Window cling is perhaps the most diversified category of printed materials with a great number of decorative, informative and marketing materials being installed on homes, offices, shops and vehicles windows. Custom window cling printing has enabled people to use window clings for a large number of purposes.Window clings find countless applications in our daily life. Be it glass doors signage, showcase labels, off season clearance or Christmas sales announcements, new arrivals promotions, announcement of newly launched products or businesses and much more, window clings provide us with a variety of attractive yet cost effective printing solutions.Diversity of uses suggests a variety of forms and sizes for custom window clings. Two most commonly used materials for cling printing comprise vinyl and paper material. Each material has its own perks and uses. For instance, vinyl is a tough, water proof and weather resistant material which is ideally used for long-term outdoor window clings. Paper, on the other hand is fairly inexpensive, easy to remove and environment friendly material ideally used for short lived announcements. For instance, if you intend to print front glass door signage or a glass wall partition label, you need durable clings printing option that do not get deteriorated within weeks. In such cases colored or transparent vinyl window decals make a good choice. However, if you want to announce clearance sales or promote new arrivals, these are short lived announcements that you don't intent to cling for long. This is where you need easy to remove and easy to decompose window clings carved out of paper material.Window clings also differ in their adhesive properties. Those carved out of vinyl have a thin film of chemical adhesive coated with a protective back cover. One needs to peel off the cover to expose the chemical adhesive before installing the decal on window. Adhesive free window clings, however, use static cling to be installed. These are mostly carved out of thin plastic films and are very easy to install and remove. Where vinyl decals are more durable and lasting, they are difficult to remove and once installed, they cannot be reused again. Static clings, on the other hand, are relatively less tough and do better for indoor uses but are removable and reusable.Custom window cling printing is carried out by a large number of printing companies. However, before just going to any printing company and placing an order, you must carefully consider the nature of your announcement as well as your placement options in order to choose the most suited window clings for you. Remember, not every outdoor announcement needs a vinyl decal. Similarly, not every indoor static cling has to be carved out of paper material. Length of duration for which you desire a window cling to stay intact is one important determinant - parallel to location - of what material is ideal for you. Many outdoor announcements are short lived and you cannot affix a semi-permanent vinyl cling on your window for it. Similarly, durable cling printing does not necessitate the use of tough vinyl. Rather, for many long term indoor uses, thin plastic static clings do an equally good job.
Whatever is the material or clinging property, both indoor and outdoor window clings have got to be attractive and fine finished to effectively communicating their message. Where designing window clings is a creative job, quality printing is an equally considerate task for which a reasonably good and well equipped printing company must be selected. Many designs require services like die-cutting, scoring, embossing, engraving etcetera that all printing companies do not offer. Despite of getting your decals readied in different hands, select a printing company that provides all these services under one roof. Similarly, many companies operating on small scales use substandard inks and printing materials that kill the finesse of your designs. In some cases, the colors of printed static clings turn out to be quite different from those of the sample on a computer screen. To avoid such discrepancies from happening, you must find a reliable and well reputed printing company to get window clings printed.An easier way to track down printing companies is to look for them online. Many online companies offer quality printing services whilst providing you with creative designs templates and samples of their previous works. Range of available services and their respective service charges can also be tracked down online so that you can fairly estimate the cost before placing the order.
Sunday, August 31, 2014
Friday, August 29, 2014
Building a Powerful Brand Identity
Building a powerful business brand is a brilliant way to stand out and reach your target audience. There's a lot of competition in your industry, and having a strong brand identity will give your audience a reason to connect with you over others. Here are some tips to help:1. Create Brand Awareness-Make sure that your audience will recognize your brand from others in your industry. Be memorable so that when your audience is ready to purchase the products or services that you offer, they will think of you. There are many ways to be memorable, such as having memorable logos, taglines, websites, and design.2. Show Off Your Uniqueness- In my previous articles, I've talked about the importance of being different from others in your industry. You need to market your uniqueness. What is your unique selling proposition? What is it about YOU that will draw your audience to you? One of the biggest mistakes that you can make is trying to duplicate someone in your industry. Although, they may be successful, you are not giving your target audience a reason to choose your services over theirs. This is why it's necessary to show your audience why you are different, and be consistent with your uniqueness.
3. Build Trust- You want your audience to trust you as a business and a person. This is why it's important to be genuine. As an entrepreneur, your audience will have to be able to know you as a business and a person. Keep building your personal brand, and engage with your target audience. Let them know that you are a person that they can trust.4. Be Valuable- I've discussed being valuable to your audience in previous articles. However, I cannot stress enough that you have to research the needs of your audience, and be able to help your audience with those needs. If you aren't valuable to your target audience, what is the point of your business?5. Use Social Media- It's 2014, and I hope you are taking advantage of Social Media. Your target audience is right there. Use Social Media to connect and engage with your audience. Social Media is one of my favorite way to create a powerful brand.Having a powerful brand is the key to getting and keeping clients. You have to give your audience a good reason to want to connect with you over others in your industry. If you need help with your brand, consider hiring a Publicity Virtual Assistant, that specializes in branding.
3. Build Trust- You want your audience to trust you as a business and a person. This is why it's important to be genuine. As an entrepreneur, your audience will have to be able to know you as a business and a person. Keep building your personal brand, and engage with your target audience. Let them know that you are a person that they can trust.4. Be Valuable- I've discussed being valuable to your audience in previous articles. However, I cannot stress enough that you have to research the needs of your audience, and be able to help your audience with those needs. If you aren't valuable to your target audience, what is the point of your business?5. Use Social Media- It's 2014, and I hope you are taking advantage of Social Media. Your target audience is right there. Use Social Media to connect and engage with your audience. Social Media is one of my favorite way to create a powerful brand.Having a powerful brand is the key to getting and keeping clients. You have to give your audience a good reason to want to connect with you over others in your industry. If you need help with your brand, consider hiring a Publicity Virtual Assistant, that specializes in branding.
Tuesday, August 26, 2014
How Effective is Personalized Business in the United States Culture?
Small businesses contribute the most in US economy, the highest growing economy of the world. The most amazing fact about the United States is that around 75% of the US population is employed in small business. The number becomes even higher at some point of the year. Small businesses are the backbone of US economy. If small businesses were not there, US economy would never have existed. US peoples believes in business and entrepreneurship. Because of low investment capital and limited resources small merchandise are flourishing.The most important among these small merchandise are personalized businesses. Personalized merchandise is one of the most popular of all the businesses flourishing in the United States. More and more people are getting engaged in this type of business to make a living or to increase their regular monthly income.What are the reasons behind the popularity of personalized merchandise in the United States?No doubt personalized business like personalized office products, personalized services, personalized kids product and gift ideas are very popular in US. But what made it so popular? What are the reasons behind it? There are several reasons behind its popularity. Let's discuss some of them.1) Personalized business gives you the opportunity to be your own boss. You do not need to follow the instructions of others and to kill your instinct. With job and government services you have to do whatever you are told, whether it is right or wrong. In business you can take your own decisions.2) Another advantage of personalized merchandise is that you can show your creativity and can contribute in the development of society. You can put what is there in your mind in your work. You can do wonders with your imagination and creativity, by putting your thoughts into your business.
3) Personalized kids products like music CD and DVDs, school bags, water bottles, clothes, shoes and watch, personalized business products like stationary items such as pen, pencil, furniture, etc. are very popular in the United States. It gives a personal touch to all the products and makes it exclusive. These exclusive products can melt anyone and business becomes easy. You can attract your clients by gifting personalized gifts to them.4) Personalized merchandise has one more advantage that makes it popular among the citizens of the United States. US government charge lower taxes to small businesses. This gives the small businesses an opportunity to make a full time income with small businesses. Personalized business comes into the category of small business and thus lower taxes apply to them also.5) With personalized trading, there is lower risk and lower investment. You do not need to hire more people to increase your business. This type of business replicates on its own. Everybody likes personalized products and gifts and their popularity among US citizens adds in the popularity of personalized business
.
6) Another advantage of personalized product is that there is no limit to the expansion of the business. Personalized business can cross the borders and can be sold in many different languages and therefore it opens many doors for business expansion.Personalized business contributes majority in the economy of the United States. It is the most popular business in America. People love personalized gifts and business products that contributed in the popularity of personalized trading.
3) Personalized kids products like music CD and DVDs, school bags, water bottles, clothes, shoes and watch, personalized business products like stationary items such as pen, pencil, furniture, etc. are very popular in the United States. It gives a personal touch to all the products and makes it exclusive. These exclusive products can melt anyone and business becomes easy. You can attract your clients by gifting personalized gifts to them.4) Personalized merchandise has one more advantage that makes it popular among the citizens of the United States. US government charge lower taxes to small businesses. This gives the small businesses an opportunity to make a full time income with small businesses. Personalized business comes into the category of small business and thus lower taxes apply to them also.5) With personalized trading, there is lower risk and lower investment. You do not need to hire more people to increase your business. This type of business replicates on its own. Everybody likes personalized products and gifts and their popularity among US citizens adds in the popularity of personalized business
.
6) Another advantage of personalized product is that there is no limit to the expansion of the business. Personalized business can cross the borders and can be sold in many different languages and therefore it opens many doors for business expansion.Personalized business contributes majority in the economy of the United States. It is the most popular business in America. People love personalized gifts and business products that contributed in the popularity of personalized trading.
Sunday, August 24, 2014
Discover How You Can Effectively Protect Your Online Reputation From Fake and Bad Reviews
Without doubts, SEO would have no reasonable impact on the online presence of a business owner whose brand already has bad online ratings. Since the brand identity of your business determines its success, it's very important that you protect your online reputation from being damaged through fake and bad reviews.The Challenge
Today, there are several marketing and promotional methods that you can adopt to gain more popularity for your business or company. Nonetheless, these strategies wouldn't produce the best results if your business has been badly rated in online communities. Even, if your site shows up on page 1 of Google, the negative rating would still discourage potential customers.Inarguably, what people say about your company or business is very important to its success; and if you want to beat your competitors, you must be able to prove that you have all it takes to deliver the best products or services in your niche. As a result, news about your credibility would spread all over the web.It's worth noting that some competitors are involved in unethical marketing practices. They can purchase your product and then go ahead to post a negative review about the brand. What do you think would happen to your business if it scores 4 out of 10 in online ratings?Factors that Affect Online ReputationGenerally speaking, a particular brand can receive bad ratings in the following ways:* Your reputation can be damaged through poor service delivery, low-quality products, unfriendly customer support, and other factors that are within the confines of the business. In this case, a dissatisfied customer can post a negative review about your business.
* As noted earlier on, a bad reputation can also arise from paid fake reviews.The latter is largely beyond the control of a business owner. There is no way anyone can trace the real sources of such fake reviews.How to Protect Your Online ReputationWith respect to the foregoing, the following are steps you can take to protect your online reputation:* Evaluate your business in terms of your products, services, and personnel. You need to ensure professionalism in every aspect of the business so as to present a good image before your customers.* Write a polite, non-confrontational letter to the owner of sites where negatives reviews have been posted on your business. Remember that most websites don't have any contact information. Therefore, it would be practically impossible to reach the webmasters.* Sign up for Google Alerts to receive notifications on up-to-date search results that are related to your keywords or brand name. Besides, conduct a regular search for your name or business name in search engines to see what would come up with it.* Try to remove negative reviews through positive content publishing. In other words, you should post high-quality content on the web from time to time. This step would push negative reviews into the abyss of the Internet where they would be buried almost forever.* You can as well hire an online reputation agent to undertake all of the afore-mentioned activities on your behalf. It would save you time.In all, you need to take conscious steps in ensuring that your brand, business name, or personal name as an expert is not damaged on the net. Always protect your online reputation.
Today, there are several marketing and promotional methods that you can adopt to gain more popularity for your business or company. Nonetheless, these strategies wouldn't produce the best results if your business has been badly rated in online communities. Even, if your site shows up on page 1 of Google, the negative rating would still discourage potential customers.Inarguably, what people say about your company or business is very important to its success; and if you want to beat your competitors, you must be able to prove that you have all it takes to deliver the best products or services in your niche. As a result, news about your credibility would spread all over the web.It's worth noting that some competitors are involved in unethical marketing practices. They can purchase your product and then go ahead to post a negative review about the brand. What do you think would happen to your business if it scores 4 out of 10 in online ratings?Factors that Affect Online ReputationGenerally speaking, a particular brand can receive bad ratings in the following ways:* Your reputation can be damaged through poor service delivery, low-quality products, unfriendly customer support, and other factors that are within the confines of the business. In this case, a dissatisfied customer can post a negative review about your business.
* As noted earlier on, a bad reputation can also arise from paid fake reviews.The latter is largely beyond the control of a business owner. There is no way anyone can trace the real sources of such fake reviews.How to Protect Your Online ReputationWith respect to the foregoing, the following are steps you can take to protect your online reputation:* Evaluate your business in terms of your products, services, and personnel. You need to ensure professionalism in every aspect of the business so as to present a good image before your customers.* Write a polite, non-confrontational letter to the owner of sites where negatives reviews have been posted on your business. Remember that most websites don't have any contact information. Therefore, it would be practically impossible to reach the webmasters.* Sign up for Google Alerts to receive notifications on up-to-date search results that are related to your keywords or brand name. Besides, conduct a regular search for your name or business name in search engines to see what would come up with it.* Try to remove negative reviews through positive content publishing. In other words, you should post high-quality content on the web from time to time. This step would push negative reviews into the abyss of the Internet where they would be buried almost forever.* You can as well hire an online reputation agent to undertake all of the afore-mentioned activities on your behalf. It would save you time.In all, you need to take conscious steps in ensuring that your brand, business name, or personal name as an expert is not damaged on the net. Always protect your online reputation.
Thursday, August 21, 2014
What a Buddhist Waiter in the Florida Keys Can Teach You About Your Brand
I've heard this from too many women: I've taken umpteen seminars, poured everything I've got into building this business and I'm still not landing clients. What gives?You spent beaucoup bucks on the online business school course designed to help you create the business you love. Signed up for Pinterest, Facebook, Google+ trainings so you can master the art of social media. You hired a web designer to craft a website that will shine like a beacon, drawing clients to you like stargazers at a meteor shower.And what happened?Chirp chirp.You had every intention of creating a sustainable flow of great clients, which is why you invested so much of yourself and your resources in your business.And when client attraction and retention isn't happening, it feels... sucky. Like you did something wrong. Or didn't do something. You think, "Maybe my clients don't like me/my products and services/my website."If this feels familiar, you don't have a client attraction problem - you have a branding problem.Enter the Buddhist business coachAfter a wonderful day of snorkeling in the Florida Keys, I stopped for dinner at a marina restaurant with an incredible sunset view of that gorgeous orange orb melting into the Atlantic. Dinner was delivered to our table by a nice waiter with lots of tattoos.What really struck me was the wooden mala he wore around his wrist. A mala is a Buddhist bracelet, a meditation aid, and his was one of the most unusual I had seen. Large wooden beads in an interesting shade of green. I asked about it.
Turns out the dude is a recovering addict. Turned to Buddhism as a tool to get his life back in order and the mala, blessed by his teacher, was something he wears every day to remind him of his journey. Said he used to get pissed off by people, his reactions sending him down a destructive path. Now he sees everyone as his teacher. Nice people, difficult people, all kinds of people showing up with their stuff. They all have something to teach him.Every customer at the restaurant is his teacher.What that Buddhist waiter knows about your businessEvery client (and prospective client) is your teacher. They will tell you everything you need to know in order to find them, engage them and attract them to your work.Your prospective client will share what fires them up. And what keeps them up at night.You can learn where they hang out. The language they speak, the dance steps they like to do.You can't engage and attract someone unless you're engaging and attractive.Duh.Seems so simple, but so many business owners miss this critical point.Good branding is [client] attractiveWhen you take the time to understand your prospective client, you can craft your business brand in a way that resonates with your target market. You'll find your work attracts more attention, your programs and services will see increased enrollment and that bank account that was stressed building your business can now enjoy deposits.
Turns out the dude is a recovering addict. Turned to Buddhism as a tool to get his life back in order and the mala, blessed by his teacher, was something he wears every day to remind him of his journey. Said he used to get pissed off by people, his reactions sending him down a destructive path. Now he sees everyone as his teacher. Nice people, difficult people, all kinds of people showing up with their stuff. They all have something to teach him.Every customer at the restaurant is his teacher.What that Buddhist waiter knows about your businessEvery client (and prospective client) is your teacher. They will tell you everything you need to know in order to find them, engage them and attract them to your work.Your prospective client will share what fires them up. And what keeps them up at night.You can learn where they hang out. The language they speak, the dance steps they like to do.You can't engage and attract someone unless you're engaging and attractive.Duh.Seems so simple, but so many business owners miss this critical point.Good branding is [client] attractiveWhen you take the time to understand your prospective client, you can craft your business brand in a way that resonates with your target market. You'll find your work attracts more attention, your programs and services will see increased enrollment and that bank account that was stressed building your business can now enjoy deposits.
Monday, August 18, 2014
Want More Facebook Followers? Create a Video to Promote Your Page to Your Facebook Friends!
Your Facebook friends are likely seeing your posts all of the time. They may like, share, and comment, and they may even follow you quite a bit, but you may not have the full appeal that you want. With social media, it is hard to stand out and to do better, but there is a way to make this possible. Creating a video to promote your page can help you to bring in attention and interest. This is easy to do thanks to the services available and it can give your page a huge boost. People will actually go to you more often and like what you have to say.Using video marketing for your online business is growing in popularity. When you have something to say, this type of marketing is one of the best options available. People like how quick and simple videos are, and how it saves a lot of time and effort. Just press play and the message begins. When trying to make money online, you are going to want this type of simplicity and appeal. It gives you the chance to bring in more interest without a lot of effort or time. For social media, this can make it easier for you to attract people to your page.Creating a video is not as hard as you might think. If you want to get your business moving, able to make money online and grow, you can start right now. Thanks to the marketing services available that are dedicated to videos or that offer exceptional quality with videos, you can find something that works for you. And it can even be as simple as using your cell phone to make a quick video and then uploading it to YouTube! This will give you the chance to do everything in little time and with great results. People will go to your page, will like what they see, and will listen to more of your message.
Don't hesitate about doing this! Marketing is vital for every online business and video marketing is continuing to be a popular option for this. It can help your page to stand out more while offering amazing profits for your business. People will like, share, and want to see more of what you have to offer. Make sure that you get in touch with the services available so that you are not losing any time here. The faster you move, the more that you can gain from these services once your video is completed and out!Stay Social!
Don't hesitate about doing this! Marketing is vital for every online business and video marketing is continuing to be a popular option for this. It can help your page to stand out more while offering amazing profits for your business. People will like, share, and want to see more of what you have to offer. Make sure that you get in touch with the services available so that you are not losing any time here. The faster you move, the more that you can gain from these services once your video is completed and out!Stay Social!
Friday, August 15, 2014
Be the Best That You Can Be Write Your Book and Make Your Mark
Competition matters. You won't be able to carve a niche for yourself if you don't know which spots have already been taken by your competition.Amazon is the best place for you to start researching your competition. Simply key in a general keyword that people looking for your book might search for. Then, take a look at which of the books in the search results are good enough to be considered legitimate competition.By good enough, we mean those books that have good reviews, several buyers and enough reviews to tell you what the book is all about.You should also take a look at the "Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought" section, where you might find additional books to add to your competitors' list. A lot of the time, book titles don't contain the keywords you are looking for, so it's worth taking a look at this section, too.After you have filtered out the books that aren't your competition, the next step is to find out how you can make your book better than the books left on your list.When you're pretty sure you have the most popular books on your topic, it's time to read through their reviews one by one.Be sure to have note-taking software or your good, old notebook handy because you have to take notes of the most salient points in the reviews section. The following is what you should look for.
Common Comments.
The most common problems tend to crop up in the reviews. When more than one person points out a particular weakness, you've found yourself a target. Make sure you address that flaw in your own book.In reading reviews about dating books for middle-aged men, for example, you might find that one thing a lot of reviewers agree upon is that the content is presented in a cold, hard and completely un-relatable manner.You might be able to explain this by the fact that a lot of dating books are written by dating therapists and psychologists, not people who have conquered the dating world again in their middle age.Now, if you're that kind of person, if you were able to find the love of your life or several juicy flavors of the month while dating in your 40s and 50s, then your book won't be based on psychology but on your own personal experience.You've seen what works and what doesn't. You've experienced it for yourself. Most self-proclaimed love doctors haven't. That could just be what makes your book better.
Unanswered Questions. Reviews are very helpful in letting you know which issues are left unaddressed or not quite properly addressed by the book's author.
These are where questions, objections and other unpleasant reactions by real readers are raised. Take note of all of these and see if you can address these issues in your own book.
For example, one common complaint you might find in a dating book for older men is that the author thoroughly suggests ways on how to make yourself desirable for the kind of women you want to attract, but there is little said on how to actually approach a woman and ask her out.After looking through other books in your competitors' list and you find that a lot of reviewers share the same questions, you found yourself a unique book to write.
Length. You would be surprised to know that some e-books being marketed on Amazon are less than a hundred pages long.
If you're going for an e-book, this might be fine, but a real, printed book jam-packed with information and has lots of gold nuggets to offer should have at the very least a hundred pages. Anything less than that is not a book. It's a long article that's formatted in e-book form.People know when they are shortchanged when they're expecting a good, long read and realize they finished reading everything in an hour.Take advantage of this long article phenomenon and step up to the plate. Show your readers you can offer more than an hour's read and give them more information than what is normally available.
Publication Date. If your competitors' books are five years old or older, you're in luck. You can easily set your book apart because it contains the most updated, and therefore most relevant, information of all.
Of course, there are books that stand the test of time. Even though they have been written 10 or 20 years or even five decades, books like this continue to inspire and move people to action because they offer the one kind of content that readers are looking for, whether they are reading books in the 1960s, 1990s or 2100s.It's called evergreen content, and this is the kind of content you want to write in your book. Evergreen content is content that never goes stale. To one person reading your book now, your content is an amazing breath of fresh air, and it should still be that way to the other person reading your book five years from now.
Common Comments.
The most common problems tend to crop up in the reviews. When more than one person points out a particular weakness, you've found yourself a target. Make sure you address that flaw in your own book.In reading reviews about dating books for middle-aged men, for example, you might find that one thing a lot of reviewers agree upon is that the content is presented in a cold, hard and completely un-relatable manner.You might be able to explain this by the fact that a lot of dating books are written by dating therapists and psychologists, not people who have conquered the dating world again in their middle age.Now, if you're that kind of person, if you were able to find the love of your life or several juicy flavors of the month while dating in your 40s and 50s, then your book won't be based on psychology but on your own personal experience.You've seen what works and what doesn't. You've experienced it for yourself. Most self-proclaimed love doctors haven't. That could just be what makes your book better.
Unanswered Questions. Reviews are very helpful in letting you know which issues are left unaddressed or not quite properly addressed by the book's author.
These are where questions, objections and other unpleasant reactions by real readers are raised. Take note of all of these and see if you can address these issues in your own book.
For example, one common complaint you might find in a dating book for older men is that the author thoroughly suggests ways on how to make yourself desirable for the kind of women you want to attract, but there is little said on how to actually approach a woman and ask her out.After looking through other books in your competitors' list and you find that a lot of reviewers share the same questions, you found yourself a unique book to write.
Length. You would be surprised to know that some e-books being marketed on Amazon are less than a hundred pages long.
If you're going for an e-book, this might be fine, but a real, printed book jam-packed with information and has lots of gold nuggets to offer should have at the very least a hundred pages. Anything less than that is not a book. It's a long article that's formatted in e-book form.People know when they are shortchanged when they're expecting a good, long read and realize they finished reading everything in an hour.Take advantage of this long article phenomenon and step up to the plate. Show your readers you can offer more than an hour's read and give them more information than what is normally available.
Publication Date. If your competitors' books are five years old or older, you're in luck. You can easily set your book apart because it contains the most updated, and therefore most relevant, information of all.
Of course, there are books that stand the test of time. Even though they have been written 10 or 20 years or even five decades, books like this continue to inspire and move people to action because they offer the one kind of content that readers are looking for, whether they are reading books in the 1960s, 1990s or 2100s.It's called evergreen content, and this is the kind of content you want to write in your book. Evergreen content is content that never goes stale. To one person reading your book now, your content is an amazing breath of fresh air, and it should still be that way to the other person reading your book five years from now.
Tuesday, August 12, 2014
Finding Your Niche (Part Three of Nine)
As you narrow your focus from the broader market towards your niche, you will move from the internal world of the personal qualities of spiritual gifts and natural talent to the external world of knowledge and wisdom. Wisdom is not found in the acquisition of knowledge, it is found in the application. Therefore, how you gather and process knowledge and translate it into actions has a lot to do with identifying your niche. As mentioned in part two of this nine part series, there are three major ways to gain knowledge. You gain knowledge through acquisition, experience, and observation. The next three articles will look at these three different sources respectively. As I move down the list, let me remind you of the nine aspects of a person's life that contributes to that person's niche. For this article, I am going to discuss the concept of acquired knowledge.Spiritual gifts
Natural talent
Acquired knowledge
Experiential knowledge
Observational knowledge
Temperament
Motivators
Drivers
PassionAcquired KnowledgeThe third aspect that will contribute to identifying your niche is the aspect of acquired knowledge. Acquired knowledge is structured teaching and instruction given in a formal learning environment. It is knowledge that is learned through formal education, mentoring, and parental engagement. Formal education is only part of the bigger picture. A recent staggering statistic shows that only 62.1 percent of college graduates work in a job that requires an undergraduate degree. Even more startling is that only 27.3 percent actually work in the field for which they went to college. Formal education, though providing you a base of knowledge, will not be the only compass by which you will search for your niche. Formal education is a positive experience insomuch as this is education of your choosing. Earning a college degree or being certified in a formal trade is positive learning. It is a proactive form of learning which means that you actively seek out the knowledge without the motivation of a recent failure or need to solve a complicated problem. In other words you choose to pursue education as opposed to being forced to have to learn from mistakes.Formal education began the day you were born. The first five to seven years are formative years. These years are mostly impacted by parental influence and engagement. Absent these influences, the child will be at a disadvantage. Once a child enters school, he or she begins to receive instruction about the world from the perspective of adults who have been certified to give formalized instruction. Parents must be involved in this process to guard against social indoctrination from educators who have differing social, political, and moral views. As the child enters young adulthood and the world of advanced education, he or she is ready to test all of the information gathered in the earlier years. The parents are the first form of formal knowledge and based on their engagement with the child, will provide the foundation for acquired knowledge. Then the child will be influenced in the formal education environment. Beyond formal education, there are other structured learning environments that will allow him to acquire knowledge. As important as it is to receive positive parental guidance in the formative years and to receive a good quality education in the elementary and secondary school years, You should not stop pursuing the gathering on information and the acquiring of knowledge. As you enter your adult years it is critical to identify and associate with others who can help you to grow in your knowledge. What parents are to children and teachers and educators are to school aged children, mentors are to young adults.A mentor takes on the dynamics of both parental engagement and formal education. Having a mentor (typically someone who is older than you and one who can impart wisdom on your situations), is one of the best ways to narrow your focus. A mentor seeks your best and is willing, and has you permission, to tell you that you are wrong. I have had the pleasure of being mentored by Dr. Bill Williams, a clinical psychologist, who has become a trusted friend over the years. Dr. Williams is thirty years my senior and has a vast amount of experience from which I can acquire knowledge. Having a mentor is vitally important to the acquisition of knowledge. It is also profitable for accountability, growth, and life balance. By having access to the experiences of another person, you gain the knowledge and insight from the perspective of someone who has grown up with different motivators, drivers, and passions. In addition to this knowledge, you can learn wisdom that has been gained through the practical application of the knowledge of your mentor. There is no advantage to having your best friend as your mentor unless your best friend can tell you that you are wrong and still remain your best friend.
Your mentors (and yes you should have more than one) should be older than you and should have experience in the areas in which you are being mentored. If you are seeking professional development, you will want to find a mentor who holds a position in the company where you can gain exposure. If you are starting a company, you will want to find someone who has gone through the process and has been successful. Finding someone in your industry is advantageous but not necessary. Your mentor should be a person of character. He or she should be someone you respect, admire, and can trust with your struggles. Your mentor is someone after whom you will pattern your life. Therefore, you want to ensure you are following a person with good moral standing. You and your mentor should have similar goals because as if your mentor is walking or has walked your path, there is a higher predictability of success.Another trait your mentors need to possess is the ability to be available. There is nothing better than having the best of the best as your mentor, but if he or she is unavailable, then all you really have is the appearance of a mentoring relationship. It defeats the purpose of the relationship if the person is never available. A successful relationship requires each party to be available on a consistent and purposeful basis. You need mentors who are open and honest and with whom you can be open and honest without judgment or condemnation. Being able to share personal experiences and information and to do so in a safe and confidential environment can allow you to create a genuine relationship. Finally, you want someone who believes in you. Someone who believes in you and your potential will be willing to invest the time, energy, and resources to help you realize that potential. All of this creates the environment where knowledge can be acquired.Acquired knowledge begins in your formative years where parental influence can shape the foundation of your ability to learn. Once that foundation is established, formal education provides a wealth of information that can be processed into acquired knowledge. As you transition from the formative years to the educational environment to the world of adulthood, you need to find mentors who can continue the learning process. Dysfunction in any of these environments can short-circuit your ability to attain the knowledge necessary to be confident with who you are and the gifts and talents you possess. Acquired knowledge is a combination of parental engagement, formal education, and mentoring. It has a high level of influence in your niche, but it is not the sole determiner. This knowledge must be brought together with the two other forms of knowledge; experiential knowledge and observational knowledge. In the next article, I will address the aspect of experiential knowledge and how the process of experience is critical to identifying your niche.
Natural talent
Acquired knowledge
Experiential knowledge
Observational knowledge
Temperament
Motivators
Drivers
PassionAcquired KnowledgeThe third aspect that will contribute to identifying your niche is the aspect of acquired knowledge. Acquired knowledge is structured teaching and instruction given in a formal learning environment. It is knowledge that is learned through formal education, mentoring, and parental engagement. Formal education is only part of the bigger picture. A recent staggering statistic shows that only 62.1 percent of college graduates work in a job that requires an undergraduate degree. Even more startling is that only 27.3 percent actually work in the field for which they went to college. Formal education, though providing you a base of knowledge, will not be the only compass by which you will search for your niche. Formal education is a positive experience insomuch as this is education of your choosing. Earning a college degree or being certified in a formal trade is positive learning. It is a proactive form of learning which means that you actively seek out the knowledge without the motivation of a recent failure or need to solve a complicated problem. In other words you choose to pursue education as opposed to being forced to have to learn from mistakes.Formal education began the day you were born. The first five to seven years are formative years. These years are mostly impacted by parental influence and engagement. Absent these influences, the child will be at a disadvantage. Once a child enters school, he or she begins to receive instruction about the world from the perspective of adults who have been certified to give formalized instruction. Parents must be involved in this process to guard against social indoctrination from educators who have differing social, political, and moral views. As the child enters young adulthood and the world of advanced education, he or she is ready to test all of the information gathered in the earlier years. The parents are the first form of formal knowledge and based on their engagement with the child, will provide the foundation for acquired knowledge. Then the child will be influenced in the formal education environment. Beyond formal education, there are other structured learning environments that will allow him to acquire knowledge. As important as it is to receive positive parental guidance in the formative years and to receive a good quality education in the elementary and secondary school years, You should not stop pursuing the gathering on information and the acquiring of knowledge. As you enter your adult years it is critical to identify and associate with others who can help you to grow in your knowledge. What parents are to children and teachers and educators are to school aged children, mentors are to young adults.A mentor takes on the dynamics of both parental engagement and formal education. Having a mentor (typically someone who is older than you and one who can impart wisdom on your situations), is one of the best ways to narrow your focus. A mentor seeks your best and is willing, and has you permission, to tell you that you are wrong. I have had the pleasure of being mentored by Dr. Bill Williams, a clinical psychologist, who has become a trusted friend over the years. Dr. Williams is thirty years my senior and has a vast amount of experience from which I can acquire knowledge. Having a mentor is vitally important to the acquisition of knowledge. It is also profitable for accountability, growth, and life balance. By having access to the experiences of another person, you gain the knowledge and insight from the perspective of someone who has grown up with different motivators, drivers, and passions. In addition to this knowledge, you can learn wisdom that has been gained through the practical application of the knowledge of your mentor. There is no advantage to having your best friend as your mentor unless your best friend can tell you that you are wrong and still remain your best friend.
Your mentors (and yes you should have more than one) should be older than you and should have experience in the areas in which you are being mentored. If you are seeking professional development, you will want to find a mentor who holds a position in the company where you can gain exposure. If you are starting a company, you will want to find someone who has gone through the process and has been successful. Finding someone in your industry is advantageous but not necessary. Your mentor should be a person of character. He or she should be someone you respect, admire, and can trust with your struggles. Your mentor is someone after whom you will pattern your life. Therefore, you want to ensure you are following a person with good moral standing. You and your mentor should have similar goals because as if your mentor is walking or has walked your path, there is a higher predictability of success.Another trait your mentors need to possess is the ability to be available. There is nothing better than having the best of the best as your mentor, but if he or she is unavailable, then all you really have is the appearance of a mentoring relationship. It defeats the purpose of the relationship if the person is never available. A successful relationship requires each party to be available on a consistent and purposeful basis. You need mentors who are open and honest and with whom you can be open and honest without judgment or condemnation. Being able to share personal experiences and information and to do so in a safe and confidential environment can allow you to create a genuine relationship. Finally, you want someone who believes in you. Someone who believes in you and your potential will be willing to invest the time, energy, and resources to help you realize that potential. All of this creates the environment where knowledge can be acquired.Acquired knowledge begins in your formative years where parental influence can shape the foundation of your ability to learn. Once that foundation is established, formal education provides a wealth of information that can be processed into acquired knowledge. As you transition from the formative years to the educational environment to the world of adulthood, you need to find mentors who can continue the learning process. Dysfunction in any of these environments can short-circuit your ability to attain the knowledge necessary to be confident with who you are and the gifts and talents you possess. Acquired knowledge is a combination of parental engagement, formal education, and mentoring. It has a high level of influence in your niche, but it is not the sole determiner. This knowledge must be brought together with the two other forms of knowledge; experiential knowledge and observational knowledge. In the next article, I will address the aspect of experiential knowledge and how the process of experience is critical to identifying your niche.
Tuesday, August 5, 2014
The Evolution of Event Management Business
Event management is an old concept in the business world, but it has witnessed tremendous success in the last couple of years. Corporate events have come out as an influential part of the modern business actions. There are numerous reasons why a firm holds a business event and the importance of these events makes it crucial for event planners to organize them in a well-planned manner. Listed here are some major reasons behind the organization of a corporate event:-Product launch
Press conferences
Important deals or tie-ups
Annual functions/gatheringsWhen an event is organized on a high scale, it generally is convoluted since every stage of its planning needs to be managed with great care. Here arises the need for a professional event management agency, which will efficiently do the same for you. These professionals exactly know how to organize your event in such a way that it builds your company's reputation in the market.Earlier, both mid- and large-scale companies used to conduct events directed by their own team of professionals, whether or not they had an idea or experience in handling a corporate event. But now, businesses on a large scale are opting for the services of event management agencies. Since, these agencies hire experts in the field and the events organized by these professionals allow you to engage with your target audience. The events are also interactive enough to allow you to share information regarding your products and services with your customers or clients. These professional event planners understand the industry specifications and the nature of events, thus, they deliver the best events for all types of occasions.
Spending a few dollars on these services, you can enjoy numerous advantages:-Proper Planning: - Planning an organized corporate event means you need to consider every single aspect of the arrangements, which is very time-consuming. If you want to save yourself from this hectic task, all you need to do is to hire a professional event planner, tell them about your preferences/requirements and inform them about your budget. They will carry out the procedure in a proficient way.
Entire Arrangements: - Planning is the first and foremost step before organizing an event, but executing your plans in a successful manner is something that matters the most. Making complete arrangements for a corporate event is a tedious task. In that case, you must hire a professional event management agency, which can prepare its professionals rush for such arrangements. They would organize everything as per your specifications.
Professionalism Assurance: - If we talk about a corporate event, then professionalism is what you need to be really cautious of. Sometimes, planning and arrangements are not able to make for that "wow factor" as lack of professionalism fails the planners to do so. If you want your event to be a great success, you should hire experienced experts as they are the ones who can bring professionalism in their work and give life to your event.
Press conferences
Important deals or tie-ups
Annual functions/gatheringsWhen an event is organized on a high scale, it generally is convoluted since every stage of its planning needs to be managed with great care. Here arises the need for a professional event management agency, which will efficiently do the same for you. These professionals exactly know how to organize your event in such a way that it builds your company's reputation in the market.Earlier, both mid- and large-scale companies used to conduct events directed by their own team of professionals, whether or not they had an idea or experience in handling a corporate event. But now, businesses on a large scale are opting for the services of event management agencies. Since, these agencies hire experts in the field and the events organized by these professionals allow you to engage with your target audience. The events are also interactive enough to allow you to share information regarding your products and services with your customers or clients. These professional event planners understand the industry specifications and the nature of events, thus, they deliver the best events for all types of occasions.
Spending a few dollars on these services, you can enjoy numerous advantages:-Proper Planning: - Planning an organized corporate event means you need to consider every single aspect of the arrangements, which is very time-consuming. If you want to save yourself from this hectic task, all you need to do is to hire a professional event planner, tell them about your preferences/requirements and inform them about your budget. They will carry out the procedure in a proficient way.
Entire Arrangements: - Planning is the first and foremost step before organizing an event, but executing your plans in a successful manner is something that matters the most. Making complete arrangements for a corporate event is a tedious task. In that case, you must hire a professional event management agency, which can prepare its professionals rush for such arrangements. They would organize everything as per your specifications.
Professionalism Assurance: - If we talk about a corporate event, then professionalism is what you need to be really cautious of. Sometimes, planning and arrangements are not able to make for that "wow factor" as lack of professionalism fails the planners to do so. If you want your event to be a great success, you should hire experienced experts as they are the ones who can bring professionalism in their work and give life to your event.
Sunday, August 3, 2014
Think You Don't Have Time to Build Your People? Think Again
If you boil corporate leadership down to its bare essentials, executives around the globe really only have two key missions:
Build Business-increase revenues and profits, grow volume and market share, expand into new territories, create new business alliances, etc.
Build People-help employees upgrade their skills and increase their knowledge so that they can grow personally and professionally, advance in their careers, and deliver increasingly more for the organization.
Most corporate leaders judge how well they are performing by the size of the businesses they lead. "I've taken on a bigger regional responsibility," they will say, or "I've moved from managing $XX million dollars in revenue to $XXX million."Yet, in reality, at the senior level, it's far more important to build people than to build business. Why? Because the higher you rise in an organization, the more people you are responsible for-and the more you simply cannot do it alone. In fact, at the upper echelons of businesses, it is not possible to do your job well unless you focus more on developing people than building business.People development is especially vital during times of change, and these days, change comes fast, furiously, and often unexpectedly. This holds true regardless of the type of business you run-a service business, a manufacturing / product-focused business, or any other kind.Despite this, many leaders focus the bulk of their time and attention on building business, relegating employee development to a distant second on their priority lists.The Single Lamest Excuse for Not Building Your TeamLeaders often tell me, "I know I should focus more on developing my team. But the reality is, I just don't have the time. I'm already putting in 13-hour days building the business. There isn't an extra minute to spend on developing people."I consider this the single lamest excuse for not focusing on building your team's skills. Why? Because growing your people's capabilities shouldn't be a separate job nor an extra time-consuming activity. As a senior executive coach, I often "shadow" senior leaders in action as they lead teams or run meetings. That gives me the privilege of witnessing firsthand what works well and where there's room for improvement. Throughout these experiences, one thing has become perfectly clear: The best leaders demonstrate that building business and building people are fully integrated processes. Developing people is not a "task" to be added to a to-do list; it is a mindset.
As a leader, not only is it important for you to remain coachable, but you must also be a great on-the-job coach yourself. In fact, I encourage you to go through your day with this thought in mind: Every moment is a coaching moment. If you think of building people in that way, it becomes less of a daunting task.
When a direct report does something well, let him or her know right away. That way, it becomes clear what you consider good work, and team members will continue to produce the same or better results.
Likewise, if a direct report does something "not so well," it's your job to let that person know right away and coach him or her to consider how to do it better next time.
As you can see, both situations offer coaching opportunities that are integrated into your day-to-day work life. The best leaders make people development a seamless part of their work, and they recognize coaching moments on a regular basis.
First, they give their direct reports the right challenges and responsibilities to help them grow.
Second, they interact with direct reports in ways that challenge employees to think about and strengthen their own leadership capacities.
Again, the best leaders do this constantly and naturally as they go about building business.Bottom line: Coaching team members to improve isn't a separate activity that takes extra time-it is a mindset that can be learned and embraced. Developing the people you lead allows your direct reports to take on more responsibilities so that they are constantly learning, and that gives you more time in the long run because you will eventually be able to delegate more. The outcome? I've seen this essential shift in mindset and behavior help leaders shift stressed-out, 14- to 16-hour workdays to a calm and confident 8 to 10 hours. By keeping in mind that every moment is a coaching moment, you too can begin to experience building business and building people as wholly integrated processes.
Build Business-increase revenues and profits, grow volume and market share, expand into new territories, create new business alliances, etc.
Build People-help employees upgrade their skills and increase their knowledge so that they can grow personally and professionally, advance in their careers, and deliver increasingly more for the organization.
Most corporate leaders judge how well they are performing by the size of the businesses they lead. "I've taken on a bigger regional responsibility," they will say, or "I've moved from managing $XX million dollars in revenue to $XXX million."Yet, in reality, at the senior level, it's far more important to build people than to build business. Why? Because the higher you rise in an organization, the more people you are responsible for-and the more you simply cannot do it alone. In fact, at the upper echelons of businesses, it is not possible to do your job well unless you focus more on developing people than building business.People development is especially vital during times of change, and these days, change comes fast, furiously, and often unexpectedly. This holds true regardless of the type of business you run-a service business, a manufacturing / product-focused business, or any other kind.Despite this, many leaders focus the bulk of their time and attention on building business, relegating employee development to a distant second on their priority lists.The Single Lamest Excuse for Not Building Your TeamLeaders often tell me, "I know I should focus more on developing my team. But the reality is, I just don't have the time. I'm already putting in 13-hour days building the business. There isn't an extra minute to spend on developing people."I consider this the single lamest excuse for not focusing on building your team's skills. Why? Because growing your people's capabilities shouldn't be a separate job nor an extra time-consuming activity. As a senior executive coach, I often "shadow" senior leaders in action as they lead teams or run meetings. That gives me the privilege of witnessing firsthand what works well and where there's room for improvement. Throughout these experiences, one thing has become perfectly clear: The best leaders demonstrate that building business and building people are fully integrated processes. Developing people is not a "task" to be added to a to-do list; it is a mindset.
As a leader, not only is it important for you to remain coachable, but you must also be a great on-the-job coach yourself. In fact, I encourage you to go through your day with this thought in mind: Every moment is a coaching moment. If you think of building people in that way, it becomes less of a daunting task.
When a direct report does something well, let him or her know right away. That way, it becomes clear what you consider good work, and team members will continue to produce the same or better results.
Likewise, if a direct report does something "not so well," it's your job to let that person know right away and coach him or her to consider how to do it better next time.
As you can see, both situations offer coaching opportunities that are integrated into your day-to-day work life. The best leaders make people development a seamless part of their work, and they recognize coaching moments on a regular basis.
First, they give their direct reports the right challenges and responsibilities to help them grow.
Second, they interact with direct reports in ways that challenge employees to think about and strengthen their own leadership capacities.
Again, the best leaders do this constantly and naturally as they go about building business.Bottom line: Coaching team members to improve isn't a separate activity that takes extra time-it is a mindset that can be learned and embraced. Developing the people you lead allows your direct reports to take on more responsibilities so that they are constantly learning, and that gives you more time in the long run because you will eventually be able to delegate more. The outcome? I've seen this essential shift in mindset and behavior help leaders shift stressed-out, 14- to 16-hour workdays to a calm and confident 8 to 10 hours. By keeping in mind that every moment is a coaching moment, you too can begin to experience building business and building people as wholly integrated processes.
Friday, August 1, 2014
Branding Systems - Keys to an Effective Branding Strategy
Most small business CEO's and entrepreneurs fail to realize this one simple thing.That is, the key to an effective branding strategy is being able to deliver.Seems simple, but it's missed by an insane amount of business owners.You must... No let me start that over.YOU MUST be able to back up your claims and produce exactly as you say. You got to walk your talk or else you will be walking into going out of business.The majority of your business sales and profits come from repeat customers.Because here's the thing, nobody is going to be disappointed by your services twice.And, that is exactly why, you need a rock-solid and profitable branding system, that involves:CUSTOMER SATISFACTIONBrand is just a mere representation of your company. Therefore, it must reflect exactly what your business can deliver for the customers and build its reputation from there. If you cannot produce quality products or services, then regardless of how potent your branding system or strategies are, you'd never be able to turn your marketing campaigns into a sales force.Therefore, you need to be as sensitive to your customers' needs as possible. But only to a certain extent that you still hold control over the image and reputation that you want your brand to exhibit.Indeed, brand equity is a vital aspect in every business, especially consumer-based equity. It reflects the level of trust and attitude that a customer has towards a product associated with a given brand. This is impacted by the actual experience that a consumer has had with the product such that brand loyalty is affected by factors such as perceived quality and the delivery of the product.CONSISTENCYOne of the most effective ways to build trust amongst your customers is to be consistent with the message you are trying to convey. Consistency is most important when exhibiting the values that are key and vital in your company. Then, focus on every aspect of your business to ensure that it remains consistent with the values professed by your company and that they make a good representation of the company's vision.
EXPANDING YOUR BRANDCreating a brand for your company is not only limited to the creation of a logo. While it is essential, your work does not stop there. After all, a logo is just a representation of your professional image but there are several factors in between that would help translate them into sales. You do not even have to spend lots of money to fulfill them. In every form of communication that you use in your business transactions, include your company logo in it, whether you'd be using business cards, yellow page ads, newsletters, letterhead, invoices, envelopes, and many more. Your logo is of no use unless you are able to capitalize on it and make it do its work for you.MANAGING YOUR BRANDAs market trends continue to change and evolve, so must your approach at branding strategies. While you set your own company's branding standards, you also need to look into exceeding those promises you've set and this is one of the most effective ways to generate more customers. On the other end, one failure could eventually ruin your business' reputation on a long haul.If you see any opportunity where changes can be done or improvements can be executed, then don't be afraid to execute them.This is one way for your business to stay on top of things and keep up with changing trends in the market for an effective business branding effort.So, tell me, what are you working on RIGHT NOW to expand your brand?
EXPANDING YOUR BRANDCreating a brand for your company is not only limited to the creation of a logo. While it is essential, your work does not stop there. After all, a logo is just a representation of your professional image but there are several factors in between that would help translate them into sales. You do not even have to spend lots of money to fulfill them. In every form of communication that you use in your business transactions, include your company logo in it, whether you'd be using business cards, yellow page ads, newsletters, letterhead, invoices, envelopes, and many more. Your logo is of no use unless you are able to capitalize on it and make it do its work for you.MANAGING YOUR BRANDAs market trends continue to change and evolve, so must your approach at branding strategies. While you set your own company's branding standards, you also need to look into exceeding those promises you've set and this is one of the most effective ways to generate more customers. On the other end, one failure could eventually ruin your business' reputation on a long haul.If you see any opportunity where changes can be done or improvements can be executed, then don't be afraid to execute them.This is one way for your business to stay on top of things and keep up with changing trends in the market for an effective business branding effort.So, tell me, what are you working on RIGHT NOW to expand your brand?
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