Category: Personal Branding

Digital BrandingPersonal Branding

Something For Nothing: Why Free Resources Are Great For Branding

on February 5, 2020

The importance of branding for a business in the 21st-century has been drilled into each of us. Ever since Apple became one of the biggest companies in the world developing an identity around a lifestyle brand rather than their products, the way new and existing businesses have to conduct and present themselves online has changed dramatically.

Creating a brand that your target audience can relate to is essential, but expensive. At least, you would assume. The advent of free online resources has made it easier than ever for a business to produce the essentials of a great brand. So how can your business make something out of nothing, and why are free resources the key to great branding? 

Professionalism

Whatever your business does, professionalism should be at the forefront of your mind. Even if you have a casual, anti-establishment and purposely care-free brand, it needs to be well-made and look as if you put care and attention into your public perception. 

Before, professional came at a premium. Now, you can create a sense of it around your business from your early days, without investing a significant portion of your budget. Your public-facing content can be given a professional edge by using free resources. 

First impressions to your audience are essential. Each contact point after that is about building an image of professionalism they can trust. How you correspond with your audience is an essential part of this.

Free resources can be used to help get across the professionalism of your business. How you communicate needs to be professional, from your email conversations to the invoices you send to both clients and customers. There are plenty of templates available to help you craft professional-looking invoices complete with your company branding and a layout that presents your business as an industry leader, or one with the potential to be. This is a great way to tell customers and business partners what your brand is all about. 

Free video chat tools such as Google Hangouts and Skype are also great assets for adding professionalism to your communication. They’ll allow you to communicate with business partners and investors in a more professional manner, without having to splash out on travel or dinner.

Good branding can be a lot of things, but one thing is should always be is professionally developed. Free resources are one of the best ways to do this quickly and make sure your company doesn’t seem, ironically enough, cheap. 

Creativity

A lot of creativity goes into establishing a brand identity. The most recognizable visual elements of top businesses weren’t created on the first try, they developed over time. Having the space to be creative and experiment with ideas is an essential part of the brand-building process, and free tools give you the chance to do just that.

Logos, for example, are a key part of a successful brand identity. They need to catch the eye and encapsulate the brand, whether it’s showing what you do, creating a sense of the lifestyle around it or giving a community something to rally around. 

Paying a designer is expensive, so getting creative with free tools is almost a must. Tools such as Hatchful allow you to develop professional-looking logos and experiment with different styles. Even if this ends up being a temporary logo, it’s given you an identity to build around as you get off the ground. Some of the biggest companies in the world have had to change their logo and branding over time.

Your brand will have numerous visual elements that need to be developed early on, from a color scheme to a font. Even if these are only temporary solutions until you can afford a more permanent paid option such as using a designer or investing in photoshop, these feel tools give you the chance to get creative and develop a visual identity. 

Awareness

Building your brand’s business is worthless if no one can find it. Not only do you need tools to create all the elements of your brand identity, but free tools help you spread awareness of your brand.

Social media is one of the best tools available for a new brand to spread awareness about themselves. While advertising on social media can be a quite costly endeavor, there are a number of free tools that can make your management of social media more streamlined ad profitable, teaching you more about the platform and your audiences on there. 

Some of the most popular social media management tools available like Hootsuite and Buffer, used by professionals across numerous industries, have robust free options. You can also make use of tools such as Google Analytics to get more insight into the inner works of your website and how traffic is traveling to it from the places you’re trying to spread awareness on. 

Content

A key part of your branding process is the content you develop to advertise and spread awareness of it. Creating quality content is difficult to do on a budget, despite how much phone cameras have developed and editing software has been streamlined. However, the promotion and presentation of this content is easier than to do than ever with free tools. 

YouTube is an obvious choice, giving you a free platform to upload your branding content and open it up to a huge audience. Video has become the dominant online content force, with audiences clamoring for more. 

Tools such as Headliner allow you to create great quality social and website content free of charge, although you are limited to a certain amount per month if not paying. You can also use tools to create great explainer content for free, giving you a great method of introducing your brand and website to new visitors.

Content is vital for growing a brand, and being able to create, upload and format this content for the most popular platforms for free is a huge budget saver. These tools will help you to do that. 

Some of the best things in life are free, and that includes brand-building tools. There’s no need for a business to spend heavily in the early days on trying out loads of different tools they may not want to use in a couple of months’ time. Even using free subscription samples is better. Don’t get locked into paying for months and squeeze every bit of brand building juice you can out of these tools. 

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Legal BrandingLocal BrandingPersonal Branding

Five Ways to Run a Successful Business Meeting

on February 5, 2020

Do you have an important business meeting coming up soon? Whether it’s your first time or if you’ve been doing it for long, there can be some jitters and nervousness running it. So you’re probably online looking out for suggestions for a smooth and successful meeting, like thousands of others worldwide.

Not to worry, because you aren’t alone, it can be difficult trying to find the perfect strategy to have everyone satisfied with your meeting! That’s why I decided to help you out and compiled these different tips to run an efficient business meeting. So read on!

Five Ways to Run a Successful Business Meeting

So you’re about to head your business meeting and have the jitters? Whether it’s a confidence issue or an important audience, there are ways to keep your mind at ease. Follow these five easy and doable tips for your next meeting:

Have Your Meeting In Familiar Areas

The meeting place can be an important factor to boost your confidence. When you’re in a familiar and comfortable area, it can help set you up for a better performance in meetings.

After all, you wouldn’t be able to feel your best if you aren’t familiar with the place you’re in. Think of it this way: If you’re into sports, then you know that teams do even better on their home ground compared to other stadiums or fields. The same goes for business meetings, as the more confident you’ll feel in a place you know and like.

So if you can choose the area where the meeting will be held, do it somewhere familiar, such as your office’s conference room. However, if proximity is a problem to everyone attending the meeting, you can rent virtual meeting room too given they are just like contemporary offices.

Prepare a Professional Presentation

A presentation will speak for what you have to offer or pitch to your audience, which is why it’s absolutely crucial to make it as professional as possible. You wouldn’t want to give a half-baked presentation, which may confuse your audience or put them off. Regardless of what you’re offering, a good presentation can help create more positive responses.

Besides a well put-out presentation, you also need to deliver that presentation well, making sure you do so with certainty. When you do this, your clients and audience knows that you believe and know the field you’re working in. This makes it beneficial to reach your goals and receive satisfaction in all your meetings.

Highlight Your Achievements

The meeting should be focused on the main target and what you offer, yes. However, during the meetings, especially in off-meeting conversations, do try to slip in some of the positive results from your company. This can help customers trust your work even more and have them take action after the discussion.

Not only should you highlight the achievements in your presentations, but you should also add this on your website. There needs to be a section which highlights all your achievements at work because most likely, clients will check it before meeting with you. 

With that said, don’t highlight just ANY achievement. Show previous accomplishments relevant to the meeting’s topic, so they are aware of your capabilities and how you’re of great use to them.

Know the Audience Well

As mentioned, clients would search you up before meeting with you to know what kind of a person they’ll discuss with. Just like them, you need to know your clients and audience the same.

Think of business meetings as if you were performing onstage, and your clients are the audience. When you know what they like, the more inclined they are to give positive feedback and responses. 

Some clients may like the traditional and pain textual presentations, while others prefer even more creativity, with more visuals and samples to see throughout the meeting.

Make sure you know and give exactly what your clients want and need. You don’t need to impress them with frills, but with all the individual and relevant necessities to keep them interested.

Dress and Look Smart

And lastly, your appearance matters in all settings, especially in business meetings. Consciously or not, all of us would judge people by the way they carry themselves, and no one would listen to you seriously if you didn’t look confident and professional.

You don’t need to overdo it, the simpler, the better. You should wear something professional AND comfortable, finding the right balance between the two. Wear colors which suit you best and the attire asked for, depending on the setting and nature of the meeting. 

Besides this, have a confident smile and gestures, making sure everything is all positive!

Wrapping It Up

We all know how nerve-wracking business meetings can be, especially if it’s your first time! Don’t worry, with the right tips and a good attitude, you can run things smoothly and have an efficient meeting with a lot to learn. Next thing you know, you’ll be running the conference room with ease!

I hope this article on how to run a successful business meeting gave you ideas on what to do. So don’t wait any longer and begin following any of these tips now. 

If you have any questions or want to share your tips and experiences in business meetings, do comment below. All your thoughts are much appreciated!

Personal Branding

Fashion in the Workplace – How to Find the U in Team

on January 28, 2020

Fashion, that ever-evolving, but always cycling, roller coaster, reflects and borrows from so many sources – culture, celeb media and expected norms, but what do the clothes we don for work say about us? 

The Workplace Balance

For centuries, probably since we wore skins and carried spears, we’ve been following trends in fashion, some more slavishly than others. But there’s always been a little room for personal interpretation, and the more daring amongst us have grabbed that, adding an accent here, a small touch there, and reveling in that difference, that individualization that sets us apart from each other. 

As our selected clothes tell the world who we are, or conversely, what we want the world to think about us, those little individual touches give away more than we realize. They show what’s inside, what makes us tick and what matters. 

In the workplace, what impression do our clothes give, and is that individualization as important there as on the street?

Giving the right impression

First impressions count, right? And the indirect communication given by our choice of outfits is crucial to initial perceptions, albeit based on subconscious split-second assumptions. In any given workplace, the peer pressure suggests that you dress similarly to your colleagues, which tends to, by our very nature, follow the fashion trends.

However, there are some general tips to follow:

  • If you think something is inappropriate for work, it probably is
  • Dressing with confidence suggests you possess confidence, and studies show this reflects in the quality of your work
  • Darker colors give the impression of authority
  • Wear something you feel comfortable in
  • Apply subtle makeup
  • Look after your nails. This is particularly important as your nails are often on the show. For example, when you’re typing on a keyboard, the moments when you’re shaking hands with your co-worker, or when you hand over a cup of coffee to your coworker. There’s nothing worse than a co-worker who has gritty nails

Okay, so we’ve got you looking appropriate for your environment, wearing dark colors, feeling comfortable and confident, with lovely, well cared for hands. But are you comfortable? Your clothes fit well, and your shoes don’t rub, but inside, are you comfortable? 

Dressing in the same style as your colleagues bring a sense of community, of belonging and feeling part of the bigger picture, which is important to us as members of society, but where’s the ‘you’ part? 

Finding the ‘You’

Blending in and being part of the crowd is good for workplace morale and bonding, but we also need to be able to show a little of ourselves, of our own personalities. It’s advised to keep accessories to a minimum, but there are a few subtle things we can do to show who we are:

  • Most of us carry bags, so why not make yours a little different – maybe with a shocking pink lining or piping in a complementary color
  • If wearing heels, choose a daring splash of color for the sole
  • Madonna is famous for her faux beauty spot. Choose an appropriate color eye pencil and add a little ‘mole’. Apply a dusting of translucent powder to fix it in place
  • Maybe there’s a particular celebrity you admire and can borrow a style idea from. Most celebrities have adopted a particularly unique sense of style, and most styles can be adopted at a relatively cost-effective price when you strip the clothes from their designer labels.

Being an individual whilst being part of the team is important, and this is the case in the workplace as much as anywhere else. Why not give it some thought and find your own ‘you’? 

Personal Branding

How to Become a Brand Manager

on January 8, 2020

I think you will agree when I say: that starting a new career in brand management is hard. What does the role entail? 

Which skills do you need as a brand manager? How much do brand managers make annually? These are some of the questions you’re probably asking.

Turns out starting a career in brand management is easy if you know what you’re doing. And in today’s post, we show you exactly how to become a brand manager that every team wants. 

Read on to learn the basics of starting a successful career as a brand manager.

Who is a Brand Manager?

A brand manager is responsible for “defining and promoting a company’s personality, both on the shelf and in the community.” The main role of a brand manager is to create a branding strategy for a company.

Brand managers wear many hats in an organization, covering everything from market research, branding, advertising, product development, packaging and so on.

Generally, brand managers are responsible for a company’s brand image and reputation in relation to the target market. 

They carry out market research to determine what ticks, and then use the data to formulate creative branding and marketing campaigns that lead to customer engagement.

It’s an interesting career choice for anybody with a knack of creative thinking and a good grasp of analytical skills. A passion for all things marketing is an added plus.

Salary Prospects

If you want to become a brand manager, you’re probably wondering how much the job pays. Well, brand management is one of the better-paying marketing jobs. 

Most brand managements work within teams on a full-time basis, which comes with bonuses, health insurance, house allowances, commissions, and such benefits.

According to Payscale.com, brand managers take home anywhere between $60,000 and $130,000 per year depending on skills, experience, and the size of the company. 

Your salary goes up as you earn certifications and gain more skills and experience.

How Does the Future Look?

The future is bright for all brand managers especially with the advent of digital advertising and social media marketing. 

Every organization needs a brand manager to remain competitive and expand their market share. You might have the best product in the market, but if your branding fails, you won’t sell much, if anything.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, “…overall employment of advertising, promotions, and marketing managers is projected to grow 8 percent from 2018 to 2028, faster than the average for all occupations.”

That being said, how do you become a brand manager?

5 Top Tips to Start a Career as a Brand Manager

In the following section, we cover a couple of tips to help you cover your bases as far as becoming a brand manager goes. The tips will help you prepare for any brand management role, and ace the interview when you start job hunting.

Get the Right Education

Most employers require at least an undergraduate degree in marketing, business, brand management, advertising, or a related major. Some employers will also require a post-graduate degree such as an MBA for high-level positions.

Since brand managers must play many roles on a day-to-day basis, a bachelor’s degree is a great starting point for building a successful career. 

Formal education offers you advanced instructions in various fields such as advertising, business, and economics, all of which come in handy as you scale the corporate ladder.

Gain Experience

Most employers usually require their ideal candidate to have some years of experience before applying for the job. You’ve seen this repeated in nearly all job postings. 

It goes without saying that the more experienced you’re, the better your salary becomes like a brand manager. This applies to entry-level, middle-level and high-level jobs; more experience means better career prospects.

But if you’re just starting out, how are you are supposed to have experienced for the job? Well, you can start with a brand management internship.

Most companies are more than eager to offer brand management internships that come with a lot of on-job training.

An internship can help you develop real hands-on experience as a brand manager. The best part is most companies will offer you a salaried position after the internship.

But even if the internship doesn’t lead to direct employment, the experience you gain will look good on your resume when applying for a brand management job.

If you cannot get internships, you can try pro-bono work. Talk to your friends, charities, religious groups, and local businesses, and do their branding to gain experience.

Earn Professional Certifications

Academic qualifications show the employer you have the background to fill the position. Professional certifications, on the other hand, show the employer you have the relevant skills, expertise, and passion for the job.

There are a number of industry certifications available to all aspiring brand managers. Some notable certifications that will help you better compete include CBM, CPM, and ACPMPO among others. Earn as many as you can, and stand out from the crowd.

Certifications offer you advanced skills and resources that make you a better candidate in job interviews compared to individuals without certifications.

Network

If you want to work alone, branding (and even marketing in general) should be the last profession on your mind. 

Brand management involves actively working with others in a rapidly changing environment. You will work with people, and that’s the end of the story.

As such, you should invest in building a network of likeminded people. While working with your team on a daily basis is great, you need to expand your network to people outside your company.

Network with other brand managers and marketing professionals via social media. On top of that, attend networking events to meet up with other people in the industry. 

Don’t just go for the business card; endeavor to cultivate real relationships that can lead to better career prospects down the line. In other words, foster professional and/or personal relationships with your network.

I say this because you never know who will recommend you for your dream job. Don’t make it all about you; networking is supposed to be a mutually satisfying activity for all parties involved.

A simple “brand management events” search in Google should point you in the right direction. To be a successful networker, brand manager and marketer in general, you need to develop a cocktail of other skills, which leads us to our last point today.

Develop Your Soft Skills

As a brand manager, you must develop a couple of soft skills to thrive. It’s vital to keep in mind that you will need to communicate with your superiors and juniors on an ongoing basis. 

This means you must hone your communication skills to ensure your team creates a cohesive brand image.

You’ll rely on said communication skills to explain your strategies to superiors based on real-world data you collect from astute market research.

The successful brand manager must also be creative. Brand management involves a lot of creativity, and the ability to come up with ideas that help the company stand out at any given time.

Other than that, you need to develop other soft skills such as responsibility, conflict resolutions, time management, focus, trend savviness and so on.

When you combine soft skills, experience, academic qualifications, experience, certifications and networking, nothing will stop you from becoming the brand manager every employer wants.

Conclusion

Becoming a brand manager is easy when you know what you’re doing. We hope our tips help you to start a fulfilling career in brand management. As we have seen in today’s post, the job is both exciting and lucrative for the passionate candidate.

Do you have any questions or suggestions? Please let us know. Cheers to a successful career as a brand manager.

Personal Branding

How to Start a Marijuana Business

on January 7, 2020

As more countries turn towards the marijuana industry to bolster soft, slightly flagging economies, many of those who have been waiting on the side-lines are now keen to enter into the sweet spot of almost-legal status and get a head start to grow their own marijuana business.  In this article, we highlight some of the considerations those wanting to start their own small business so that are better prepared to achieve the success they desire.

Know The Laws, Exploit When You Can and Abide All of Them

Each country around the globe and many individual states/local regions have their own laws governing the marijuana business.  This is one industry you can expect to continue to have far-reaching and sweeping legal changes rolling through over the next decade.  There are bound to be major clashes with a difference of opinion, regardless of any validated research showing the efficacy of cannabis components to improve health and wellbeing.

Conservative estimates for the rate of growth from 2017 to 2021 are threefold and every Government entity is going to want their slice of the pie.  So, exploit any loopholes you can. Abide by all the laws, even if you don’t like them. Better to say on the legal side rather than lose a budding enterprise over a technicality, particularly when penalties care a mandatory minimum term to serve.  Keep abreast of legislation in the pipeline and understand the current federal/government, state, and metropolitan laws and ordinances as well as the full extent of the licenses and permits you need to maintain in order to trade.

Decide What Type Of Business You Want To Grow

From cultivation to consumption and managing by-products and waste, there have never been more opportunities than now to get a foot on the cannabis success ladder.  In the USA, the cannabis industry has gone from the black market to the mainstream and continues to be experiencing unprecedented growth. Do your homework and decide first if you are in it for the short, medium or long term.

Against each of the possibilities below, decide if it is something that really appeals to you.  Be honest about the dedication you will bring to make it a success.

  • Grow Your Own on a larger scale for lots of people to consume
  • Create Infused Products
  • Open Your Own Retail Store or Dispensary
  • Distribution of Product
  • Hemp Opportunities
  • Value Added Services to the Cannabis / Wellness Industry

You may find you naturally gravitate towards one or two sections of the market.  Delve into those further and keep brainstorming possibilities within it. Weigh your preference against the opportunities and the payback on your investment in terms of cash, resources and of course your sweat equity.  Make sure you stay abreast of all the pitfalls, keeping careful watch as they develop.

Keep aware of all the tips and log them.  For instance, for cultivators who grow for others, having fewer than 100 plants in your facilities means you avoid getting a five-year minimum sentence if convicted under federal law.

Learn the Lingo and the Technical Stuff

Unless you are already an enthusiast and up on the technical terms used in the industry, you will need to learn the jargon specific to your arena.  At some point, you’ll need to keep track of the slang and the lingo used for different weed measurements and their typical price points.  Failure to show familiarity may result in an unbalanced negotiation where you are always at a disadvantage.

Finally, make sure you understand the math and the calculations.  For example, failure to convert US imperial measurements and the metric system used by the rest of the world properly can mean the difference between a very profitable business and a potential loss.  It is probably best to double-check calculations through, just to make sure.

Take Stock

Next look at the commitment in terms of costs, times and skills you already have and compare to your ideas of the type of business you want to build.  You don’t need to be an expert in everything, but you will need to rely on the people who work with you to help you achieve your business goals.

You can leverage your expertise to make your business fly but remember to bolster your weak areas too.  All too often those with product fail to connect with potential buyers, this might be where you need to network or work with someone who can provide the services you need, be they accounting, marketing, etc.

Be Prepared To Deal With the Unexpected As You Get Down To Business

You will meet many challenges along the way, and one of them may be how to bank your money.  It may be some time before every bank will back a cannabis business. Currently, the estimate is that 70% of those trading do not have bank accounts.  Keeping meticulous records is probably the best way to show the legitimacy of your business.

Plan and re-plan, modeling several scenarios and options to refine your thoughts before committing.  Set out your complete business plan and include everything you would for any other new business venture.  This includes market analysis, the legal structure and organization, marketing and sales, staffing and other necessaries, and of course your financial projections.  Remember to include the types of partnerships you will want to develop along your journey.

Make your plan as detailed as possible before you dive into the business.  It’s better to plan more than getting taken in by a “never to be missed opportunity” which you can’t bring to a profitable pay-out.

The Final Word

Laws change all the time.  Cannabis is still illegal under USA federal law, though it is legal in over 30 states.  Around the globe, the penalties range from very minor right through to execution.

Keep aware of how production and transportation of products may be impacted by travel routes and other factors that may limit your markets or may mean that you set up a different physical and legal structure for your company.  Keep a watchful eye on impacts of international trade agreements and Mutual Recognition Agreements which will have a major impact on the shape of the future cannabis industry.

Personal Branding

Working Women and the Appropriate Fitness Tips

on December 24, 2019

Just because you are handling both your work front as well as your home does not mean that you will not work on your health and concentrate on remaining fit. This is one of the most important reasons as to why most of the women nowadays are a victim of poor fitness as well as obesity. You have to understand that if you are not working on your body, there can be several complications associated as you start growing older. You have to concentrate on your body and follow certain important fitness tips that will help you to remain fit and healthy. Given below is a list of the important fitness tips that you need to consider following even if you are extremely busy. 

Stay active

Try to walk and talk with hands-free as much as possible. Stand up during the meetings and keep standing when you are working if you are not doing any work of typing. Take a walk during the lunch break. Keep taking short breaks so that you can keep walking around for 1 minute before you go back to your desk and start working again. There are several options available for keeping yourself active throughout the entire day. All you have to do is concentrate on making your mind ready for remaining active constantly. According to https://www.entrepreneur.com, to stay healthy, spending quality time with the family is important. 

Store the house with snacks

When you have the habit of eating something or the other throughout the entire day, it is a good idea to store something healthy. Healthy snacks rescue you when you are hungry and will not harm your health. You can also consider carrying healthy snacks to the office to get rid of hunger pangs. It is a good idea to store healthy snacks as they can help in staying away from unwanted lifestyle diseases. 

Create an ideal exercise pattern

Choose a pattern that is going to be convenient for you. Consider adapting to various exercises associated with strength training. Do this for 20 minutes every week along with running and walking, and this will help in toning the entire body. 

Eat proper breakfast

Working women need to maintain an ideal diet with workouts to make sure that they are healthy. You need to include fresh fruits, which contain glucose in your breakfast. Apart from that, it is also a great idea to include dry fruits, as they are capable of providing a lot of energy. 

Use a treadmill

Doing a treadmill for 10 minutes can be extremely beneficial for health. Make sure that you are setting the speed in such a manner so that you are brisk walking. Consider doing one set of tricep extensions, bicep curls, and side laterals when you are walking. This will help in toning the upper body and also make sure that the heart is pumping smoothly. Wearing boob tapes can help in keeping your breasts in place when you are working out. Go through the website of Babe Appeal to know more. 

Techniques of crunches

Most women are responsible for using their neck muscles more in comparison to the abs when they are doing crunches. You need to understand that this practice is nothing but a waste of time. You have to consider concentrating on your abdominal muscles. It is important to brush your tongue against the roof of the mouth before you are starting the crunches. 

Drink water

Water is necessary to make sure that your body keeps functioning perfectly. Irrespective of what you are doing, you cannot forget to drink water. Make sure that your body remains hydrated because dehydration can make you fall sick. 

Chart the progress that you are making

To ensure that you are staying motivated and focused, you have to consider making a fitness card for yourself. This will help you to keep track of the progress that you are making every month. Apart from that, you can remain motivated and also notice the improvements that you are constantly making. 

Reduce the intake of carbs

Make sure that you are reducing the intake of carbs like honey, white rice, chocolates, and cookies. When you are eating food that is rich in carbs, it is going to boost the level of blood sugar and will also help in producing insulin, which is going to make you unhealthy. To make sure that you are not doing this, try to reduce the intake of carbohydrates as much as you can. 

Do not overdo anything

It is significant to understand that you do not require more than a single hour of fitness and health training. However, it is also suggested that you concentrate on more than a single form of exercise. Concentrate on important and limited exercises and make sure that you are completing within one hour to ensure that you are not overdoing anything. Also, you can consider doing things that will help in making the training session effective and fun. 

Remain flexible

As a working woman, it might not be possible for you to stick to a single routine constantly. It is important to know that you can be flexible. As opposed to sticking to the routine, you need to ensure that you are making up your mind to visit the gym when you are free. This will make sure that you are not losing interest in your workout session. It does not matter when you exercise. What matters is that you are exercising. This can help you to remain healthy and fit. 

Workout with a friend

It has been observed that most women do not feel like working out because they are doing it all alone. It is always a good idea to exercise with a friend. When you are exercising with someone you know it will be easy to achieve the goals as well as remain motivated. Apart from that, working out with friends is not only fun but also cool. 

Stretching is important

Warming your muscles up before you are starting your exercise routine is a must. Warming up will help in preventing muscle injuries while working out. Therefore, before you are starting any routine, make sure that you are starting at the lowest possible speed and concentrating on increasing the speed gradually. 

Conclusion

Work is important but you should not forget that you have to take care of your health as well. Follow the fitness tips that have been mentioned above so that you can work as well as remain healthy.

Digital BrandingPersonal Branding

6 Steps On How To Start Your Own Video Production

on December 17, 2019

The Internet has rapidly gravitated to creative video. There are few websites now that don’t incorporate some type of video into the mix, and it’s much more cost-effective than how the big television networks used to do things. A simple “nobody” can reach celebrity status with just one good video. Bearing that in mind, here’s how you can start your own video production company in a way that’s economical and less stressful for you.

1. Create a Website

Your video production company will need a website. No matter what area of video production you’re working in or how elaborate it’s going to be, it needs a website so that it can reach out to prospective customers. It’s that simple. Any kind of business or even personal venture that you want to share with others can be shared via a website. The world is watching.

2. Name and LLC

The name of your website should be the name of your company if possible. If it’s not possible, pick something as close to the name of your company as you can get. Your company name is probably the single most important part of your reputation. It needs to be a name people can easily remember and associate with the heart of your mission. You’ll also want to legally file the company as an LLC or get a lawyer who can help you take care of the paperwork. Start a business bank account, and also look into business insurance.

3. Rent Equipment

Most new video production startups prefer to rent equipment rather than buy. The reason for this is pretty obvious. Quality video equipment is often so expensive to buy that you likely won’t have enough money right off the bat to buy the best of the best video equipment, but you can rent the equipment, make a profitable video with quality equipment, and then later on when you’ve got a lot of money, you can buy.

4. Portfolio Online

Keep a portfolio of your videos online. If you’ve only shot a couple of videos, that’s completely okay. Show them examples of your best stuff. All startups have a point where they’re spread thin on content. It’s at this stage that you could even create a couple of videos just to showcase your abilities. You never know. Sometimes those first videos will become your most memorable of all.

5. Video Production Gear

What kind of background do you want? Do you have to hire actors? How about lighting? You’re going to need to either rent or buy video production gear. If you’re starting a video production company, you likely have a background in this subject, but if you’re just a freelancer, for now, you might want to research what kind of production gear you need to make your videos the best they can be. Every project is going to differ, and efficiency will figure into just how much money you make in your bottom line. Create a list of video production gear you’ll need for your first 10 videos. Go from there.

6. Invest in a Go-to Camera

A base camera is at the heart of every good video production company. You’re going to need that base equipment whenever inspiration hits and you feel like you have a good idea for a video on hand. Sometimes there isn’t time to rush out and rent the equipment. You need it now. The more content you have on your website, the better. Mirrorless cameras are popular right now, as are 4K cameras. You can customize your base camera and always have it ready to go when you want to capture something for your audience.

If you follow all of these brief tips on how to start your own video production company, you’re going to be mightily happy about the results. Soon you’ll have your business accounts up and running, your website will start to get visitors, and your audience is going to grow daily. Hiring a good SEO company to optimize your website is sometimes a wise decision as well, as your Internet reach will in large part determine your success when starting a Brisbane Video Production Goliath.

Digital BrandingLocal BrandingPersonal Branding

7 Reasons Why You Need A Dedicated Marketing Campaign Management

on December 17, 2019

Needless to say, the sales structure and funnel of a business is one of the most important processes for a business. It allows for a smooth transition from questioning to buying for a client in a way that incentivizes them to buy more. If structured correctly, the sales process of a business can lead a client to purchase something without them realizing they were in a sales process. However, as important as this is, the marketing structure of a business is arguably more important. Let’s think about it. Even if a business has the most proven sales structure in place, not having qualified leads come to that sales process wouldn’t make it effective. This is where the importance of marketing campaign management comes into play.

Campaign management allows for the oversight of a campaign to make necessary adjustments to attract the most purchase-ready clients. That said, there is one major drawback to campaign management that many businesses and their owners ignore. The drawback is that most campaign management processes that businesses have aren’t dedicated. Dedicated management of marketing campaigns takes the “dirty work” that goes into campaign oversight and allows a business to focus on other areas of improvement. As if that wasn’t enough of a reason to consider getting this process, here are seven more reasons why you need dedicated marketing management.

#1: It Centralizes All Marketing Processes

As any campaign manager would know, many components go into sustaining the success of a campaign. From managing ROI to predictive analysis, management can be somewhat overwhelming to manage. However, with a proven dedicated campaign market intelligence tool such as ScoutMI, these processes can all be centralized. In other words, this means that all your marketing processes can be streamlined to one management hub for easy control and interaction.

#2: It Can Be Personalized

Perhaps the most compelling reason why you need a dedicated marketing campaign management is that it can be personalized. Personalization and customization are two significant factors that aren’t present in traditional campaign management. As we can imagine, this slows down the management speed in which processes can be implemented in a traditional campaign. This simply isn’t the case with dedicated management.

#3: It Can Be Easily Restructured

One of the misunderstandings about dedicated management that pushes some businesses away from it is that there are limits to structuring. This stems from another misconception that dedicated management doesn’t offer the same control over a campaign than traditional management does. However, this couldn’ be further from the truth. One of the most impactful benefits of dedicated management is that it can be easily restructured at any point. This makes it easy for businesses that find their selves within an unexpected marketing predicament.

#4: It Can Be Efficiently Automated

Nowadays, most campaigns require constant upkeep to sustain success. However, the reality of the situation is that 24/7 maintenance of a campaign simply isn’t possible with physical managers. Nonetheless, rest assured knowing that dedicated management can be efficiently automated. Even better, they can be left on autopilot according to any time frame, campaign settings, and requirements you establish to meet the needs of your campaign.

#5: It Highlights Campaign Weaknesses

One of the main duties of campaign management is finding weaknesses within them and making adjustments to them. However, many of these weaknesses are found deep within the inner processes of a campaign. This makes finding weaknesses a tedious process for managers. That said, with dedicated management, weaknesses are highlighted so that you don’t have to go looking for them.

#6: It Factors In Competitive Analysis

Competitive analysis another necessary component of managing a marketing campaign, This process gives detailed insights as to what specific changes need to be made to overcome the competition. If only more businesses knew that dedicated management factored this process into their campaign oversight, it’s safe to say that more businesses would be persuaded by it.

#7: It Is A Cost-Effective Marketing Investment

As a whole, there is no reason not to get dedicated management of your marketing campaign considering it is a cost-effective investment to make. When we compare the returns it provides against any initial costs it takes to acquire dedicated management, the results are worlds apart. Overall, keep in mind that your competitors are more than likely using dedicated management to keep a competitive advantage over you.

Local BrandingPersonal Branding

Essential Tips for Designing Corporate Uniforms

on December 9, 2019

With regard to corporate uniforms, designing can be quite a challenging process. There are plenty of factors to consider such as textures, colors, styles, fabrics, and even accessories. All of these play a huge role in the design process and it’s imperative that you get the perfect combination. Dressing your employees with comfortable, up-to-date outfits can help exude an air of confidence around them and this can translate to increased sales and productivity.

A well-designed corporate uniform not only benefits your employees, but it can also help improve your brand image. Company workwear is fundamental to the image you portray to your clients and you certainly want to leave a positive first impression. If it’s your first time designing uniforms or if you’re not quite sure how to go about it, here are a couple of essential tips you should follow to help you get started.

Comfort is key

Good looks are essential when designing corporate uniforms, but that doesn’t mean comfortability should be compromised. Ensuring that the uniforms fit the employee properly is just as important as how good they look when wearing it. When designing corporate uniforms, consider their work environment and the type of work they’re performing. You’ll want the uniform to protect your employees from the elements as well as offer them enough mobility when they start working.

The quality of the fabrics, the cuts, and the overall design will affect how comfortable the uniforms will be. If your employees are working in humid environments, breathable fabrics such as nylon and polyester are great for keeping them cool while at work. On the other hand, if your employees operate in colder temperatures, thicker fabrics like wool and cotton will help keep them warm and insulated. In terms of fit, it’s best to get an accurate body measurement to ensure that the uniforms fit properly.

Your employees will be able to focus more on the task at hand if they’re wearing uniforms that look good and are comfortable to wear. If not, they’ll end up getting stressed over how horrible their outfits are, which can lead to decreased motivation and productivity at work.

The quality of the materials matter

Some companies use poor quality materials when designing uniforms as a cost-cutting procedure. And while that may initially save you money, it’ll do more harm than good in terms of the overall productivity of your employees. Not to mention that cheap clothing deteriorates quickly after a few washes and you’ll end up supplying your employees with new ones again. High-quality fabrics and accessories are not only more comfortable to wear, but they’re also more durable and can withstand everyday usage.

Although the costs may be higher, using high-quality materials can help foster an air of brand professionalism to your employees. Your clients will immediately notice how well-dressed your employees are and this can affect how your brand is perceived. So don’t skimp on clothing materials and buy the best ones you can afford from places like Bladon WA.

Choose the correct fabric

With a wide range of fabric types available, it can be quite confusing to select the right one for your corporate uniforms. Different fabrics can affect the look and feel of the clothing so make sure to do your research first. For example, cotton-blended filaments are lighter and allow more room for physical dexterity. It retains its shape quite easily which helps maintain the professional look of your employees throughout the day.

High blend polyester fabrics, on the other hand, feel cheap and inferior. It’s uncomfortable on the skin and is more prone to daily wear and tear. Your employees won’t feel too confident engaging with clients if their uniforms aren’t up to par. Some companies are using elastane which is an elastic polyurethane material that helps improve the fit of the clothing. Another popular fabric worth considering is a bamboo blend that offers superior comfort and breathability which is one of the best materials you can use for corporate uniforms.

Pay attention to your color schemes

Your choice of colors can affect the visibility of both your brand and your employees. Choose colors that best represent your company in terms of visual design. You’ll want to choose color schemes that are close to the ones you use on your company logo for coherence and simplicity. Don’t try to go too overboard on the colors though or else your employees might look like walking neon lights. Stick to light colors with good contrast as much as possible. If you use any bright colors in your logos, it’s a good idea to tone it down a bit when designing corporate uniforms to be a bit more pleasing to the eye.

If your employees work in retail, avoid muted colors when designing uniforms. This can make it harder for customers to identify your employees. Darker shades are applicable in industries such as assembly lines and mechanics where frequent stains are visible on their clothing. This helps maintain a neat appearance, especially in jobs that are intrinsically messy.

Designing corporate uniforms can be a bit of a challenge. There are a lot of factors to consider such as fit, comfort, materials, and the overall design. With these essential tips, you’ll be able to figure out how to create company workwear that’s not only aesthetic in appearance but also very comfortable when worn. Follow these tips to make the design process much easier.

Digital BrandingLegal BrandingPersonal Branding

9 Rules to Create an Awesome Business Website

on November 28, 2019

Table of contents

  • Introduction
  • 9 Rules to create an awesome business website
  1. Define your website’s purpose
  2. Pick an easy-to-remember domain
  3. Get an eye-catching logo
  4. Make your website mobile-friendly
  5. Keep the pages uncluttered
  6. Keep it easy to navigate
  7. Place your contact details above the fold
  8. Have a clean & compelling CTA
  9. Keep your website’s design simple
  • The final word

Introduction

In today’s fast-changing business ecosystem, an online presence is a must for any business — from brick-to-mortar. No matter whether you’re a seasoned business owner, if you have not created an effective website yet in this changing environment, you may lose significant business opportunities.

So no matter whether you’re just getting off or an established business owner having no online presence, building a website is inevitable. As per a recent study published by Bazaarvoice, online research greatly impacts the in-store shopping decisions. The report, The Robo Economy demonstrates that about 82 percent of smartphone users consult their phones on shopping they’re going to make in-store, while around 45 percent read reviews before they purchase.

Considering the latest shopping trends, having a business website to attract buyers is crucial to growing your business. But what are the fundamentals of creating one such website? For many business owners, creating a website seems daunting. They think that creating a website needs extraordinary skills and cutting-edge tools and technologies. But it’s not true. You’ll need to know just a few rules to create a powerful business website.

Here are the top 9 rules to create an awesome business website:

1. Define your website’s purpose

Before you go ahead with the website development, it’s important to identify the purpose of your website. What do want to achieve?

You must clearly understand what your USP (unique selling point) is and what is your plan to come across. Merely knowing your industry and determining the content strategy is not enough.

Once your fundament purpose is defined, your focus should shift towards determining the actions that you want from your visitors to take after they land on your site. Is the website just for information, or to sell products/services, or to get signups?

The answers to those questions will significantly give you an overall idea of how your website design should be.

2. Pick an easy-to-remember domain

Selecting a domain for your website is tricky. Your domain or web address should be so easy and sticky that anyone after seeing it can remember for a longer period. Don’t include any number or dashes as it can confuse potential visitors to your site and harm your exposure. Also, such web addresses are not SEO-friendly.

Picking out some .com domains would be the best choice as most people are familiar with this domain over any other, which means you’ll get the most value for money when purchasing domain names.

3. Get an eye-catching logo

Images and symbols are the most effective way of communicating your message. A logo, which is often called the face of the company, is crucial to convince your customers. People will make a perception of your company based on your logo. In fact, a logo should be one of the most essential branding investments. You must not create your logo design casually.

Apart, you should also take care of other graphic design elements of your website. If you’re not sure which graphic design and logo fit your business website, hire a professional graphic designer to get them done.

4. Make your website mobile-friendly

The number of Smartphone users worldwide is growing rapidly. As per the Statista, Generation Z shoppers use a Smartphone while making an in-store purchase. They use smartphones for comparing products’ features, prices, and reviews. Therefore, it becomes imperative to have a smartly designed mobile responsive website for your business if you plan to run a successful business venture.

5. Keep the pages uncluttered

Studies have suggested that website visitors love to read clear, precise and short information. A website having too much and irrelevant information, it simply diverts visitors’ mind which leads to increased bounce rate. Give ample blank space on your web pages to breathe in. Also, whitespace increases the readability of your copy. Make sure that text and graphics on your web page are in good proportion and present a clean page.

Brainstorm if your website really needs social widgets like Tweeter feed etc. If the widget content doesn’t meet your purpose, remove it right away to make your page clutter-free.

6. Keep it easy to navigate

Creating a different website by using attractive Flash presentations may look tempting, but it might be a little difficult for your customers to quickly find what they are looking for. Therefore, it’s always advised to take the medium route when it comes to your site navigation. You should use drop-down lists with clear headings which present on every page of your website, incorporate a site map and the search bar at the top right-hand side so that it can be easily traced.

7. Place your contact details above the fold

What’s the benefit of having a website if no one knows how to get in touch with you? Of course, such a website is of no use. In fact, a website must include a “Contact Us” tab on your home page. Make sure that the contact us page contains information such as your address, phone number / mobile number and email address so that your potential customers can easily reach you out should there be any business related query.

Also, put social media links, either at the header or footer, if you use social media to connect with clients.

8. Have a clean & compelling CTA

Once the visitors have found something interesting on your website, you would like them to take an action — buy a product/service, call, sign up or download. Make sure that all of your pages have relevant call-to-action buttons/links that are clear. Also, the area around the CTAs must be clutter-free. If possible, keep them above the fold so that visitors do not have to scroll down to find the call to action.

9. Keep your website’s design simple

Avoid using fonts, colors and animated gifs which you think can distract visitors from the focus point. Keep the paragraphs short and informative, the ideal length of a paragraph is less than six sentences. Also, use bullet points that draw readers’ attention thus increasing readability.

The final word

Having a website for every business is crucial in the present day shopping environment where most shoppers search online before they finally reach a buying decision. This article aims at guiding new entrepreneurs and established business owners with no online presence alike to create an awesome business website. I hope these 9 simple rules will guide you through the process.

Cheers!

About the author

Campbell Joef is a graphic designer and blogger associated with Designhill.com , a custom designs marketplace, I generally write on topics custom clothing, concerning design and education logo, ecommerce, start-ups, small business.

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