If you own a business, or do marketing for one, you likely are looking to sell your brand not only locally, but in the global marketplace. For better or for worse, taking your brand online gives it the potential for worldwide customers. And, in this day and age, just about every business in the U.S. has an online presence, even if it still exists as a true brick-and-mortar business. Why construct a brand? It’s crucial that you build a brand for your business. Your “brand” encompasses everything about how your business is perceived by its customers. It’s not just having…

A confusing state that pre-occupies the mind of small business owners is whether to direct or not to direct their digital marketing strategy. As in most cases executives delegate it to the IT and marketing teams, but they do not like their way of handling. So, should we direct or should we delegate? When you delegate every aspect of digital marketing to IT and marketing firms, then you have to depend on their vision. And that makes your business dependable on the data provided by the IT firms. Beginning of every week, IT teams forward you a spreadsheet showing your…

When did you last use a  Press Release? If you’re having trouble generating leads for your business, you want to make the most of every tool at your disposal. However, many businesses don’t consider using the age-old tactic of sending out press releases to bring readers in. This may be because many believe it to be old fashioned. This may be true – press releases are positively ancient compared to some of the mediums we rely on these days – but it doesn’t make them any less viable for generating leads. Here’s how: Online Exposure  One thing many forget is…

Patents. They’re great things aren’t they? It gives you absolute control over that product. It protects you from unscrupulous competitors. Life is good. Have you given any thought to the day when that patent runs out? Maybe it seems so far away, that it simply isn’t on the radar. Twenty years off seems like a life time. Maybe just worry about it when the time comes. For many that’s the conventional wisdom. I’ve known companies who did exactly that. During the patent years things were good. Business was growing and the future looked promising. And then it happened. Where did…

Entrepreneurs and ambitious start-ups growing frustrated with working from their spare room or study face the dilemma of whether to stay small fry or take the next step up the ladder into their own premises. Working from home often seems like a great idea initially, but it comes fraught with challenges to overcome. Home life can become a distraction, left without motivation, privacy and an increased sense of isolation, resulting in a poor work-life balance. Taking a leap of faith and moving into your own dedicated office may seem like a daunting step to take, but the benefits of working…

I know you may be thinking… that’s like a bad word! Don’t talk about that! Many entrepreneur friends of mine feel that way and if you do too, good for you! But I’m still going to talk about it because I’m not really talking about luck. What others see as ‘luck’ actually has a formula. Listen in to find out… Key Takeaways Keep going Work it Give it time Sacrifice [display_podcast] Resources & Mentions Exposure & Profit AutoSiteSaver Rate us on iTunes

I just returned from a successful workshop in San Diego where I facilitated (with a friend Marcia Hoeck). We were teaching graphic designers how to drive profits by building brands for clients before any design work is done. Our audience was graphic design firms from across the U.S. Essentially we went through Marcia and my eleven step branding process. One important issue kept cropping up – confidence. It would appear that our audience that day and i’m sure many small businesses in our audience here, have a rough time selling with confidence. Especially a new service like ours. I’ve found…

There’s no business that doesn’t require selling. Even when you are selling life-giving water. Something everyone on this planet needs. You need to sell people on your water vs other alternatives. A big part of selling is to ask. But why? Why do we have to ask? Don’t people just know we have it? People will know to ask me if they want to buy. Wrong. In this episode, we talk about why you need to ask and ask often. Listen in now… Key Takeaways Never assume people won’t buy Don’t assume there’s no room for you after competition Why everyone has…

How Does QMS Software help you ? Industry regulations are ever-changing, and operating a successful business is hard enough without having to keep track of industry compliance regulations, and whether or not your business matches up. Of course, not keeping track of this information would be detrimental to you (particularly because the law says so), and until the release of QMS  (quality management systems) software, businesses were forced to keep track of compliance standards and data manually. Now, thankfully, keeping tracking of quality management information need not be tedious, require a team of employees, or necessitate a daily referral to…

Bookkeeping and pay roll services: Bookkeeping and pay roll services are required by almost every company in Singapore, as accuracy in business accounting is necessary for its success. All types of businesses, need these services for their proper growth but they hire them as per their volume of work. Though big businesses may engage whole time bookkeeping and payroll services, but medium and small business usually opt for freelance service providers in both of these fields. Most of the businesses in Singapore outsource the bookkeeping and payroll services in Singapore to fulfill the business accounting requirements of their business. They…