Category: Local Branding

Now that exhibitions are again in full swing, we have assembled a series of handy tips that can be used by delegates preparing to attend the business shows across the southwestern region.

Below is a synopsis of Jamie Breese’s very best advice for delegates on the proper way to handle business exhibitions and get the most from these experiences.

1. Never Attempt To Make Sales To Exhibitors

You do not want to be “that” person who is roaming around trying to sell. Exhibitors complain about this often, and it is not surprising why that is. They are there to make solid connections with prospects, and you will be viewed as an irritating time-waster.

2. Get Past Your Fear Of Approaching Others

This really is the best way to achieve networking success, improve your reputation and get where you want to be in the business world. Conquer your nerves when it comes to public speaking. No matter the audience involved, it is vital that you get a firm handle on this realm as soon as possible.

3. Come With A Stack Of Cards

Having a sharp-looking business card at the ready is essential. When you receive other people’s cards, store them in a notebook and jot down some notes next to each one. This is a great way to prepare for the follow-up contacts you will be making in the immediate future.

4. Early Registration

It is not uncommon for the most desirable networking events and business seminars to sell out rapidly, so make sure your registration is in early.

5. Politeness Rules

This is a fundamental truth of life. Being polite and considerate is a great way to impress exhibitors and make the best possible showing for your firm.

6. Quality Stand

Having a quality stand can really attract people and get more business and this is why you should invest in good exhibition panels.

7. Smart Socials

Not only is it wise to make a terrific impression when dealing face-to-face with exhibitors, it may also make sense to post particularly interesting content and photos while you attend an event. This can raise your profile and generate buzz for yourself as an influencer and expert in your niche.

8. Following Up

Whenever you make a successful connection with an exhibitor or attendee, make sure to send a quick note of follow-up soon afterward. Use LinkedIn to solidify contacts, and make sure to promptly respond to anyone who follows up with you.

Photo credits: https://www.pexels.com/photo/white-and-black-barcode-1243362/

Starting a new business can be very overwhelming sometimes. Entrepreneurship is definitely not a piece of cake, but once everything falls right in the place, you will definitely enjoy the fruit out of it. There are two things that you need to be successful in life, hard work and dedication. There is no such thing that you cannot achieve, if you have enough interest, you are going to get whatever you set your eye on. Obviously, in the beginning, there are going to be some hurdles, somethings might not go as you have planned them to be. Sometimes you might have to change the direction of your work as well, but continuous work will definitely take you somewhere.

Here are some branding and marketing tips that will definitely help you in making progress.

1. Be different

No matter what your field is, try to produce unique content. Sometimes you are selling some ordinary product, which has been a common attraction already. But if your content is attractive, you will be able to form a market and attract more people to yourself. Even if it requires the following things that are not usually common. Find your own way of doing things and work on your own strategy. Remember, your main target is people, you have got to leave an impact on them, so your content should be influenceable. Especially, when you have got to post some content on your website, you should be able to define your statement in just one look. Make your site as presentable as possible.

2. Make use of social media

Social media is the biggest platform to get people under your influence. Just make one post, and thousands of people are going to see it. If your post is interesting enough, obviously you are going to get some shares, which can be very helpful. The best part about social media is that, once you make enough audience, half of your work is already done. People are going to see whatever you post and that way you can attract more people on daily biases. If you are having a problem with getting your stuff noticed, you can also boost up your posts. First, you will have to through in some money, but later, when you will be able to get likes, your business will grow rapidly.

3. Do constant advertisement

One of the most important business tactics is to do constant advertisement. Yes, everyone tries it at first, but if your efforts are not noticed at first go, many of us give up. The key point is to no matter, if you are getting a response or not, keep on advertising. Every single platform that you see, avail the opportunity and keep posting. If you have a new offer coming up, advertise it as much as possible. Do countdowns, make posts every day. Remember one thing, as soon as you stop posting, people are going to forget about you. So, make sure your option comes up every time they are searching for any product.

4. Make business contacts

Being social can benefit you A LOT! Try to have good relationships with other businessmen and industrialist, so that they can pass some customers to you. Sometimes a little favor can help you in ways that you cannot think of. It works in both ways, sometimes you can help them out in difficult situations too. Having relations like this are big support, in case of any problem, you will have something to fall back on. Also, try to make no enemies, when you are working on such big level, obviously there are going to be some people who are going to create problems, try to ignore them, instead of creating any further problems.

This guest post is submitted by Qurban Shah from reviewsbite.com

By making a few simple changes, businesses can cut their energy usage by as much as 20%. Best of all, these changes either cost very little or cost nothing at all. A minor investment in energy-saving tools, technology, and techniques can have a big payoff for businesses.

Our goal is to help all of our commercial clients use energy more efficiently. To that end, we have put together a number of tips that are designed to help your company lower its energy expenses while at the same time improving sustainability.

The section below outlines some simple strategies that you can use to cut your energy usage. We also have officers available who can help you reduce the amount of energy that you use for everything from heating to lighting. Our experts can help you put together an effective plan for your business that will allow you to dramatically cut back on the amount of energy that you use.

Tips For How Small And Medium-Sized Businesses Can Save Energy

According to Josco Energy you should consider using motion sensors throughout your building to automatically turn off the lights in rooms that are not currently occupied. Motion sensors are particularly effective when they are used in restrooms, conference rooms, closets, or other spaces that are not continuously occupied.

During the day, try to use natural light as much as possible, turning off the lights if there is enough light coming in through the windows.

If you have the budget for it, consider investing in retrofit lamps. Alternatively, you can also make a larger investment in a full lighting refit. Although it costs a little bit more, it can result in dramatic energy savings, allowing you to recoup the cost relatively quickly.

Switch your current light bulbs out for energy-saving bulbs. If you have lights that use fluorescent tubes, replace them with slim-line tubes.

Check your electronic devices to make sure that any energy-saving features are turned on. Consider using timers to automatically turn off devices at the end of the day or over the weekend. Avoid leaving phone chargers or laptop chargers plugged in all of the time to keep them from drawing energy when they are not being used.

Assign the task of controlling the heat to a single person rather than allowing employees to adjust the thermostat on their own.

Depending on the size of your business, you may want to consider choosing someone to act as the lead in regards to your company’s energy usage. You may even want to put together a heating policy that lets employees know how warm or cool the building will be at specific times so that they can dress appropriately.

As a general rule of thumb, you should set your air conditioner to a temperature setting that falls somewhere in the 19 to 24°C range. This is cool enough to be comfortable but not so cool that the air conditioner has to run constantly.

Similarly, if you have a refrigerator in your workplace, avoid setting the temperature too low. Vending machines and beverage machines should be shut off at night or during the weekends when no one is around.

Takeaway

Finally, consider investing in a hot water dispenser rather than using a kettle to heat water.

Feel free to reach out to us for more energy-saving ideas. Our goal is to help you save as much energy as possible with your business, lowering your costs while at the same time doing something good for the environment.

We often are asked to help a business in making new shop signs for their advertising needs. Since this is the case, here is a list we have compiled at our headquarters in Mansfield that will help you get a great looking sign that attracts clients.

Give The Sign Some Life

You will want to make sure your sign has some life and will draw in people who are looking for your company. You probably have a lot of personality in your shop, but you need to make sure the sign you are using is going to reflect this personality as well. You just want to think about the impression you are going to make to your customers. Is the shop a fun place to be or is it one that has a more professional setting? No matter what, you will want to make sure the sign you are getting is going to give the visitors an idea on the type of things they can expect to see in the shop.

Remember: Good signs are going to tell the clients what they can see in the business and know what kind of line is in the brand.

Do Not Overdo It

You will want to make sure your signs are short and to the point. You just want to make sure your sign does not fail. You want o make sure you get your key point across quickly, not have multiple points on a single sign. By getting the main point listed, it will attract potential customers, but it will also make it easier for people to know more about what they can expect to see when they are here.

You will want to be to the point, but you need to remember that you can still be funny if you want to be.

Fonts

You will find that the first step is to find the best font for your sign – your sign company can help you here You will notice that quite a few sign shops have been ruined because they did not properly pick their logos. The shop sign is going to need to get the attention of people who are driving or walking by, so you need to make sure the letters are big and easy to see. Remember: People typically will not take the time out of their business to read what your handwritten script is going to say.

Colors

You will want to consider a variety of colors for your sign. Will they look good in the sunlight or when it is evening? What color pattern is going to make the shop sign look great and standout from the rest of the place. To really look at the colors you may want to look at the other signs in the area. You will think about the red ads in the paper, if it has other red ads it can be hard to see, but you will want to check out the how your sign can stand out. You will want to find colors that are going to look great, but also think about the people who have vision problems when looking at the sign and suffering from color blindness.

Design

You will notice that one thing that is going to really bring the sign together is the brand that you are going to present with the sign and how everything is tied together. You do not want to change things simply because you can, but you will want to make sure you have a uniform brand across the platform. Remember when you are launching your business you want to make sure it is going to look great and have an amazing feel.

Materials

Now that you have a great design in mind, you should know how to bring your signs to life. When are you going to be opening and what time frame as well? Are you going to need to have lights installed on the sign to make it easier for you to see the sign? Is the brand more of a high end location or a mass market place? What types of materials would you need to get to reach your target area? You want the sign to look great and not make your customers think you are cheap.

You will find that you have multiple choices of materials, which is why you need to find a material that will suit you best.

Size

You will want to know more about the amount of space you have available for the sign and how you can use this space properly. You will notice that signs can go on brick, hang out front, or even be above the windows to draw in attention. So you will want to know more about how to use the most of the space to get the attention you need to have.

Most people believe that everyone should visit the dentist twice a year, even if they don’t do it themselves. It’s not clear, however, where these six-month check-ups initially came from. Some believe that they originated back in the 18th century, long before we had randomised controlled trials that could test their effectiveness. According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 1 in 7 people aged 15 and over had toothache in the last year. People prone to dental problems and children should visit the dentist often, but permanent teeth are no less vulnerable to decay, and in the teen years teeth are generally less vulnerable, at least until wisdom teeth come through in the early twenties. So, the risk varies at different points in our life.

Keeping bad habits in line

There are some bad habits that can impact our oral health that we’re not even aware of. Chewing ice, biting your nails, grinding your teeth, eating particularly sticky or hard sweets, drinking coffee and red wine, smoking, but also brushing your teeth too hard and using a wrong technique – all of these can increase the risk for your dental health or contribute to discoloration. When you appear for regular dental check-ups, your dentist will check for any damage caused by any of these habits. Being informed about specific deteriorating habits allows you to change your lifestyle to prevent further damage.

When brushing and flossing come short

Even if you use the best brush three times a day and floss regularly after every meal, there are still small areas that are easy to miss. When plaque builds up it becomes more difficult to remove, solidifying and turning into tartar, which is extremely difficult to remove without a professional intervention. Regular dental cleanings can prevent tartar from eroding the teeth or creating holes in the enamel, which is a highway to cavities. When they appear, cavities don’t give any warning signs, apart from a small ache once the tooth is already decayed. When the damage is done, you need to have them filled and fixed, but it’s always better to take care of plaque and tartar before they can damage your teeth. In addition, a cleaning appointment is also more affordable than getting a filling.

To stay on top of your treatment plan

That first visit to the orthodontist for consultations should never be your last. While everyone’s situation is different, making sure you that you attend the regular visits is a small cost for the benefits of your oral health and bright smile. After you’re given a plan for orthodontic treatment, you need to stick to the schedule for your return visits. This way, your orthodontic team will have a chance to track your progress and make adjustments to your braces. It’s important, however, that even the patients with Invisalign still make their regular check-ups, just to make sure the teeth are shifting as planned. So if you live in the greater Sydney area, check out the best Zetland orthodontist and get informed on the range of personal tailor-made plans they provide.

Before complications occur

To make matters worse, the plaque and tartar build-up does not only cause tooth decay, but also erodes the mouth gum tissues. The build-up can cause an infection at the point where the gum meets the tooth, making the gum pull away. This diagnose is called gingivitis, and as it progresses, the tissue that attaches the gums to the teeth breaks down, paving the way for gum disease. At this point, there’s likely to be swelling, bleeding and soreness in the mouth, but apart from breaking down gum tissue, gum disease can also cause the bone that holds the teeth in place to deteriorate. In order to avoid costly series of specialist treatments, make sure you make your cleaning appointments and address early signs of gingivitis as soon as possible.

Dentists and dental specialists are not only concerned with fixing your teeth. They take care of your oral health, prevent the onset of gum disease and check for abnormalities that may need orthodontic treatment, which may otherwise go unnoticed. Skipping dental appointments may not seem like a big deal, but in the long run, they are the better option both healthwise and moneywise.

There are many aspects of working that can help your employees feel stressed. Of course, that is not what you want for them. You want your employees to flourish and feel like they are a part of a team doing important work. Stress is common in the workplace but there are ways you can support a more calming environment. You can also help them calm down to a level of relaxation so your employees have more clarity.

Yoga helps every muscle in your body and shifts brain chemistry back to normal. In our bodies, the feelings we have tend to sit in certain areas. For examples, the hip holds emotional stress and tension. Stretching them out helps to release that tension. The abdominal organs can often hold onto stagnant bodily fluids. Certain poses massage these areas and help the fluids move on which is something like a holistic detox. Here are five ways that yoga is going to help your employees feel less stressed out while at work.

1. Yoga and Cortisol Levels

Yoga is considered holistic therapy for lowering cortisol levels, according to a study. Cortisol levels occur due to too many instances of stress. While it is produced in our bodies and is a natural chemical, if there is too much cortisol, it can cause major health issues. They include:

• Rapid weight gain.
• Muscles can become weak.
• It becomes difficult to think.
• The thyroid doesn’t work optimally.
• Blood sugar problems.

Probably one of the worst symptoms that most people suffer from is a chronic mood problem. This is usually anxiety which perpetuates the additional release of cortisol levels. Simply explained, when one of your employees gets stressed out about a meeting or a deadline, this may become a moment of anxiety. This is where the fight or flight response kicks in which is a part of the nervous system function.  It was originally designated to save us from sabretooth tigers or bears and lions in this more modern time.

Using this tool when we aren’t running or fighting for our lives means that cortisol just stays in the body. We get tense in the muscles because we have this energy being drawn up to be used and it never is. This tension will often sit in our neck, shoulders, or hips. Ironically, these areas will usually be pain points from sitting for long periods of time. This sends a message to the brain that the body is under stress and it becomes cyclical in your pain.

So how does yoga help?

Yoga reduces stress which means that cortisol levels have a chance to lower. The breathing poses and meditative aspects of yoga all help to fully de-stress a person. Your employees will naturally relax just by taking in a few deep breaths midday. If you provide an area for them to do yoga at the workplace, they can get into Childs Pose to find their center and safety. This alleviates the onset of stress immediately.

2. Rebalances the Body and Mind

When the body is tense, the mind has a hard time retaining information. This causes your employees to have a harder time getting work done. Yoga rebalances the body, bringing back strength, and flexibility. This helps kick-start the brain. Yoga has specific poses to balance energy in the body. Your employees will also grow more mentally stronger as parts of yoga take mental discipline.

You also have more flexibility which allows the body to soften up. This means your employees will experience less chronic pain. They will be agiler and have more energy. The feeling that yoga gives your employees when they regularly practice gives them ease and freedom. This promotes ultimate happiness that gives them increased energy.

3. More Mindfulness to Cope with Stressful Situations

Your employees will have the clarity to deal with all the stress that comes up during work. They are generally happier and have a good demeanor. They will harness compassion which results in excellent team building. This is what yoga can do for people. Stress often occurs from the things we think about. We ruminate about all the possibilities of a future outcome. This doesn’t serve us well at all because really, the future is out of our control anyway.

Yoga allows us the space to learn how to see what comes up in our mind. We can then begin to control it as opposed to it controlling us. We can create a presence and build up the thought of compassion instead of feeling confused and unsure. The poses of yoga are designed to relax us. Then we can finish up with meditation which is what helps us to gain a grasp of what it is to be mindful.

4. We Learn How to Breathe Properly

Stress and the nervous system have a strong connection. It can be quite debilitating for a person to go through major bouts of stress. Through yoga, you can learn how to negate all that stress. Breathwork in yoga is as important as the poses. It comes with as many health benefits too. It can relieve someone’s anxiety in an instant. It also helps relax the body on a consistent basis so you’re less likely to stay in anxiety for very long. With yoga asking you to focus on your breath, you become more able to use the breath in times of stress.

5. They Get Exercise

Yoga is a physical exercise and it’s important to offer it to your employees. While it would be great if everyone could play a game of soccer, it’s likely some of your employees have physical limitations. This is the nice thing about yoga. People can be doing their own thing in any given yoga class. There are modifications that can be done and there are props to make it easier.

The point is exercise matters. This is especially true for those bound at their desks. Through stretching and holding poses, your employees will get their blood moving. They become stronger and perhaps more confident. They stretch out all the tension from constant sitting or standing. Exercise helps to improve one’s mood and cognitive thinking. It is a great form of exercise that anyone can do.

To be able to provide your employees with the gift of yoga will bring everyone together. They will feel more supported, less stressed out, and healthier all around. You may be making a major difference to their life which will certainly trickle into their overall productivity and happiness.

If you are going to look around, you will see that the world is full of visual representations. You’ll see different designs, aesthetics, structural images, beautiful sceneries, and so on. You feed your eyes with different things you see wherever you look.

In line with that, you’ll see that the business industry is no different. It disposes of different visual marketing strategies to boost publicity and sales. They invest in creating banners posters, and other signages for every sales event that they conduct to make sure they attract a lot of prospective customers.

That said, it is always right to follow general rules to make sure that your design stands out and is different among others. Here are some of the few things you may contemplate when designing your promotional medium.

Work on Typical Poster Sizes

It is a must that before you start planning and working for the design and content of your poster, you have to decide the appropriate size you are going to use. Examine the type of business you have and check your audiences so you’ll have an idea what to use.

You have to remember that if your poster size is too small people can hardly read it and if it’s too big then people will pass by it because it’s a nuisance to them. Always consider picking the right size so that you can quickly draw people’s attention.

Moreover, for posters and signage that you want to put on sidewalks, then you may consider using a larger size. If you’re going to get the attention of people in passing cars, then you may choose a larger scale.

Make it Easy

Most business owners think that the more content and design they put into their ads the more it is compelling. Indeed, it’s not.

Always make sure that your designs are easy and straightforward to look. Bear in mind to choose bold and large letters for signs and easy graphics so that people can quickly read it and will not be puzzled of what you are advertising.

Colour Preference

It is one of the essential ingredients when captivating the eyes of your prospective clients. You have to choose colors that are striking, eye-catching, and of course, money-making signs.

With regards to your colour preference, you can use bold, bright, and contrasting colours. Yellow and red are the best choices because they can be seen at a distance. Also, prefer colours that connect with your brand so that your customers won’t be confused.

Naturally, Attention Seeking

Your purpose of making your poster advertisement is not just for public display but for people to look at it and understand it. So, it’s essential that you have to make it naturally attention seeking. You don’t just place it at any corner of your establishment and let it stay there.

When you place on a sidewalk or in the front of your store, put them lower because people try to glance down as they are walking. On the other hand, if you want to catch the attention of people from afar, then you have to hang it.

The primary key to your poster replacement is to study and know where your customer’s eyes naturally go.

Offers and Promotions

Signage and poster are not enough for people to see what you are trying to sale, but people are looking at the offers too. Bear in mind that customer’s priority and interest are looking at promotions, suggestions, and discounts which drive more sales

Bear in mind that you have to be prudent with your offers and discounts when you include it in your poster advertisement so your sales won’t decline and still get the profit your aiming.

Durability and Resistance

When making and designing poster ads, you can save money, energy, time, and effort if you consider its durability. Printing the poster ad and signage using high-quality vinyl banners can help you recycle in case you want to use them again.

Do it Right

Always put your 100% dedication and passion when designing for your poster ad. A well-crafted and thoughtfully-designed poster can wildly and successfully promote your business. Once you put significant attention to detail, your sales can boost anytime.

Takeaway

In the world of business where competition is tight and earning a high profit is the only way to make it last, it is always a must that you create and think out of the box marketing ideas.

Lastly, with a few artistic skills and incorporating them using typical poster sizes for people to see, surely your business will grow, and profit will inflate effortlessly.