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Why a business card should matter to you
If I meet you for the first time, chances are, I will forget your name and whom you work for within a short time frame. The one thing I will most likely keep will be your business card. When you hand me your business card, it tells me not only who you are and what you do but it also tells me whether or not you are worthy of my business.

Before You Build Your Website: 8 Common Misconceptions

If you’re feeling pressure to create an Internet site for your company, you’re not alone. Even if you don’t want to sell your products or services directly over the Internet, simply maintaining a professional-looking, well-functioning Internet site can help a new company seem more established. (Conversely, having an unappealing, poorly functioning site hurts.) Before you get started on that online component to your business, though, consider the following common misconceptions:

Business Card ABCs

Many people overlook the value of having a professional business card that accurately reflects your brand image…yet this small piece of paper can be an important part of your collateral package. It often is the first item prospects receive from you, so it your first opportunity to make a strong, positive impression on them. The preponderance of do-it-yourself online business card printing companies is an interesting and somewhat troubling phenomenon. With limited exceptions, it is fairly easy to spot an inexpensively produced card. When you choose to “go cheap” on your business cards, what message does that send to those with whom you wish to do business? Are you really doing yourself any favors by missing out on the opportunity to start building a positive brand image right from the start?

Top 5 Biz Card Blunders (& How to Avoid Them)

Perhaps nothing is more important to making a good first branding impression than your business card. In addition to the information on your card, its look and feel also send a message about your businessâ€“ in fact, a cardâ€™s look and feel send a stronger message. Thatâ€™s why Iâ€™m perplexed by the many poorly designed business cards I see these days. Sure, one can log on to various websites and â€œdesignâ€ and print cards for free. But that doesnâ€™t mean one should.

Brand Aid: The Basics of Branding
Branding is one of the most important aspects of any business, large or small, retail or B2B. An effective brand strategy gives you a major edge in increasingly competitive markets. But what exactly does â€œbrandingâ€ mean? How does it affect a small business like yours?

Brand Extensions: Is it Time to Broaden Your Horizon?

When I interviewed graphic designers for my agency, I’d always get a little nervous when they claimed they could double as a great copywriter. That’s because good design and good copywriting require two different skill sets rarely found in one person. I’d experience the same nervous reaction when clients discussed “brand extension,” or launching a new product related to their existing brand. It’s not as easy as it seems.

5 Tools to Build Your Brand Platform

There’s a lot of buzz these days about having a “brand platform.” Perhaps you’ve heard the term, but aren’t sure what it means. Rest assured, you’re not the only one! Even within the advertising industry, you’ll find disagreement over its definition. What one guru calls a “brand platform” another calls a “corporate image.” Don’t be confused. Regardless of what you call it, you need it. A brand platform serves as the springboard for all branding decisions.

A.S.A.P. Branding-1, Learn these smart shortcuts to branding your business quickly and effectively.

To successfully brand your small company, you must know who you are and show who you are in every aspect of your business--but especially in your promotional materials. Are you the innovative maverick in your industry? Or the experienced, reliable one? Do people choose your product because of its quality--or because of its price point? You can't be all things to all people, so you have to decide just who you are. Strategically pinpointing your niche in the market will simplify all your branding efforts. Every visual aspect of your brand should consistently point in the same direction. But when you're first starting out, how can you do this quickly and cost effectively?

A.S.A.P. Branding” Part III: Why Every Brand Needs an “Adjective

You may be wondering why, as my headline states, every brand platform “needs an adjective.” By this I mean every brand needs to own a word in the mind of consumers. Why? Let me illustrate with peanut butter - Jif peanut butter, to be specific. For decades, television ads for the Jif brand ended with the tagline, “Choosy Mothers Choose Jif.” Obviously, the branding strategists behind Jif hoped to associate this word “choosy” with their peanut butter. (Notice how superior product quality is implied, not stated, through use of the folksy term, “choosy.”) Today, Jif’s tagline remains virtually unchanged. Talk about a successful branding strategy: Jif has been the leading peanut butter brand in the United States for over 27 years.

A.S.A.P. Branding” Part IV: Picking a PMS Color

Perhaps nothing is more single-handedly important to your branding efforts than color. Today’s consumers face more choices than ever before, yet have less time to devote to product comparisons. One of the best ways to develop a lasting connection with your consumers is on an emotional level – and nothing evokes emotion better than color. Furthermore, color plays a huge role in memory recall. It stimulates all the senses, instantly conveying a message like no other method of communication.

Branding Trends: Delivery Channels Take Forefront

In looking at current branding trends, and what might be around the corner in 2007, what strikes me most are not the tactics being used, but the mediums being called on to disseminate the messages. Marketers can no longer rely on traditional outlets such as TV, radio and print ads to â€œget the job doneâ€; they must take into consideration all the new media at their disposal, including blogs, podcasting, mobile phone-based programming, social networks, and RSS feeds.

You, Inc. What it Takes to Build a Personal Brand

Itâ€™s a brand new work-world. And I do mean â€œbrand.â€ It used to be that only businesses worried about branding. To thrive, they worked diligently to distinguish their company from the competition. This meant carving out a niche based on competitive advantages and specific corporate attributes. In other words, they crafted and maintained a strategic brand â€“ a unique, useful promise to current and prospective customers to gain brand equity and loyalty. This was business, after all.

Matchmaking 101: Creating Sales Tools That Build Your Brand

If you’re like other entrepreneurs, you know a good logo is important to branding your company. You may already have a great logo. Now what? How can you create a variety of marketing materials that build your brand? In a word: Coordinate. All your materials should tie to one another graphically. They should convey the same look and feel, or image, and evoke a similar emotional response in your customer. When viewed side by side, your stationery, brochures, and other promotional materials should create a cohesive “family.” Of course, your materials don’t need to “match” each other completely, but some elements should remain consistent from one piece to the next:

Key Ways to Convey Quality

Let’s say that what differentiates your product or service from the competition’s is quality. It may seem like advertising “quality” would be a breeze, right? Unfortunately, it’s not. Customers hear the word “quality” all the time –often from companies selling low-quality products. In this sense, quality is like trust. If a salesperson resorts to “You can trust me,” it’s often an indicator to beware. Accordingly, if a company is too direct in how it advertises “quality,” customers may ignore the claim or be suspicious of it. So how can you prove that your product or service is the real deal? Following are some often-overlooked ways to convey quality.

5 Tips for Writing Quick-Read Copy

Click here. Buy now. Free trial offer. The world of advertising is full of short and snappy copy promising instant gratification. After all, most prospects simply don’t have time to read thoroughly. They skim. They glance. But if you’re betting they’ll wade through long paragraphs of narrative copy, it’s time to adjust your expectations. Your copywriting must be clear, compelling, and to the point. These days, the best copy is served a-la-carte, allowing readers to sample one message here, taste another message there. Which leads us to the most important rule in writing copy that sells: Make it “digestible.” Rely on headlines, subheads, captions, and bullet points – short snippets of copy with key nuggets of messaging. Long blocks of copy tend to overwhelm readers. They snooze, you lose.

Success Stories Boost Branding
Whether your business is local (like a home remodeler) or global (like an online specialty retailer), you can make a tremendous brand impression by telling stories-real-world stories illustrating how your business has benefited customers.

Global Branding Starts Here

Telling memorable stories about your customers’ real-world experiences can build your credibility, add moxie to your sales/marketing and luster to your brand. Stories are readily available to any business that has satisfied customers-and that means every viable business on the planet. You can adapt customer stories to a variety of business needs, for instance by tailoring their length and details to fit different venues and audiences.

What to Do, What to Avoid: DIY Logo Design Checklist What Not to Do When Designing It Yourself

Have you ever noticed how many articles there are on creating your own marketing materials? These articles concentrate on things you “should do” – like “know your audience”, and “say it with pictures.” Now, I’m not saying that’s bad. That’s great. But you should also know what NOT to do. That’s what this article is about. Specifically, it’s about what most do-it-yourselfers are TEMPTED to do but shouldn’t.

Logo Design & Your Favicon: Spotlight Your Brand Online

By now, you’re probably familiar with the term “sticky website.” The phrase refers to a site that compels visitors to “stick around.” In order to entice visitors to stick around, however, your site must first project the image that you are a credible (i.e., large) company. If potential customers don’t have this comfort factor, they are likely to bounce before they even see what you offer. There are many aspects to developing a credible, “sticky” website, but one easy and valuable way is to create a “favicon.”

Design Your Own Logo, Save a Buck, Send the Wrong Message

Most new and small business owners are faced with the plethora of challenges, not the least of which are advertising and marketing. Making the most of their investment dollar is all-important. Too often, however, the corners that get cut can prove very costly down the road. Saving a buck on professional design services can set a bad precedent and create a stigma that is sometimes unable to be undone. Making the investment in professional design services can be a very wise move for many business owners.

Business Identity Secrets

A few years ago I owned a toy company. At the time, I heard an interesting philosophy on packaging: that you should design your toy’s package so artfully that when children opened it and touched your product, they were just a little disappointed. Maybe this sold more toys in the short run, but I can guarantee it didn’t in the long run. Because when perception trumps reality, your brand is the loser.

Niche Branding

It is a common misconception that if you’re not casting a wide net with your marketing, you’re leaving money on the table. Actually, the opposite is true. It’s more expensive and usually less profitable to sell a range of products to a wide audience. Furthermore, if your product or service is too similar to a competitor’s, price will always be an issue. When price is your only point of comparison, it’s tough to build a successful brand – especially if you are a small business. Targeting a niche market is a great way to avoid these issues. But how do you find the right niche?

No business cards? No problem.
From the way some people tell it, you'd think meeting someone and not having a business card with you was worse than getting caught in a blizzard without a coat.

Success: What Does It Mean To You?
You were designed for success. You were endowed with the seeds of greatness. But would you know success if it tapped you on the shoulder and gave you its business card? Sounds odd, but many people who come up to me and say they want to be successful can't answer one key question: What is success?

What Sequoia Capital Looks for in Startups
Elements of Sustainable Companies Start-ups with these characteristics often foretells the success of a business and the likelihood of it becoming a sustainable, enduring company. We like to partner with companies that have:

Posting relevant comments on blogs is networking

I happen to think that many small business folks would find networking on the web as valuable as networking at, say, the next Chamber event. There are many ways to do networking on the web but I happen to think one of the easiest is to participate in blogs you enjoy by frequently posting relevant content. Blog comment posting is very much like standing around chatting with a group of folks at a networking event (except you don’t have to balance the Swedish meatball plate on your wine glass.)

The Art of the Business Card
A few weeks ago I was in Charlotte to make a speech for Network Solutions, and I met Justin Ruckman. He handed me his business card--which I just loved.

Four Tips to Make New Connections Fast
Today I've culled some of the best relationship-building tips I've come across recently in books that have made the rounds on my nightstand.

N is for Networking
Networking!! It’s a subject very close to my heart. I get a fair few clients from this method of marketing, which means that on average I attend between 5-8 networking events per month. But just what is networking and how can you make it work for you?

More Mileage from Branding
Let’s say your online business-or your local business with an online presence-has some really strong customer stories. Where can you place these stories on the Internet to enhance your brand, boost credibility and support your sales and marketing? There are numerous online ways to use customer stories. You could try any or all of these:

Personal Branding Tips
A great deal of time and energy are expended to create memorable brands that add value to company marketing strategies and (in the case of public companies) pique the interest of the investment community. While company brand equity is certainly important, the significance of personal branding should not be overlooked as a key to success.

Does Brand Imitation Work?
To Copy or Not to Copy, This is the Question.vWe all know that it’s tempting to copy the competition. There is safety in conformity – a certain “comfort factor” in being similar. After all, the other company knows what it’s doing, right? Not always.

What's Your Brand Image ROI?

If you’re like millions of other small businesses, creating a professional visual image is key to your success. After all, your image - as seen on your business cards, marketing materials, packaging and website - is the first and sometimes only chance you have to introduce your company to potential customers. If your customers like what they see, you’re one big step closer to getting their business.

Incorporating Social Media into Traditional Marketing

It has been suggested by social media enthusiasts that by using it, businesses no longer need what is known as traditional marketing tools, i.e. business cards, web sites, etc. I believe incorporating social media into traditional marketing will enhance the ‘brick and mortar’ of traditional marketing. People still need business cards for face-to-face meetings, web sites provide essential company information and services provided. People want/expect more than a sales pitch in a tweet to encourage them to use your services.

Found Your True Calling (To Action)?
You already know that every time you market your business, you need to include a call to action. A reason for someone to contact you now. Where should you place it? How should you phrase the call?

Networking

Although technology has become increasingly important in recent years, the importance of relationships in business has not changed. Upon reflection, it appears that we have taken the following path. Technological Era --> Industrial Era In fact, it has been predicted that over the next ten to fifteen years, we will see a new era emerge; that being the era of the relationship in doing business. It is estimated that the relationships we have in business with our customers and within organisations will be the key differentiator for businesses worldwide. Technological Era --> Industrial Era --> Relationship Era

Business Credit Cards versus Personal Credit Cards
I get asked this questions a lot. What is the difference between a business credit card and a personal credit card?

Cold calling on a small business
Cold calling - in person that is - on a small business can quite often provoke a hostile response. You are invading their domain. How can we break down the barriers that sometimes are put up?

Five Best Offline Advertising Techniques
With the advent of Internet and Communication Technology, many businesses concentrate their advertising techniques to online marketing or to the media. The internet offers advertising services in a 24-hour non-stop period. It covers the widest audience because it sees no limits and knows no boundaries.

Web Design in 30 Minutes - Can this be Right?
The time to design a professional website should not be measured in minutes. Your website should be part of your sales team, in a digital way. You need to care about your website, grow it, promote and expand on it as much as you can. Today’s Internet web surfers are savvy shoppers and they know what a polished website should look like. Shouldn't you allow more than 30 minutes to do it right?

How to Be True to the Purpose of Professional Business Cards in Today’s Business Marketplace
What is the purpose of your business card? How does it affect your ability to increase sales? Learn if you card passes the AIDA Reading Test.

No Business Card Simply Means No Business
Have you attended a business networking event or a business conference and attempted to exchange professional business cards with another professional but he or she did not have one? What were your thoughts?

Honesty is Always the Best Policy
Your mom said it. You heard it in school. You’ve probably heard it all your life. You may think it has nothing to do with sales, but it does because in sales: Honesty is Always the Best Policy

I am Not Going to Chase a Woman from Zimbabwe up a Power Pole to Tell Her About My Business Opportunity
Are you in the unenviable position of working for a large company that does not value the employees on it's payroll? Is your situation precarious and are you anxious about the future? There is a perfect solution to this problem and I will share this with you in this article.

Design on a Shoestring
As a marketing professional you will be not surprised to read that I am, well at least partially, obsessed with design. Yes, I like to have things looking right and in place. However, does ‘looking good’ make a real difference to bottom line results? When I started the Next Marketing business I was convinced first hand.

How To Advertise A Product! ~SIMPLE STEPS TO WEALTH
Everyone has their own opinion on how to advertise a product, but very few of those people actually get results when advertising. Fortunately a group of elite millionaire online entrepreneurs shared the secret with me a when I first started advertising and now I want to share this secret with you. Enjoy this article by Omari Taylor and learn exactly how to effectively advertise a product.

Use Your Business Card
Chris Randolph, author of "The Sales Edge" and several other books on professional selling, marketing, internet marketing, personal development and motivation shares a couple ideas on an inexpensive yet highly effective prospecting and marketing tool that every salesperson already has.

Lessons in Networking: The Ultimate No-No
Networking is a great way to get your business and your name known, find new potential strategic partners, and to surface some prospects. But networking isn't just about finding prospects. You know that, and I know that. Pretty much everyone in business knows that, right?

Three Marketing Lessons from Realtors
Any real estate professional can tell you the three most important factors in determining the value of real estate are location, location, and location.

The Biggest Obstacle To Sales Success Is I Am Not A Salesperson
Yesterday during a conversation with an international colleague where we were discussing business and how to increase sales, I heard this dreaded comment: I am not a salesperson.

Business Cards From Hell
Business cards often present the first impression about you and your business. Yet many businesses continue to use incomplete, hard to read business cards that may be doing more harm than good. Here's what you need to have a business card that works for you and not against you.

How Sales Training Forgets This Essential Sales Tool
How well have you trained your sales staff? Possibly, you may have missed this one essential sales skill?

How Failing Business Etiquette #101 May Be Your First Obstacle to Increase Sales
If you want to increase sales, then are you demonstrating the right business etiquette? Possibly, you are failing one of these every day behaviors and this maybe why you are still achieving your sales goals?

Where does the passion go?
Many busy people in life lose the passion and joy they once had at work. In this insightful article Davdi Oliver explains one reason why, and, importantly, what to do about it. READ MORE...

7 Things To Avoid When Building Customer Relationships
What do you focus on when you meet with new sales prospects? Do you concentrate on what's important or do you hurry-up and start selling? Here are seven things to avoid when building customer relationships.

Credibility And How It Impacts Your Online Visual Presence
So we know, your online credibility is an important element of your internet marketing business. Without credibility nobody will buy from you. It’s that simple a fact. However, as mentioned, building credibility is not a single process. It consists of many aspects.

10 Cheap Ways to Create a Professional Impression with Your Small Business Marketing
These days, the Internet has created tons more competition in any field than there was just 5 years ago. So you’ve got to have your marketing ducks in a row before you try to sell a thing. Otherwise someone out there is sure to be making a better impression than you. Thankfully, creating a top-notch impression with your marketing doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg.

The perfect business card design
Do you business cards generate a measurable return on investment for you? NO.. then redesign them!

Self-Mutilation, The Imposter Syndrome and Your Essential Message.
Are you undercutting your own Essential Message?

Smart Women Never Miss an Opportunity

This article is about how important it is to market your product or service in many ways to increase or grow your business. There are so many forms of media today because of the internet that we need to explore and discover ways to attract our ideal client that best meet our needs. The key is to find them and use them over and over again. This article gives 3 effective marketing tips and how you can use them to grow your business.

How To Integrate Your Online Networking with In-Person Events for Best Results
Many entrepreneurs who network with other business professionals should consider an integrated approach to networking. For best results, make sure your online presence matches your in-person efforts.

What to do with all your business cards?
How many business cards have you gathered since you’ve been in business? I’ve seen business owners with hundreds if not thousands of business cards stored in card boxes, in jacket pockets, stapled to diaries and contact details scribbled on bits of paper.

7 Deadly Sins—Don't Kill Your Business with These Marketing Material Mistakes
When it comes to marketing your business it is important to make a good first, second, and lasting impression. Learn about 7 deadly sins that you need to avoid like the plague when creating your marketing materials.

Great Business Card Top 10 Checklist
Is your business card completely useless? You'd be surprised at how many business cards are useless, for one reason or another, but yours doesn't have to be. Use this checklist to evaluate your business card (or to upgrade your new card), and to see what makes a truly great business card.

How to Maximize the Business Potential of Your Next Speech
Here are methods to get new clients to self-identify themselves after your next speech or presentation

Looking Good On Paper
When you go into business on your own, your stationery has to convey that you are a professional running a professional business. Looking good on paper is not an option. It is a requirement.

Making the Most of Your Contacts
Those contacts in your Outlook are worth their weight in gold, if you know what to do with them. Use these tips to convert contacts into sales.

Use Two-Step Direct Response Advertising and Stop Wasting Your Ad Money
Have you wondered why some companies continually advertise? It's because they know how to develop direct response advertising. This article will show you how to do it.

Creating Powerful, Promotional Material On A Budget
Nothing saddens me more when I'm out at an event or opening my mail than seeing BRUTAL (that's right, BRUTAL) promotional material. Let me describe it. First, like something out of a horror movie, I find myself staring at a home made business card or worse, the tri-fold brochure (start the creepy music).

Consistency
Be consistent in your messages.

Learn How Old Fashioned Networking Can Grow Your Home Business
Networking has been around a lot longer than the internet has. Could you imagine how difficult and different it was 20 years ago when people needed to get the word out about their home based business? Now there are many people who think the only way to network and promote their business is via the internet.

A Dead Simple Way to Get More Free Advertising for Your Business and Website
Would you like a simple way to promote your business—and drive traffic to your Website—for free? One of the best things you can do is something far too many small business owners aren’t doing...Learn what it is and how you can take advantage of it in this sassy article from Practical Marketing Expert Stacy Karacostas.

Business Card Marketing

Do you have a box of business cards on your desk that you hardly seem to put a dent in before the information changes and a new box is ordered? Or worse yet...are you still working on that same box of business cards that you printed 3 years ago! Business cards can be a great inexpensive marketing tool for a small business. They say exactly what you do and give people all the contact information they need to get a hold of you. Yet oddly enough we tend to use them only for networking, and even then, we aren't really sure if people are holding on to them.

Getting The Most From Your Promotional Items
You have a box of great promo items ready to take to a trade show. You bought them because you know they're the most effective possible advertising for your company. Now how can you get the best "bang for your buck" from these items? Follow these simple rules:

Small Law Firm Marketing: How to Market a Small Law Firm for Less than $500
Jump-start your solo law practice, here is a starter list of things that you can do to Attract New Clients with Little Time, Effort and Money...

Increase Your Income With Data Entry Jobs
Finding data entry jobs to increase your income can be fun and rewarding if you have the right skills and know where to look for them.

6 Steps to Productive and Profitable Networking

Observing many people when I'm out and about attending various business related functions, I'm convinced that so many of them do not realize how powerful it is to make the effort to meet others and network. Networking is great for business ... if you do it right and have a system in place to follow up. Follow these 6 simple steps and you'll find that you're networking experiences will be much more productive and profitable.

A Well Managed Suite of Business Materials
When you’re not around to make a personal impression, your materials are doing it for you. So naturally, you want to be sure that your materials are making the right impression. In this article I’ll go over a few specific bits of advice to ensure that your corporate identity materials are projecting an image of competence and success.

What Is Business Networking, Anyway?
It's more than showing up and shaking hands; it's about being proactive.

Website Role In A Brick-And-Mortar Business
Website is not a substitute for old fashioned foot traffic and many people still seek human help and customer service, but small business owners should use their website to complement their business.

Is Your Business Card Working for You?
Using Your Marketing Real Estate Wisely.

How To Make The Most of Your Business Card
Business cards won't do you any good if you don't use them to your advantage. Here's how to make the most of your business card.

Successfully Promoting Your Offline Business In An Online World

It does not take much to quickly realize that in this day and age that virtually every business of any real size has developed some form of Internet presence, and if they have not...then some young whippesnapper is probably just waiting around for someone else to retire or die so they can heroically bring the company out of the stone age. Do you think that your business does not lend itself to having website...well think again.

Business card designs tips
Business cards can be tricky when trying to design one for you own business. What information does it need? Where will the logo go? Does it need a photo? How will you go about making your business card?

Initial Marketing Strategies
Marketing is a critical cornerstone for any consulting practice. It is imperative to begin your consulting practice with a well thought out marketing plan. While there are many marketing tools and options, the backbone of your plan should include the development of your brand identity. With a clear-cut brand identity, you can successfully tackle the development of any marketing tool.

We Live in a Headline World; Will Yours Do its Job?
You may not think headlines have anything to do with you or your sales success, but you’d be wrong. You’re exposed to headlines everyday whether those headlines are presented in a written format, audio format, or visual format.

29 Perfect Business Card Tips That Will Make You Loads of Money
This article is intended to help business owners create and design a business card they can be proud to present – a card that will pass the trash test. The goal is to be memorable. What I want for you is for prospects to remember who you are days, weeks, and months after the networking event and for you to make loads of money because of your business card!

Business card tips
This article provides dot-points on how to professionally hand out business cards so that they have a positive effect on various people.

Risk and the Entrepreneur – 3 Ways That Risk Separates the Winners from the Rest of the Pack
Life is risky. We are taught from an early age that taking a risk is dangerous and not always worth it. Raising your hand in class when you think you know the answer could pay off, or it could lead to being ostracized. Asking someone out on a date could lead to success or it could backfire.

Branding YOU – Should You Put Your Photo on Your Business Card?

I was at a networking event this week having a pleasant conversation with a nice fellow about Branding and how to set yourself apart in the marketplace. We were discussing the benefits of using a professional designer to create a brand for your business. Upon handing him my business card he said "I see that you have your photo on your business card. I've been told that it's not a good idea to do that. What do you think?"

Internet Business – 10 Cost Effective Ways to Promote Your Internet Business
Your website will need visitors for you to earn money with your internet business. The biggest challenges for those starting a new internet business are limited resources and money to run marketing campaigns; and limited knowledge on how to cost effectively drive traffic to the website.

8 Strategies to Promote Your Work at Home Typing Business on a Budget
Deciding that you want to start a work at home typing job is one thing. Actually starting it and finding people to work for is another. It can become quite costly promoting your services with little or no results. The following information offers tips on how to promote your work at home typing business without breaking the bank.

8 Inexpensive Ways to Promote Your Work at Home Typing Business
Making the decision to start a work at home typing business is one thing. Going out and finding people to work for is another. As a start-up home based business, it can be very difficult to promote your services and without blowing your budget. So here are some highly effective ways to build and promote your work at home typing business without breaking the bank.

Your Business Card Making It Making the Most of It
Your business card is an important marketing tool. This article explains how to make the most of it.

How Should I Present Myself By Picking The Right Name for Your Business
This article explains how to name your business, keeping in mind that your business name needs to work from a marketing standpoint.

Is Your Website Written For An International Audience?
Put yourself in your visitor’s shoes and think about just how much ‘local’ knowledge they might have if they live outside your country. And then adjust your website or web page to accommodate them.

How to Expand Your Referral Base
Everyone talks about the importance of networking. But, do it the wrong way or talk about the wrong things, and you'll do more harm than good for your company and your promotions. Here are some tips to get the most out of any networking event, and walk away with more than just a stack of business cards.

The Loneliness of the Home-based Business Person
If you are in business for yourself and working from home, you are likely to get lonely sometimes. You have no office cohorts, no company cafeteria, no water-cooler or lunchroom to hang out in and chat with folks to ease a stressful day. The evil temptations arise then...

It’s Not Net-sit, It’s Not Net-eat - It’s Net-work!
If you are in business for yourself and working from home, you are likely to get lonely sometimes. You have no office cohorts, no company cafeteria, no water-cooler or lunchroom to hang out in and chat with folks to ease a stressful day. The evil temptations arise then: somehow the refrigerator door opens of its own accord and ice cream jumps out into your bowl as if by magic.....

Book Review: Endless Referrals
As a small business owner, I’m always searching for ways to build my list of referrals. Two previous books I’ve reviewed (Brag! and Networking Magic) also described strategies for building referrals, but this book is my new favorite.

…And The Last Thing You Say In Marketing
People seldom remember the details of a marketing message the first time they see it. They read your message (see: The First Thing You Say In Marketing…) because something about it appealed to them. How you end the communication determines how they “walk away” from your marketing.

EVERYONES IN SALES
So you’ve decided to start your own home-based business—congratulations! Welcome to the world of selling. “What?” you ask, “I just want to do my work. I don’t want to be in sales!” Ah, there’s the rub....

Start Networking Today
Networking isn't about getting business on the spot, it's about developing relationships that will lead to business, directly or indirectly, down the road. Networking almost always requires the long-term approach. If you use these tactics, your first networking meeting will be a successful and, perhaps, even an enjoyable event that will encourage you to keep coming back.

Make Your Business Card Work for You

I expect that many business owners don't even think about it. They get used to handing out their business cards left and right, so that people are able to get in touch with them. They are doing what they are taught and told to do; making contact, keeping their name in front of people. But, have you REALLY looked at your business card? What does it really tell people? Will they have to trigger their memory to figure out what it is that you do? When given the opportunity to be placing your business card in someone's hands, or in an advertisement, make sure you are making the most of that opportunity.

Why Most Ads, Sale Letters, and Websites Don’t Turn A Profit?

Most ads don’t work because they are like the enlarged version of the company’s business card. If you want to make money with your advertising, you got to structure your ad exactly how you would conduct a sale presentation face to face with a potential buyer. Remember that those who buy a four inch drill are really buying four inch holes. People aren’t interested in what you have for sale; they are mainly interested in solving a problem. Before starting your sale pitch in print, you got to be successful at “selling” the problem first. Think it this way…what is one reason most of your customers are buying from you?

10 Business Card Blunders That Hurt Business
You don’t have to spend a fortune to have a business card that gets your phone ringing because more often than not, it’s the “little things” that make or break its attractor factor. Avoid these 10 simple business card blunders and turn those lost calls into valuable leads and referral sources.

Part III: Can LinkedIn Increase Your Sales?
In this third article of a 4-part series, you'll discover even more ways you can use this tool to create more opportunities, connect with decision makers and win more business. Again, real sellers and real results!

Effective Networking: Personality Partnering

Let your networking be defined by your personality and life style, not by your work. Networking is no longer the “good ol’ boys” club nor is it appropriate to pass your business card out to everyone you meet. Networking is a much more savvy market today. Networking is not something you do; it is an art you perfect. True networking will increase your business and give you a solid base for years to come. So how do you network?

Seven Steps to Think and Act Like a CEO not an Employee
As a business owner, you should be working “on” the business, not so much “in” the business. You should be focusing on your company’s purpose, direction, strategy, structure, systems, people, goals, and accountability processes.

Tactics to increase your sales conversion rates

In golf, your perfect downswing and backswing will end in a mis-hit if you don't have a proper follow-through. Likewise, in marketing, your marvellous ad and outstanding product launch will net you no sales if you don't have a great follow-up plan. Marketing experts will tell you that it takes more than one encounter to convince customers to buy. Thus, you should make not only a good first impression but also a lasting one. Here are a few tips to accomplish this:

ASAP Brand Test: What Word Describes Your Brand?
I created the ASAP Brand Test to help businesses develop a brand or design a company logo quickly and efficiently. The test includes four simple steps, and when these steps are tackled strategically and specifically, a business can feel confident that they have the necessary foundation to develop a successful brand.

Taking Your Business Online : Tips for Launching a Small Business Web Site

The decision to launch a Web site for a business owner has gone from “if” to “when,” in just a decade. However, the expectations of your average site visitor have also changed in that time. Cheap, home-made Web sites are no longer acceptable. The site you create for your business is a stamp on its credibility; therefore the process of designing and launching one must be taken seriously and considered to be an earnest business investment.

Tips To Help People Remember You and Your Name - From Your Strategic Thinking Business Coach

Do you hear people saying they are “terrible with names” or “I simply cannot remember names?” Have you found yourself in a very embarrassing situation where someone wants to introduce you and cannot remember your name? That may be an explanation, but it is not a reason or excuse for people not to commit to being able to remember names. The ability to remember names and call people by their name when communicating with them is a very valuable asset. This skill will provide a strategic advantage in social and business settings. But, yes I remember that some of you have told me that you cannot remember names. So, Your Strategic Thinking Business Coach is offering a list of tips to help people remember your name.

Specimens Not Just for Guys in White Coats Anymore
Okay, let's assume that you're at the trademark stage: you've had comprehensive research conducted; the analysis on the research has been done; and (yay!) your name is clear. Now the next step is filing for the Federal trademark.

Get Out There!
Are you hiding behind your computer and thinking you can grow your business that way? Is that part of your comfort zone because you don’t really know where to go and what to do when you get there – when it comes to marketing your products and services?

Getting All Your Details On Your Business Card
What information should you include on your business card? This article breaks it down into "Must-Haves", "Flaunt It If You've Got It" and "It Depends..."

Best Domain Name Registration

Getting the best domain name registration possible for your company can be tricky. People are often asking me what the best strategy is. Should they come up with some kind of catchy name? Should they buy something quickly before somebody else takes it? Should they just go with their company name? It’s an important dilemma to face – and to face early. While you don’t want to be rushing into any buying decisions, you also can’t wait too long. After all, the early bird catches the best domain name.

You Need Your People More Than They Need You
In leadership one principle stands above all: You need your people more than they need you. Another way of saying this is that you get paid for what your people do, not for what you do.

What your business card says about you

I am often asked about what details should go on a business card. This article attempts to give my views. In this day and age, information technology has become so advanced that everything, it seems, is done online. Marketing is no exception – search engine optimization (SEO); pay-per-click (PPC) advertising; article marketing; directory placements, and such internet marketing tools have become buzzwords in the marketing world as a result of this ‘going online’ trend.

Business Advertising
As entrepreneurs, we may not have much money to spend on promotional means, but that doesn’t mean that small business advertising has to be limited to word of mouth and the like. Over the years, this creative class of business people has come up with some tried and true strategies to get word of their businesses out there, and I’m here to share some of them with you.

Business Branding
Most people think that the best way to go about business branding is to spend a lot of money on big, flashy ads that are sure to get a lot of attention. But, while that may work for some, not all of us want to go that route. And, not all of us might have the dollars to do it either. So what is the alternative? How can small business owners build up their brand without breaking their budgets?

How To Grow Your Business Through Follow-Up
Follow-up is the single greatest action you can take to attract more clients, keep the ones you have and set yourself head and shoulders above the masses in the competitive business landscape. Practice these simple follow-up strategies and enjoy booming business success.

Why I Exchange Business Cards
It's fun to network but what do you do with the information when you get it? This article gives you some ideas of the worth of the information exchanged and how you can take advantage of it for your business.

How to make networking work for you.
Networking!! It’s a subject very close to my heart. I get a fair few clients from this method of marketing, which means that on average I attend between 5-8 networking events per month. But just what is networking and how can you make it work for you?

Making Word-of-Mouth Marketing Work for You
You can't just sit back and wait for word-of-mouth to do its thing--you need to put some effort into it.

How to Network With a Large Group
A simple game of "business card bingo" will get the introductions rolling.

Creating an Effective Business Card
The right business card will help you make a great first impression.

Smart Ways to Use Your Business Card

Successful networking is "all in the cards" with these 4 strategies. Your business card is one of the most valuable networking tools you have in your quest for increased referrals. Can you envision a reality where 20 to 30 people in your word-of-mouth marketing circle carry your cards and have them ready to hand to prospects they're actually qualifying for you? I certainly can, and am excited every time I hear someone say, "Let me give you my friend's business card; oh, and by the way, may I have him (or her) give you a call?"

Book Review: Networking Magic
When I started networking, I did it the way most people do: I showed up and hoped to meet people and convince them that they should use my services. It became quickly evident that this doesn't work (at least not for me).

To Bow or To Shake Hands—Cultural Differences
We now live in a fully global society where it is imperative to have an awareness of cultural differences as they relate to networking etiquette. We often notice differences within our own states. Certainly between regions of the nation; but what about businesses that are networking with businesses in other parts of the world? We actually cross cultures with every person we meet.

Making WordofMouth Marketing Work
Word-of-mouth marketing is often considered one of the oldest and most powerful forms of advertising. In fact, most business people understand that it works, they just don’t know how it work.

What You Need to Know Before You Spend Money on a Logo or Business Cards.
Don't make the same mistakes thousands of small or solo business owners have made that have cost them hundreds of dollars on disappointing results when they started putting together marketing materials. Here are some tips that will give you an edge.

The Power of Connecting

When you have more friends and a strong support group, you’re happier, more at peace, more relaxed and congruent - and ultimately more successful in business. Unlike the desperate, quick buck sharks that sometimes roam the business networking groups seeking to sell at any cost, perceptive entrepreneurs know that building solid, reciprocal relationships is the ideal foundation for strong, sustained business growth.

Is Your Business Card Working to 55 Potential
Who’d ever think of branding and positioning for a business card. You should, if you’re expecting to maximise your impact. It’s no use having a fancy looking card that does nothing for you. These branding principles will help you not only make a great first impression, but will also make sure your card stays put in their Rolodex!

IS IT TIME TO CUT UP YOUR CREDIT CARD?
The problem of credit card debt that many cardholders face lies more in the use or abuse, misuse, of their credit card. This can be traced directly to their lack of financial control and financial education of these card users.

How To Choose The Best Type of Credit Card For Your Circumstances
If you read the newspapers, watch television or go online, you'll see there are always new credit card offers coming onto the market almost daily, all with their own enticing offers and unique benefits to tempt you towards applying for their card. But which one is right for you? This article looks at how to review a credit card and select the best one for you.

Get rewarded properly from your credit card
Are you getting reward properly from your credit card? Does your credit card need a tune-up? Here's a quick article on credit card rewards.

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