Blog Barefoot|Consultant|Entrepreneur|Empower Individuals

You’ve decided to start a business and have created a brand.  Everyone knows that a brand is key to a successful business but is your brand strong enough?  It is important to determine this from the start in order for your business to soar to levels you only dreamed were possible.  It is not a difficult process but one that must be conquered, and once you have determined the strongest brand;  you and your customers will love it.

Step 1 – Think of your business

Your business is something to definitely keep in mind when developing a brand.  The brand will represent not only you but your business, so before jumping the gun in developing a brand, keep that in mind.  Your brand must reflect your business and be a result of your business.

Step 2 – Here are some factors to take into consideration when developing a strong brand:

• what is your business
• what type of service do you provide
• what makes you stand apart from your competitors

What is your business?

Your brand should tell customers what your business is and does.  It is important to determine what exactly is the nature of your business and what you are trying to portray to the market.  Who is your target market? This is one of the most important questions when determining your business and therefore your brand.  If  you are targeting to a specific group of people, such as women, moms, young couples, children, your image must be enticing to that target market.  For instance, The Barefoot Executive is a brand that many can familiarize with and that was my intention; I don’t have to be in a business suit to be successful.

Determining your target market is a very important part of your business  and will help you in creating a strong brand that will be easily remembered or associated with your name.  This will in turn increase your popularity and sales.

What type of service do you provide?

You may be fixated on a logo, color theme, mission statement for your brand but what matters the most is the service that you provide.  Your brand will shine because of the service you provide to your customers.  A brand and logo is important but the relationship that you establish with your customers is priceless.  The service that you provide will make your brand strong and memorable in your customer’s mind which will lead to referrals.

What sets you apart from your competitors

When determining your brand you may want to do your research and find the logos and brands that your competitors have but this should not be the only thing you concentrate on.  Remember, what will set you apart from the competition is your service and the quality behind it.  A beautiful and colorful logo will not strengthen your brand if you do not have the quality service to accompany it. Determine what you have to offer that your competitors lack and concentrate on that factor when determining your brand.  This distinction will help in capturing a prospective customer’s attention and may lead to a business relationship.

It is important to make your business look unique amongst the many other businesses.  A strong brand along with exceptional service and dedication will set you and your business apart and help you succeed in achieving your goals.  A great reputation is one that is not easily matched and that matched with your passion will help in building a strong brand.

Tags: Tips by Carrie Wilkerson
2 Comments »

If you have a business and want to see it explode, it is time to begin marketing your business on the Internet.  Believe it or not many are not taking advantage of the vast opportunities available to them.  Some advantages to consider when bring your business online is the fact that it is extremely affordable and you can reach a large audience.  The ability to reach a larger target market is reason alone to consider marketing your business on the Internet.

Marketing online is very affordable.  The cost of a website where you can feature your products and/or services is minimal when compared to a brick and mortar establishment.  But having both will be a great compliment to your business.  Once your website is established you can begin to market to your customers which is not as difficult as you can imagine.  Advertising online is very affordable which makes it very attractive to business owners.  The opportunities to advertise are endless so be careful and choose the ones that will benefit your company.  You may consider joining forums that market to your target audience and place links directing traffic to your website.  The beauty of this is that the  cost of adding links to advertise your website are incidental.

When you first decided to start your business you may have researched your target audience and how to attract them.  But why limit yourself to a marketing strategy that was mainly focused on perhaps, radio, television, and newspaper articles that can only reach your local communities.  By expanding your business to the Internet you have opened windows and doors that you may have thought were never imaginable.  You will now be able to expand your target audience  world wide as opposed to limiting yourself to the local market.

The major advantage to marketing your business online is the ability to reach customers world-wide, that reason alone can simply explode your business.  You will not have to worry about where your business is located because you will be able to reach customers and those interested in your products or services no matter where you live. Not to mention that you will not have to maintain set hours to operate your business online.  The Internet is available 24 hours a day, which will make it easier for customers to find you.

It is difficult to maintain a business much less be perky and enthusiastic all the time, and keeping regular hours can be extremely exhausting.  It is difficult to keep employees motivated to sell your products but with a business online this will no longer be a problem.  The fact that the Internet never closes is extremely convenient.  Because of this, potential customers can view your services and products as well as compare with your competitors and can make a purchase any time of the day.

If you own a business and do not have a presence online, I urge you to do your research regarding the Internet today!  Your competitors are already marketing online and reaching a larger target audience that you will ever accomplish offline.  Become more appealing to potential customers which will in turn become loyal customers with your online presence.

What are you waiting for?  Do you want to bring your business to the next level? Who doesn’t?  Get your business online today!

Tags: Marketing by Carrie Wilkerson
4 Comments »

By Donna Kozik, Guest Expert

Many times when we think about writing and publishing a book our minds careen out of control into the depths of overwhelm.

Let’s put the brakes on that.

Instead, what one thing could you do right now to move forward in your dream of becoming a published author?

Here are four “just 1 thing” ideas I have for the want-to-be-published. I encourage you to pick one to apply today so you can be a published authors sooner rather than later.

1. Develop Your “Goal Statement”

If you join one of my “Write a Book in a Weekend” events, the first thing I will encourage you to do is write and send me a goal statement describing why you want to write your book and what it will accomplish for you.

It doesn’t have to be long-200-300 words should do it.

And there is great power in those few words-more often than not, it’s the participants who take a few minutes to write and send me their goal statement who get their book done by the end of the weekend. How about that?

No coincidences.

2. Describe Your Ideal Reader

When you are in the throes of thinking, thinking, thinking about your book and get caught up in the “doing” of writing, it can be very easy to become, frankly, quite self-absorbed-meaning you lose focus about who the book is for in the first place: your reader.

Another short assignment I would give you as a “Write a Book in a Weekend”
participant is to write a short description of your “ideal reader.” Tell me about one person who will benefit from your book. Is it a man or woman? What age? Where do they live? What do they do? And then the big question: what is the biggest problem or challenge they face that your book will solve?

3. Write Your “About the Author”

You might think this is a “save for last” item, however I encourage my peeps to write their “About the Author” section first, stressing not only their own credentials, but the specific problems and challenges their readers face and how they intend to solve them. It’s another good way to get your book defined in your own mind, plus provide yourself with a big picture overview.

4. Take the “10 Minute Challenge”

This is a simple but effective technique to get going on a larger project.

Set a timer for 10 minutes and GO, GO, GO, GO, GO! Challenge yourself to see how much you can write in those 10 minutes. Most likely you’ll get such momentum going you’ll add another 10, and another, and another. I use this often, including now as I write this piece.

5. Speed Write About Your Favorite Topic

Sometimes what gets in our way is thinking too much about what we “should” write versus what we “want” to write. No one says you have to start with Chapter One. A great way to jumpstart your book project is to pick your favorite topic and start writing about that, even if it might be the “wrap up” chapter.

You can see a common theme to all these ideas-getting started somewhere, anywhere! It’s amazing-and also magical-about what getting started can do for a person. I encourage you to pick one or two of the items above, apply them right now, and let me know the results.

Donna Kozik is a two-time award winning author who has been featured in Woman’s Day, Women’s World, Teen People, The L.A. Times, The Baltimore Sun, NPR’s “Marketplace” and other media. She now shows others how to write and publish a book fast and easy to use as a “big business card.” She does this through “Write a Book in a Weekend” live and virtual events.

Tags: Guest Writers by Carrie Wilkerson
13 Comments »

I come from a background…a legacy of search & rescue.

My daddy was in the U.S. Coast Guard for 27 years – his purpose was search & rescue.  He was a safety evangelist.

He helped people who were making slow progress, no progress or worse…were drowning despite their own best efforts.

Whether they were in danger because of their own carelessness or because of hazardous weather, it mattered not – it was his job to get into the center of their situation, offer them solutions and in many cases, coach them into a safer place.

Victims were always relieved when they saw the Coast Guard boats or choppers…they represented hope and imminent rescue.

But Dad has shared with me that after the rescue, one of these things was likely to happen:

1. Some people were grateful, humbled and permanently changed by their experience.
2. Some were resentful and arrogant. “I’d have been okay, I almost had it figured out and didn’t really need you at all!”
3. Others learned nothing, were heedless and eventually went right back into danger, putting their lives and those of rescue personnel at risk.

Why do I tell you this?

Well, in self-employment, it’s very easy to get caught in slow progress, no progress or even feel like we’re making REVERSE progress (drowning).

As a coach and mentor, I often can throw a lifeline with a resource, some training or even coaching…but it is up to you whether or not you will receive it and how you will respond to it (much like our rescued parties above).

As independent souls (and sometimes stubborn, if you’re at all like ME) – we must be willing to:

• Admit we need a new direction

• Accept guidance and coaching

• Advance into areas you might be uncomfortable in (TRUST the help!)

• Act upon the lesson learned

And Remember – the Coast Guard doesn’t hang out with every boater, swimmer or fisherman after they’ve been rescued. They give guidance, teach a lesson and then monitor the waters…just like a good coach, mentor, and business advisor does.

Tags: Tips by Carrie Wilkerson
12 Comments »