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How to Build a Positive Brand

One thing that makes companies successful is branding. We see it everywhere and all the time, from television spots, to radio ads, to catalogs and other marketing materials, businesses put out impressions of themselves to the public. The reason for branding is obvious but it’s not necessarily an easy task. It requires differentiating an entity from its competition to make it instantly recognizable to consumers. A brand has to not only be recognizable, it has to live up to its self promotion and establish a reputation that’s commensurate with its marketing.

There’s practically little else which can destroy a company faster than having a bad reputation. Even the most effective branding won’t allow a company to escape bad publicity or a negative consumer image. Small business owners might not believe that branding is necessary for them precisely because of their small size; however, in a world that is digitally centered, that’s simply not the case. No matter the size of your organization, it needs a positive brand to help propel it forward.

Ways to Build a Positive Brand

To build a positive brand, you’ll need to think about the future–it’s what you do now that’s most important. There are defunct companies that doomed themselves by not being aware of the image they were presenting. Relying on gimmicks is another mistake. Companies that place their marketing efforts into gimmicks usually have little else to offer, and, that’s a precarious position. Being genuine and offering good service with a positive attitude are great ways to build a brand.

Our personality and professional image sets the tone and stage for how we are all perceived. With the reality of a 24/7 online media world that can change things in a real-time split second, one small wrong move or right move can go viral and change everything. —Small Business Trends

To keep your business growing, you have to employ more than one tactic. There are new customers to be found and try your products and services over competitors, and, it’s your brand that will help to convince them to do so. Here are a few ways to build a positive brand:

Create a positive work environment. Your brand starts from within your organization. Remember, your employees have lives outside your company and talk to people about work. This is why it’s important to facilitate a positive environment. After all, people won’t give you any business if they’ve heard bad things from insiders.
Have a clear and easy-to-follow customer service protocol. Your team members are one of the most powerful sales tools you have. The better they deliver, the better your company does. When it comes to customer service, everyone should know how to respond and to do so in a timely, polite manner.
Offer something for nothing. People like free things, practically no matter what they are: great content that is helpful, complimentary items, discounts, and other things can have a big impact. What’s more, if you do this on a regular basis, it will create a positive impression.
Make a commitment to your community. Volunteering is something every leader should do and not just for the sake of networking. When you volunteer, you send a very powerful message about yourself and your company.

Another thing you can do to create a positive brand is to always follow-up with comments and reviews. Good or bad, these are helpful and the way you deal with comments and reviews will say much about your business.
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Help! My Dad Retired from the Family Business Years Ago but Still Tries to Run It and It’s Causing a Lot of Problems

March 31, 2022 No Comments

It can be difficult when a parent retires from their job within the family business but continues to act as if they are still in charge. They may make unnecessary demands or try to micro-manage things that are no longer their responsibility. This can cause tension and conflict among other family members who are trying to run the business smoothly. If you find yourself in this situation, it is important to set boundaries and communicate effectively with your parent. So, let’s discuss some tips for how to do that. The “Unable to Let Go” Syndrome Some people, be it a father, mother, or even another family member, who’s worked for long periods of time in a family business regard the company as part of their identity. It’s simply part of who they are and therefore, it’s not easy to walk away. It becomes even more difficult when handing the operation over to children, who don’t have all their years of experience. One of the most agonizing experiences that any business faces is moving from one generation of top management to the next. The problem is often most acute in family businesses, where the original entrepreneur hangs on as he watches others try to help manage or take over his business, while at the same time, his heirs feel overshadowed and frustrated. Paralleling the stages of family power are stages of company growth or of stagnation, and the smoothness with which one kind of transition is made often has a direct effect on the success of the other. —Harvard Business Review Unsurprisingly, this can easily lead to a father, mother, aunt, uncle, or even a cousin to hang around. Perhaps to the extent that he or she still continues to “run” the business, without the permission of their successors. He or she may make promises, enter into deals, or offer discounts that undermine the new authority of their successive family member(s). Of course, this can cause resentment, anger, frustration, and might also be the cause of unnecessary fighting and/or financial trouble. How to Deal with a Parent Who Keeps Interloping in a Family Business After Retiring Fortunately, if you’re in a situation where one or more of your family members has retired but still continues to interlope in the family business, there are steps you can take. First, you need to have a discussion with your parent about their role in the business now that they are retired. It is important to be respectful yet firm in this conversation. Explain to them that while you value their opinion, they need to respect the fact that you are now running the business. This means that they should not try to make decisions or give orders without consulting with you first. You may also want to set some ground rules about how often they can come into the office or participate in business meetings. It is also important to stay calm and avoid getting into arguments with your parent. If they continue to try and take control, it will only escalate the situation and make it more difficult to resolve. Instead, try to have a rational and calm discussion about the situation. If necessary, you may need to involve other family members or even a mediator to help resolve the situation. Additionally, it may be necessary to speak privately with any customers who aren’t completely clear about who is actually running the company and who makes the decisions. This could help in the future with communication and in other important areas. If you find yourself in this situation, it is important to set boundaries and communicate effectively with your parent. By doing so, you can hopefully avoid conflict and maintain a healthy relationship with your parent. Have you ever dealt with this type of situation? What would you do to resolve it? Please take a moment to share your experiences and thoughts so others can benefit from your input. Interested in learning more about business? Then just visit Waters Business Consulting Group.

Big Benefits of Business Coaching

May 16, 2017 No Comments

It takes a lot of determination, grit, and optimism to start and grow a business in today’s environment. The duality of the web is that you can broadcast further than ever before, reaching more potential customers, but so can your competition. The internet certainly changes the dynamics of business, but it’s not your only tool. You have more at your disposal, and for many entrepreneurs, they don’t look to much else. That certainly creates a problem, but it’s one that can be overcome, with the right attitude and mindset. Put another way, business owners succeeded before the advent of the web, and, those who are now growing do so making the most of what’s available. These entrepreneurs understand that ultimately, business is all about people, and, having the advice of an experienced professional does so much. The Big Benefits of Business Coaching You’ve heard about business coaching but might wonder why companies utilize their services. One advantage is gaining insight into what growing a company looks like from someone that’s been through the process time and again. Often times, companies lack experience in dealing with problems not faced before. They simply don’t know where to begin, or, what tack to take. Business coaching is not just for entrepreneurs with small to medium sized enterprises. In fact, studies have shown that over 58% of large corporations have expanded their use of business coaching over the last few years. Why? Because it works. —Enterprise Hub That’s a really a bad place to be and decisions made with uncertainty rarely have good outcomes. It’s not just fear that fells companies and alters their direction, but also, lack of preparation and not having an adequate, workable system in place. There are still more reasons companies benefit from business coaching, including the following: Organization and time management. A huge problem for most business owners is that so many things compete for their attention. That can easily lead to becoming disorganized, and, to poor time management. With someone helping to set priorities, schedules, and boundaries, a lot more will get done with the most important tackled at the right time, with limited distraction. Setting achievable goals to build momentum. One thing that can weigh down a business and get an entrepreneur stuck is lack of achievement. The reason material is taught in a incremental, tiered fashion, practically no matter the subject, is because it works. People are naturally motivated to reach other goals when they’ve had success. Sure, there is always the possibility of failure, but when it has a small impact, it’s a lot easier to overcome. Making team members accountable. A hobgoblin of business is one the wreaks havoc both subtly and overtly: little to no assigned accountability. For team members, as well as owners, to be truly productive, creative, and deliver their best, everyone in the organization needs to be held accountable. The trouble with this scenario is those on the inside usually have difficulty seeing the forest for the trees. Put another way, it’s hard to assign accountability to each team member because you’re dealing with personalities and emotions. A third party will have a much more clear view. Smart financial projecting and planning. It’s not easy to make financial projections and plan for the future when you’re trying to run a business. While you likely have a grasp on potential, there will be contingencies. Here again, having an experienced hand will take off pressure and keep you from diluting the numbers for a variety of reasons. Creating a better, more open environment. When everyone in the organization feels valued and is encouraged to contribute creatively, there’s a lot of good that will come as a result. Tapping into those resources must be done in a positive, proactive, and genuine way. [shareaholic app=”follow_buttons” id=”26833294″]

Common Franchise Pros and Cons

August 5, 2018 No Comments

Franchises are a great way to get into business. But, these models aren’t for everyone. There certainly are pros and cons to the systems, regardless of industry. However, it’s an effective way to start a company and it’s a quite popular method. For instance, there are approximately 400,000 franchises in the United States alone, according to the International Franchise Association. These employee nearly 10 million people and range across 75 different industries. But, is it for you? Most Common Franchise Downsides Okay, let’s begin with downsides of owning a franchise. Perhaps the largest can easily be capital expenditure or start-up costs. Some are quite large but others are relatively inexpensive. Along the same lines are the fees. You’ll pay for marketing materials, royalty payments, and more. Speaking of costs, you might be subject to sole vendor sourcing. Meaning you must purchase certain materials and supplies from approved vendors. If buying an existing business doesn’t sound right for you but starting from scratch sounds a bit intimidating, you could be suited for franchise ownership. New franchisees can avoid a lot of the mistakes startup entrepreneurs typically make because the franchisor has already perfected daily operations through trial and error. —Entrepreneur.com You must also comply with the proprietary standards, set by the franchisor. Now, you might have some flexibility with said standards, but it’s usually limited. Additionally, you could also be locked into a contract. Then, there’s the ongoing success of the franchisor. In other words, the “parent company” must continue its track record. And then, there’s always risk involved with any endeavor. Biggest Franchise Advantages Of course, franchises have plenty of upsides. If they didn’t, there’s no way these models would routinely demonstrate such high levels of success. People simply wouldn’t waste any time (or money) and the entire notion would eventually disappear. But, franchises do largely succeed. So, here are the biggest franchise advantages: It’s an already established brand. Here’s what attracts so many entrepreneurs to buying franchises — it’s a known quantity. Consumers are already familiar with the brand and its products and/or services. Which means you don’t have the burden of establishing it from scratch. Marketing and operation support. Another big benefit is that you’re not out on your own. You receive marketing and operational support from the franchisor, which is a huge plus. Proven system of employee training. Along the same line is there’s already a working system in-place for employee training. You don’t need to work your way through trial and error to refine a workable training system. Access to proprietary operating methods. Speaking of an in-place system, you also don’t have to try to peel back the veil to learn how the system works. You’ll get all the information you need to open and run the business with actionable guidelines. What other franchise pros and cons would you add to the list? What are your thoughts about buying a franchise? Please comment and share your ideas! Interested in learning more about business? Then just visit Waters Business Consulting Group.

How to Build a Positive Brand

Ways to Build a Positive Brand

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Related Posts

Help! My Dad Retired from the Family Business Years Ago but Still Tries to Run It and It’s Causing a Lot of Problems

Big Benefits of Business Coaching

Common Franchise Pros and Cons

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