General Business Blog
The Secrets to Crafting an Authentic Resonant Brand
Authenticity and resonance come when things feel familiar and open. We feel it when companies speak directly to us as people with value versus a potential sale. Here are a few things to remember to set up your brand to be more authentic and resonant with your...
Understanding Licensing Basics
I had a cool talk with my creative friend about something called licensing. Licensing is getting permission to use something, like a font or artwork, but you have to follow certain rules. Let me explain with an example. Imagine going to different theme parks. Each...
Embracing Analog in a Digital World
I was talking to a fellow business owner the other day who is newer to running their own business. While we were talking, they told me “I am so not good at technology, but that’s the only way to grow my business…so I’m trying to learn” I’ve heard this from other...
What are some elements of successful branding that I should focus on for my small business?
What are some elements of successful branding that I should focus on for my small business? Successful brands prioritize their messaging above all else. Messaging is how you share your business—it's your voice, how you speak, what you say, and why you say it. This is...
How do I ensure that my branding is consistent across all customer touchpoints?
Q: How do I ensure that my branding is consistent across all customer touchpoints? A: Ensuring brand consistency across all customer touchpoints is crucial for building a strong, recognizable brand. Here are the key steps to achieve this: Understand Your Touchpoints:...
Here’s What Collectibles Teaches Us About Branding
I was talking to someone the other day about the plush bean bag toy collecting frenzy of the 1990s. During this time a certain brand of animal-shaped plush bean bag toys were collected for their value. People kept them in pristine condition in plastic boxes and...
What is USP and do I need to do it?
Question: I hear a lot about USP on social media. What is it and do I need to do it? Answer: A unique selling point or USP is the thing you do better than your competitors. It’s externally focused on what your competitors are doing and how you outshine them. For...
Mastering Differentiation in Business
Differentiation is the act of standing out from your competition. It’s a huge part of branding and marketing your business. Differentiation works because of the perceived value of your offer. The more valuable it seems to someone the more likely they are to want to...
The Power of Clear Communication in Building Your Business Brand
Last November after a frustrating day dealing with bureaucracy and getting shuffled from window to window only to find out I did not have the right paperwork. It came into stark relief how important customer service and clear communication are in business. Your...
Decoding Logo Trends: Crafting a Lasting Business Image
Let’s talk trends. I’ve designed a lot of logos over the years. One of the things I do to stay on top of my industry is to follow logo designs from major Fortune 500 companies. They show me what trends are waking up and which ones are tired. Here’s what I know. If...
The Power of Collaboration for Small Business Success
I love reading Forbes, and when they announced that around 80% of all small businesses in the USA are run by a single person with no employees. My first reaction was, Holy Smokes that’s a lot of people running businesses! I find this interesting though because it...
Being Different Matters: Stick Out Like a Bear Driving A Car
What makes your business stick out like a bear driving a car? I mean if you saw a bear driving a car you’d stop and look…right. If only to say “holy hamburger! there’s a bear driving a car!” Well, good brands have something, called a unique selling proposition or...
Unlocking the Secrets to Building a Remarkable Brand: Four Essential Components and Ongoing Maintenance
A couple of months ago I was reading articles on public relations & advertising while sitting in a cafe and came to a couple of startling realizations. Some of our favorite companies don’t have a competitive advantage outside their name. Meaning that the only...
Stay Ahead in Business: Embrace the Power of Competitive Analysis!
I was out for a drive the other day and came to a fascinating realization that driving is kind of like business. You see, when driving people typically watch the entire road. This is the same for business. Good brands monitor not only what they’re doing but what the...
Unlock Success: Master the Art of Crafting an Irresistible Customer Journey!
This is a business tip I shared a couple of years ago, but today I want to chat - briefly about a customer journey! Part of how you build your reputation is through the customer's experience. Now we all know or at least, I hope we do, that customer service matters,...
Does Content Really Matter?
I love trivia and interesting bits of information. One of these comes from the Content Marketing Institute. They claim that articles that are shorter than 3,000 words actually are rated third among business-to-business content materials that create the best results in...
Should You Reuse Old Content?
I saw a statistic from HubSpot the other day, it said that 51% of companies believe updating old content has proven the most efficient tactic they have implemented. Now when they say "content" what they are referring to most of the time is written text. This can be...
technology can help your brand – here’s how!
I see this a lot with businesses that are run by different generations. This technology fight between the ways of yesteryear and the ways of the future. Today I want to briefly talk about the role of technology in your business and how it can help your brand. I’ve met...
printing and design terms to help you sound like a pro
Every industry has jargon. Jargon is specific words used among members of a certain industry that are hard for others outside that industry to understand. Today I’ll share three terms that will help you communicate better with printers. Substrate: The material you are...
why branding, marketing and pr matter
A common misconception that I hear a lot is that public relations (PR), marketing, and branding are all the same thing and that there’s no point in investing in all of them. While there might be some overlap here and there, these are three totally different...