In a few weeks it will be spring. That gives all of us the opportunity to do some spring cleaning of our brand. It’s that time again where you should assess the effectiveness of your brand and tighten it up a bit. Is it working as well as it should for you? Do you stand out enough from your competition? Lately I’ve been involved with entrepreneurs and presented a webinar to the large format graphics industry. From their questions it’s apparent to me that their is a lot of frustration with their brands. Many of the concerns stem from establishing…

LinkedIn has surpassed merely being a site for aspirant unemployed guys to linger awaiting their next big break. It’s a way for business professionals to mingle and engage like-minded people and find the folks who exhibit expertise in their markets on an everyday basis. Peoples’ viewpoints make for good content. If you review my eBook LinkedIn Profile Optimization for Maximum Exposure, you know that in the chapter on Applications I touch on polls on LinkedIn but didn’t have a lot of detail to go with it. Here is a bit more on LinkedIn polls and how to utilize them. My…

This is part of a series I am writing on virtual collaboration and fads for CEOs, small business owners, and entrepreneurs. It looks at best habits for virtual video-conferencing technology and the methods for keeping people interested using instruments from the cloud. In this Vlog I talk to Phil Montero, president of Montero Consulting and originator of YouCanWorkFromAnywhere.com and TheAnywhereOffice.com. Phil’s avocation is collaborating with small to mid-sized business leaders in setting up the technology, training and tools for working virtually and leading online. Virtual Trends Phil sees the biggest trend in digital collaboration among CEOs as just that there…

If you find yourself in the role of consultant, how you express that role speaks to your brand. How you position your brand, is what defines it. Ideally you should embrace the services that best show your passion to your audience. I recently had this discussion with a client of mine. Their consulting services were equally divided between two audiences. Essentially the same solutions but to two disciplines. They had a passion for one, and a responsibility to another. This intrigued me. I wanted to know why they felt it necessary to split their attention between the two. The client…

In the small town where we live, there was once a pretty good family restaurant. Let’s call them “Steed’s”. Steed’s served seafood buffet – the only one in town. The food was good and prices reasonable. While they weren’t exactly booked to the brim, they had a steady flow of customers daily. So they were profitable. Steed’s had also been there for decades. The family who owned it also owned several businesses in town and were quite reputable. Sadly, they are no longer in business and the reason had nothing to do with economy or big businesses crowding them out.…

What is the quickest growing business in America today? Consulting. Not only are there more small businesses than ever in American history forming, but an ever increasing number of those businesses are that of private consultants. Why is this? Is it the Obama economic plan? Has government developed these “new” jobs as is so often the claim? I think I speak for most of you when I say the response is, “Obviously not.” The new consulting businesses popping up around the country are a direct outcome of corporate downsizing and the difficulty in securing professional employment. As major corporations are…

Personal branding. We all would like to believe that we make an impact on our customer’s and connection’s lives. But do we really? Are you developing a personal brand that resonates? Personal branding, like its corporate cousin, is based on a fixed set of brand values that are the foundation for your brand. Having and abiding by these values, gives you rules to live by. They must be lived up to even if you’re hurting and are tempted to bend them to suit a situation. Your values help to define your personal brand. In developing a personal brand, I advise…

So you’ve got an idea that you think could make a lot of money and you’ve decided to start a business. Maybe it’s even a great idea. Perhaps it’s so good that despite your lack of experience you’ve managed to interest some investors and possibly even line up a loan. Now what? If you went to business school or you’ve got a good head on your shoulders you probably realize that there are a lot of variables involved in starting and running a business, and not all of them are within your control. Add to that the fact that you’re…

We are all pretty familiar with Generation X; they are the offspring of the post-World War II baby boom, the so-called “13th Generation”. Their perspectives on the world were shaped by political, environmental and financial conflicts including Black Monday, the evolution of the Internet, the Chernobyl disaster and the fall of the Berlin Wall. Generation Y, however, is still a bit of a misunderstood group – at least by the Gen X’s. Gen Y-er’s perspective on their world has been shaped by their immersion in technology, almost since birth. The New York Times describes Generation Y as “post-emotional, entrepreneurial” and…

What’s your definition of success? What steps do you need to take to reach the pinnacle of success? Those answers will be different for everyone but the important thing is to revisit these answers every now and then. What we considered important or successful back in our 20’s will most likely be different now that we’re in our 30’s. If you have a family, are you spending enough time with them and developing a close relationship or are you driving yourself into the ground, working 16-hour days? What do you want your closest friends and family members to remember about…