Do you have a business plan? Something that I highly recommend all of my clients (and pretty much every entrepreneur) do is create a business plan at the beginning of the year. Spending the first week or so in January putting together a comprehensive business plan can pay off dividends for a small business through the new year. A business plan gives you a map, with goals and strategies that may help you confront the biggest challenges facing your business. But here is the problem: plans change. Things change! Life happens! Maybe your business did even better than you expected…
Read MoreNew Year’s Eve is fast approaching, and that means a brand-new year will be starting soon. Around this time, I tend to start looking back on everything that I’ve accomplished over the last 12 months and everything that has changed.
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Think of all of the big brand logos out there. Those big friendly arches of McDonald’s, the swoosh of Nike, the softness of the Pillsbury Doughboy… Something that all of the world’s most valuable brands have in common is how well they communicate their brand’s message and values without one single word. Now, take a look at your logo. If this was the very first time you saw it, would you know what your company is about? Hiring a virtual assistant to revamp your entire brand, from your business cards to website, to branding collateral, to your social media graphics,…
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One of the most stressful times for a small business owner is when they’re about to launch a brand-new product. There’s so much that has to go into it, from product development, to branding, to announcing the product to the press, to simply getting it on your digital store shelves! Is there a way that you could simplify the entire process? You bet. A virtual assistant experienced in all of these areas can help make your product launch go smoother than you could possibly imagine! Branding and LogoAs a small business owner, few things as important as your brand. Your…
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Do you have the edge? If you look back at the history of successful businesses, it is often just a single, tiny edge that made the difference between the winners and the losers. In many cases, that edge can simply be that you have more time to focus on the things that are important, leaving the small things in the hands of others. If you are an established business with a multitude of employees, this is easy. You can just delegate. If you are a small business with limited, if any, staff, then you might find yourself having to do…
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It is no coincidence that you see an explosion of advertising around the holiday season. No matter what the industry, the winter holidays are a time when wallets tend to open just a little bit easier than the rest of the year. As a small business owner, you want to take advantage of the spirit of the season by putting your brand’s best foot forward. Here are a few ways that you can give your brand a boost before the new year! #1: Outsource Frequent Tasks Time is money, and as a small business owner, you probably don’t have much…
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Have you ever heard the old saying, “Show, don’t tell”? Visual and graphic design is an absolutely essential part of any company’s branding. Without an attractive visual element, a brand is simply words on a page. With great graphic design, a brand can pop and get into the minds of potential clients and customers alike. Unfortunately, many companies tend to put the importance of graphic design on the back burner, either believing it doesn’t makes a huge difference or feeling that they can do just as good a job themselves. This kind of thinking can make or break a business.…
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Writing can be daunting for many small business owners; you’re an expert in your field, but that doesn’t mean you’re also an incredible wordsmith! Even savvy entrepreneurs don’t always stop to consider just how much writing work is involved in running their own business. Aside from emails (and any other documents you send to clients), you also have to worry about website copy, advertisements, and branding collateral like brochures. That doesn’t even begin to cover all the regular blogging and social media posts a small business needs to appear active in this digital age! [Tweet “The quality of your copy…
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“A picture is worth a thousand words.” Boy, how about that old cliché, huh? It’s just one of those phrases that gets thrown around, without any real through as to what it means. Well, I am going to reclaim that phrase because it is a truly fantastic piece of advice for small business owners. When you are talking with a client, even if you are engaging, interesting, and are offering them something really special, there is a chance that they might not be fully listening. That’s the problem with words, it can be easy to get lost in them. If…
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Have you paid much attention to Pinterest lately? It may not have the immediacy of Instagram, but it’s still a very important social media platform for small business owners! Pinterest combines visuals with powerful organizational and search capabilities. Content uploaded to it can still go “viral” like Instagram and Facebook posts, but also has more staying power and is easier to find months or years later. [Tweet “Pinterest is an incredible visual search engine that functions differently from other social media.”] I’ve personally used Pinterest to great effect for my businesses. I’ve gained followers on multiple social media platforms, and…
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