How to Build Your Brand

It seems like everyone is talking about branding these days. People are branding everything. For example, what’s the difference between tap water and bottled water? Are there real differences or is it all in the branding?

Branding is an important topic for your small business because it helps you stand out from your competition. Your brand identifies and defines your business for your target market.

Here are some simple steps to help you build your brand.

Identify your target market by connecting your uniqueness to the appropriate consumer. Your brand promotes your strengths and how you service your target market, and it establishes a clear difference from your competitors.
Be positive and a resource to others. These two elements will help attract people and build your brand.
Create and establish an online presence/brand that genuinely engages others on social media networks. Provide responsive customer service that builds loyal relationships within your target market.
Share, impress and promote your expertise. First identify problems in your target market that you can help solve. Then, starting locally, find outlets where you can share your uniqueness and business. Also create your own promotions like a radio show, online video show, become a community speaker, and present workshops.
Connect with influencers. Help and support others who have large followings and/or great reputations to add value to your brand. This is a quick way to develop positive buzz about you and/or your brand.
Be memorable. You must make an impression on your target market. Stand out by being friendlier, more helpful, having better products or services, more responsive customer service, personalized care and authentic communication to create long lasting relationships.
Be active in your community. Use community activities/events/causes to continually remind people about you and/or your brand.
Initiate projects. Start locally, sponsor, lead, or organize solution-oriented (that you can help solve) projects that generate positive conversations about your brand.

Your brand should quickly convey who you are and how you help your target market. As your business grows, ask your customers for their feedback to ensure brand recognition and that you’re meeting customer expectations.

How do you build your brand? Would love to read your thoughts and tips in the comments below.

Blog

How to Stand Out from Your Competition

How to Stand Out from Your Competition

To succeed in business, you need to set yourself apart from your the competition. That means knowing what makes you great, and communicating it! Successful businesses make this a part of their business culture, and follow through every day. Is your business ready to take the next step?

Here are some factors that can help your business stand out from your competitors:

Deliver great value – Offer excellence for a great price.
Offer more choices in your products/services than your competitors.
Make the sales process more convenient, easier and quicker than your competitors.
Make it easy to find and contact you – use memorable business cards, post information on how to reach you through social media networks, post your cell number and promote testimonials.
Share your sense of passion and excellence for what you do – make sure you come across passionate, caring and willing to do what it takes to earn your customers’ loyalty.
Follow up immediately after the sale and continue on-going follow up.
Anticipate your customers’ needs and help them with solutions.
Ask for feedback and act upon those suggestions.
Continue to improve.
Be a connector and networker – help your customers find solutions to their needs, even before they know what they are, and engage in becoming friends with everyone you meet.
Stay current in your area of expertise – keep up with professional training, industry trends and share innovations with your customers.
Be positive and approach everything with a can-do attitude.
Strive for excellence every day.
Be more personable, friendly and approachable.
Become solution oriented.
Be creative and innovative while also following through.

As you begin to invest your energy into these factors, you’ll find that not only will you begin to stand out in your industry, but you may also be amazed that most will not even try to compete with you.

How do you stand out from your competitors? What makes your business special and unique? We would love to read your tips in the comments below!

Free e-book “Business Owner’s Road Map to Success.” It has over 50 pages of techniques for everything a small business owner needs to master, from business planning and ethical selling to a success mindset. It’s all there and it’s free for you. To get it, just “Like” our Facebook Page here: http://on.fb.me/KsIN6P Pass it on!

Blog

How to Become an Influencer

How to Become an Influencer

Influence is an important trait when you’re a business owner. You need to have the respect and impact to cause the desired outcomes. These outcomes might be a sale from a customer, the cooperation of your team, or getting others to talk about you online. Regardless of what you are trying to do, having influence that leads to desired outcomes can be a real benefit for your business.

Every person and business can be an influencer. In fact, very successful people and businesses are often great influencers. For the average person or small business to be a successful influencer, you need only to apply and leverage some of these points to see positive results.

Be known as an expert in something – For example, if you sell chocolate, become an expert on making chocolate tarts.
Pinpoint a topic and find a niche – For example if you sell cosmetics, you might focus on people who want only natural facials.
Share your expertise regularly – Write a scheduled article for your local newspaper, create a weekly newsletter and/or do a weekly radio talk show.
Help other influencers – Connect with people who have a large network and help them with their cause. For example, if the influencer is promoting a fundraiser, you who sell cookware might offer to create a dessert as a prize to be auctioned off to support the cause. This way you show your expertise.
Promote your expertise through workshops and interviews – For example, if you sell cosmetics, partner with a health food store and present a workshop on how to eat healthy, feel great and look great. Look for interview opportunities and interview other influencers.
Offer stories and your expert advice to local news outlets – Sometimes local news media are looking for community based stories or need an expert opinion on a topic. Make sure they know to call you.
Integrate your expertise with trends – For example, your town is sponsoring a yo-yo contest, you as the chocolate expert show people how to make their own chocolate yo-yos.
Engage your audience and develop relationships – Connect and have conversations with as many people as you can and in as many ways as you can. Friend them on social networks, talk to them on the phone, participate in town events, attend PTO meetings, and support causes.
Create a plan, measure your growth and adjust your plan according to results – Define your niche, pick one thing to do on this list every week, connect with new people every week, and evaluate the results after a month. Ask yourself how you can do better, what haven’t you done yet, and adjust your plan for the following month. After six months, compare the amount of business you’ve gained from the previous six months.

By instituting and leveraging a few of these ideas you too can become an influencer in your circle and impact your business.

Blog

How to Use Credit Cards Wisely

How to Use Credit Cards Wisely

Like most things in life, there are always two sides to everything. We try to maximize the benefits and minimize the negatives. The same holds true with credit cards. They can be a valuable resource, but you have to use them wisely or they could cause trouble! Understanding the pros and cons of credit cards can help you navigate your financial decisions successfully.

Here are the Pros of credit cards:

Convenience – You can use credit cards almost anywhere and for almost anything.
Great for emergencies – If your car breaks down and you need it fixed, your credit provides you with an immediate sum of money.
Rewards programs – These days you have so many choices when it comes to reward programs. If you want to save money on gas, get a card that gives you a discount. If you want to travel, get a card that give you free airfare mileage. If you want to start a college fund, get a card that will put money into your child’s college fund.
Building your credit history – Credit cards are a quick and easy way to build up your credit score.
Easy way to keep track of spending – Your monthly statement can help you maintain a budget, and manage expenses.
Establish a business account – With a business credit card account you’re keeping your business and personal funds separate and establishing a business credit history.
Security – If you lose your money it’s lost forever, but the bank can replace a credit card and stop any unauthorized purchase. And if you overpay for something or receive a defective product you can contest it or get your money back through your credit card company.
Consolidation – If you’ve used several credit sources, you can consolidate payments into one payment.

These are the Cons that you want to minimize:

High interest rates – Make sure you can pay off your balance each month.
Fees and penalties – Choose credit cards that have lower fees and always pay on time.
Identity theft – Having a credit card increases the risk of identity theft. Be sure to keep an eye on your statements, and shred them before discarding them.
Increase debt – If you’re not disciplined, you can easily find yourself with a large debt. Don’t let your debt get out of hand.
Credit score risk – If you have too many cards or don’t maintain them well, your credit score can drop quickly.

Here’s how to maximize the advantages:

Use your credit cards in emergencies primarily.
If you have a business, establish a credit card in your business name to separate your business and personal finances.
Choose and use rewards programs wisely to maximize discounts, accumulate travel miles, start a college fund and meet other financial goals.
If you have a lower interest rate or 0% promotional cards, use them to pay for large purchases, but make sure you can pay off the debt before interest rates increase.
If you need to increase your credit standing or score, use your credit cards and pay on time. Carry some debt short term and then pay off the balance. Financial institutions are evaluating your ability to maintain your debt in calculating your credit score.
Review your credit card statement every month and use it to maintain your budget. If you find that you are spending too much, switch to cash only purchases.
Use credit cards for thoughtful purchases and never for impulse buying.
Put all your automatic payments on credit cards so you have a record of them, but make sure you pay them off each month.
If you have several higher interest payments that can be lowered by consolidating them onto a lower credit card, do so, but keep in mind that it’s only for the short term and you must pay them off before the interest rate rises or is due.

Credit cards are a modern convenience and can be beneficial if used properly. Are there other advantages that you can think of? We would love to share your tips with our community.

Blog

These People Are…Incredible – Guest Post by Joe Mariano, DSA President

These People Are…Incredible – Guest Post by Joe Mariano, DSA President

From The DSEF: Today we’re delighted to bring you a guest post by Direct Selling Association President Joe Mariano. Joe and his team at the DSA work tirelessly to protect, serve and promote the effectiveness of member companies and the independent business people they represent. The DSA also works to ensure that the marketing by member companies of products and/or the direct sales opportunity is conducted with the highest level of business ethics and service to consumers.

“These people are … incredible.”

That’s what one direct selling CEO recently emailed me during her conference. I know exactly what she meant. After 26 years working at the Association, I’ve seen more than just a few company meetings. Each company brings its own unique style and expertise to its get-togethers, but they all have one thing in common: the passion, enthusiasm and love that the salesforce brings to our business. There is nothing more exciting, invigorating and gratifying than to get out into the field and see this reflected in the eyes and voices of our salespeople.

In recent weeks, I’ve had the opportunity to speak to thousands of company salespeople, from Philadelphia to Columbus to San Francisco. They are hungry for the messages that DSA, DSEF and our World Federation are uniquely suited to bring—the spirit of the industry, credible industry statistics and information, identification of our opportunities and challenges, a validation of what they do, a report on the government regulations that may affect them, and finally—a sense of being part of something truly phenomenal. Something larger than just a kitchen table crowded with receipts and paperwork, larger than their neighborhood party, larger than the sales organization they are working so diligently to build. Larger even than their great companies. They are part of a remarkable industry that is changing lives and helping people across the country and across the globe. A true phenomenon, 100 years and more in the making, that is offering an income opportunity to struggling people, that is changing communities, that is making unparalleled charitable contributions, that is capable of changing lives.

When we talk at these meetings of some of the 16 million people in the U.S. and more than 70 million across the globe, heads nod and notes are scribbled. When we tell the story of the direct selling representative floating down the Amazon River to sell her goods, or someone embracing entrepreneurship in China with the economic opportunity that direct selling provides, a collective “Ah” rises from the audience. When we describe the single mom who found her calling and herself in direct selling, a smile spreads across the listeners’ faces. Each of these sellers knows this story. Each of these sellers has seen this story reflected in his or her own life, and the lives of the people they have touched through their direct selling activities.

And when the remarks are done, the audience cheers. They cheer for themselves and everything they know they have accomplished and will accomplish. Each of you has probably seen this played out in some way at your own company events. I truly wish each of you could join me at all of these company meetings so you can see you are part of something even beyond your own great company. That you, as part of this great industry, are changing lives. That you are part of a community coming together through DSA. That all of these people are … incredible.

Joe Mariano is President of the Direct Selling Association. He also serves as Vice Chairman on the Direct Selling Education Foundation Board of Directors, and Chairman of the World Federation of Selling Associations (WFDSA) Global Regulatory Affairs Committee.

Blog

How Are Those Goals Working For You?

How Are Those Goals Working For You?

Many of our goals are similar to those of our neighbors, friends and family. Most of us would like a nice house, a new car and more stuff. But are these things what dreams are made of? Are these our true goals? Or are we following what everyone else wants?

Sometimes it’s important to stop and ask yourself: How do I know what I really want? How do I find my OWN purpose and passion?

Here are some practical steps to help you get started:

Don’t be afraid to dream. Give yourself a few hours today and daydream about what you want to accomplish. Visualize, imagine success, and write down those activities and/or achievements.
Make a list of what makes you smile, delights you and gets your heart pumping.
Review your list and pick one to focus on.
Briefly, write down what it is and clearly describe how it looks, smells and tastes like. Use this process to turn your vision into words and bring it into your reality. Give it life.
Now that you have a rough idea of what it is, do some more research. Answer who, what, when, where, why and how.
As you continue to define and think about your new goal, start to get yourself excited and make it your own.
Once you have a concrete goal, follow a plan to achieve it. Here’s a simple way to create a plan: http://dsef.org/2011/09/12/the-power-of-a-plan-and-30-days/

Accomplishing goals that really matter to you will not only bring you true success, but offer deeper personal satisfaction. Like with any journey, the beginning is filled with excitement, you’ll open greater opportunities along the way, and in the end you’ll create a lifetime of memories.

So, what’s your purpose and passion? How’s your journey going? We would love to hear about it. Please share your thoughts and insights in the comments below.

Blog

How to Be More Productive

How to Be More Productive

We all procrastinate once in a while, and usually we just wait for it to go away. But we’ve also experienced moments when we felt unstoppable. Like a super hero! So, how can we experience more super hero moments?

The trick to being more productive is to spot when you’re not being productive and be prepared to overcome it. You are practicing self-discipline and you can master it.

Step 1 – Use your calendar to mark short, medium and long term goals.

Step 2 – Create a daily schedule.

Step 3 – Make and prioritize your daily to do list to help you focus on what needs to be done and to reduce unproductive temptations.

Step 4 – Acknowledge and recognize time wasters/unproductive activities.

Step 5 – Decide to stop the time wasting or allow the unproductive activity for 5 minutes and use it as a break, or make it a reward with no time limit when you have completed your productive tasks.

Step 6 – Understand and identify your work strengths and weaknesses.

Step 7 – Use your strengths and/or set aside the time when you’re typically the most productive to tackle more challenging tasks.

Step 8 – Get more organized.

Step 9– Improve time management and efficiency skills. Read up on how others manage their time, and use their methods. Here’s a web page from Dartmouth College to get you started: http://www.dartmouth.edu/~acskills/success/time.html

Step 10 – Keep a journal or chart and write down your accomplishments.

Step 11 – Reward yourself when you accomplish the tasks on your to-do list.

How do you handle moments of procrastination? Do you have a tip to share? We would love to hear from you in the comments below!

Blog

Want to Work From Home? Tips for Getting Started as an Entrepreneur

Want to Work From Home? Tips for Getting Started as an Entrepreneur

Do you wish you could find a job that will let you work from home and make your own schedule? Have you ever considered becoming an entrepreneur and owning your own business?

Many people start a business because they think they have a great idea, or a product or service that will make money. Some people start because think that they can do something better than the businesses already out there. Other people are introduced to a business by a friend, and join because the timing is right or they love the product line.

When you decide to jump into entrepreneurship, here are some thoughts to consider:

Who would be your customers?
Where could you find these customers?
How much money do you need to start this business?
What makes your business special?
Are you passionate about what you will be doing?
What other resources do you need?
What’s your financial goal?
Are you willing to invest a lot of time and energy into this business?

If you’re still interested in pursuing a business, here is a handy site from the Small Business Administration. It contains step-by-step instructions and advice to starting your own business. http://www.sba.gov/content/follow-these-steps-starting-business

You might also consider a direct selling business. Legitimate direct selling businesses offer low start-up costs, a proven product line, training, and support. Many of these companies are members of the Direct Selling Association, and agree to comply with the DSA Code of Ethics. You can learn more about direct selling, and how to find an opportunity that’s right for you, here: http://www.directselling411.com/

And if you do decide to take the leap and start your own business, we congratulate you! Great countries are built upon entrepreneurs like you.

The DSEF is here to help. If you have any questions we’re here to provide the answers and support for you to succeed! So, what’s your first question? We’d love to hear how your business is going!

Blog

Ethical Selling

Ethical Selling

When we think of selling, we often think of the shady used car salesman. The whole idea of selling anything is often uncomfortable for people. It requires a mind shift to move into your comfort zone when selling. Imagine that selling is more like helping a friend. And it can be. In fact, that’s the foundation of ethical selling.

Here are some ways to make the selling process more comfortable, natural and lower stress.

Start in your own backyard, your community. Talk to people you know, your friends, neighbors, and the people in your town. Gradually build and network outward with people with whom you have something in common.
Build friendships (clients) based on common interests. Share things that are happening in your town, church, local organization, in charities, in local sports, cultural events, schools and local businesses.
Listen, have conversations, and develop friendships within your community. Find out who has problems that your products/services can help. When you genuinely care about people (clients), you’ll find that providing your products/services doesn’t feel so much like selling, but more like helping.
Develop the skills to figure out who needs your help. For this, you will need to learn networking skills, develop a positive attitude that attracts people, develop good listening and communication skills, and act comfortable in your own skin even when you don’t feel entirely comfortable inside.
Remember, make friends with everyone. Even the people who don’t require your help can be your ears and eyes for others who may need your help.
Share testimonials. During the transaction process, focus on how the product/service has helped you and/or share testimonials on how it has helped other people. Make it less about the selling process and more about how it will help them.
Continue to nurture your friendships. It will bring personal fulfillment, grow your network and create more loyal customers.

This way may take a little more work and time. But, it will make selling feel less like selling, while you focus on matching people with products and services they actually need, while also building fulfilling relationships. Ultimately, your financial success will also include the satisfaction of really caring about other people.

To learn more about ethics in sales, and the DSA Code of Ethics in direct selling, check out this series of videos.

What are some effective, ethical sales techniques that you use? We would love to hear your tips and comments.

Blog

More Marketing Ideas for Small Businesses

More Marketing Ideas for Small Businesses

When you’re in business for yourself, marketing is incredibly important. You need to get the word out about your business, and there are specific strategies you can use to market yourself effectively.

Before you begin, have a plan, target audience and goal in mind. For instance, a discount or promotion to reward your loyal clients, or provide free delivery for clients who are new moms is a plan, aimed at a targeted audience and has specific goals. Include in your plan a way to measure your return on investment. This way you’ll know if it worked and how well it worked.

Here are some tips to help you market your business:

Become a contributing expert for a blog or local news media.
Start a Facebook page for your town and be a positive voice for what’s happening in your area.
Start a YouTube channel and provide tours of your town.
Partner with other businesses in your area to increase word of mouth.
Offer workshops, teleseminars or webinars
Display signage on your cars, t-shirts and temporary signs on lawns (with permission).
Organize a charity collection or fund raiser.
Hand out tip cards to solve problems that relate to your business.
Sponsor free car washes.
Sponsor free sidewalk address number painting.
Sponsor a street performer/artist to promote your business.
Promote causes and charities in your area.
Sponsor free workshops to help people in your community, like a math or personal defense workshop.
Make yourself and your business memorable. Be known as the lollipop giver.
Showcase testimonials in your marketing.
Hold special promotions like client of the month.

The best marketing is providing your customers with consistent excellence and memorable service that they’ll tell their friends about.

How do you market your business? Please share in the comments!