all want?

© Castle Montone

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Its Time For Some Steak

2008-07-11T22:05:00.009-07:00

Recently, I was reviewing our website statistics. One of the sites that had a link to mine caught me by surprise. Since this is a family publication, I won't include the name of the website. But, let's just say it contains a four-letter word that people do not use in most business circles.

The website was basically a bulletin board for people to rant about other companies. The posting about my website started out with the subject, 'Is this website just a little too slick?' The postings went on to say that my website had a lot of sizzle, but no steak.

My first thought was, 'How dare they say something so rude after I worked so hard on my site. Are they trying to say that my business has no substance? They know nothing about me and what I do. I can't believe they would attack MY business image.'

You see, those of you who have met me know that I am a small business image consultant. I work on everything from customer service to documentation and training. Basically, all the behind-the-scenes things that affect the business image. How could MY website have a bad image?

Then I took a step back. And, with a huge gulp of reluctance, I admitted to myself that they were right. Earlier that week, I had started to redefine my business services. Small business image consulting no longer 'fit' the real me. And somehow that was showing through on my website. It WAS a bit too slick. It was not getting to the essence of what I wanted to say.

Instead of just changing my website, I decided to take on a more important endeavor. I took a look at my identity and my brand. I found this amazing book called Make A Name For Yourself by Robin Fisher Roffer. This was the wake-up call that I needed. After pouring over the book, I began to get in touch with my natural gifts.

While documentation has always been a part of my business, it wasn't the part that I 'played up' at networking meetings. Small business image consulting sounded exotic and sexy. It got people talking about customer service and the importance of it. It got me speaking engagements. It got me lots of press. This was all of the sizzle that they mentioned on that bulletin board. But, it didn't get me what I needed most. The steak - more phone calls and emails requesting my services, and ultimately, more satisfaction.

I decided to put my writing services in the forefront. In addition to my technical writing, I now specialize in lengthy documentation and press releases. The process of redefining my business was a scary one. All these feelings of fear and inadequacy appeared. I started to wonder what people would think of the change. Would they think that this was bad for my business image?

Then, I started to wonder how many other business owners are just offering what sounds good. How many of them aren't expressing their natural gifts through their business. How many are afraid to make a change?

None of us should be afraid to redefine our services or to create a brand where there wasn't one before. Now I am more secure in what I do. I am true to myself, my passion, and my gifts. It's a freedom and a liberation that I've never felt before.

My services no longer have an exotic and sexy sound to them. But, at least now I can offer the sizzle AND the steak.

---

By Leila Johnson

Naming Names... How to Name your Business

2008-07-11T22:05:00.007-07:00

Sometimes the best inspiration comes from hearing about the deconstruction of other company's names. For you, I am happy to share how I came up with "Slice A Day :: your slice on marketing"...

First the purpose and vision of my site was to have people volunteer some marketing stories...true case studies of business owners and how they promote business.

Then gathered the supplies for brainstorming. I had a sheet of paper, pencil and a dictionary/thesaurus.

Let the brainstorming begin!

I love really clever, catchy and visual names. It comes from having a web design and creative background. The AIGA.org hosts a local networking event called "Brew" with the tagline "where ideas perculate". I loved it! And to mimic it's genius, here is where that spark of inspiration took me.

::: Start List :::

? "grill - where ideas sizzle"

? "water cooler"
...sidenote: i thought that's where people really talk openly

? "feedbag - serving up ideas"

? "your market draw"
...sidenote: i don't know how i got here

? "evoke"
...sidenote: now i'm just writing words, synonyms

? "persuade"
...sidenote: this is where the dictionary & thesaurus come in

? "convince"

? "share"

... a few minutes pass by
... a few more minutes pass by

? "Slice-A-Day.com"
...sidenote: visual images of pie and cake
...sidenote: slice is a portion of a bigger piece...hmm

? "Share Your Slice On Marketing"
...sidenote: tagline that explains and supports vision

::: End Brainstorming List :::

I like "slice" because you just get quick and small chunks to read... just enough to evoke a thought, to make you think, or to leave you wanting more.

-----------------------------------------------
By Maya Sunpongco

Notable News - The Branding Myth

2008-07-11T22:05:00.005-07:00

How many times have you heard of seen advertising for a graphic design company that states that they do branding?

If you think branding is a logo, letterhead, or web design with all the same look, and colours, then it's true...they can "do branding".

Let's take a look at one of the world's best-branded companies, McDonalds. You may not like the food, but if someone says "golden arches" you know what institution they are talking about. Mickey D, McCoffee and Big Mac all bring the same familiar name to mind. You each may have a different reaction to the thought of eating there, but any one of the many product names will trigger the bigger picture.

Think about the things you know from each of your McDonalds experiences: You know they have salty fries, the food is fast, and there is a system to everything they do. The staff often says the same things to you. You can get the same core menu items all over the world. If you take the time to think about it, you can up with a huge list of features you can count on at McDonalds.

Doesn't that make the term "branding" when applied to logo, look and colour seem a bit of a misnomer?

We know that the concept was born in a single location in small town America. How do you think that McDonalds developed their brand? You can get the book and read all about it, but you don't have to do that to figure out how to build your own brand.

There is no secret. It's all about organizational culture. Brand is the personality your business has developed through your leadership and the systems you put in place. It's having a customer know that each time they go into your business, they will be treated the same way they were last time they were there. They will see some of the same products. The staff will say hello just like they always do. The business will have the same policies and procedures...in other words...a customer can count on you to be who you were during their last experience.

No one else can create a brand for you, ...unless you hired a CEO to run the business, set the parameters and standards, and writes the operational procedure manuals. Many businesses start small, with the owner doing most of the work...that's the time to write the procedure manuals, when the person with the vision is actually doing the work and can see what works best to achieve their pre-defined results. If everyone ran their business like a well-run franchise, there would be fewer business failures and many more strong brands..

Having a strong brand means that everyone who works in your business has a clear picture of why they are there. The business could run without you, because everyone would know what they were supposed to do and how they were to treat co-workers and customers alike.

Decide who you are as a business and be the best you can be at it every day. Write down the things that you do. Decide what your goals are. Share it with your employees...and you will create a brand.

Oh... and don't forget...you need a logo, letterhead and a web site that all convey the same message....but they are not the brand....YOU ARE!

By Nancy Fraser

The Brand Called You

2008-07-11T22:05:00.003-07:00

The best brands always try to do the right thing, so that their reputations will remain unsullied. But beyond that they grow, evolve and get better with time, while maintaining their special qualities from the past.

We all have a personal brand with social, cultural, intellectual, and personal needs that may not necessarily be addressed in our daily work. Address these needs and you begin to improve your brand. Here is my agenda for building your brand.

Join and participate in community and professional organizations

Generate media coverage about your brand

Stay in touch, or renew old ties with friends, family and business associates

Let's examine how each one improves your brand.

Join and participate in professional and community organizations
The best brands grow, evolve and get better with time, while maintaining their special qualities from the past.

Professional and community organizations provide ample opportunity to learn and grow.

They provide professional development opportunities. They allow you to network with peers as well as with people you would not necessarily ever meet in the normal course of your workday.

For instance, I am a member and served on the board of our local International Association of Business Communicators chapter. This allowed me to broaden my contacts in the corporate communications world, as well as form a number of friendships I probably never would have developed. I'm also a member of the North Carolina Citizens For Business and Industry. Here I meet people from all walks of life and all work disciplines. Finally, I am involved with Charlotte Reads, a local non-profit that focuses on literacy issues. This allows me to use my communication experience in support of an issue I feel very strongly about.

But it's not enough to just join groups: you must participate to benefit fully. As a participant you have the opportunity to stretch, to gain confidence in yourself. Learn to lead by involvement on the board or in a special project.

If you are a communicator by trade, try being treasurer for the group to exercise the other side of your brain, or take on a special project about which you feel strongly.

Generate media coverage about your brand
All that professional and community involvement will certainly lead to opportunities to leverage that involvement into news about the brand called you. And, of course, there will be promotions, new assignments, and awards at work, too. More opportunities to make headlines.

Your achievements are of interest to local print, broadcast, and online media, particularly the business pages. In Charlotte, the Observer has a weekly feature called On The Move spotlighting someone in a new position. The Charlotte Business Journal has a similar feature called Moving Up. If it is a big enough move and your company won't do it, pay the estimated $150 to place it on BusinessWire or PR Newswire. Consider it an investment in your future. Don't forget trade publications serving your industry and alumni publications.

Seek out speaking engagements and write guest articles, too. This is yet another way to publicize your brand. And don't forget to do news releases when you make a speech or write an article. It's all about merchandising.

To stay top of mind, you might even want to develop your own monthly e-newsletter like Think, the Hoover ink publication. Keep it mostly informational and limit the commercial material.

Stay in touch, or renew old ties with friends, family and business associates
Everyone you know can be a brand ambassador for you, so stay in touch or reach out to those you haven't talked with for a while.

Yet another reason for having a monthly newsletter that shares your expertise.

The network of contacts you have built over your lifetime will be instrumental if you decide to start your own business, or change jobs.

So, heed this word of advice: always deal fairly with people. One bad experience with your brand can negate 10 positive ones.

Now, get out there and start branding.

By Harry Hoover

Id Buy That: Getting A Brand Mindset

2008-07-11T22:05:00.001-07:00

Feel that? The crisp tingle in the air? It's fall. Fall ushers in the promise of eating, seeing, and getting. It's my favorite time of year. By now, kids are settled into school, sweaters set free from mothballs, and it's an amazing time to... BUY.

I don't know about you; but for some reason this time of year lowers my normal customer resistance to retail and turns up my desire to buy, buy, buy. And not just anything. Products I've come to know have reliable value to me. You too?

Think about it. It starts with buying Halloween candy. Do you reach for the no-name orange cellophane wrappers of chocolate dots, or do you buy the mini packages of M&M's? I know! Me too! Why is that? It's the same thing! But, the brand of M&M's represents a certain quality that we have come to know as valuable. And left with candy at the end of the evening, that's what I want to be gobbling on. It doesn't matter how long the product has been on a shelf, an M&M is still an M&M.

A favorite thing I like to do in fall is cruise through the stores and see what "they" think "we'll" buy. This past weekend, I stepped into Crate & Barrel (a personal favorite) and went weak in the knees!

I walked from beautiful table setting to even more beautiful table setting and I thought about the perception that Crate & Barrel had created in me. As I drooled over the dishes, I imagined how the quality of my life would change if I brought them home. (A little bubble appeared to the side of my head. I saw an image of me overhearing holiday guests comment about how beautiful my table was, and subsequently how great I was.) The bubble faded as I dissected how Crate & Barrel created that impression in me. How did they get me to think that?

I passed through living room settings that I would give my left pinkie toe to own (it's okay, I'm right footed). I ran my hand over the fabrics and textures. Rich leathers. Deep colors. Luxuriant fabrics. All things I'd spend my money on to give my 10-year old living room a facelift. They established in me a certain quality! And somehow they knew what areas I needed to fix up... my boring dining room dishes, my tired living room. Hmmm... Hmmm... a specific quality and knowledge of my problem.

At each display was a sign that had a certain look. A color. A typeface. Even the way it was laid out on the page! It all matched the quality I got from the home décor items I so desperately wanted. (By the way, I never knew I wanted an orange pear- shaped leather vase before.) I picked up their holiday catalog. Lo and behold, not only did it show the picture of the coveted pear-shaped leather vase, but the typefaces and colors matched the signs in the store. Hmmm... consistent communication and imaging. I started to tingle.

As I passed the jewel-toned velvet pillows, I thought, "Crate & Barrel is no different from the companies and small business owners that we help." They are no different from YOU. Or are they? Let's see...

You have:

? A product or service that is every bit as good and valuable as Crate & Barrel.

? You fix a problem or change the quality of life for your clients as much if not more than Crate & Barrel.

After that, it can break down for small businesses and solo-preneurs.

You may not have:

? Consistent imaging (e.g., business card, website, brochures, leave-behind, product packaging, etc.)

? The deep understanding of how to communicate "the brand" of your business that can translate to your entire support team/staff. (This is easy and affordable to do with BrandU. That's why it was created.)

And most importantly, what most entrepreneurs tend to forget or, sadly, never deeply establish:

? A huge, non-wavering belief in what you are bringing to people.

You have just as much of this as the people who created Crate & Barrel. They just have more practice at it and had enough vision to bring in partners to help them grow and communicate it.

The last three points are crucial to your business success and easier to address than you think. Simply:

? keep up the value of your service and product AND,

? adopt a brand mindset!

It's where EVERY brand starts BEFORE they're a brand. In our upcoming book, Why BrandU, we go into the reasons why it's imperative for entrepreneurs to gain the power of branding. You CAN have large business success, no matter what size you are.

This holiday season, I share with you these TWO simple brand mindset tips:

? As you're out (or online) shopping, pause a moment and think about the reasons you buy the things you buy and,

? See how you can apply those reasons to your business.

After strolling around Crate & Barrel for over an hour (which flew by like 5 minutes), I joyfully left with the most amazing vase for my table AND I was filled with a great sense of delight and excitement; knowing YOU can be just as big!

© 2003 Castle Montone, Limited All Rights Reserved.

Written by Kim Castle, the Co-founder of BrandU? - the home of only step-by- step process for developing your business as a brand from the inside out!

To get information on upcoming BrandU one-day workshops: http:// www.whybrandu.com/Public/events/workshop/index.cfm?semID=13

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