If you have sat through a few bad meetings, you must have experienced the following traps. Here they are and how to fix them.

1) People think they are experts.

Many people tell me that they know how to hold a meeting. Actually, all they do is host a party. They invite guests, provide treats, and preside over a conversation. People talk. People eat. And nothing happens. Or, if they somehow manage to reach an agreement, no one implements it.

> What to do: Learn how to lead a real meeting. Schedule a workshop or buy a book. When results really matter, hire a facilitator. Recognize that there are modern tools that help people make methodical progress toward results. These tools are practical and easy to use. Of course, you have to know what they are in order to use them. Call me (714-528-1300) for details.

2) People think they are inspiring.

Many people believe that long-winded announcements impress others. Actually, it’s the opposite. A long lecture quickly becomes a boring (and sometimes offensive) harangue. Why? Most employees want an active role in contributing to the business, and thus listening to a speech feels like a waste of time.

> What to do: Design meetings that give the attendees opportunities to contribute. Plan questions that direct thinking toward the results that you want. Use activities that help people make decisions. Distribute announcements in letters, memos, or E-mails. Or, if you must use a meeting, keep announcements brief (less than a few minutes).

3) People think others agree with them.

Many people rely on nods, smiles, and eye contact to measure acceptance. Actually, most employees will do anything to appease a boss. And if the boss seems to be upset, the employees will become even more agreeable. Then, once the meeting ends, the employees will do one of three things: 1) forget the lecture, 2) ignore the message, or 3) sabotage the idea.

> What to do: Conduct meetings by a process that everyone considers to be fair. Use consensus to reach agreements and make decisions. People will accept decisions that they helped make.

4) People think others are clairvoyant.

Many people call meetings without an agenda expecting that everyone will arrive sharing their vision for what needs to be done. Actually, everyone brings their private hopes, fears, and vision to the meeting. Without a clear agenda, the result is something between chitchat and chaos, depending upon the complexity of the issue.

Note: A vague agenda, such as a list of topics, is almost as useless as no agenda.

> What to do: Write out your goal for the meeting. Then prepare an agenda that is so complete someone else could use it to run the meeting without you. Specify each step and provide a time budget. Send the agenda at least a day before the meeting so that the attendees can use it to prepare. Call key participants before the meeting to check if they have questions or want to talk about the agenda.

5) People think meetings are necessary.

Many people respond to every emergency, surprise, or twitch by calling a meeting. Actually, a meeting is a special (and expensive) process. It should be used only to obtain results that require the efforts of a group of people working as a team. A meeting is NOT a universal cure for everything. Meetings held for the wrong reasons, waste everyone’s time.

> What to do: Challenge every meeting for its ability to earn a profit for your business. That is, make sure the value of the results is greater than the cost of holding a meeting. If any other activity can accomplish the same result, use that other activity.

Success means different thing to different people. Some may think that to succeed you must be a good parent. Others will think that to succeed means that your bank balance is a million dollars or more. While others have a much more simpler approach – they think that if they wake up still breathing, then they’ve succeeded.

Regardless of what your definition is for Success, they all have one thing in common – they first began as a thought.

Every human striving for the elusive Success Experience all imagined what success needs to be for them. They chose at a subconscious level what it will take for them to feel that they have succeeded in their life.

At this point most of us stop using our minds to picture Success, and start using it to figure out a way to get there. The tragedy is that to get ‘there’, you must continually use your mind to see the end result.

Here’s an example. You are a professional sports player, and all your life you have wanted to be the person holding the trophy at the end of the season, having worked with your team to beat the other players in the competition. The idea came to you when you were 9 years old. And since then, you have gone to bed each night imagining yourself holding that trophy and seeing yourself having completed the task that will make you a Success.

Well, at least one (and most likely thousands more) very famous athlete did just that. Michael Jordan thought constantly about winning the NBA championship, and this set him on a path that saw him become one of the most dominating players in the basketball game ever seen.

Turning on the power in your brain to see what the result is that you want to achieve is the fuel that will drive your actions.

Not only does visualizing your ultimate result in your mind give you the energy to chase after the goal, it prepares yourself for the eventual outcome of success. Because you have thought and worked and strived toward your ultimate goal for so long, when it eventually comes your way, you know in the very depth of your being that you deserve it. You have every right to enjoy the money, accolades, compliments, and praise that your successful result will bring.

Instead of reacting to your success with shock – the “What Do I Do Now” Syndrome – you will accept your success as totally normal. After all, you have seen yourself achieving this result for years, so it is about time, right?

So, how do you work on visualizing your success? The good news is you already do what is needed for this to work. You daydream. Sounds a bit weird, I know, but spend time imagining yourself doing the thing or having the thing that you have determined to equal success. If it is having a wonderful family, you imagine that – the peaceful home environment, the well-adjusted children, and the confident and assured parent that you are. If Success for you is running a large organization, see yourself in your office (or favorite beach), your staff members working hard and happily on their tasks, with happy customers and clients calling you about how they enjoy your service immensely.

By spending time each week seeing in your mind yourself reaching the Success you want, you are mentally preparing yourself for that event. And in doing so, your body reacts to it in the only way it can – it starts to act out what the mind wants. It will start to find ways that it can achieve this vision in your mind, because the body and mind are two parts of the same coin. What one wants, the other has to as well.

So, even if you don’t believe in any of that mind-body stuff, it is fun seeing yourself doing what you so desperately want to do (or be, or have), and will help to motivate you to achieve your goals.

America is the land of opportunity and with that the land of small businesses.  The U.S. has made it easy for just about anyone to work up the courage and capital and start up their own business.  Having realized that you can do it, one arrives at the paradox that so can everyone else.  How do you make your small business stand out and rise above the competition?  One way is to use custom screen printed t-shirts as a way of looking more professional and as advertising.
When it comes to looking professional the importance cannot be stressed enough.  People are very hesitant to trust a company or individual who doesn’t look like he/she is capable.  In a sense the clothes make the man here.  Those who appear qualified will have a much easier time attracting customers, employees, and even be courted by vendors/suppliers.  People are by their very nature timid and worrisome.  If you can appear professional and legitimate it appeals to primal urge to feel secure and that will make people instantly feel more comfortable with you and your business.  Screen printed t-shirts do just that by making you appear like you have it all together.  Think about the following two scenarios.  In the first a people from you firm show up to do a job in a hodgepodge of random and assorted clothing.  They look, although are not, unprofessional because they offer no sense of order and thought.  In the second scenario, the crew arrives wearing the same t-shirts with bear your logo and demonstrate the legitimacy of your business.  If I had to guess, the second scenario is how you as the owner of a small business would like to present your business.  If you do nothing more than have the appearance of thought before hand, your business appears to be professional and inspires confidence.
The second way custom screen printed t-shirts can help out your small business is through the wonder of advertising.  Custom printed t-shirts are among the best ways to advertise for small businesses.  Think about your target audience and it is easy to see that small businesses benefit exceptionally well.  Small businesses more than likely want to target people in your area.  That is what custom printed t-shirts do.  They walk around and give you unlimited advertising in your own local area.  Give the t-shirts to your friends and family and they can wear them around and advertise for nothing more than the cost of the t-shirt.  Another idea I find often works is giving a t-shirt to people for whom you do a job.  These people will unlikely make it their favorite piece of apparel, but even if they wear it to the gym then they offer advertisement and can offer their own form of advertising.  Consider if you will Ralph as he stands outside washing his car one Saturday morning.  His neighbor Jim walks by and sees Ralph’s shirts offering services that Jim is looking for himself.  Ralph now has advertised for you and can do even more by saying that he loved your services and describe the great job you did.  This strategy offers both printed advertisement as well as word of mouth advertising.  My company keeps the images that you used on file, so ordering more t-shirts down the road is a snap.
I hope have found this article to be somewhat informative and thought provoking.  Small business are the majority of my clients and I’m always happy to help come up with design ideas and ways to improve not only their t-shirts but promotional products as well, all with the same idea of advertising and looking professional.  After all those two key points can really set you own small business above the completion.  Isn’t that what you want?

Is there anything more powerful than a referral from a friend? Money can’t buy the credibility that a friend, or even an acquaintance, commands. The recommendation above was actually emailed from a happy Sport Clips™ customer to his friend along with a coupon for $3 off. This is just one of many referrals sent by the customers of Joan & Chuck Matheny.

The Matheny’s own two Sport Clips™ franchises. Sport Clips™ features an atmosphere where men and boys feel comfortable getting their hair cut. Every chair has a television tuned to a sporting event, there is a sports theme throughout, and their premier service is the MVP. The MVP includes a shampoo, a neck massage, and a hot towel–dude you gotta try it!

In September 2005, Chuck was looking for a way to communicate with his customers without having to buy expensive ads. He also wanted to improve 1st Time customer retention. He decided to give PromoterZ™ a try in one of his locations to see if it would help. He’s been so pleased with the results, his second store is now using the system as well. You can read the details of the Matheny’s experience here.

I’m obviously biased, I think PromoterZ™ is a simple and inexpensive way to generate referrals and I hope every business owner signs up. Having said that, it is certainly not the only way to encourage your customers to tell their friends about your business. Mity Lite, maker of world famous lightweight and durable folding tables, credits 40% of their sales to the fact that their sales reps always, always ask “Who else do you know that would appreciate the quality of our products?”

Another company that attributes a large portion of their sales to referrals is Bike Friday. Here is a description of their referral program from CMO
The company also uses a referral awards program. Customers receive a set of 12 prepaid postage cards with their name and that of the Bike Friday expert who sold them their bike. Whenever a customer meets someone whose interest is piqued by his bike, he’ll fill out a card and drop it in the mail. Bike Friday then mails information to the contact. It also captures this interaction in its database so that riders who make a referral receive a bonus if their prospect purchases a bike. Customers can choose either a $50 check or $75 credit toward future products. Day accumulated enough referral credits to purchase a $2,000 bike last year.

The referral program has helped the company acquire more than a third of its 10,000 customers; it also helps drive sales. Over the last three and a half years, the program has generated $1.3 million in sales. In 2004, 29 percent of its sales came from referrals.

Customer referrals work and as the advertising chaos continues to increase, they will become more and more powerful. If you are not already doing it, spend some time thinking about how you can make it easier for your customers to tell their friends about your business. It will be worth the effort.

If you are in the restaurant business, you certainly won’t need me to tell you how tough it can be financially.

While you are building up the reputation of your establishment, money is often tight and one bad night can mean an unprofitable week. As for cash flow – well, the cash certainly flows, doesn’t it? You just wish that more of it was flowing in than out. And what about those slow periods? What do you do if they last longer than you anticipated? How do you get the funds you need to get your restaurant business over that hump.

OK, I’m painting a negative picture here, but funding can be a problem for even the most successful restaurant, especially if you wish to expand quickly. The question remains: what is the best way to get financing for your restaurant?

LOANS

A loan may be an obvious way to raise finance for your restaurant business, but look at it from the point of view of the lender.

The 2004 Restaurant Industry Operations Report published by Deloitte & Touche LLP indicates that average pre-tax profit margins range from 4-7%. This means that, from the lender’s point of view, even a profitable restaurant is a big risk. The bigger the risk, the bigger the interest payments – that is, if you even get approved for a loan at all. High interest rates, of course, can bring their own problems, particularly for a very low margin business such as the restaurant trade.

Lenders will, admittedly, look more favorably on you if you also own your premises. However, you need to be aware that funding your business using real estate as collateral means that it is the potential resale value of the property that lenders are looking at. The purpose of the property itself may actually reduce its resale value as there would be a smaller pool of potential purchasers. Thus, many lenders set very high minimum loan amounts, which may not be suitable for your particular circumstances.

If you do decide to go the loan route, then speaking to a specialist lender with expertise in the restaurant industry is essential.

ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE FACTORING

Factoring is a form of commercial finance where a business can accelerate its cashflow by selling its accounts receivable at a discount. This means that the business doesn’t have to wait for outstanding invoices to be paid in order to receive the cash necessary to finance the business moving forward.

For many service based businesses, accounts receivable factoring is an extremely good way of quickly accessing cash. However, restaurants rarely have much business of this kind.

What they do have, however, is a high volume of credit card transactions. By leveraging these, budding restauranters can – literally – fund their restaurants with other people’s credit cards.

CREDIT CARD CARD FACTORING

Essentially, restaurants can sell their future credit card transactions and receive an advance on that money – usually up to around $120,000. The money can be used for any purpose – from expanding premises to buying new equipment or whatever you want. This isn’t a loan, so there is no personal guarantee needed. It’s simply an advance against future credit card settlements.

The company purchasing takes a small, fixed percentage of future credit card transactions until the advance is repaid.

The advance cash can often be made available within 14 days, so – for the restaurant business that is in need of a quick injection of funds – this is a good option. Of course, there are restrictions on who can apply. Generally speaking, a restaurant would have to be running for over 1 year, take over $5,000 per month in Visa/Mastercard transactions and have more than 1 year left on their lease to qualify.

For the restaurant that has been in existence more than one year, this represents the best method of further growing your business at minimum professional or personal risk.

COMPANIES PROVIDING RESTAURANT FINANCING

There are a number of companies out there offering financing of this kind to restaurants. The main points to watch out for when selecting such a company are as follows :

i) Application Fee – Companies charging an application fee should be avoided. To be honest, there isn’t much paperwork involved in this process, so an application fee is unnecessary.

ii) Closing Costs – Again, companies charging ‘closing costs’ are best avoided. There are enough companies out there competing for your business.

For the young or established restaurant business, credit card factoring is the most effective way of getting the funds you need to expand your business. So, fund your restaurant using someone else’s credit card !

Business Cost Savings Through Safety

Setting a health and safety program in place will reduce costs. Having a program will reduce accidents and will lead to lower company worker’s comp premiums; further business insurance companies prefer their customers to have health and safety programs. These insurance companies might even discount the premium if a program can be proved to exist. The average cost of an accident is $68,000. Direct costs in accidents such as worker’s comp and fines levied can close a business. Indirect costs such as low morale of employees, legal fees, and retraining can be as costly if not more.

A working program will:
1) Improve employee morale – Shows care in their well being
2) Reduce revenue loses – Fewer accidents keeps all employees at work
3) Give a boost to the customer – Makes sure business is operating     optimally

Small businesses that have a voluntary health and safety program in place have fifty percent less accidents and reported insurance claims than that of their counterparts according to OHSA stats. Most small businesses fall below the legal requirements for having a formal health and safety program in place due to number of employees on staff. Sixty eight percent of reported accidents are in the service industry which shows even businesses such as retail establishments are not free of accidents.

A health and safety program can be started by writing a health and safety policy; this is simply values that a company wishes to convey in its work processes. Secondly, is how communication between all employees and owners will function. And lastly, put procedures in place to ensure safe practices.

To find unseen hazards and unsafe practices, an audit needs to take place. Take a hard look at the workplace and record all factors that may lead to injury. These hazards might be dangerous chemicals or as simple as a letter opener. Identifying these hazards will lead to procedures to controlling them. Controls such as “Don’t run with scissors in your hands” are effective. Write all procedures in a manual.

Implementing these health and safety procedures will be done with behavioral change. Some programs become weak and non effective because of:
1)    No definition of safety practices – No written processes
2)    No teamwork – Safety is communication from the top to bottom and vice versa. A well written plan will describe what roles everyone plays in safety policies.
3)    No effective goals – The “accident free days” poster will come as a result of sound safety processes.
4)    Wrong incentives – Money as a reward does not work well. Health and safety should be fun and worth employees effort. The right incentive plan can be cost effective and have obtainable goals. Incentive plans can include movie passes or simply “free coffee on the boss.” The insurance industry reports for a dollar spent on health and safety yields four to six dollars in savings.

Once all of the hard work of developing and implementing the health and safety program is done, set aside some time each month to review the workplace. Record what is found; this is a good practice to see dangerous trends that might occur such as a fire exit constantly being blocked. On the quarters of the year post a meeting with employees. These meetings are a great way to get vital feed-back from employees and keep them involved. At least once a year, do an audit to make sure your health and safety program is current with present business operations.

Brands are an important influence on our lives. They are central to free markets and democratic societies. They represent free choice.They also have a profound impact on our quality of life and the way we see our world. They color our lives. They reflect the values of our societies.Global brands can even embody the spirit of many nations, if not the spirit of an age.

Most importantly, strong brands bestow value far beyond the performance of the products themselves. Brands that do this possess an idea worthy of consumer loyalty.The more inspiring the idea, the more intense and profound the commitment. And the more the consumer believes in the brand, the more value the brand returns to its owner.

Good logo designers are not only able to design you a professional logo, but they will also make sure that your logo is distinct and unique so as to create a long lasting impression. Therefore the question that now comes to mind is, do we really need logo designers or can just anyone design a corporate logo? The answer to this question is not as simple as it seems. While the obvious answer may be no, the fact of the matter is that we do need professional logo designers because they are specialists in their field and are able to produce quality work that is distinct and one of a kind.

In recent times the term ‘logo’ has been used to describe signs, emblems, coats of arms, symbols and even flags. In this article several examples of ‘true’ logotypes are displayed, which may generally be contrasted with emblems, or marks which include non-textual graphics of some kind. Emblems with non-textual content are distinct from true logotypes.

Logo designers therefore are of great importance to any business as they can help create logos with a powerful impact and reach. Think about Apple’s logo or the logo of Windows, besides the obvious there is more than just what meets the eye. These logos are not only powerful because they represent a company, but they are powerful because of what they stand for. Good logo designers know how to capture and depict the essence of a business in a single small image. They realize that a solid logo design communicates a company’s identity simply, clearly, and powerfully all at the same time.

At LogoSuite, we pride ourselves on keeping up to speed by improving our web design skills, developing new design styles, and searching for new typefaces and design ideas.

What’s the easiest way to kill a great ad campaign before it even begins? Take it too seriously. Advertising is not rocket science. You shouldn’t need a degree in the physical sciences to create or understand an ad.

And you should never, ever, under any circumstances, kill an ad because it is not literal enough. On the contrary, if you find your ads are too literal, you should destroy them all and start fresh.

Are Volkswagens flawed pieces of junk? No, but an ad with the headline “Lemon” gets your attention, doesn’t it? It makes you want to read the story, which goes on to explain how the particular car shown in the ad would never be driven because VW cares so much it weeds out the lemons so you never get a bad car. Think what an opportunity would have been missed if the folks at Volkswagen had taken that headline too literally.

Think about it from this angle. Why do people read an ad or watch a commercial? The majority do so because they find them entertaining and informative. If your ads are all information and no entertainment, you’ve wasted your budget.

This is not to say that an ad should be created purely for entertainment purposes. Again, a great ad is both entertaining and informative. The entertainment value should be derived from a feature of your product or brand. In other words, what you’re selling should be the star of the show. Sounds simple enough, but it is often hard to strike the right balance. That’s what makes advertising so fun.

How much information does your audience really need? What kind of story will they find entertaining? These are questions that should be asked and answered early on so that when you finally are presented with an ad or a campaign, you can judge the work according to these preordained guidelines.

A good campaign will reach your target audience and talk to them on a personal level. This has a valuable effect on your sales and reputation. A great advertising campaign will do more than that. It will create a buzz outside of your target audience.

Apple Computer’s “1984” commercial ran only once. But it is still one of the most talked about commercials because it was rebroadcast on every major news show and written about in every major newspaper for weeks and months. And none of this cost Apple anything more than a single TV buy.

It’s worth noting that Apple’s Super Bowl commercial helped make the company a household name and created unbelievable demand for the new Macintosh computer-yet the ad never showed the product or explained any details about it.

BMW’s Mini Cooper was one of the first cars to be introduced in the United States with no TV advertising. Blasphemy! Instead, they bolted the Minis to the roofs of SUVs and drove them around major cities. They created tongue-in-cheek billboards, interactive print ads and great guerrilla promotions. Most importantly, they created a waiting list of customers who couldn’t wait to get a Mini.

Companies that think bigger become bigger. It’s a self-fulfilling cycle. If you just think like a local operation, you might miss the opportunity to expand regionally, nationally, or even internationally. Your advertising campaign should reflect the direction of your company—even if you’re not yet there.

Challenge yourself and your agency to think bigger.•

This article introduced the third of twelve steps. Challenge yourself, your staff and your advertising agency to revolutionize your ad program. If you missed a previous step, contact the author for a complimentary copy. And, remember, every revolution begins with just one step.

Knowing the vehicle

Knowing the shape and size of the vehicle and all its nuances is a critical part of the design process; therefore, taking measurements before you do any design work is a must. You really have to have a good handle on templates, templates are so key because positioning is critical. If you have to do a lot of reprints, then that could break your business. Experts also recommend an auto library that contains vector images of cars, trucks and buses and a digital camera with which to take pictures. The goal is to know every inch of the vehicle. If you don’t take time to do this up front, then you could end up with text over a door handle. Even though you are wrapping a 2003 Dodge Caravan, for example, measurements are still important because there are slight differences that could cause major problems during installation. You can get this library at the end of this article.

Designing for wraps

Designing for wraps is completely different than other types of design work, It’s like any new media, you have to learn the media and you have to learn what is going to capture the attention of the people. It’s more than just putting graphics on a car. Avoid using too much text or colours. Many people are using rainbows on cars and that causes the intended viewer to miss the message. In fact, making a bold statement is one of the biggest challenges in designing for wraps. You have to keep it simple. You need a strong message. You only have a few seconds to get the message across as the car passes by, It’s a branding media; it’s not a message media. You just show the brand for recognition more than to run a brochure.

Keeping it simple

One of the biggest mistakes with wrap designs is going overboard with flashy graphics or trying to put a one-dimensional design on a three-dimensional vehicle. Normally where your hood and your front bumper transition to the side of the car is challenging. You are basically laying down a flat design on the hood and a flat design on the side of the vehicles and if you have a wacky design, then they don’t transition well on either side of the hood and on either side of the trunk on the back. One key to success boils down to common sense: work closely with the client throughout the design process. In fact, you could even outsource the design work, the printing and the installation and basically act as a sales rep. If the customer wants to deal with you and the price is fine, then go for it.

Preparing the vehicle for installation

Once the design work is complete, the next step is preparing the vehicle for installation. Proper cleaning and preparation of the substrate prior to application is critical to the success of the wrap, because if the vehicle is not thoroughly cleaned immediately prior to application, then the result could be adhesion loss. You want to make sure to get all the dirt out of any contours and grooves, any dirt can effect how any of the film adheres to the substrate. Most vinyl manufacturers recommend cleaning the vehicle with a commercial detergent and water. If grease, oil, wax or any other grime is present, then the substrate must be scrubbed with a solvent and wiped with a soft, lint-free cloth before it dries. Isophoryl alcohol is strong enough to clean away any left over impurities that could hinder the adhesive, but not so strong that it will damage the paint. Still, experts recommend testing the cleaning solvent on an inconspicuous area of the application surface first to check for potential damage.

Allowing the vehicle to dry

Experts say a common mistake during the preparation process is not allowing the vehicle to dry fully. It can take up to 24 hours for a vehicle to dry completely, especially in humid or cold atmospheres. Emphasize on the importance of surface preparation, one common mistake that is easy to understand but often overlooked is having the vehicle at the proper temperature for installation. Sign shops in the north are at somewhat of a disadvantage because vinyl films are typically more susceptible to failure in cold environments. Even if the vehicle seems like it’s dry, if it’s cold and there’s moisture in the air, then it sticks to the surface of the vehicle and creates barriers to the performance of the film.

Considering paint and glass

If you are applying film to a newly painted surface, Avery recommends following all drying and curing instructions provided by the paint manufacturer prior to surface preparation and film application. Avery also recommends the use of high quality exterior grade paints and OEM systems. You also need to prepare the glass if you are going to apply perforated vinyl to these areas. Like the vehicle itself, the glass should be perfectly clean. Avery recommends removing any stickers, paint or over-spray using a single razor blade scraper. Then spray the glass with cleaning solution, squeegee it dry using a soft rubber window squeegee and wipe the edges using lint-free paper towels.

Once the vehicle is thoroughly cleaned and dried, then you can proceed with installing the wrap.

There is such a lot of talk going around about branding, but what exactly is your brand and how do you use it to help you reach more people and market your products or services?

Your brand is the core of your marketing, the central theme around your products and services.

Your brand is not your Logo or your Company Name, unless of course you are Microsoft or the Yellow Pages online directory.

For people to come and hire you, or buy from you in droves, your brand needs to be crystal clear, attractive, exciting and powerful. In fact your brand needs to be powerful enough to rouse your customers into action, and at the same time it needs to actively express you, what you’re about and your uniqueness.

Once you’re sure of your brand you also gain a tangible and easy way of talking to people about what you do. It makes it so much easier to do your marketing when you have it clear in your mind what it is you’re selling in the first place.

When you’re creating your brand you are creating a memorable marketing message that will inspire people to take action and choose you over your competitors.
Here are five useful tips to help you find your brand:

Your Brand Tip 1
Your brand is the core of what you do. What feelings or emotions does your business inspire in you and in your customers? Did you know that peoples’ decision to buy is based on emotions, not facts?

Your Brand Tip 2
Think about how you present yourself, not just on your website but when people see you, talk to you on the phone, or read your email. Is your marketing consistently saying what you want it to? Are people getting confusing messages from you, or is it clear from the start what you do?

Your Brand Tip 3
Think like your potential customer, try to get inside their head and see your products or services from their point of view. How do they experience what you do, and how does it make them feel?

Your Brand Tip 4
What is it you do that makes you stand out from the crowd? If you don’t think you do, then you need to think of a way that you can, because your brand should be somehow different from everyone else’s, its not enough to be just the same as others but better.

Your Brand Tip 5
What are your best abilities, do you know your greatest strengths? Choose an unbiased person, who knows you well, to help you decide what your top attributes are; your brand should be based around your unique strengths and abilities.

Ultimately, creating a strong, memorable, compelling and meaningful brand is essential for successful marketing, and something you can do with a bit of thought, and may be a bit of help from your (unbiased) friends.