Branding your small business

With so many small businesses in the marketplace, how do you differentiate yours from the competition?
If you want to set yourself apart from the others you will have to think outside the box. The most important things to remember when conducting business are the three C’s; Creativity, Credibility and Clients.
Creativity
You shouldn’t follow the sheep when creating your business brand, be different, daring and innovative. Think about what you could do that your competitor isn’t doing or if your product or service is similar, find a way to do the same thing but in a different and more effective way. Consider what you can do to add value in a new and interesting fashion.
Credibility
When building your brand in the market it is important to remember that first impressions are everything. You should always have a good turn around time and a quick response to enquiries to strengthen your credibility. People talk and just one unsatisfied customer can damage your brand name and reputation.
Clients
Clients are essential in keeping your business thriving and growing. This isn’t science, it’s how businesses work. If you can’t keep your clients then you can’t keep your business. Consider having annual sales and discount coupons for your regular and first time customers. Coupons are a great way to get your brand name out there and more companies should use them to strengthen their trademark.
Separating your business from another business takes a lot of work and persistence and the best way to make it work is to leverage off everything you do. Make sure that you conduct your business in a creative and credible way where your clients are your number one focus. If you do this, you will be sending your company in the right direction towards creating the brand you desire.

Written by Cae Besaw
www.etiquettesystems.com
cae.besaw@etiquettesystems.com

Websites that work

How many of your customers come to you as a result of your website? If the answer’s not many, perhaps it’s time to put the spotlight on your site’s content and look at the best way of writing websites.

Reviewing our own websites is a task many of us procrastinate over - yes I admit including me - since I launched my website in 2006 (www.leadingvalue.net) I am ashamed to say I have only update it a few times.

But as a communicator and marketer I know that regularly checking all the weapons in your marketing arsenal, including your website, is a valuable exercise. So it is part of my business focus over the next few months...what about you?

So perhaps its time to give your website and check it meets the following criteria:
1. Is it useful and relevant to my target market?
2. Has the content been written with the web in mind?
3. Is it current?
4. What do people think?
5. How many people are visiting and staying?

Writing websites with decent web content requires time and effort, but it’s worth it if you want to turn browsers into buyers. Get writing and improve your online presence today!

All the best
Heidi Alexandra Pollard