In this episode of Branding for Success, brand strategist Dana Susan Beasley talks about why keeping the end in mine and imagining your success is important and she shares important and effective ways to get you from where you are now to where you want to be.
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“Because you’re worth It.” Remember that old L’Oreal commercial for hair color? If you’re over 40 like me, you might recall. It starred Meredith Baxter-Birney and in it she demonstrates vividly that choosing premium hair color is worth the extra cost.
You also are worth it. As a business owner, you are worth investing in. Without it, you will die. Your business will die. Investing in yourself causes growth. It is a process. It takes nourishing, waiting, sowing, and harrowing.
Like planting a vineyard. You need seed, good soil, fertilizer, pruning, water, sunlight…
Your business needs certain things to in order to grow. First you have to create a vision and mission for your business. Why do you exist? Whom are you serving? What is the purpose for being in business? These questions take time and thought to answer.
You need good soil. The right target market. If you attempt to reach the wrong market, you will experience frustration, lack of clients, and eventually your business will die if not corrected. Reaching your target market takes an investment.
For instance, for the first year my husband and I used Craigslist to promote his architectural company. But it is attracting cheap clients who want something for nothing. While we made some money using this free platform, we are realizing that if we want to reach the right clients–those who value quality over price–we need to pay for that advertising. We need to go where they are and they are probably not on Craigslist.
Your marketing materials are like fishing poles. If you are trying to catch fish (your clients) then you need the proper equipment (fishing pole, hook, bait). That requires investment in branding that expresses accurately the essence of who you are as a business. That requires marketing materials that communicate your message effectively to your prospects and gets them to buy from you or sign up with you. Cheap and free is not investing in yourself. It is the easy way out.
But ultimately, these free or ultra inexpensive options only lead to stagnation. You hurt your credibility. It’s like driving through a cookie cutter neighborhood. It’s easy to get lost. When you use cookie cutter logos and marketing materials, you are confusing your prospects. And they will not find you. You will lose business.
Do you believe you’re worth it? Do you believe that what you have to offer is worth it? After all, how much is one customer worth to you?
Stop using sub-par branding, cheap graphic design, and free marketing material templates. Invest in yourself and your business and you will grow.
And your brand will sizzle and your future dazzle!
As an entrepreneur and small business owner, fear can paralyze you. It can stop you in your tracks. Will you let it? Or will you find a way to leverage that fear, resulting in more success and bigger impact?
Sure, I get it. We’ve been there, believe me. Sometimes the uncertainty of owning your own business can eat you alive. This was especially hard for my husband, who had just started an architectural business with my help. His perception of a steady paycheck vis a vis erratic payments from clients resulted in half-hearted attempts to grow his business.
Because the fear ruled him. He was not committed to success. He was committed to safety.
One night I helped him make the decision once and for all. I created a chart on a blank piece of paper. One side it said “owning your own business” with pros and cons below it. The next column said “being an employee” with pros and cons below it.
He started brainstorming the pros and cons of both scenarios. We laid it all out, he looked at the chart, and then I asked him, what side do you want to be on?
He chose to keep owning his own business.
From that time on, he worked on his fear. He stopped letting it control him. He stretched himself. When new and strange projects came up, he worked on them anyway, even though his inclination was not to try because he was afraid he’d fail.
As time has gone by, he stretches himself more and more. He has grown in confidence and now he is productive full-time. We are actively seeking new clients, new opportunities. Every once in awhile he looks back wistfully to when he had a job, but then I remind him that he is earning more money on his own than he could ever be paid as an employee.
He made a choice to use that fear to reach for his dreams. It’s not easy and sometimes he slips back into the afraid mode. But he keeps going.
What are you going to choose to do? Will you let fear overcome you or will you use that fear to make a final commitment to making your business wildly successful? Will you decide today to create a sizzling brand and dazzling future?
Picture credit: Ball And Chain© Johanna Goodyear | Dreamstime Stock Photos
Since it’s the New Year, I’m recycling a post from last year, since it’s just as relevant today:
It’s hard to believe that 2013 is now upon us!
Soon I will be setting goals for the year. In 2012, I aimed high and I achieved more than I ever thought possible.
In fact, I recorded a video of my planning last January.
Below, I have posted an excerpt of that video where I explain why planning is essential and how to find that time, even if you have small children.
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If you have a hard time viewing the video, click here.
I will be announcing soon my new planning system that will rock your 2013! In the meantime, please sign up for my free 30 day devotional that will transform your stress into blessings!