I’ve always been in awe of architects. They are like modern-day magicians. With math and an expert design sense, they design a blueprint that creates rock-solid structures that stand the test of time. And how do they do it? It all starts with a blueprint. After all, you can’t just start building a structure without knowing every single step you need to take. An architect designing a building will go through countless drafts of blueprints until they have a plan that is both functional AND beautiful. And once they finalize everything in the blueprint, they can finally start to get to…
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Happy New Year! Now that the parties, silly hats, and celebratory drinks are in the rearview mirror, it’s time to set your sights on what matters: your goals. I’m NOT talking about New Year’s Resolutions here. Those, for the most part, are more like general wishes for the new year. “I want to lose some weight,” or, “I want to earn more money.” What I’m talking about here are your concrete business goals. The things that you’re going to be focusing on at your small business throughout the next 12 months. It’s time to get your thoughts in order. But…
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A lot of small business owners get stuck in the idea that all businesses should run the exact same way! No way! Here’s the thing about small business owners: we are all different! Our reasons for becoming entrepreneurs vary from always wanting to run our own business to wanting to spend more time at home with our families (or both). But when it comes to things like business planning, most coaches and programs treat every small business owner the same. And if you don’t fit into that narrow preconception, you’re going to be out of luck. I’ll give you a…
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When did you last take a look at your business plan? One of the smartest things that a small business owner can do is create your yearly business plan. It’s an invaluable resource that helps them lay out their goals, challenges, and growth for the upcoming year. Whenever you feel like you are going off-course, you can always refer to the “north star” of your business plan! The only problem with creating a business plan is that it takes time. And around the holidays, time is the last thing you have (unless you have a virtual assistant)! You’re running around…
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Want to know the worst feeling in the world when you’re a small business owner creating a sense of emergency? It’s when you feel the first inklings that you’re getting sick. You know the signs. Sleep the night before may not happen. Your energy is running dry, or you get a tickle in the back of your throat. You think, “I’m getting sick. I can’t afford to get sick! I have too much to do this week!!!” As a small business owner, it’s not unusual that everything is on your shoulders. Your customer service, marketing, daily tasks, sales, EVERYTHING goes…
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Let’s do a thought exercise! Imagine that you’ve outgrown your old home. You lived there for years and loved it, but it no longer suits your needs. To build something a bit bigger with more amenities is needed. You want it to look even better than your old home, with beautiful landscaping and an inviting facade. So, you have two choices. One, you could go with a professional construction company that will build you the home of your dreams. A place that will suit your needs for years to come. Or two, you could go with Frank, a friend of…
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Do you know why testimonials are so important? Say, you’re walking down the street and a bus passes with an ad on the side promoting the “best coffee ever,” do you believe it? In all likelihood, you probably instantly think “Pfft. What a load of bull!” This is one of the biggest problems facing advertisers nowadays. Countless people are so instinctively distrustful of marketing that they dismiss any claims made in ads as exaggerations or outright fabrications. Even if the product is genuinely the “best coffee ever,” the average person probably isn’t going to believe it until they try it…
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Do you know what a hashtag is? Or how to use them? Do you remember the very first time you heard the term “Hashtag?” Nowadays, if you are even slightly aware of social media, then you know what a hashtag is. Not only have they become a key component for getting your marketing message out on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and other social media platforms, but the word has even been added to the Oxford English Dictionary! You may know what hashtags are, but do you know how to use them? Well, here is a quick primer that will explain everything…
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How exactly do you go about building a brand for your new business? Over the last few weeks, we’ve been taking a look at the various aspects of brand building. This included the basics of branding, graphic design, and how to rescue a struggling brand. But you might be wondering, but how do I start building a brand from scratch? Well, help is on the way! What is a Brand? As I’ve said before, a brand is like a container that holds all of the assets, both tangible and intangible, of your business. Everything from your logo and color scheme…
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When I’m working with a client to either create a new brand or reimagine their existing one, a common question I hear is, “What’s the difference between graphic design and branding?” Conflating the two is an easy mistake to make. After all, when people think of brands, they think of logos. Coca-Cola, McDonalds, Nike… All of these brands have logos that instantly identify them. At a glance, a customer knows everything about those businesses, just by seeing their logo. However, logos and other graphic components are only one part of branding. As I’ve said in the past, think of a…
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