What’s In a Name?

December 3, 2015 DanaLeave a comment

“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” We all know that that famous quote by William Shakespeare applies to Juliet in Romeo and Juliet.

But do you know it’s a crucial question to ask about your business?

What is in YOUR name? What is the meaning behind it? What does your name connote?

All these are important questions to ask when considering your branding.

Take my business name, AngelArts. Why did I choose that? Because I’m trying to be perfect? Never! It’s because I want to point people to God through my talents in art. I am always reaching new heights in my life and I want to help others do the same.

Where did I get the inspiration?

A picture my mother took of me when I was a child. I was reaching toward the piano to play it. I had to stand on my tiptoes. She thought it would make a cute Christmas picture, so she put a little halo on my head. To me, it encapsulates the meaning behind what I do with the talents God gave me.

How does that translate to the work I do today? Well, I think of the latest book I’m working on. Actually, while I’ve done many ebooks and designed printed books for others, it is the first time I will publish a book under my own company name.

It’s a dream I’ve had for a long time. So my first book is combining my gifts in graphic arts and writing to point people to God by sharing with my readers that stress can be transformed into blessings. Every page of my book has been lovingly written, designed, and edited.

While I am reaching toward new heights in my business and my life, stretching myself in new ways, I am also challenging others to do the same in their lives.

That’s the meaning behind my business name. That’s why I do what I do. It’s not always easy and there are times I want to quit, but my whole being is reflected in the name I chose for my company.

Because I want to make a bigger impact than just making a quick buck, or working hard for a little while and then getting a big payout. I want my work to mean something. I want my work to have a lasting legacy and be meaningful to the lives I touch.

What about you? What’s in your name? What does it mean? What impact do you want to create with your business?

Would you like to leave a lasting legacy? Learn how to get started through my free ecourse that will give you the basics on how to have a wildly successful business. Click here now to enroll.

Victorian Roses painting by Ann Neal at AnnsBrushes.com

Want a Successful Brand? Be Bold!

November 24, 2015 DanaLeave a comment

So confession time. For many years I suffered with low-self esteem and extreme shyness. I believed that I didn’t matter, that there was no value in what I had to offer. As a consequence, I was too timid. I was not bold enough. And that has cost me dearly.

Now I am shifting my “stinking thinking.” I’m realizing the importance of boldness and starting to practice it more and more.

While it is uncomfortable, I know that it is the action that will get me where I want to be. So how can you be bold and how can that help your brand? Here are some ideas for you:

1) Find key influencers on social media, whether Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn. Look for people that you admire and you want to be like, that are where you want to be. Get to know them by commenting on their posts. Write about them and when you do, send a shout out to these people that you have done so.

Years ago, I asked a successful author if she would endorse one of my books. I had gotten to know her by commenting on her posts and asking for help. She was happy to endorse my book and she did!

2) Ask for help. Don’t be afraid to speak up. Whether it’s in a Facebook group, at a networking group, or in an email.

For months now, I have been struggling with a publication project that seemed dead in the water. Yesterday I finally got the boldness to ask for help in a writer’s Facebook group. I received several responses and even got offers from people wanting me to interview them for my radio show. Bonus! I need to ask for help from these groups more often!

3) Ask for what you deserve. Don’t undervalue yourself. Don’t think you have to ask “how high” when someone asks you to jump. Be confident about the value you offer to your customers and don’t feel guilty for asking for a price you deserve.

My husband, who owns his own architectural business, was vindicated today. Several months ago he received an inquiry from a nail salon wanting him to design some plans. They didn’t like the price and went elsewhere. Today he received a call from them and it turns out this nail salon had hired an architect who did things “on the cheap” for them and then went out of business. They were asking my husband to do a quick turn around and fix the problems so they could get it submitted to the building department.

My husband responded that he couldn’t look at it until next week and explained that he is very thorough and thinks holistically. Through that action, he boldly proclaimed he was NOT going to design cheap stuff and in a hurry.

4) Get out of your comfort zone. Try your hand at speaking, blogtalk or podcast interviews, writing a blog, publishing a book… whatever scares you, do it. When you stretch yourself, you activate that “boldness” muscle and the result, more action and movement for your brand.

5) When negative responses come, move on. Yes, it happens. I will not sugar coat the fact that sometimes you will be rejected. If that happens, just “shake the dust off your feet” and keep on moving!

It’s happened to me several times, and after I get over the initial shock I realize it wasn’t me that they were rejecting, but other factors at play. These factors could be that it’s simply not the right fit, not the right timing, or there might even be some jealousy or favoritism going on. Just keep your head up and keep being bold!

Boldness is key for building your business! And when you are bold, your brand will sizzle and your future dazzle!

Are you ready to be bold? Take a huge step and get some one-on-one help today. Click here now to take this step.

Formidable Towers © Joy Prescott | Dreamstime Stock Photos

Building a Strong Brand–What to Include in Your Brand to Make It Sizzle!

May 20, 2015 DanaLeave a comment

Something all business owners need to know is what to include in their branding images. A strategic approach to this will result in more effective ones. And that will lead to more profits!

So what is an effective brand? How do you build a strong brand?

An effective brand reflects accurately who you are and what you do. It includes a well-constructed logo. This logo includes components that enhance the overall message you are trying to communicate with your brand. An effective logo is designed professionally with balance, composition, and most of all, appeal to the audience it attends to reach.

Can I show you an example of some of the components to include in your brand?

Here are some ideas to include in your branding:

Your identity (Business) name
Image/symbol
Slogan or tag line
Your personal photo
Your name (if you use a descriptive name for your company)

Now you might be surprised that included a photo of yourself and your name. Why do I suggest that?

Because including a photograph of yourself and your name is extremely important in this Internet age. Marketing these days is all about building relationships. Actually, marketing has ALWAYS been about building relationships. It’s even more important today!

Your prospects want to know that you are a real person. As the famous movie Wizard of Oz illustrates, you need to come out from behind the curtain and show that you are real!

How can you get started with building this strong brand?

The first thing you need to do is list each component you want in your brand in order of importance. Always think about what it is you want to communicate. What message are you trying to get across?

And then you need to be consistent across all mediums. Of course you can alter your brand in certain situations by leaving off your slogan, personal photo, and name as long as you maintain the integrity of your brand.

When you strategically decide what to include in your brand, you will be building a strong one. And that is going to make your brand sizzle and your future dazzle!

Want to learn more about branding and how to make your revenues skyrocket? Listen to my free audio! Sign up by clicking here!

Successful Branding–The Importance of Brand Strategy

February 26, 2015 DanaLeave a comment

Recently, I’ve run across many business owners who realize they need to update their Website, but they don’t understand the importance of having a brand strategy FIRST.

Here is a video to help you understand why it’s so important.

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Is this something you are struggling with? Would you like to learn more about how to create a wildly successful business that will last a lifetime? Please take my free mini course by clicking here.

Building a Brand Identity–What Exactly Branding Does

January 29, 2015 DanaLeave a comment

Last fall, Nathan Creed, my nephew and apprentice, helped me create a free video series called 3 Keys to Valor. Here is a little snippet of one of the clips. I think you’ll enjoy this!

Do you want to know more about the 3 Keys to Valor? Watch the trailer!

Branding in Marketing–5 Steps to Make Your Brand Marketing Soar Above the Competition

August 7, 2013 DanaLeave a comment

With the advent of Internet Marketing, branding in marketing is absolutely essential and not just for big corporations anymore. At best, you have 10 seconds to get your prospect to click on your image.

Is your brand attracting the kind of attention you want or does your brand leave your traffic snoozing because it looks indistinguishable from every other brand out there?

If your brand is less than exciting, don’t worry. I’m going to share with you five steps that will help your company brand soar above the competition.

5 Steps to Make Your Brand Marketing Soar Above the Competition

Step 1) Make sure your brand represents the essence of who you are.

Your brand should accurately reflect your company’s reason for existence. Call this your mission, your vision, your Unique Selling Proposition.

Whatever you call it, the more clarity you have on why you are in business, the more your brand will accurately portray the essence of who you are as a company.

The result? You will increase your name recognition and brand awareness. If who you are is reflected accurately in your business image, your prospects will be naturally attracted to your brand and ultimately the products or services you are offering, which will increase your bottom line. Further, congruence between image and essence translates to customer trust and loyalty.

In other words, your brand delivers what you promise. When your brand does not accurately reflect your business, your prospects may feel jipped. LIke you overpromised and underdelivered. You do not want your brand reflecting this bad business modus operandi!

Step 2) Make sure your brand is specifically tailored to your target market.

When you aim at nothing, you will hit nothing. You need to completely understand the customers or clients you are trying to reach. The more detailed description you have of your ideal client, the better your brand will be, the more magnetic your brand will be.

You cannot be all things to all people. That is impossible. Instead, find your niche and research this niche thoroughly.

Don’t know where to start? Often, the best place to start is an audience for whom you have an affinity. One that you can relate to.

Are you a mother? Then market to moms!

Are you passionate about real estate? Market to fellow realtors!

Do you love animals? Then market to fellow animal lovers!

I think you get the idea. Whatever market you choose, outline specific details like education level, geographic location, gender, marital status, income level, interests, etc.

Keep this in mind when developing your brand. If you need to, cut out a picture that encapsulates your target market and stick it to your computer monitor. Never forget WHO you are in business for!

Because when you remember your target audience in your branding, your marketing is more effective. You will reach the specific people who are interested in your product or service and your profits will soar!

Step 3) Make sure your brand does not come across as amateurish.

Do it yourself logos and “custom” designs are a dime a dozen. But buyer beware! A cookie cutter logo may not do your company justice! And it may look, in fact, amateurish.

When your brand does not come across as professional, it shows to your prospects that you do not treat your business seriously. And if you do not treat your business seriously, then what does that mean about your product or service and the customer service that comes with that product or service?

A cheap brand comes across as just that–cheap. And cheap brands are indistinguishable from the competition, which means your brand gets left in the dust.

Don’t let that happen to you. If you want to design your logo yourself or buy a stock logo, at least do research on what makes an effective image and what makes a cheap image. Do your homework and your brand will soar above the competition!

Step 4) Make sure you include a photograph of yourself in your branding to convey trust.

Today’s marketing is relational. The Internet is vastly anonymous and your prospects are scared of scams. Your prospects may also be tired of corporations “running the show” and prefer to work with someone real, down to earth.

Including a photograph of yourself with your brand will help build trust with your prospects.

But make sure it is a good photograph! It may be worth the investment to hire a professional photographer. If you decide not to hire a photographer, at least make sure you find a person you trust to take your photograph.

Like a logo, a cheap photograph translates to a worthless product or service. Your customers will not be drawn to your page and you will be again left in the dust behind your competition.

Step 5) Make sure you apply your brand consistently across all mediums.

Applying your brand consistently or the same to your business cards to your website to your email marketing to your social marketing will increase your brand awareness and name recognition.

You want your prospect, when they click on a banner to your website, to instantly be able to recognize your page as the same entity.

Or when a prospect clicks on your landing page for your ezine offer, you want that ezine to have consistent branding with that web page. Otherwise, your new subscriber will unsubscribe you because they don’t remember you!

Remember, it takes at least seven exposures of a product or service to make a sale. So building a consistent brand across all mediums is building a brand awareness that will result in more leads and more sales. It is also building trust. It shows your prospect that you are serious about your business and they can depend on your product or service to solve their particular problem. And when your prospect feels like you can solve their problems, your profits will soar and your competition be left in the dust!

Practice these steps above and you will find that your prospects aren’t snoozing anymore at your images, but instead, your brand sizzles, soaring above your competition and resulting in a better bottom line!

Do you want to know more ways you can make a brand sizzle? Click here now to take my free 10 day video course!

Photo by Sam Beasley

Designing Brand Identity–5 Ways You Can Make Yours Stand Out!

May 8, 2013 DanaLeave a comment

You are designing your brand identity. You want your brand to stand out. As a matter of fact, your brand MUST stand out or you will be lost in the crowd!

So how do you that and where do you start?

Keep reading to find out more!

1) Make sure your branding is based on thorough analysis.

I see this mistake over and over again. A logo is chosen to represent a brand that has nothing to do with the company. It just looked good. Or perhaps it was cheap or just designed arbitrarily.

To make your logo and brand TRULY stand out, you need to do some research up front. This takes thorough analysis. You need to know what makes you unique from your competition, what your vision is for your company and brand, who your target market is and much, much more.

2) Make sure your brand image communicates a specific message.

After you have done thorough analysis, you need to synthesize what you want to communicate in one sentence. What is it that you want your audience to “get?” Will they understand your message in 10 seconds or less? If not, you will not get the attention you need!

For instance, awhile back I designed a logo for my husband’s new business that he is building. I had it made into a sweatshirt and one day he was wearing it in public. A person unfamiliar with Travis and his company looked at the logo and said, “Oh, you do… ”

This is what you want your prospects to understand immediately. Exactly why your company exists and what you can do for them.

3) Make sure your brand is authentic.

You need to present yourself as an original. After all, there is only one of you! Like a snowflake, we are all unique individuals. Your brand needs to reflect this.

When the perception of your target market equals reality, then you will have an effective brand. Think through this exercise: what are the five words that I want my target market to perceive me as? Now BE that perception and reflect it accurately in your brand image.

4) Use an appealing mix of fonts, color, and graphics.

You need to approach your brand image with a design concept. Don’t just use Helvetica for the fonts for your business name! Make it different with the use of typography.

And remember that color sells. Use it to your advantage. Graphics will make the appealing difference that can make your logo image stand out!

But be careful. Remember that logo images are above all symbolic. It’s easy to get carried away (don’t I know it!), but above all you want your logo image to be readable and recognizable.

5) Be consistent on all mediums.

From the moment your prospect sees your business card, signage, catalog, website, or however they encounter your brand, you need to guide them through an experience that builds trust and credibility. For instance, when you give them a business card, it should stand out with your unique brand image, which should lead them to your website with the same brand image, which should lead them to the next step, and on and on.

You want them to feel comfortable with you, create name recognition, and build an unconscious awareness that indeed they are doing business with a person they like, know, and trust.

So there you have it. Five ways you can make your brand stand out. When you follow these steps, you will have a brand that sizzles and a future that dazzles!

Do you want to learn more ways for your brand image to stand out and for your business to be successful? Take my free 5-day mini-course that will give you the foundation to build a wildly successful business!

Brand Image–The Best Components for Your Brand

April 24, 2013 DanaLeave a comment

You have decided to create a new brand image for your company. But what are the most important components of your brand?

Here are some ideas so that you will have an effective brand image that gets results:

1) Your company name

You want your name to mean something visually. Not just Helvetica in black type.

There is so much more to your name than your name! After all, as Shakespeare said, “What is in a name?”

Think visually. What word associations does your name bring up? If you have more than one word in your name, what does each individual name mean?

Designing your name into a work of art is going to set you apart from your competition. Don’t forget this very important component of your brand.

2) A logomark

Logomarks are symbols that communicate your Unique Selling Proposition (USP). They can be illustrations, photographs, paintings, computer art…

But make sure the symbol truly does incapsulate what you are about!

Also, a logo mark as a symbol is usually not detailed. Keep it simple!

3) A slogan

This is a short, pithy statement that gets people talking, that makes your audience want to hear more about what you do. The more memorable the better.

It also serves to show your prospects your USP.

There are many ways to come up with your slogan. Keyword research, a thesaurus, and condensing an elevator pitch are just some of the ways that come to mind.

Whatever components you choose to use, make sure they reflect who you are and what you do! That will mean you have a more effective brand image! And that will help you have the dazzling future you have been dreaming about!

Would you like more ideas on how to create an effective brand and build a wildly successful business in the process? Take my free 5-day mini course by clicking here!

PDF Books-Learn How to Create A Family Economy with My New FREE Report!

August 30, 2012 DanaLeave a comment

Grab Your FREE PDF Book Today!

PDF books are really easy to digest and convenient to read. You can get an amazing amount of information on these gems!

And the best part is, many PDF books are free, including my new report!

It’s called “Your Guide to Building a Family Economy that SIZZLES.”

There’s no doubt about it. We live in very uncertain times. Families have lost 40 percent of their wealth in this economy and it doesn’t look like there’s an end in site.

And what about our children’s future and grandchildren’s future? The fact is, we are not that upwardly mobile society anymore. For instance, I just saw a statistic that said only 14 percent of parents are optimistic that their children will have a better life than their own!

If nothing changes soon, we will be heading the way of European socialists’ countries. And Europe is not doing well, either. In fact, Greece is in bankruptcy, the world is in turmoil, and there are threats mounting all around us.

So you’re left with disappointment, frustration, even hopelessness. And sometimes even a paralyzing fear.

But there is hope. There is an antidote, and that’s what this free PDF book is all about.

In fact, this PDF book is packed with information. Just take a look at what you’ll learn when you download your complimentary copy of “Your Guide to Creating a Family Economy that SIZZLES:”

You’ll discover a stellar recipe for creating a solid business and a dazzling future that you can pass onto as a legacy to your family!
You’ll learn an effective way to create cash flow even in a bad economy.
What do successful work at home business people know that you don’t? You’ll find out!
You’ll learn how marketing experts attract their audiences to increase their sales — and you can, too!
You’ll discover 15 basic business building steps that will help you launch one family business after another!
You’ll learn what the number one key to your successful family economy is.
What are the 7 building blocks to effective brand development? I will be sharing with you my graphic design secrets which will help you get noticed above the crowd.
You’ll follow as I lead you through 9 steps to help you build an effective brand, including how to analyze your marketing objectives, how to find a business (and business ideas, even for kids!), how to design a logo using images, photography, typography, and color, how to write a slogan, how to name your business, and more.
You’ll discover how to put your logo together and you will learn about the process of creating business cards and web banners.
You can use this over and over again for each family member and each stream of income.
Single? You will also benefit from learning how to create a dazzling future for yourself!
Already in business? Improve the one you’re in and add more the SMART way, one in which builds a solid foundation!
You’ll find out how to discover your dazzling future NOW, no matter what your circumstances — you won’t want to miss it!

How To Start Business Without Money – 4 Steps That Will Make Your Dream Into Reality

August 29, 2012 Dana8 comments

So you want to start a business and you have little or no money. How can you make your dream a reality?

In today’s Internet age, it is more than possible!

Watch the video below to find out more.

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Be sure to stay tuned for Part Two where I share the fourth tip! I will be posting it on Friday morning!

Want more help on how to start a business without money? Take my free mini-video course for free by clicking here now! Start today and you can get started immediately!

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