Legal Branding

Building your Brands Foundation

on April 19, 2021

Branding has always been vital for businesses of all sizes and scales. Even as marketing budgets have taken a hit during the pandemic year, branding continues to be a significant investment for new and existing companies. After all, you have to make sure that the audience can see your brand, listen to its voice, and set it apart from the others in the industry. To make the initiative a success, you need a strategy that works today and only gets better in the future. Here are some ways you can build your brand’s foundation.

Consolidate on your mission                          

Building the foundation of your brand requires focus on the core mission and values of your company. You may want to prioritize revenue generation instead of staying true to the objective that got you started. But consolidating your mission should be your top priority, and you need to stay a step ahead of the customer expectations while defining your mission. Your aim should be to serve the customers, even if your brand has to move away from the money-making mindset in the short term.

Step into the customers’ shoes

The best way to keep your brand visible is by stepping into the customers’ shoes and understanding their needs. Pick their pain points and find ways to address them with your offerings. Center your marketing around the audience rather than on your business. Once you show people they matter to your business, you will not need to do much in the name of branding.

Communicate critical information

A brand must stay in touch with the audience at all times and communicate critical information. Customers love brands that go the extra mile with transparency. It is vital to showcase the information on your website so that consumers know what to expect. You can collaborate with a brand design agency to work constantly on your marketing messages and customer communication. Staying in touch brings transparency in interactions, which is the mainstay of branding foundation.

Show empathy and compassion

People look for compassion and empathy even as they set out to buy products and services. Brands can do their bit by showing they care during tumultuous times like these. Offering empathetic content is a good start as it makes your business more human and relatable. You can go the extra mile by providing value-added services such as free goods and no-cost delivery. They will stick to your brand even when things turn better.

Build consumer and employee trust

Trust is perhaps the most significant element of a brand’s relationship with customers and employees. Making safety the top priority in consumer-facing operations will fortify their trust in your brand. Employees will also see your brand as a credible employer if you show that their well-being matters. If you want a solid foundation, take a holistic approach that covers both customers and employees

Branding creates the big picture of your business, which makes it a critical investment. Just a little fine-tuning can go a long way in strengthening its foundation, so pick these measures and get started.

Digital Branding

Outstanding Branding: How The Right Brand Can Set Your Business Apart

on April 16, 2021

Strong branding is at the center of every successful business. When you see the Apple logo, you know exactly who they are and what they do. That’s because they’ve built an iconic brand of simple, safe, and minimal design.

The knowledge you instantly have about the company when you read their name or see the logo shows just how effective branding can be at setting a company apart from the competition. That kind of instant recognition is what you need to strive for in your business, whether you’re building computers or the next skyscraper.

Achieving outstanding branding comes to a few basic steps, so let’s talk about how you can build a brand that sets you apart from the competition.

Start With A Story: Explain Why You Do What You Do So Customers Can Connect With You

One of the first steps involved in building a successful brand is finding the right way to tell your story. You must explain why you thought your business was needed, and how you feel you can offer valuable solutions to customers. This has to be done in a way that makes the customer’s needs the focus.

Let’s say you run a construction company that regularly builds schools in rural areas. When explaining why you started your company, you could cite noticing that there was a need for critical infrastructure in underdeveloped areas and feeling the need to do something about it.

This shows that you pay attention to the needs of communities and customers, not just what makes you money. That being said, you’ll also make money from the approach. 83% of companies that believe it’s important to keep customers happy experience financial growth.

To support you and promote your brand, customers have to know what your message is. Explaining what it is you value gives them the tools they need to define your brand in a positive way in their mind.

Inspire Feelings: Build A Connection With Your Customers By Appealing To Their Emotions

Think about commercials for a minute. How often do you see one that tells an emotional story, where the product is barely mentioned? They get you invested in the short story they’re telling you, and then casually drop their product or logo at the end.

This approach works, according to the Institute of Practitioners, who found that ads with emotional content lead to twice as many sales as more logic-based ads. Basically, people are more likely to use how they feel about you to make a buying decision than they are to use facts. This reinforces how important emotions are when it comes to defining a brand.

Someone who remembers you as “the company with the commercial about hiring homeless veterans to do construction” is more likely to buy from you. Activating that kind of emotion also increases the chance of an ad going viral, as people are more likely to share advertising content if it triggers good emotions.

Find a version of that approach that works for what you do, and use it to build a brand connection.

Create Community: Give Your Customers A Place To Turn For Advice And Answers

Humans like to feel supported by other humans. That’s why customer service is a 350 billion dollar industry, and companies annually spend 1% to 2% of their earnings on customer retention programs.

Despite all the money spent on this section of business, it’s often the simplest solutions that make the biggest changes.

Let’s use the example of a construction business again and get some more ideas on branding a construction business. If you build a Q&A or general advice section on your construction website, people will land there for answers even if they don’t know about your company.

They come to learn more about flooring or installing a sink, and they find helpful information and stick around to learn more. That gives you a chance to build a connection with that person. You can allow other customers to weigh in with advice, and even take the next step and gain more knowledge in the field yourself.

Making yourself more professional reflects well on your brand, so set aside some time today to improve yourself. If you’re in construction, you can take practice exams to get your contractor’s license. This is not only a segment of the Lean Business Model but it’ll open up more business opportunities, and it’s a move that gives you more knowledge about your industry to pass on to your customers.

The strength of the community you build will depend on the commitment you make to it. The goal is to create a space where you, and others, can come together to share a positive experience that’s beneficial to potential customers. They’ll remember that, and that’s how a brand reputation that sets you apart gets built.

The key to outstanding branding is to make moves that set you apart from your competitors. Take these steps to build a more personal relationship with your customers, and a better future for your business.

Digital Branding

5 Startups Trends To Look Out In 2021

on April 15, 2021

The pandemic-struck 2020 has put all of humanity on a rough patch but for the tech industry. Start-up firms embracing new technology innovations like AI and Robotics are gearing themselves from the setback. The transition from office to work from home format is making cybersecurity and cloud storage thrive like never. Some business sectors are finding it challenging to stay afloat. However, this year shows some potential sectors that will rule the future.

Innovation and inclusion are bringing up rapid changes in the start-up ecosystem. Technology is not the only disruptor; remote working is pushing new strides in personalizing interaction and communication. Let us look at five promising start-up trends that will change the business complexion.

1.  Artificial Intelligence

Whether it is marketing tools, digital ads, and analytics, AI is powering a considerable chunk of business initiatives and service platforms. 63% of people are active users of Artificial Intelligence unknowingly. AI is not a robotic device, as it may sound. It creates human-like intelligence in machines and assists you in your decision-making, creative assignments, and pattern recognition. AI works as background support to help you make faster decisions and efficient system processes.

Ecommerce personalization, yield prediction, cannabis industry are some areas showing the exponential power of AI. That’s why you can buy weed in bulk online and predict stock markets of marijuana by leveraging AI. 

2.  Remote Working

According to a research study, 36.2 million Americans will work remotely by 2025. Remote working is not an experiment anymore but an alternative way to work across multiple domains long-term. Technology advancements like broadband and internet and office tasks’ digitization are doing away with daily commuting. Many start-ups worldwide are switching to remote working to bring down the fixed monthly office rents, equipment cost, and space wastage.

Remote working helps a firm build a larger talent pool and is a viable opportunity to save money and use funds in the best possible way. It also helps remote workers stay happy and more productive.

3.  Industry 4.0

Hailed as the ‘Internet of Things (IoT),’ Industry 4.0 is the Next Industrial Revolution for start-ups. It is a well-coordinated system of machines, computers, objects, and people engaged in transferring data over a network. The Industrial IoT (IIoT) market predicted to reach $123B in 2021 will power Smart Cities, Connected Car IoT projects, and other limitless applications for the industrial world.

4.  Hyper-Personalization

Seen as the next step to personalized marketing,Hyper-Personalization uses real-time data and AI to furnish user-relevant service and content. Marketers use personalization and push notifications in email marketing campaigns to gauge purchase behavior trends, transactional history, and other data. Companies in automotive and real estate use personalization in official mails to greet email recipients and start a dialogue. It helps a marketer know user engagement and get suitable conversions.

5.  Voice Recognition

Also called speech recognition, voice recognition is a hardware device that helps decode the human voice. It performs commands without the help of a mouse, keyboard, or any other buttons. Automatic Speech Recognition software programs recognize the voice converting the speech to text. ASR programs are finding their way in several industries such as telecommunications, healthcare, and hands-free computing. To enable voice recognition, you must have a sound card and a headset or a microphone and voice recognition support software.

Conclusion

The COVID-19 pandemic has hit most business sectors, but the tech industry is witnessing plenty of new start-up trends to enhance customer experience and delight. Now is the time to think of self-driven cars, virtual reality eye examinations, and much more. With such technological advancements on the near horizon, 2021 will be an exciting year for world citizens.

Legal Branding

How colour can impact your brand’s perception

on April 15, 2021

Colour has always been an important marketing tool. It’s an overlooked differentiator that brands can use to attract potential customers. Lots of brands are inextricable from the colour used in their branding: can you imagine Coca-Cola without the red?

Different colours have been shown to impact consumers differently – with our own unique history of experiences, biases and cultural leanings muddying the effect.

Either way, colour can play a pivotal role in influencing the way we think about a brand – in both positive and negative ways.

We’ve tried to illustrate the subtle role colour plays in shaping our perception of brands by diving into the associations many of us have with the colours red and green. The strongest, most consistent brands have a firm grasp of their brand identity and use colour accordingly.

Red

Red has been shown, time and time again, to elicit a strong response from the observer. It is almost always associated with excitement, action and passion. Some examples of organisations that use red prominently in their branding are Coca Cola, ESPN and Levi’s.

The sports network’s choice of red is easy to understand: sports impact the observer in much the same way as the colour red.

Red is also often linked with appetite, which makes it unsurprising that it’s such a mainstay of Coca Cola’s aesthetic.  For that reason, it’s also popular within the fast food industry.

Because it elicits such strong responses – both positive and negative – organisations are advised to consider their use of the colour carefully. 

That is because, for many consumers, red is associated with a sense of danger, pain and aggression. In the right context, this can be a powerful motivator. The UFC, for example, features red in its branding. 

However, if you opt for a red-dominated logo without fully understanding all of the myriad implications, there can be unwanted consequences: creating unintended links in the mind of the consumer.

Green

As humans, we have a relationship with the colour green that has been ingrained in us for thousands of years. There is a very real link between green, health and happiness, which is why it is invariably used by pharmaceutical companies and organisations with an environmental or health conscious bent.

Forward-thinking, eco-friendly brands have long relied on green to energise their visual presentation. When you think of green in marketing materials what do you think of?

Fresh, organic produce from the likes of Asda, Waitrose and Whole Foods. And the green in all of their logos gently nudges the consumer into making that association.

Even if your brand doesn’t neatly fit into one of the niches you would typically associate with the colour green – like the health, food or fitness industries – you can lean on the colour green to create some positive associations in the mind of the consumer.

Land Rover, while not exactly a champion of the environmental cause, nevertheless utilises green to generate an association with the environment.

The idea being that Land Rover vehicles are at home in even the most rugged surroundings.

Lighter shades of green are synonymous with serenity, safety and calmness. Opting for a darker shade of green conjures an image of luxury and exclusivity. Harrods is an example of these deeper shades being used to great effect.

Ensuring that your choice of colour marries up with your brand’s ideals is so important. The wrong choice runs the risk of alienating the share of the market that you are hoping to capture.

Digital Branding

IT Upgrades: What Small Businesses Should Consider

on April 13, 2021

If you have been asking this question – when should I upgrade my IT infrastructure – it is probably the time for you. For most business owners, the typical timeline for rightly performing infrastructure is 3-5 years. Within these years, the technologies can pace up exponentially.

However, even if you’re considering an upgrade for your business, you cannot just go about with anything. Indeed, you need to be sure that the technology you’re choosing is the latest within your budget

In this article, we have outlined some of the important factors to consider for the same.

Safely Discarding The Old Devices

First things first, you need to get rid of the old technologies that your business currently uses. A lot many business owners do not consider the safe disposal practices for their IoT devices. It not only has an environmental impact but can also threaten your business safety. For example, if you do not delete all your business data from the devices, they can possibly end up in the wrong hands. And it needs no mention how this could be detrimental for your business.

Considering The Latest Security

Once you’re done with the safe removal of the technologies you used, the next thing to do is consider new equipment. It also includes upgrading to the latest safety features for your business. The power of the internet not only empowers business operations and productivity but also makes them vulnerable to online attacks. It could include anything from Trojan attacks to phishing, and even identity theft. Having top-shelf security systems in place can prevent any such calamity for your business.

Enquire About The Downtime

During the upgrading process, it is very likely that your online operations may have to face downtime. This could potentially affect productivity, and may even lead to surmounting losses in no time. To put this into perspective, think of how many hours of work would you be losing as a result of upgrade downtime. Not just that, think of how much downtime can you afford. Ultimately, the goal is to choose technologies that offer little or no downtime at all. This should keep your business floating, while the upgrades are being implemented.

Do Not Miss On The Longevity Factor

Last but not least, is to consider how long would the latest technology last for your business. Of course, you cannot be investing in technology upgrades year after year. You need a solution that should at least get you through the next 5 years, before needing any overhauling changes. Moreover, you should also consider whether you wish to purchase the new technology or lease it. The former should give you complete ownership and may also reduce your cost down the line. On the other hand, frequent upgrades to the technology won’t require further investments when you choose the latter.

In a nutshell, upgrading to newer technologies is not an option but a necessity. However, it is imperative to make the right choices when undertaking the upgrades. It’s not only the operations of your business but also its reputation that is at stake.

Legal Branding

A Guide to Selecting & Hiring the Right Employee

on April 13, 2021

As a human resource professional, what does it take to hire the right talent to join your team? Well, research shows that getting the best person for a role in your organization requires more than just excellence in academia. The U.S. Department of Labor estimates that a bad hire can cost you up to 30% of the employee’s first-year wages. So, you want to pick someone compatible with your company culture but they should also have the right skill set for the job. Here are few tips on how to find the best fit candidate for a position.

Define the job

By defining the position you are seeking to fill, you will be laying the foundation for recruiting and hiring.  You need to ask yourself, “Why’m I hiring? Can an internal employee fill the role? What new expertise do I want to bring onboard?” Once you are clear with the role you want to hire for, you should conduct a job analysis. Here, you define the specific responsibilities that the prospective employee is supposed to execute.

A clear job description will be a useful tool to you as a hiring manager as it will:

  • Provide a clear understanding to candidates of what their duties are
  • Protect your organization legally as it can defend you for making the hiring decision
  • Provide a consistent understanding across departments of the job position roles
  • Help the employees to create goals for career advancements.

Once you have the right job description for the intended role clear, it is time to get your strategy right.

Plan and envision the hiring process

Now, what should the recruitment look like? Who should do what? This is the step where you and your hiring team should come together and plan. Basically, you ought to develop a strategy that will allow you to execute the hiring process with ease and accuracy.

This involves determining where the job advertisement will be posted to onboarding the candidate. Besides, your team should determine who is responsible for each part of the process of hiring employees. This will ensure that the hiring process is executed with fewer mistakes and without wasting time and money. Your social media manager can be tasked with the role of posting the open role on social media platforms and collecting critical feedback that will be crucial in determining how to make the process even better.

A member of the team could be tasked with reconciling the applications and answering the application queries. When everyone has a sense of what they should do, the hiring process becomes easier to execute.

Do a thorough background check 

Again, you should look at more than what meets the eye. You want to do the digging even though it can be a time-consuming process trying to figure out exactly how your potential employee has been doing in their previous employment or role. The vetting process involves not only verifying past employment history. It is also about getting a grasp of how they work and who they are as co-workers and employees. There are modern resume tips that highlight skillsets and will absolutely help you in reviewing candidates’ credentials efficiently. 

You can use tools and services to help you screen the candidates before hiring them. For example, you can hire background check services to help you get rid of any doubts in the selection process. You want to get every bit of information on a candidate from verifying their credentials to credit checks, driving record checks, employment verification, and more. Getting help where you can afford you more time to focus on other aspects of the selection process.

Ask the right questions

Now that you have the candidate on board, it is crucial to ask questions that will tell you more about the candidate. The questions should also focus on seeking to reveal the character of the individual you are about to hire, whether the potential employee is committed to their future career or not. Some of the questions that hiring managers have agreed to be effective during the hiring process include the following:

  • What is your natural strength? This question seeks to find out about a particular skill or ability that comes naturally to them. It is similar to asking which of their skills would be rated top five. You will get to learn about their inherent strengths and the potential they will be bringing to your organization.
  • What are your ambitions? This is a crucial question that helps you as an employer understand the career goals and vision of the candidate. You will also get to find out if their vision aligns with your organization’s. Besides, it is important to know whether you are hiring progressive talents who will constantly seek to develop and equip themselves further.
  • What kind of expectations do you have? You will get to hear from their side the responsibilities they hope you will meet to be comfortable. With that information, you can successfully determine a point of consensus once you hire them. You may also take the opportunity to guide their expectations.

Let the candidate interview you

Hurray! You are almost there! It is time to reverse the roles and get a 360-degree view of the hiring process. Let the interviewee ask you any questions that they might have regarding the position they are being hired. That way, you will get to see if they have a full understanding of the position and responsibilities that come along with the position. Besides, you will be able to get transparent with the candidate regarding the limits that your organization can go in regards to their expectations.

In a nutshell

Hiring is a crucial process for any organization that is worth its salt. Yes, your employees are a key factor in the success or failure of your organization. That is why you ought to make intentional efforts and be careful as you pick every candidate joining your team. Some of the factors you need to consider are the skills you need for the role. Once you have the right candidate, ensure to ask them the right questions so you can understand their vision and determine if that aligns with your organization’s goals.

 

Local Branding

How To Help Your SMB Become Green In 2021

on April 7, 2021

Over the last several years, more countries and companies have pledged to reduce their CO2 emissions to combat the worsening climate crisis. And based on relevant statistics, these high-level decisions have resulted in considerable improvement, with CO2 emissions from energy consumption in the U.S. dropping from 6 million metric tons in 2005 down to 5.1 million metric tons in 2019. Nevertheless, more work needs to be done to curb carbon footprint permanently. Here are six ways to do just that:

Switch to Digital Filing and Storage

According to The Daily Green, paper accounts for a quarter of waste that ends up in landfills. If the U.S. can consume 10% less office paper, it can curb up to 1.6 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions. If you factor in other office supplies, such as ink cartridges, tape, and staplers, the amount of CO2 emissions you prevent exponentially increases. Switch to paperless documents by using a digital filing system to secure your business’ data. Not only does going paperless lead to a lower carbon footprint, but it can also curb costs.

Switch from Incandescent to LED Bulbs

LED bulbs have been shown to perform better than both incandescent and compact fluorescent lights when it comes to energy efficiency and sustainability. LED lamps have been tested to convert electricity into the light 90% more efficiently than incandescent bulbs and up to 80% better than fluorescent bulbs. There is also a noticeable difference in the quality of light between LED lightbulbs and their two subpar predecessors. LEDs can generate a more focused glow, which means fewer bulbs are needed to light up a given space.

Buy Eco-Friendly Cleaning Supplies

Nowadays, there is a much more comprehensive selection of environmentally friendly cleaning supplies than ten years ago. By switching to eco-friendly cleaning alternatives, such as glass cleaners, dishwashing and handwashing soaps, laundry detergents, stain and spot removers, and disinfecting wipes, you help lower the millions tons of plastic waste that ends up in landfills each year. While there is no single provider of eco-friendly products, some labels to look for include Green Seal, Fair Trade Certified, and Leaping Bunny.

Increase Your Recycling Efforts

By being a better recycler, you lower the consumption of goods, which lowers demand and the ultimate need for people to extract raw materials from the earth. Recycling also reduces landfill waste, which means lower energy consumed to process said waste. You can start by adding more recycling bins or stations within your business or office space. The more recycling areas you have, the easier it is for you and your employees to consistently practice this increasingly important habit. You can also donate usable materials, such as wood planks, bricks, electronics, and machinery, to non-profit organizations involved in construction projects for the less fortunate.

Keep Your Equipment and Machinery in Good Shape

Immediately fix any plumbing leaks or dripping taps that may be increasing your water consumption and, consequently, your water bill. Prolong the lifespan of your business’ electronic devices by maintaining optimal temperatures at all times to avoid said devices from overheating. Protect any industrial equipment from extreme stresses and wear-and-tear by opting for forge coating, improving its lifespan and performance. You can also use a brick refractory coating to treat other industrial appliances, such as kilns, furnaces, and ovens.

Distribute Reusable Swag

Encourage your employees to switch from plastic or paper cups to a reusable metal water bottle. A reusable bottle should also supplant coffee cups in your business’ break room. Every year, the average office employee uses 500 coffee cups, all of which end up in landfills. In addition to reusable water bottles, you should also distribute reusable metal forks, spoons, and straws that are foldable and portable enough for employees to bring to and from work quickly. As a small business owner, you have the power to decide which direction your business takes in terms of its environmental impact. By adopting the quick fixes and long-term solutions aforementioned in this article, your business can do its part in helping curb the climate crisis while also gaining a boost in performance and profitability. As a bonus, by publicly showing your efforts to help the environment, you also improve your brand’s image as a positive entity within your local community.

Digital Branding

How to Successfully Showcase Your Company’s Past Work on Your Website

on April 5, 2021

In advertising, past work is one of your company’s most valuable assets. It shows that the copy on your site isn’t just fluff — you’re really committed to the values you claim to stand for, like top-notch customer service or high-quality products and services.

Showing off past work, however, can be tricky. Not only do you have to sort through all the work your business has done, you’ll also have to figure out how to present it. For B2C businesses, this challenge can be even more daunting.

There are a wide variety of techniques out there that you can use to show off your business’s past work. These are four of the best options available.

1. Case Studies

For B2B and B2M businesses, one of the most popular ways to show off past work are through case studies — in-depth descriptions of past projects that use visuals, numbers and writing to break down the product or service you provided a client, and how you overcame challenges while trying to provide that service.

For example, see this case study from The Anstadt Company, which specializes in print marketing materials.

The page breaks down a particular job that the company had worked on in the past, including info on how the design team approached a problem their client was having and how the client felt about the finished products.

These case studies both show off the benefits of working with your company — like the new design and improvement in attendance — as well as the thought process behind your work.

This can make customers more confident in work. Case studies like these show off how you can solve problems as they emerge and work closely with a client to create a product or service that really meets their needs.

2. User-Generated Feedback

When shopping online, consumers often start with research. One of the most popular research methods is to search for user-generated feedback, typically in the form of online reviews.

You’ve probably done this yourself. You may have quickly checked the reviews on a big platform like Amazon or Google before committing to a particular product or business.

Consumers put a lot of faith into these reviews — according to one recent survey, 84% of people trust online reviews just as much as recommendations from friends.

Hosting online reviews on your site or storefront is a great way to show off positive feedback from your customers.

For example, an online candle-and-candle-accessory business like Yankee Candle may provide customers with the option to review products they’ve purchased, giving them form fields to highlight both the value and the quality of a product.

Users can also rate reviews, marking them as helpful or unhelpful, providing another layer of user-generated feedback for visitors.

These online reviews will provide prospective customers with feedback from real customers who have experience with your products. Even if these reviews aren’t fully positive, they can make a significant difference in encouraging a customer to try one of your products.

This tactic may be less effective for B2B businesses who have fewer clients, or for businesses that primarily offer customized products or services. However, for most businesses, these reviews can be a valuable tool in presenting feedback on your past work.

3. Design Galleries

You can also let your work speak entirely for itself. Design galleries and similar online portfolios allow you to show off dozens of images of work that you’ve done in the past.

The homepage for RoAndCo, a New York-based design studio, shows off how effective design galleries can be.

The entire front page is basically one big design gallery. Clicking on the left and right side of the screen allows users to scroll back or forth between the studio’s previous design work.

This strategy is ambitious — there’s no context for any of the images, meaning that visitors will miss out on any explanation for images that could have helped to explain how the studio approaches to design.

It is, however, a very visually exciting approach. A similar design gallery could be a great strategy for businesses or professionals that produce lots of visual content — like graphic designers or animators.

4. Customer Testimonials

You can also directly ask your clients for feedback to put on your site. Soliciting customer and client testimonials can give you a valuable, real-world example of the work you’ve done and how you’ve lived up to your brand values in the past.

These testimonials can be an extremely valuable marketing tool that you can use to make your brand seem much more trustworthy. This is especially true if consumers know the clients providing the testimonials.

This page from Booker, the development of online booking software, shows how you can use unique presentations of customer testimonials to highlight past work.

Clicking on the “Watch Testimonial” button opens an embedded YouTube video with a brief, two-minute-long testimonial from one of Booker’s clients. In the testimonial, the client describes the troubles they’ve had with booking in the past and how Booker’s services were able to help them keep their business running.

These testimonials can give customers someone to relate to in your marketing and help you show off the real-world problems that your products have solved in the past.

Showing Off Past Work on a Company Website

If you have company work that you’re proud of, there is a wide range of methods you can use to show it off on your site.

Case studies, testimonials, design galleries and even user reviews can help you show potential customers how you’ve succeeded in the past.

Author:

Eleanor Hecks is editor-in-chief at Designerly Magazine. She was the creative director at a digital marketing agency before becoming a full-time freelance designer. Eleanor lives in Philly with her husband and pup, Bear.

Legal Branding

3 Most Common Legal Issues Small Businesses Face

on April 1, 2021

Legal issues are something no business wants to deal with, and usually, business owners will do everything in their power to avoid them. The problem is that you can’t have control over everything that happens in and around your business at all times. There are cases where issues become inevitable, and you have to deal with them. The best thing you can do right now is be prepared for them so you can have a chance at preventing them or react better if they do occur. Let’s take a look at some of the most common legal issues small business owners face.

Choosing the Wrong Business Structure

This is one of the most common ones and can have disastrous consequences. Not knowing that your personal assets are exposed is something some owners only find out once they’re being sued. Choosing the wrong business structure could affect everything from taxes, raising capital, or bringing in outside investors.

This is why small businesses should work with a business lawyer the minute they get started and before they make things official. If you want to know how much you can expect to pay for one, we suggest you check out Advancepoint’s article.

Harassment and Discrimination Cases

These cases are tough because they aren’t always under your control. If someone ends up being harassed or feels discriminated against, then they might decide to take legal action, and you may be part of the lawsuit as well. They may allege that you knew about the situation and didn’t do enough to stop it or reprimand the culprits.

There’s also the possibility that an employee of yours directly accuses you of harassing them or discriminating against them. If you are guilty, then you will have to face the consequences. If you aren’t, you will need to prepare to fight the case and also take the steps necessary to protect your public image and your brand.

The best thing you can do here is to start taking these cases seriously if you aren’t already. Have a way for people to reach you and make anonymous complaints. Pay attention to repeated complaints about certain individuals. Also, make sure that you have fair hiring practices, and make sure that you hire fair managers as well.

Intellectual Property

Intellectual property issues are also very common and can take many forms. You might be accused by another company of copying one of their designs or processes. Or you may get a cease-and-desist letter from someone claiming that you used images on your website or marketing material without their permission. These can go from pesky to potentially ruining your business, and you always have to stay vigilant to make sure that you aren’t infringing on someone else’s intellectual property. You have to take steps to protect yours as well.

These are just some of the legal issues small business owners need to be prepared to deal with. The best thing you can do is consult a lawyer early who’ll be able to explain the legal side of your particular line of business.

Legal Branding

What To Do After A Minor Car Accident – 5 Simple Steps

on April 1, 2021

On a daily basis, you are faced with people who engage in distracted or reckless driving, speeding, and driving while intoxicated. As an average driver, you are likely to experience around four traffic accidents in your lifetime. It must come as no surprise then, that road accidents are some of the most common personal injury claims. Even minor accidents can result in both psychological and physical health issues, as well as costly damage to your car. To ensure your safety, and the safety of your loved ones the best thing to do is be prepared.

In the text below, you will find simple tips on how to handle minor accidents quickly and efficiently.

Take a Photo of the Damage

As soon as you can, obtain photographic evidence with your mobile device. The photos of the damage to your car, your body, or your passengers’ bodies can be important in future legal proceedings, so this small step can be a financial lifesaver. Some well-equipped insurance agencies let you upload the photo to their app, and send any additional details. A number of apps provide instant access to this service. Photos go a long way when it comes to assessing the severity of the damage. Once you have done this, you can move your car and do your best to stop blocking traffic. If you cannot move your car, put on hazards.

Contact the Police

A police report is essential in procuring evidence and can get your insurance company to provide certain coverages. Stories change, and there is always a chance that the other driver (especially an at-fault driver) could deny responsibility, or file false claims. It’s important to involve a neutral third party to document the accident while the details are still fresh in everyone’s minds. Once the police arrive, ask for the officer’s name, phone, and badge number. Don’t forget to request a copy of the police report. Additional tip: Wait for the police to arrive, and do not leave the scene of the accident before they do. Otherwise, the other driver might take advantage of your absence, and file criminal charges against you. 

Exchange Information

Assuming the police are on their way, you can go ahead and try to obtain all relevant information from the other driver. Write down the make, model, and license plate of their vehicle. Ask for their name and contact information, and the name and policy information of their insurance provider. Finally, you could ask anyone who had seen the car accident for contact information, in the case that they want to offer their assistance as witnesses.

Don’t Forget to See a Doctor

The consequences of any car accident can be difficult to predict. Damages to your health such as concussions, whiplash, or soft tissue injuries can occur several hours or days after the accident. Your adrenaline might be rushing immediately after the incident, masking the symptoms of injury. It’s important to get medical treatment as soon as possible because a delay in treatment can be a red flag for your insurance provider.

File an Insurance Claim

Immediately after the accident emotions are sure to run high, and you might be tempted to avoid contacting your insurance provider. Remember that, even if no damage was done to any of the cars and no apparent injuries occurred, stories change over time. You’ll still need any proof you can get in the case that the other driver should fire false claims. Check your insurance card for the necessary contact information. Additional tip: Do not apologize to the other driver, and list the reasons why the car accident occurred. They may use this information against you in future legal proceedings.

Accidents happen to everyone, and even the most experienced drivers can get shaken up and make mistakes. Follow these steps, and you will minimize worries in the future, along with financial consequences. And remember, put down your phone, drive sober, and contact your insurance company to get your car fixed as quickly and as cheaply as possible.

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