Brand to Sell Well

Branding is an application of appropriate marketing techniques in the right proportion to a product. Brand management is to manage the forces in a market suitably to win favors for the product. Branding essentially has to work on both mind and heart of consumers so that the product's perceived value to the customer increases and thereby increase brand equity. Marketers see a brand as an implied promise that the level of quality, people have come to expect from a brand will continue with present and future purchases of the same product. There are a lot of products available but limited brands. Its comparatively easier to judge the needs of people and develop a product accordingly, but it is tough to tell the world that there exists an answer with you to their needs. Its not hard to sell some one what he wants, but its hard to make him aware about the availability. Brand your products in a way to generate sales and also a good will in the market. Use the mixes in a way that at one end the consumer feels that he needs your product and at the other he feels that's its in his betterment that he is associated with your product. Author: Devanshu Bhatia<br> <a target="_new" href="http://entrepreneurparadise.blogspot.com/">http://entrepreneurparadise.blogspot.com/</a>

Quick Tactics To Brand Your Business And Make More Sales

This may come as a surprise... to you, but Branding is more than just Logo and Business or Product Name recognition. Branding is "The total emotional and intellectual involvement your prospects and customers have with your business and products." This article addresses 5 basic problems and questions about Branding: How Are Brands Created ? => Branding by "Personal Experience" This creates the strongest bond between your customers and your business and products. Your customer service, front and back end offers must be of high quality, in order to create exceptional "Personal Experience". This starts a virtuous cycle. Exceptional "Personal Experiences" lead to general public and market acclaim spread by word of mouth and other publicity. In turn, this feeds into a still stronger Brand, starting the cycle all over again. However, always remember it is easier to create a negative Brand than it is to create a positive one, by offering low or poor quality and value products, services and customer support. => Branding by "Indirect Experience" For many direct marketers, "Personal Experience" Branding is difficult and not easily achieved because sales that lead to "Personal Experience" are not easily made ! The "Indirect Experience" strategy relies on creating a consistent, repeating association to the product in your prospects mind. Marketers use a variety of tactics to achieve this aim. * Jingles in audio visual media * Using Slogans * Advertising through classifieds, display, press releases, and give away products and information. * Sponsorship of media, cultural, sporting and other events Brand Building On The Internet - The Issues The Internet has re-defined Branding models of the past because it has levelled the playing field, for both consumers and businesses. Prospects and customers are more involved with businesses and products than they were in the past. Research of products and services, before purchase is easier. Consumers have so much choice now they are no longer easily "taught" loyalty to a particular Brand. Consumers are less willing to form bonds or create "loyal" associations with products and businesses. On the other side of the coin, businesses have much more competition and must be more customer focussed than ever before. Companies that thrive and stay in business recognise building lasting relationships with existing customers is more profitable, than always trying to find new customers. A World of stronger consumers who by-pass your direct and indirect experiences with a click of the mouse, is difficult for Brand builders. On the Internet those that succeed make profits, the rest fail. The Cost And Value Of A Brand. Brand building has a cost in time, money and effort. The cost of Brand building is easily quantified in Dollar terms. The value of a Brand is harder to establish because it involves measuring emotional and intellectual associations that might not necessarily translate into cash sales. Not understanding the value, but clearly understanding the cost of Branding, some marketers decide to get round this problem by competing solely on price. This is a short sighted tactic because it invites "price wars", and if you get involved in a "price war" against an opponent with deeper pockets you are bound to loose. A better strategy is to compete on high product value and build quality Brand recognition over time. Brands Are Not Eternal Brand building is an ongoing Business strategy. The emotional and intellectual associations and recognition that together make up Brand loyalty wear off if not re-energised frequently. Brands are subject to fashion, fads and change, and understand recognition is not the same as popularity. Your market may recognise your Brand, but that may not translate into sales if the association is unfashionable. The temptation, in such circumstances, is to spend less on Branding, cut prices, or , drop the business line altogether. These are knee jerk reactions to uncontrollable events when taken in the short term. A measured initial response is to re-invent the Brand, freshen it up and market it to a new generation of consumers. Many businesses re-invent, and re-brand themselves and go on to achieve new consumer acclaim. Strategies For Brand Building Here are a few short to medium term tactical measures you can start using today to kick start your Brand building program. * Get a professional web site with customised headers, footers and logos - Make your "visitor experiences" happy ones. * Advertise regularly using paid channels where you can. If money is a problem, use f'ree advertising, but advertise regularly ! * Write useful articles and publish regularly. Invite visits to your site through your resource box. * Syndicate your articles and build personal name recognition using a tool such as Name Branding Syndicator available from <a href="http://www.highprofitsoftware.com/syndicator/" target="_new">http://www.highprofitsoftware.com/syndicator/</a> Visit <a href="http://www.simplyeasier.com/mbd" target="_new">http://www.simplyeasier.com/mbd</a> to see how you can get this tool for F'ree as part of a product bundle. * Brand your business by associating and complimenting other succesful products - Develop a quality reciprocal link and partnership strategy. Try products like Zeus (<a href="http://www.cyber-robotics.com/" target="_new">http://www.cyber-robotics.com/</a>) and Arelis (<a href="http://www.axandra.com/index.htm" target="_new">http://www.axandra.com/index.htm</a>) for this tactic. * Use a good autoresponder service and communicate frequently with your customers and prospects giving useful, and personal information. There are many good tools for this tactic, but try Getresponse (<a href="http://www.getresponse.com" target="_new">http://www.getresponse.com</a>) or Aweber (<a href="http://www.aweber.com" target="_new">http://www.aweber.com</a>) for a start. * Use Zip Brander available from Russell Brunson of <a href="http://www.zipBrander.com/" target="_new">http://www.zipBrander.com/</a> to put your products, affiliate programs and other offers in front of your purchasers easily and frequently. Branding your business and products is a key part of your success strategy. You want people to associate your business name and products with high quality, and high value. Successful Brands make money - just ask Microsoft, Levi, Ford, Coke. Start Branding your business and products today, and generate maximum lifetime customer values. (c) 2004 Charles Kangethe About The Author Charles Kangethe of <a href="http://www.simplyeasier.com" target="_new">http://www.simplyeasier.com</a> is a leading new wave Netpreneur and a published author from England. The "Simply Easier" brand name is your guarantee of high value, quality Marketing Products, Services and Resources. <a href="mailto:charles@simplyeasier.com">charles@simplyeasier.com</a>

Introduction to A Branded World: Adventures in Public Relations and the Creation Of Superbrands

You'd have to labor to shield yourself from the power of Branding; it's hard to avoid it in today's business and social climate. Even in the backwoods of very, very small-town America, you couldn't emancipate yourself from the in-your- face concepts of Branding messages from all over the world. Even in conversations that don't discuss it (and those are becoming few and far between), Branding is present. On television, in the supermarket, at the movie theater, in your car, Branding is constantly with you. If you're in business-any business-you are involved in Branding in some way. If you are a sole proprietor, you may, yourself, be a brand. It is no longer enough to simply be the best-or even the best-selling-product on the market. It has become necessary to establish a brand identity, which can lead to additional products, deeper market share, and expanded consumer loyalty. As Cable Neuhaus, editor in chief of Folio magazine, says: "Branding is so paramount. A car to many, many people is an extension of themselves. It's an extension of the way they see themselves. Relatively few people go down to the dealership that's closest to their home and say, 'What can I get for $22,500?' That's not the way people buy cars for the most part, and that's the reason the car companies spend billions of dollars worldwide, in all likelihood, on the Branding enterprise. GM just fired the guy who's in charge of Branding because they feel he wasn't very successful there. They have a succession of car lines and you can move up the lines: Chevy, Pontiac, Buick, Cadillac. There isn't all that much difference between a Buick and a Pontiac; they're usually built on the same frame. The difference is how they market themselves to the audience. Pontiac is 'We build excitement.' Buick is 'American luxury.'" In the world of public relations, where I work to brand some of today's hottest stars, it's virtually impossible to avoid talking about Branding. Working in Hollywood for 20 years, I've never heard the kind of buzz around a concept that I've experienced with Branding. Everyone is looking for the key to the concept; everyone is saying the word, although most have misconceptions about its meaning. The problem is, only the select few people know what Branding really is. And even fewer understand the essential role public relations plays in the Branding process. As Duane E. Knapp, president of BrandStrategy, Inc. and author of The Branding Mindset, says: "Most people do not have a clue what brand means. The common misconception is that brand is hype. They have this concept that one of the ways to be a successful brand is that you've got to hype the brand, you've got to have a lot of activity, a lot of communications, a lot of advertising, which is the antithesis of the true concept of brand. I think [PR] is the most important role. The company should decide what their promise is. If you don't have a brand promise, you have nothing, and it's not the advertising tagline. It's what the employees and the company promise to consumers. It's not a promise unless it's written, unless every single employee in the company can tell you what they have to do to deliver that promise. They might not be able to recite the exact two or three sentences, but for example, at L.L. Bean, they know that there is no such thing as an unhappy customer." "I think (public relations) is a massively important, and even more massively under-leveraged, role in the Branding process. I don't think people fully understand the value of setting up an interview with a major magazine or somebody else endorsing your brand. 3M talks about how you perceive your brand in three different ways: one, 'customer satisfaction,' two, 'would you buy the brand again,' and three, 'would you recommend it to a friend.' I look at PR as an analog to 'would you recommend it as a friend.' " -Scott M. Davis, managing partner of PROPHET's Chicago office and co-author of Brand Asset Management It's impossible to look at Branding without the public relations perspective, and my business happens to be public relations. In doing business with high- profile celebrities from Barbara Streisand to Fleetwood Mac, Demi Moore to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Charlton Heston to Michael J. Fox, and corporate clients like Pizza Hut, I deal with concepts like advertising, marketing, market research, and sponsorship. Public relations is part of all those disciplines. And since public relations is, we'll discover, an integral part of the Branding process, I have a unique perspective on the business of Branding. I work with people who create and perpetuate some of the most successful brand names and brand identities. I've worked with the highest-level actors, actresses, entertainers, directors, and Hollywood insiders, all of whom strive to become brands and some of whom have done exactly that with unparalleled success. I know the advertising executives and marketing professionals who create brands, and I know the editors, producers, studio executives, and television moguls who present them to the public. In fact, you'll read about their experiences and hear their opinions throughout this book. They'll help me to explain why some things work and others don't. It's not alchemy; it's not voodoo. There may be magic involved, but magic is usually the product of intense drudgery, endless practice sessions, and just a touch of inspiration. Branding isn't the wave of a magic wand; it is a discipline that can be taught and learned. It can be practiced and examined, discussed and analyzed. The better it is understood, the more successfully it will be utilized. There will also be a total Branding experience: the creation of a fictional brand of ice cream that we'll see grow from an idea into a full, mature brand through the best use of public relations practices. The concept of the product, the name, the presentation, and the advertising and marketing will all be influenced and shaped by the uses of public relations. The brand win emerge through its promise to the public, and through the way that promise is communicated and reinforced. That is pure public relations. The journey we're about to take will be a fascinating one. We'll examine brands that are practically sacred in many households, and discover how they got that way. We'll look at the most inspired choices and biggest Branding mistakes ever made. And through it all, we'll keep an eye on what you can do to use public relations techniques to help create that once-in-a-lifetime brand. Michael Levine is the founder of the prominent public relations firm Levine Communications Office, based in Los Angeles. He is the author of Guerrilla PR, 7 Life Lessons from Noah's Ark: How to Survive a Flood in Your Own Life. GuerrillaPR.net is a resource for people that want to get famous in the media, without going broke. <a target="_new" href="http://GuerrillaPR.net">http://GuerrillaPR.net</a>

Logo-ize For Instant Identification & Increased Awareness

The task of creating an indelible impact on the memory of your target market is arduous but can be made much easier with a well thought out logo. The word comes from the ancient Greek where it was used in philosophy and theology to mean &quot;the divine reason implicit in the cosmos, ordering it and giving it form and meaning.&quot; The function of a logo in today's business world is much the same ? to make the visual identification of your company implicit by giving it form and meaning. The form and meaning of a logo are expressed in three elements ? name, slogan, and icon. Think for a moment of the fabulously successful sporting goods and apparel company, Nike. The name obviously, is the name of the company. The slogan &quot;Just do it&quot; explains the meaning, philosophy, or emotional expression of the name. The &quot;swoosh&quot; icon is a visual representation of the name. Together the name, slogan and icon form a powerful &quot;logo-ized&quot; representation of the company which is vital to the brand. Today, because of their constant use, logos of many national companies (think Nike, McDonalds, Travelers Insurance) are indelibly imprinted somewhere in our brains. While the logos of most companies will never attain that level of memory retention, it will be a great advantage to make their logo more memorable and identifiable to their marketplace ? the prospects, clients, and possible prospects in the geography or industry they serve. Here's the first step. Get out your business card. Look at it. First see if you actually have a logo (name, slogan and icon). If you do, and it is over three years old, analyze it to determine if it is still relevant or whether you may benefit from a &quot;logo makeover.&quot; If you don't have a viable logo, get to work on the missing elements starting with the slogan that describes the business, its products or services and the emotional benefits of the company in very few (1 ? 7 words) catchy words ? this will take time and worthwhile effort. Lastly, have the name and slogan visualized graphically. Increased retention and understanding of your company will be the immediate benefit that goes out to your marketplace with every communication so logo-ize and start communicating better now. Larry Galler coaches and consults with high-performance executives, professionals, and small businesses. He is the writer of the business column, "Front Lines with Larry Galler" Sign up for his newsletter at <a target="_new" href="http://www.larrygaller.com">http://www.larrygaller.com</a>

Importance of Business Branding

Branding is very important to a business, whether it is an online or offline business. Your brand will be the first impression the public has of your business and could very well be the most important one. The goal in business branding is to give consumers a visual image of your company. Business branding is very important to a business because it allows the public to identify your company name on sight. There are several elements of business branding, the first of which is your logo. It is a good idea to use a professional in creating your company logo. A logo designed with clip art and unprofessional graphics can make your business seem unprofessional. Your company logo should appear in as many places as possible including emails, letterhead, pens, and notepads. The image your company projects should be professional and memorable. Another important feature of business branding is your slogan. A slogan identifies the values and mission statement of your company. A slogan should emphasize the message you want to convey to the public. You should choose your wording carefully and create a short slogan that is easy to remember. Business branding is very important to any type of business and you should include your logo and/or slogan in your web site design and signage. In creating the perfect brand for your business you need to determine who your customers are and how your business can fill their needs, and who your competitors are and why your business is a better choice for consumers. Business branding must be highly visible and easily identifiable to the public. Your branding logo and slogan should be consistently displayed in all your company advertisements and correspondence. The image your company projects is just as important as the quality of services and products you provide. For more valuable resources for growing a successful business head over to <a target="_new" href="http://www.redrockva.com">http://www.redrockva.com</a> today!

Intelligent Design comes from Brand & Account Planners

I've been reminded recently, rather forcefully, that not all reality hackers are anti-neoconservatives. Bush endorses teaching 'intelligent design'. I can't help hearing &quot;intelligent design&quot; as emerging from scores of focus group research. There's a war going on. I'm not safe in my own house. Americans are bombarded by 3,000 paid messages each day Media uses militaristic terminology. In movie theaters, we are referred to as captive audiences. TV networks call us a target. If I click on a banner ad they refer to me as a hit. I'm sitting among memetic hitmen. I'm writing from the 2005 US Account Planning Conference -Exploring the New Power of Creativity in Chicago's Fairmont hotel. I'm not a registered attendee as I have been in years past. I'm wireless in the lobby of the Fairmont Hotel, so I am a paying customer of the hotel. I'm only trespassing when I actually attend the conference or eat a meal at their open buffets. If you've read Thomas Frank's One Market Under God, you know who these people are, social engineers for advertising and corporatocracy. My experience has been that most of these attendees get offended when I refer to them as social engineers. I'm not really sorry if I am offending you by challenging your sensibilities. Account Planning is the Peace Corp of Corporatocarcy-The Peace Corp General is a presidential appointee, those involved are an extension of George Bush. Account Planners may be doing good, but they are also paving the way. Similarly, account planners regularly pride themselves on being consumer advocates. I do it. It does help people. Regularly, account planners are the ones saying we can profit more if we screw the consumer less. Of course, that language is not often used. Case-in-point: I worked on Baskin Robbins 2 Scoop Sunday for $1.99 promotion which greatly increased sales. A regular 2 Scoop Sunday had five ounces of ice cream covered in sauce and nuts and a cherry: two 2.5 ounce scoops of ice cream. This $1.99 promotion used one 2.5 scoop and one 1.5 scoop. Consumers were happy. We were selling happiness bythe way-that was our brand essence. Consumer had accepted one big scoop and a smaller scoop for $1.99. They, the new product development engineers-as they were called, wanted to make the $1.99 Sunday two 1.5 scoops. I thought that might be fine. However, as the numbers were played with, and the concept of one big sccop and one small scoop resurfaced, they said that they should make it one 1.5 ounce scoop and one 1 once scoop. Then, it was proposed we give them two 1-ounce scoops and the consumer would be happy with all the sauce and nuts and a cherry. I said, &quot;Maybe we can just sell a happy face for $1.99&quot; They said, &quot;What?&quot; I said, &quot;There coming in to our stores to buy ice cream. We have said that ice cream is happiness. They may be willing to compromise for price, but giving them 40% of happiness they expected, even at a discount, may leave them dissappointed, and then we aren't promoting happiness.&quot; Consumers eventually got 3-ounces of ice cream. I negotiate another ounce of cream for each patron. I was doing good. That's the cool aid: I'm standing up for people. When I read John Perkin's Confessions Of An Economic Hitman, I felt like I should write The confessions of a memetic engineer. Yesterday, I saw my old boss Jeffrey Blish give a lecture on the state of culture and account planning. He is a genius. His writing, before he found Jesus-I mean advertising-created the use of % of RDA on packaged foods. That was good. But I digress. Yesterday, I saw Jeffrey speak about his work at Deutsch and their broadening influence on culture. He showed a Bon Jovi video his creative director Erik Hirschberg had concepted, a video that promotes the viral use of a smirk for subsuming the rage of youngsters. Brilliant memetic idea. Erik recently said, &quot;Brands are the new religion.&quot; Jeff Johnson, CEO of WestWayne says the same thing. The Culting of Brands explores the tactics of this brand warfare. Jeffrey spoke about the power of irrational reasons to believe. &quot;Great cheese comes from happy cows. Happy cows come from California.&quot; Then Jefferey asked, &quot;How's that for logic?&quot; Of course it is intellishit and he knows this and he is proud it is working so well and he should be. Jeffrey suggested that those of us who wish to harness this technology should focus on two questions: 1) How is media consumption changing?<br> 2) How is the consumer brand relationship changing? I'm more concerned with being an advocate for transparency. Howard Campbell Recovering Ad Executive <a target="_new" href="http://www.BenMack.com">http://www.BenMack.com</a> <a target="_new" href="http://www.PokerWithoutCards.com">http://www.PokerWithoutCards.com</a> After 12 years in advertising, research and communications, Ben Mack is a writer and a freelance account planner. Ben is edgier than most freelancers. If you have a fringe project, he's your guy. In the mean time, check out his blog at <a target="_new" href="http://www.intellishit.com">http://www.intellishit.com</a> Thank you for your consideration.

Not So Stationary Stationery

The elements and functionality of the basic stationery system is changing. With the advent of email, fax, web and cell phones, stationery systems must be adjusted to meet the needs of today's business. Business Cards The biggest change by far in business cards is the amount of information they contain. Current cards often juggle multiple phone numbers, email, and web addresses as well as one or more street addresses. Companies are adopting logos with taglines and sometimes sub-taglines. We have even seen mission statements and bullet lists of services and product lines printed on cards. To corral the potential chaos, think carefully about the purpose of the card and how the end viewer will use it. Secondary information such as alternate addresses can be positioned away from the key content on the back of the card. Web and email addresses are now easily identified and no longer need "http://," "web" and "email." Alternatively, try a mini CD - a business card sized disk that can contain an interactive presentation. Letterhead It is not what letterhead says, but how it is used ? and not used that is changing. Many businesses now use email for their primary correspondence. Sending invoices, thank you notes and proposals electronically drastically reduces the reliance on printed stationery. While situations remain where professional communication requires a printed letter, the quantity of letterhead ordered can be reduced for many businesses. Corporate address, main phone and fax numbers and website should be still be included. Reserve personal information, such as email and cell phone numbers for individual business cards, even if there is only one person in the business. Envelopes The standard #10 business envelope is still around. Known as the "bill" or "invoice" size, we like to create distinctive designs that stand out and beg to be opened. Invest in having your logo printed in your corporate colors on paper that matches your cards and stationery. Mismatched mailings look unprofessional and derail your brand-building efforts. Whether professionally done or output on your desktop printer, affixing a label that coordinates with your other stationery instantly turns plain 9x12 and other envelopes into pieces of your branded system without having to invest in printing envelopes in sizes you only use occasionally. Some things never go out of style When developing a stationery system, don't just think about what you "should" have, think about how you work and plan a system that helps you get the job done from both a practical and a marketing perspective. About The Author Beth Brodovsky is the president and principal of Iris Creative Group, LLC. Brodovsky earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Communication Design from Pratt Institute, New York. Before launching her own firm in 1996, she spent eight years as a corporate Art Director and Graphic Designer, providing a sound foundation in management and organizational standards and structure. Iris Creative specializes in providing marketing and strategic communication services to clients in service industries and small businesses. For more information contact Beth at <a href="mailto:bsb@iriscreative.com">bsb@iriscreative.com</a> or 610-567-2799.

Into The Limelight

To stand out in a cluttered world, become a recognized expert There are millions of small businesses vying for our attention. Yet, because the marketplace is more discriminating and skeptical, it's hard to get noticed. To enjoy the greatest return on your marketing efforts, you need to rise above the crowd. You need an edge over the competition. In short, you need to become slightly famous by establishing an expert reputation. Not so long ago, expertise was equated with the number of years you were in business or the college diploma that hung on your wall. That has changed as people have come to be more interested in results. If you can deliver, people will be interested in you no matter how brief your business experience or how bare your walls are of diplomas. Experts are sought after. They get more business with less effort and command higher fees. Journalists come to them for information. They are asked to speak at conferences. They out-position their competitors and break out of the anonymity trap because they know more and are recognized as knowing more. Becoming an expert can help you achieve "top of the mind" awareness among members of your target market. By packaging your knowledge into articles, speeches, and workshops your name can immediately come to mind or be the first one mentioned when members of your target market turn to others to find what they need. Publish Publishing articles, columns and books are powerful techniques to establish your expertise. Publishing pre-sells others of your abilities and exposes you to thousands of prospects. And reprints of published articles make excellent, low cost sales literature, easily replacing expensive brochures, mailers, and newsletters. Kimberly Stansell says publishing created tremendous name recognition for Research Done Write, her Los Angeles-based consulting and training firm. Her syndicated column "Bootstrapper's Success Secrets" appears in dozens of entrepreneurial publications, association newsletters and business web sites. "The name recognition my column has given me is tremendous," says Stansell. "I get invitations to participate in events and other business opportunities. And I can automatically charge higher fees because people assume I'm expensive." There are endless opportunities to publish your expertise. Thousands of business, trade and Internet publications covering every imaginable industry and audience are fairly easy to break into, even for beginners. If you have a good idea, tailored to a specific readership, there are thousands of publications hungry for articles from business professionals. Find A Podium When Robert Middleton moved his marketing consulting practice a few years ago, he had to find ways to generate new clients. He immediately contacted local chambers of commerce, business groups, and organizations likely to be interested in his three-hour marketing workshop. Within months, Middleton not only had plenty of clients but also made a name for himself in Silicon Valley as a marketing expert for professional firms. On any day, there are thousands of speaking opportunities available to small business owners who take the time to seek them out. To find an available podium to promote your business, contact clubs and groups in your community that conduct speeches and workshops. If you have a good topic that is relevant to their membership, most will be happy to hear from you. Middleton sends each group an introductory package. It includes a cover letter naming other groups that have sponsored his presentations, a biography, a short description of his suggested talk, and comments from those who have attended his seminars. Middleton now conducts three to five such presentations a month, tailored to individual audiences. Virtualize Your Expertise Have you noticed that many high paid, respected professionals publish information materials? You can establish expertise, generate additional income and develop a compelling brand identity by developing books, booklets, e-books, audiocassettes, special reports and other information products based on what you already know. CJ Hayden began life as a professional coach ten years ago in San Francisco. After years of delivering her "Get Clients Now" program to local audiences, she franchised her ideas and took them to a national marketplace. "I trademarked the name, taped a workshop, and wrote a 50 page workbook. I created an "out of the box" package so others could produce my program on their own." The success of her "brand extension" strategy even helped her land a book deal to publish Get Clients Now! A 28-Day Marketing Program for Professionals and Consultants The best strategy is to create synergy between your products, services and reputation. Send information products to prospects. Use them for "back of the room" sales at speeches and workshops. Boost your profile by promoting products in articles, press releases, and at networking events and trade shows. Also, list your products in the catalogues and directories of trade associations, book clubs and business groups. Keep It Going Investors know that the best returns go to those who are patient. Not every article, speech or workshop or information product will make your phone ring off the hook. But, if you are consistent, you will develop an expert reputation that will help you land new clients and customers while making your business a recognized and reputable name in your marketplace. About The Author Steven Van Yoder is author of Get Slightly Famous: Become a Celebrity in Your Field and Attract More Business with Less Effort. Visit <a href="http://www.getslightlyfamous.com" target="_new">http://www.getslightlyfamous.com</a> to read the book and learn about 'slightly' famous teleclasses, workshops, and marketing materials to help small businesses and solo professionals attract more business. <a href="mailto:steven@getslightlyfamous.com">steven@getslightlyfamous.com</a>

Logo Files: Versions Of Your Logo That You Should Own

Your logo is the most important graphic element in which you will invest for your business. You should own the logo in many file formats. Having a library of logo files will enable you to send vendors the types of files they need (for example, other designers, printers, or other service providers). There are two major categories that I will cover in this article - color variations and file-type variations. Color Variations You should receive your logo graphic from your designer in all of the file types listed below in the "File Formats" section (unless otherwise noted) in the following color variations: Pantone color or CMYK color<br> Pantone color (if applicable) - If you intend to have your business cards or other materials printed professionally, choosing Pantone colors makes the process less expensive than printing in full four- (or CMYK-) color, unless you choose to use the new printers available today. See my article on inexpensive printing options, coming soon!. Full CMYK color - This is for four-color printing, full color ads, and for use on any materials that you intend to print from your own desktop color printer, i.e, invoices, statements, receipts, letters, etc. RGB color<br> RGB color - For use on your website or in your email. You should get JPEG and GIF formats in this color scheme. Grayscale and/or black and white versions<br> Grayscale - If your logo contains more than one color, or if it has tones or shades of one color, you should receive a grayscale version. You would use this when your logo is included in the newspaper or in the Yellow Pages, or on any black and white laser-printed materials you may create. Black and white <br>This version would be used to produce the best-quality logo on faxes or any materials you reproduce using a copier. Depending on the design of the logo, sometimes only either a black and white or grayscale version of the logo will be applicable. For example, for a logo with just one color in it, only a black and white version would apply. And, if elements of different colors overlap, a grayscale version will ensure that the different graphic elements do not bleed together, as they would if they were all converted to black. So you may not receive both grayscale and black and white versions, but having one or the other should suffice. File Formats: Original graphic<br>The original Illustrator, Photoshop, or other program-native document. This comes in handy if you make a minor change to your company (i.e., if you add LLC or Inc.), or if you decide to change your color scheme. To make these types of changes easiest, you need a file of the logo in the original program in which it was created. If the logo was created in Illustrator (which is preferable, because creating vector graphics in Illustrator will allow your logo to be scaled up and down as needed), the type should not be outlined, unless your designer has done so in order to modify the typeface. If the logo was created in Photoshop, the layers of the document should not be flattened, and the type should not be rasterized (converted from editable type into pixels) - this will ensure that it will still be editable. Ask your designer which fonts have been used in the logo, so you could purchase it for use in other materials. This will avoid the lengthy and time-consuming process of font matching, should you work with other designers. You should receive several different versions of the software's native file formats from the designer, in case a future designer or printer ever uses an older version of the software. For example, I provide Illustrator files in Illustrator CS along with Illustrator 9. EPS format <br>I recommend that your logo be in EPS 9 format. EPS can be opened and processed by many different programs. This is also the file format most commonly accepted/requested by printers. PDF format <br>You will not be able to view many of the file formats of your design that you receive unless you have graphics software applications. I suggest that you receive the PDF files of each Color Version of your logo. You will be able to view the PDF files using Adobe Acrobat Reader, available for free on Adobe's web site at www.adobe.com. "Outlined" original format<br>The difference between this graphic and the original would be found in the Illustrator files. The fonts in the outlined original format would be outlined, which means that the letters are converted into shapes. In Photoshop, the type should be rasterized and the layers should be flattened. This outlined file should be provided in all of the formats listed above - original program format, EPS, and PDF. These outlined file versions should be provided to any printers or service bureaus to lessen the chance that the elements in your logo could inadvertently be shifted around. This will make sure that your logo will print with the right font should the printer not have the font used in your logo. JPEG and GIF formats <br>For web or email use. The GIF graphic should be created with a transparent background. TIF format at 300 dots per inch (DPI) resolution, in RGB color format - For use in Microsoft Word and PowerPoint files. TIF format at 300 DPI<br>Some printers, ad vendors (i.e., the Yellow Pages), or other designers may require this file format in order to create additional designed materials. Having your logo in these formats will ensure that you won't ever need to have your logo redrawn or re-created for use in future projects. After all, you own your logo - shouldn't you be able to use it as well? About the Author Erin Ferree, Founder and Lead Designer of elf design, is a brand identity and graphic design expert. She has been helping small businesses grow with bold, clean and effective logo and marketing material designs for over a decade. elf design offers the comprehensive graphic and web design services of a large agency, with the one- on-one, personalized attention of an independent design specialist. Erin works closely in partnership with her clients to create designs that are visible, credible and memorable ? and that tell their unique business stories in a clear and consistent way. For more information about elf design, please visit: <a href="http://www.elf-design.com">Logo design </a>at <a target="_new" href="http://www.elf-design.com">http://www.elf-design.com</a>

Brilliant Branding Builds Business

Branding is more than product recognition or a simple logo. It is the overall intellectual and emotional impression people have when they think of your company and its product. It is a strong and consistent message about the value of your business. A memorable and trustworthy brand reinforces customer loyalty. It helps them remember that your business provides the perfect solution to their problems. Therefore, to succeed in branding you must understand your customers' needs and issues. Brand building is an ongoing business strategy that has an easy-to-measure cost in time, money, and effort. Its value, on the other hand, is harder to establish because it involves measuring emotional associations that may not immediately translate into revenue. Branding is an essential element of success, however, and it should be reinforced during times when business is booming and when sales are slower. You want customers and potential customers to maintain a positive association with your company and its services. You control the messages you send out through marketing, advertising, customer service, and your Internet presence. Branding is a combination of everything your company uses to present itself. Here are a few key elements to analyze and enhance in your branding strategy: 1. Professionally designed marketing materials (logo, stationery, ads, and the like): These tell customers your company is strong, confident, and credible. Your marketing materials should reinforce your company's image and positioning over and over and over. 2. Consistency in advertising: Develop a tagline to succinctly describe your company - and use it! Develop a campaign that can provide different messages, but it recognizable as your brand. 3. Excellent customer service - always! Make sure your entire staff positively represents your business image. 4. A strong and professional website: It must be easy for viewers to navigate and understand. It should let visitors know what your company does and why they should care. Provide compelling, easy-to-understand, and interesting content. Make it easy for visitors to make purchases. 5. Differentiate your brand: Make sure your customers and potential customers understand why you are different from the competition. You want to establish a superior benefit with you target audience that encourages long-term loyalty. Branding is not what you say about your company and products; it's about your customers' perception of your company and products. To strengthen your brand, make sure you can answer the following questions: What do you do that is different from anyone else? Why do you matter to your customers? If you can't answer these questions, you don't have an effective brand. ACTION ITEM: Take a good look at your company and product/service strengths. Determine your primary strengths and benefits and then make sure your branding strategy (marketing materials, advertising, sales, customer services, logo, etc.) reinforces this. Simple, eh? Wendy Maynard, your friendly marketing maven, is the owner of Kinesis. Kinesis specializes in marketing, graphic and website design, and business writing. Visit <a target="_new" href="http://www.kinesisinc.com">http://www.kinesisinc.com</a> for more articles and free marketing wisdom. Want to harness the power of kinetic marketing? Sign up for Kinesis Quickies, a free bi-monthly marketing e-newsletter: <a target="_new" href="http://www.news.kinesisinc.com">http://www.news.kinesisinc.com</a>

Corporate Branding and Professional Logo Design

Any business with the minimum interest to be successful should concentrate on developing their corporate image and when I say &quot;any business&quot;, I mean it, absolutely any business-even if it's a mom-n-pop shop. &quot;Corporate image&quot; might be a big word for such small ventures, however, what I meant by that is how the business wants themselves to be perceived by their customers. Irrespective of the size of the business it is very important to determine how do you come across to your potential customers? How do you compare to your competitors? These factors are largely determined by your branding and marketing strategies. Branding tools like logo designs, business cards etc goes a long way in creating your corporate image. Any marketing communication material should ideally have your corporate logo on it, which would give more credibility for your business as well as help your client to perceive your business as a professional enterprise. Logo design is an absolutely indispensable part of corporate branding strategy and should always be assigned to professional logo designers. A professional logo designer is not just a graphic designer but he should also have ideas about branding and positioning of business. Depending on your requirements he will create a logo that would successfully exude the nature and attitude of your business. He also needs to understand the media in which you are going to use your logo; it can be web, print, electronic media (TV commercial etc) or a mixture of all of these. The logo should be compatible and equally attractive wherever you might choose to use them. While working on any of our logo design orders we ( <a target="_new" href="http://www.mycorporatelogo.com/customlogodesign.htm">Custom Logo Design</a> )always try to capture as much as information possible, from the client. Basically there are 4 types of logos, glyph, alpha-glyph, alphanumeric or a combination of any of these. There are a number of factors that should be looked into to determine what would be the ideal solution for you. A professional logo designer or a specialist logo design firm can definitely help you with decision making in this aspect. Types of Logos Glyph: This includes symbols, icons, pictures etc that represents your company. These are most widely used for secondary communication rather than business logos, except for few like, Apple. Glyphs though used rarely as logos, if created properly by talented logo designers can be extremely sophisticated and create a deep impact as a corporate identity. However, we need to be careful that glyphs need to be done by well experienced professionals, an amateur attempt can simply male your logo unattractive and useless and might even cause loss of credibility to your business. Alpha-Glyph: An alpha-glyph logo uses a letter from the name of the company to graphically convey the nature of the business. At times picking the first letter of the company name and designing it in a particular way also do this. Ideal examples of this type of logos can be seen with Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), IBM, Honda, Motorola, and Oklahoma State University. This type of logo is also not used very commonly and shares the same advantages and disadvantages as the glyphs. Alphanumeric: This is a very common type of logos and is also used by some of the most reputed and well-known companies in the world. To name a few, Microsoft, Sony, Fed Ex etc. These logos are nothing but the name of your company written in a unique way with typographical effects. The typographic treatment gives a unique look to the logo and there is generally no issue with getting a Trademark. These logos are comparatively easier for amateurs to create however to get the best effect from an alphanumeric logo it's always better to work with a professional logo designer. Choice of font, color, letter spacing etc can make big difference in creating an impressive corporate logo. Combination Logos: This is the most common type of logos and is found everywhere. Most of these are actually glyph or alpha-glyph with an alphanumeric company name. It is the arrangement of the company name and the image and their color combination that plays the most instrumental role in the effectiveness of the logo. Some good examples of combination logos are UPS, Red Hat Linux and Intel. Placing your corporate logo on all marketing collaterals including business cards, brochures, flyers etc helps you to mark those collaterals as your company property and establish your corporate identity. Logos and marketing materials are integral part of a company's brand establishment strategy. A logo done by an amateur can ruin the credibility of your business in no time but when done by a professional logo designer can definitely add value to your business. A professional logo designer can help you to decide which type of logo is best suited for your business and can make people perceive your company as a huge corporate house with much credibility even when it might be just an one man shop. It's the image of the company that matters, if you intend to portray a positive and impressive image of your company go for a professional logo design today. Ray Smith is a marketing Expert with years of experience in different industries and specialized knowledge on branding and internet marketing. <a target="_new" href="http://www.mycorporatelogo.com/customlogodesign.htm">Custom Logo Design</a>

Brand Love, Part 2

Last issue, I talked about increasing your Brand Love-- meaning to increase the affection that prospects and customers feel toward your business. Why? Because increasing "affection" will build relationships. Those relationships, if made strong enough by increased Brand Love, build a bridge for prospects to become customers. To some, that bridge might be made of rope, swaying in the breeze, complete with wooden planks. To others, it will be a mighty stone structure. It all depends on how well you connect with each prospect. It also means putting more cement on the bond with the customers you already have. Locking customers in, tighter and tighter with every brand experience is a critical aspect to profitability and growth. The reason here is twofold: It costs less to maintain current customers than to gain new ones, and the best advertising is word of mouth. Sounds like a clich? ('cause they are), but... it's true, folks. So, the big question is: How to do it and do it better than your competition. Previously, I mentioned getting honest and forthright feedback from customers. Having one-on-one conversations can help. You will also get valued honesty from questionnaire cards that have a few quick answers AND some space to write in other thoughts. Actually, that could be the most important aspect of the card. Getting this kind of feedback can provide huge rewards. First, this type of &quot;silent&quot; feedback lets the writer give a more honest opinion, rather than talking face-to-face. They don't have to sign their name. Also, the feedback given can open up trains of thought that may not have occurred to you before. You may get insight into improving your core business. The insight may turn into a realization that leads to big discovery, such as a different product, service, or an entire market. Another way to increase Brand Love is the proper training of your employees. Nothing is more of downer (except perhaps bad merchandise) to a customer than an incompetent employee. Service should be a big part of your marketing plan, and that means involving time and expense to train your employees properly. We've all heard our economy is becoming more service-based, but we've all suffered from bad service- more often than not. Being on hold five minutes or more. Being ignored when you walk in the door. Given incorrect information, being overcharged, or having something delivered late. All bad news for customers. I once called a local outlet of a national home center chain, and I was on hold for 30 minutes! I stayed on as long as I could, just to see actually how many minutes it took for someone to answer. It was so long, I could hum their jingle in my sleep! And they never answered. Now, I go strictly to their competition. Alarmingly, it's to the point where mediocre service is so noticeably different, it gets applauded. Keeping your employees trained and caring starts at the top. So if this hasn't been a priority for you, make it one, and you'll see your referrals go up. This leads into my next point - becoming the Preferred Employer. In the marketing triangle, there are three elements: Business, Customers, and Employees. With the Business at the apex of the triangle, it cannot exist without the other two. You're not just marketing to customers. You are marketing to your employees too, because they are investing their time to work for you. When you create an excellent work atmosphere and employees find working for you rewarding, you get great performance from them AND you attract top talent. Those are two things that are priceless and almost insure success. Conversely, when you don't care about your employees, their training, or make work an unpleasant experience, count on poor to mediocre help without much care or effort. I cannot think of a faster way to drive good help and customers away. Being the Preferred Employer doesn't mean doesn't mean there are no rules in place or you pay obscenely high wages for comparable work. It simply means your employees are respected, taught to do their job well, given proper feedback when needed, and are made to feel valued. Take a good objective look around your business. Get honest feedback from your customers AND your employees. Great businesses become that way because they are constantly searching for ways to become better. Those two groups should be your most important and most depended-on allies in that never- ending search. ~ Republishing part of or entire article, in all forms, is welcomed, as long as author bio info is printed and proper authorship credit is given. As a courtesy, please send author a complimentary copy. John is a freelance commercial writer based in Omaha, Nebraska. He publishes a free monthly e-zine focusing on branding, advertising, and marketing from his web site <a target="_new" href="http://www.brandedbetter.com">http://www.brandedbetter.com</a>. Speaking with both agency and in- house experience, he knows the most valuable asset of a business is its brand.

Brand Image ? Brand Identity Guru

Having a brand image is not a &quot;have or have not&quot; proposition. Everyone has one. The problem is that you might have more than one brand image, depending on whom you ask. You know yourself, but depending on whom you talk to, others may think you're something completely different. That's when a brand image company can help. You need to consider hiring a brand image company that identifies your most powerful brand image and then works to make it your only brand image. The phrase &quot;brand image&quot; gained notoriety when sales patterns began to show that feelings and visuals associated with brands were powerful motivators to purchase products. It isn't just products that consumers buy. It's their associated personalities and values. People like people who are like them and value the things they value. The same goes for brands. People will buy products whose brands represent things they value and like, whether it's fun, power, money, intelligence or numerous other qualities. Sometimes, a brand can be powerfully focused when it's associated with an actual person who has the same type of attributes with which a company is trying to brand a product, such as, for instance, Chunky Soup and Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb: hearty, strong and reliable. Great brand images are instant, positive and unique among competitors. Brand images can be reinforced through such vehicles as packaging, ads, promotions, customer service and word-of-mouth. Good brand images are easy to see. Volvo is a good one. Immediately you think &quot;safety.&quot; That's a brand image. A weak brand image, on the other hand, elicits a slower and less certain reaction. What does GM stand for? Who knows? But GM has a few strong sub-brands. Everyone knows what a Corvette is about?HIGH-SPEED FUN! To measure how strong your brand is copy and paste: (http://brandidentityguru.com/bightml/brandmasterpiece.html). Then click "Take the brand strength test". This is a short survey that measures the strength of any company's brand. It's a great tool to see where you are today. Scott White is President of Brand Identity Guru (<a target="_new" href="http://www.brandidentityguru.com">http://www.brandidentityguru.com</a>), a leading brand consulting and market research firm located in Easton, Massachusetts, USA, near Boston. Brand Identity Guru specializes in creating corporate and product brands that increase sales, market share, customer loyalty, and brand valuation. Over the course of his 15-year branding career, Scott White has worked in a wide variety of industries: high-tech, manufacturing, computer hardware and software, telecommunications, banking, restaurants, fashion, healthcare, Internet, retail, and service businesses, as well as numerous non-profit organizations. Brand Identity Guru clients include: Sun Life Financial, Coca Cola, HP, Sun, Nordstrom, American Federal Mortgage, Simon (America's largest shopping mall manager) and many others, including numerous emerging growth companies. Scott White is a very enthusiastic speaker and has the gift of being able to explain the principles of branding in a compelling and entertaining manner so that people at all levels can understand.

Corporate Logo Design ? 6 Keys to Success

A corporate logo design should be highly instrumental in building your corporate identity and should successfully exude the company's attitude. The viewers must have some idea about the disposition, character, or fundamental values of your company through your logo. Following certain basic principles can ensure that your corporate logo design is professional easy to remember and creates a great impact on its viewers while successfully expressing the nature of your business. Go for Professional Logo Designers You might save a few dollars doing your own logo or getting it done from the next door boy who knows the basics of designing but if you are serious about your business you should always go for a professional logo design firm. Your corporate logo is your identity, your customers recognize you by your logo, so the more professional and sophisticated your logo is the better will be your customer's impression about your company. Though most of the logo design companies charge exorbitant rates to create a corporate logo design but the industry is changing. These days there are companies that offer excellent professional logos for nominal charges (e.g., <a href="http://www.mycorporatelogo.com">http://www.mycorporatelogo.com</a>) Simplicity ? Keep it Simple An ideal corporate logo design should be simple and memorable. Corporate houses spend thousands of dollars to ensure that customers remember them at all point of time and a simple logo is the key to that. Think about the Nike logo, it's simple and memorable-once you see the Swoosh, do you ever need to think twice about the company name? Colors Colors you use for your corporate logo are a very important factor in your brand establishment. If you already have your corporate colors ask your logo designer to use those colors for the logo. If you don't, suggest the colors that you think might give your prospective clients some idea about the type of business you do. For example, a company working in the fields of forest conservation might like their logo to be in green. At the same time, you also need to consider which colors will go well with your corporate stationeries as well. Black and White version While emphasizing the colors we must also remember that it is important for a corporate logo to come out well in black and white. A corporate logo design is used in all corporate communications including fax and photocopied document where they will be in black and white and the logo design must be such that it holds the same impact even in black and white. Minimize Colors This is more important from an economic and usability point of view. Corporate logos are often required to be printed for stationary and corporate literature. Using a one or two spot color logo can save a lot of cost compared to printing a full color logo. Logo Format It is advisable to always use a vector format for your corporate logo design. A corporate logo may be required to be reproduced at any size for different purposes in the future. A logo design done in vector format can be expanded to any size without any loss of image quality, where as a corporate logo in raster format will loose image quality, if scaled up. Also it is easier to convert a vector logo design to bitmap than vice versa. If you get a professional logo design firm to do your corporate logo and brief them about this basic tips (most of the knowledgeable firms are well aware of these principles) you are sure to get a satisfactory corporate logo design that would go a long way in helping you establishing your brand. Use your Logo: Once you are ready with your corporate logo start giving it maximum exposure possible. Not only on your business cards and letterheads but also on your packaging, uniforms, pens and all possible goods should contain your logo. This gives wider exposure to your logo and people gets familiar with the corporate logo much faster. With all these you are on your way to establish your brand. Ray Smith is a marketing Expert with years of experience in different industries and specialized knowledge on branding and internet marketing. <a target="_new" href="http://www.mycorporatelogo.com">Corporate Logo Design</a>.

Branding: All My Exs Live In...

...my senses. I know, you were thinking 'Texas'. Well, if they do live in Texas, then it's a good thing that I live in Virginia (dodged that bullet - swish!). In fact, most of my experiences, good and bad, nestle deep in the base of my subconscious until 'something' wakes them up. It could be the ocean air, a certain perfume, the sound of fireworks or a song, the touch, the feel of cotton, or even the taste of burnt pizza. Yup, all of these sensory experiences can bring any memory rushing back to the front of your mind. So, what does this have to do with branding? Have you ever smelled french fries and said, &quot;Oh, I could go for McDonald's&quot;. Nokia, the leader in cell phone manufacturing design their phones to touch at least 4 of the 5 senses, and touch some more than others. The design of the phone is perfectly shaped to the contour of the users hand (touch). The interface is designed to be exactly the same in any language, to the point that a Japanese user change his settings to English and know exactly where everything is (sight and touch). Their ringtone is unique and a branded Nokia sound (also used on their web site), so that it is easily recognized worldwide (sound). Their packaging has a branded scent that is emitted into the users brain the moment it is opened (smell). And, I wouldn't put it past them to find something taste-worthy to tie into their brand. Again, what does this have to do with branding? EVERYTHING! Branding for the senses takes your brand to another level of memorability. Did you know that the Disney Parks purposely spray the scent of cotton candy in areas where there isn't any? This drives traffic to other areas of the Parks where there is cotton candy! Did you know that the 'new car smell' is a manufactured scent? It's deliberately added because people love it. It is the finishing touch, the icing on the cake, that makes the decision to buy final. Some stores have a branded scent, or a branded sound when you walk in the door. You don't realize it, but when you hear that sound or smell that smell you will automatically think of that store. Certain hotels hand you warm chocolate chip cookie when you check-in - this is to wake the memories of home, which is how they want to remembered! So, what does your brand smell like? tandembranding is a nation-wide branding firm, and we work with marketing directors to make their company famous. We specialize in industries that cater to the customer experience. For more articles on how branding can make you famous, please visit <a target="_New" href="http://www.tandembranding.com">tandembranding.com</a> Mark Campanale, Brand Expert<br> tandembranding<br> <a target="_New" href="http://www.tandembranding.com">tandembranding.com</a>

Speech on Branding from a Franchisor Founder

I was asked today by a group of students; What do you feel is the best way to build brand name and why? And what significance do you feel are relevant to a strong corporate identity? Well obviously this is a group of marketing students. And it almost sounded as if I was being tested on an essay question. My answer will differ from those you maybe use to hearing. That is fine, but I am right. They may also be right and it may not be a black and white issue in all markets, sectors or areas. Here is some of what I know in relation to building brand name. I would like to say a few words on this subject, which I feel of important. For instance the universal sign for a barbershop, the candy cane striped pole, for happiness the Belgium born happy face. But let us look deeper. In the grocery store on the Soda pop isle, look at it from the distance let us say the end of the row. Let us say you want a citrus soda? We all know that drinks that taste like citrus have green color bottles, Yet the appropriate color would be yellow or even orange, if you were to think of it. Some use these combos. Orange is for Orange soda, Yellow with green would be lemon type soda. Green for Mountian Dew and all the copy type generic sodas. Red obviously for cola. But why? Red is the color of blood not soda, and green is not necessarily the color of Mountain dew, that would really be crystal clear. Yet green tint and die coloring is added for effect, why to create brand identity. Has nothing to do with anything else. 7-up is clear yet the bottles were green. Then Mountain Dew came along and simply used this color theme. They used the other brand to build their identity. Pizza Hut buildings are all the same, so are IHOPS and McDonalds restaurants. Even if they were to close a store you can always tell what use to be a Hubble House, Wendy's, Der Wienersnietzel, or Blockbuster store. Why? Brand identity. But colors and brand are also important. Think about the bear companies they almost have to have the cans gold or silver or at least some showing. Coors, Miller, Bud, but also Mickey's (yuk), Red Dog, Sapporo, but why those. Why not, why recreate the customer's perception. The customer wants everything in their perspective, they want order, but why? It is a chaotic world and some postulate that chaos is the only given in the random order of the universe, and that the only thing constant is change, yet the consumer buys what they are familiar with? This that go against this familiarity concept, must spend money to change customer perception. A risky ordeal and if they succeed? No problem, some one will copy that theme and cash in on the progress made and the marketing dollars spent. Why do I as a Car Washer submit these facts to a bunch of hungry knowledge seeking students? It is our job at WashGuys (my company) to create brand identity, We have, we are, we will. What do you pay for when you buy a franchise? You pay for brand identity and future growth in customer recognition of that brand. Sometimes with a small franchisor, (using the franchising industry due to the many examples and my familiarity on the subject), that can be risky and it is one topic that is often discussed in academia, yet few really understand it as well as franchisor. It is a current trend of corporate identity people to create an image that brings with it thoughts of the conditions needed to affect a customers desire to buy. So a logo created need to instill reliability and honesty and strength in a Phone company or a bank. In a tech company; state of the art, innovation and vision. In a sports shoe company; winning, comfort, effortless versatility and power. There maybe other reasons but let us look at the logos for AT&T, Nike, Addias, Silicon Graphics, Apple Computer, etc. Think of all the symbols you know like Coca Cola, Levis, California Cheese, Starbucks, Kinkos, Frito Lays, etc. What do these brand names need to retain customer base and extend market mix. If they are too limiting they lose and if they are too diverse they do not hit their intended audience. Band names; some many of them remember and they for the most part achieve their objectives. Frito Lays logo tends to promote longevity in the market place, your grandparents ethics, reliability. Coca Cola Classic says it all, An American Tradition, precisely what the company wants it to say. This is one reason the New Coke failed, people drink coke because it is a tradition and it is a coke sometimes even if it is a Pepsi or RC Cola. Often our customers call the people who wash their cars &quot;The Car Wash Guys&quot;, yet it likely may be Jose's Mobile Wash in Albuquerque, Schmit's Detailing in Couer D Alene ID, Winslow's Washing Service in Boston, Chang's Car Wash in South City San Francisco area, Fidel's Fine Finishes in Miami, Jacques Car Care in Quebec, Bernies Beverly Hills Detailing, or even Paquito's Truck Wash in El Paso. Hey stop laughing, they do not have brand name we do. We win again. The more cars and trucks they wash and detail the more famous we get, because we own the most recognitzed name and the name which has become figures of speech. Gotta love brand name recognition. Lord knows I do and you know what? That is right you can say whatever you want, but we are winning that brand war. Even the FTC attempted to increase our brand name by having us interviewed by Forbes, Business Week, WSJ, USA Today, Business Journals all over the country, when competitors could not beat us in the market place and complained to the government. Every time your brand is written about, spoken about, promoted, publicized, advertised, you win. We certainly know what we are doing. Yet the rest of the industry lacks any brand identity at all, as a matter of fact the attempts are even poorly engineered from a academic standpoint. Simonize Car Wash, uses an old brand name not popular with most of its clientele, Mace changed its name and was unable to capitalize significantly on its efforts. WOW-Wash-on-wheels did not do it. Spaklewash? No, Ziebart? Not really, what is Ziebart? A Zebra on the wall in a painting? Imagine the cost of promoting nothingness into a brand name? Imagine being a franchisee of a system and being forced to use a name that is nothing. I think that Yahoo, had a better chance. Yahoo is a yell of euphoria. Like in the beginning, Yahoo, I am cruising the Internet. So how did the Car Wash Guys come to be? Well this is interesting. One day washing cars in Westlake Ca, I went to an office as I had gone into every week for a year. The lady at the front desk said. The car wash guys are here. Our name was at the time Aero-Auto Wash. Signifying that we washed cars and aircraft. That was our two specialty niches back then, yet we washed other things, we were known for these. What she was meaning to say to the rest of the 500-employee office on the intercom that day was that the guys who wash cars, me and three workers were there again at the prescribed time. Each week same announcement. Eventually people would say Hey it is the car wash guy. And Hey I said &quot;why fight it?&quot; It was a few months later that I had heard the same announcement several times at other offices some small, some large, some over the Public Address System and some just yelled it over the counter to the small staff of my potential or weekly wash customers. Even more interesting was that eventually the checks made out to my company said things like Wash Guy, The Car Wash Guys, Wash man. So that is when I decided that before someone looked at the name the check was made out to at the bank, I better get that DBA. I did, but before that I had to hide those checks that were not made out to Aero Auto Wash in the middle of the stack so the teller would not see them. Eventually the checks started to say all different things. One said the Car Wash Gays, which we were not. Car Wash, all kinds of stuff. So we said hey the most common thing people say is; &quot;The Car Wash Guys are here.&quot; So we started to put that saying on the trucks and then we officially changed the name to the customer's perception of who we were. We are the Car Wash Guys or Car Wash Gals and we own both Federal Trademarks. They are undisputed and we do enforce our brand rights. Sometime later another company was formed called the Good Guys, electronic retailer. Then people occasionally made the mistake and made the check out to the Good Guys. Wow, I knew we had won the brand name war in that area. The Good Guys, sub consciously that is what people thought of our clean-cut crews and uniformed service. We had made it. They thought of our fundraising efforts as Good, our team as Good Guys and we washed cars. That is miraculous. We know take what we have learned to any market and immediately establish brand identity. And we are growing in size and numbers. We always win the brand war. Perhaps it is because no one else has as many units in as many states as us or that the cost to create that recognition is the reason. Perhaps no one in this industry knows what we know about the customer or that they do not care. Maybe they are just lazy, stupid, incompetent or bullheaded to think that a name like Bubbles, Sunshine, Dicks Car Wash, Car Spa, Dr. Car Wash is where it is at. The car washes, which just say &quot;car wash&quot; may actually have an advantage in that they have no identity at all. Yet that is easily arguable, if you looked at our rise to power in various regions in the 1990s. Our company has been called by our critics and competition the McDonalds of The Car Wash Industry, The Wal-Mart of Car Washing, low price leader, usually in a derogatory since, yet it is by far a compliment to the Brand name we are building, it will increase its value to us and decrease their market share. The customer is calling us the good guys, the convenient choice, a better mousetrap, a time saver, a good deal, a cool business, a lifesaver. WOW, sometimes it gets heavy, when a customer tells you, Oh thank you, how can I ever repay you, you are a gods sent. Sometimes you want to say Hey Chill Out Lady, All I Did Was Wash Your Car, but that is inappropriate, so you just smile and graciously accept the large tips. Ever wonder why Starbucks puts out a tip jar? With every car you build brand name and goodwill, one car at a time, yet that critical mass theory is also real, in that once you become a household topic, the exponential exposure is intense. Who can we thank? We can thank careful planning, strategy, customer service, community goodwill, belief in what we do and ever motion we make. It is not luck building brand name. Far from what many believe. Ben and jerry drove around the country in a damn beat up motor home delivering free ice cream to every group they could find. Luck. Yah right, tell them that. Hopefully as you go about your business this week you will begin to understand some of these observations in the Real World and perhaps you already have? Are you on a Dell, HP, IBM, Apple Computer right now? Are you wearing New Balance, Addidas or Nike Shoes? Think about it? Why is that so hard to see from the perspective of a college student who wears name brand clothes, wears a name brand watch, eats at name brand establishments and drinks a lot of name brand beer, when they can afford it? It appears that until you live brand name from the business side you cannot fully understand it. Likewise I feel and have personally witnessed former Professors who run large companies fail to capitalize on their brands. People like Service Master's President, straight out of what I consider a top business school and a company doing billions a year in sales, but in my humble opinion should be doing 150-200 Billion per FY. I cannot tell you how many companies make obvious mistakes with their brand name, based on advise from experts, advertising agencies and academia, which in my opinion is always looking back, and has not a clue how to change the market direction midstream and take advantage of brand name value in opportunities right before their eyes. We will not allow ourselves at The Car Wash Guys to miss opportunities within our reach when they meet the criteria needed to win against the competition in the market sector or deliver the desired results to the consumer. I suggest you watch such trends in your company and offer suggestions or use this knowledge to make strategic decisions which will propel you company from good to great or help consumers believe you are a company that was built to last. "Lance Winslow" - If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; <a target="_new" href="http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs">www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs</a>

Trademark Your Business ? Lessons Learned

Small business owners learn many lessons the hard way - through the school of hard knocks. I recently experienced my own tough lesson concerning the importance trademarking my business name. Like many solo-entrepreneurs on a tight budget, the thought of trademarking my business name was not high on my priority list. Had I placed more importance on it, I might have saved myself some anxious moments, not to mention a few hundred dollars in attorney fees! As a member of a couple different virtual assistant membership organizations, I often look with interest at other VA's business names and website URL's. One day I noticed a new member announcement for one of the groups and saw a listing for VA Office Solutions. Now this one hit a little too close to home for me - after all, my business name is VA Office Solution. I also noticed that she had a domain name to match. Have you figured out my first mistake yet? I could have kicked myself for not purchasing the domain name, http://www.vaofficesolutions.com, which is so close to my own domain name of www.vaofficesolution.com. After all, even some of my own clients inadvertently add an "s" to the end of my business name in correspondence. I certainly didn't want people to look for my business on the Internet, and mistakenly find this other website! This could potentially be very confusing for both of us, especially considering we both operate similar businesses and conduct our business virtually, working with people all over the country. Well the first thing I did was a little research on this domain name. I was able to find the owner and saw that the name had only recently been purchased, and had only been purchased for a one year period. This indicated to me that this was a new business, and she had only just started using this name. Then next step was to get some legal advice. I had met an attorney who specializes in trademark law at a networking event so I gave her a call and asked to meet with her. I learned that I definitely had a good case, as I'd been using the trademark since 2001. Even though I had not formally registered the trademark with the USPTO (U.S. Patent and Trademark Office), I still had first use of the trademark, which gives me certain rights. After meeting with the attorney, I decided that my first step should be filing my trademark with the USPTO (http://www.uspto.gov). Now this is something that I could do myself, without paying an attorney, but taking into consideration my own time constraints and her expertise, I decided to let her handle it for me. Also, since there would need to be a letter drafted to the trademark infringer after my trademark had been filed, I just felt more comfortable letting my attorney draft a letter that would be effective enough to get the infringer to stop using the trademark and take the website down. So how did it all end? Well I got my trademark registered and we sent the letter to the trademark infringer. She agreed to stop using the trademark and took the website down. All in all, the entire process took about three months. I feel very lucky though, as I was able to find this infringer very soon after she opened her doors for business. By getting it done quickly, it should not have been devastating to her business and did not have an apparent affect on my business. So what should you consider when deciding if you should trademark your business name? First you should conduct some research to make sure you're not infringing on someone else's trademark. You may be forced to stop using it if that's the case. If you decide to trademark your business name, then you must be prepared to enforce your mark. If you allow others to use the mark, then you can face abandonment and risk losing your own trademark. You should also consider the domain name issue. Do not make the mistake I did and let someone else snatch up a domain name that matches your trademark. Be sure to visit the U.S. Patent and Trademark office at http://www.uspto.gov, and then visit my attorney Heidi Pliam's trademark website, Trademark Edge, at http://www.trademarkedge.com. And if you're looking for a good trademark attorney, be sure to give Heidi a call! Her contact information is on the website. Jean Hanson is a Certified Professional Virtual Assistant. Discover how partnering with a virtual assistant will give you more time to do the things you love to do! Visit her at <a target="_new" href="http://www.vaofficesolution.com.">http://www.vaofficesolution.com.</a> Jean is also the author of the eBook, Virtualize Your Business - <a target="_new" href="http://www.virtualizeyourbiz.com">http://www.virtualizeyourbiz.com</a>

The Secrets of Starting Business Successfully

Starting Business Secrets will help you to start your own business successfully. </P> <P>The American Dream is, and always will be, to come up with an idea, start a business and become rich from your own efforts. Based upon this motivation, thousands of businesses fail each year, due primarily to not being familiar with the basics involved in running a business. </P> <P>This report will enlighten you, and give you a number of suggestions you can use to better guarantee your chances for success. This report is written with the warning that any and every business venture contains certain inherent risks, and any number of alternatives. We do not espouse that any one way is the right way or that our suggestions are the only way. On the contrary, we advise that before investing any money in a business venture, you seek counselling and help from a qualified accountant and/or attorney. </P> <P>Just about the first thing you should consider before deciding to start or purchase a business is the legal form you'll be operating under. There are basically four choices: sole proprietorship, partnership, limited partnership, and/or corporation. </P> <P>Each has a number of advantages and disadvantages. We'll try to enumerate some of them for you. </P> <P>As much as anything else, for many people starting a business is a form of ego-gratification, and they form a corporation for some sort of prestige gain - just to say, "I own a corporation." </P> <P>With just a little bit of observation, you'll find that one of the major causes of business failures is due to the founder wasting start-up capital on frills, such as an impressive store- front office, expensive furnishings, and corporate legal costs. </P> <P>One of the basic traits you must develop it you're going to be successful in business, is a tight hold on your expenditures. In fact, a good rule of thumb is that anything that does not make money for yo or protect your investment, should not be purchased at this time. Very definitely, this applies to the expense of setting up your own corporation. </P> <P>Unless you have a partnership and start your business as such, the only real advantage to forming a corporation would appear to be that a corporate structure will semi-protect the property you personally own. </P> <P>As an example, you own a home and car. You form a corporation to protect these possessions from business losses. Yet, if you can be found guilty of misusing corporate funds, your business creditors can pierce the corporate shield and come after your possessions. </P> <P>Basically, if you invest everything you have in your business, as most newcomers do, you don't usually need a corporation because you have nothing to protect. Your household possessions, personal belongings, generally your car, and even a portion of the equity in your home is protected by the homestead provision of the Federal Bankruptcy Act, and cannot be taken away from you. </P> <P>As a sole proprietor or partner of a business you'll be paying taxes on your overall earnings, much the same as if you were holding down a salaried or hourly paid job. Whether you do or don't take out money as a salary will have no bearing on the earnings of your business and tax return. </P> <P>The often advertised advantage of incorporating, that you can manipulate your salary in order to save on tax dollars, is real because of corporation laws. However, the IRS frowns on this practice. When your business is successful and making a lot of money, definitely check with your accountant on the advantages of incorporating. </P> <P>As a corporation, you'll be subject to a number of other drawbacks as well: generally higher state taxes, stricter laws concerning the operation of your business, more elaborate accounting procedures, and legal papers that are required just about every time you make a major move or sign almost any contract. Thus, your legal and accounting fees will be much higher as a corporation than will those required for a sole proprietorship type of business. </P> <P>As a sole proprietor or partnership, you'll find many areas require the registration of your business name. The cost however, is minimal, ranging from $5 to $100. About the best way to find out what laws apply in your area, is to call your bank and ask if they need a fictitious name registration card or certificate in order for you to open a business account. </P> <P>Selecting a name for your business is quite important to you and particularly relative to advertising. Your business name should describe the product or services you offer. Fancy names such as, Linda's Clipping Service will lose potential "walk-in and passing" customers to the beauty shop across the street that calls itself, Patti's Beauty Salon or Jane's Hair Styling Shop. </P> <P>The advantage of using your full name in the title of your business, such as Johnny Jones' Meat Lockers, has the advantage of making credit somewhat easier to come by - provided you pay your bills on time - but it also includes the disadvantage of confining your services to a local or at most, a regional area. </P> <P>Should you buy, lease, or rent a space for your business? think twice before you make any decision along these lines. Most businesses tend to grow quickly or they never get off the ground. </P> <P>There are a few exceptions, but only a very few, that tend to grow at a modified rate. </P> <P>So, buying a piece of property and setting up your business on or within that property, obligates you to ownership regardless of what happens to your business. </P> <P>Leases are almost always very strong contracts written by attorneys to the advantage of the property-owner. When you sign an agreement to pay someone for the use of their space over any length of time, you're "nailed in" to paying for that space regardless of what happens to your business. </P> <P>In the beginning, it's wise to either get the shortest-term lease possible, or arrange to rent with an option to lease at a later date. This does not apply to a retail business, unless your particular business happens to be an untried one. </P> <P>Definitely, you should open a business bank account. In selecting a bank for your business, scout around and look for one that can, and will help you. Determine what your banking needs will be, and then via telephone, interview the managers of the banks in your area. The important convenient bank to your business location. </P> <P>A point to remember: the closer you can make the relationship between you and the bank manager, the better your chances are going to be for approval on loans and/or special favors you may need at a later date. </P> <P>Try to become acquainted with as many of the bank employees as possible. The better you know them, the more courtesies they'll be extending especially to you in the course of your association. </P> <P>Just as a doctor is a specialist in his field, and you go to him for medical problems, your banker is a specialist in his field and you should go to him for your money problems. In business, you'll have to learn that everyone is an expert in his own line of work, and in your associations with other business people, refrain from acting like a "sharpie" and/or pretending that you know exactly how everything works in someone else's specialty. </P> <P>You'll find that very often, different banks specialize in different types of businesses. As an example, you're sure to find banks that specialize in real estate transactions, export- import businesses, and even manufacturing operations only. </P> <P>What I'm saying here is that if you're planning to sella fairly expensive item, your customers will probably need and/or want financing. It will behoove you to select a bank familiar with your type of product that will afford your customers, through you, contract financing. </P> <P>Some of the questions you should ask of your banker include the following: </P> <P>Is it necessary to maintain a certain balance in your account before the bank will approve a loan for you? What qualifications must you have in order to obtain a line of credit with the bank? </P> <P>Does the bank limit the number of loans, or types of loans it will approve for small businesses? </P> <P>What is the bank's policy regarding the size of a check you might deposit that requires holding for collection? </P> <P>And what about checks less than that amount - will they be immediately credited to your account? </P> <P>In almost all types of businesses, it will be to your benefit to set up with your bank, a method of handling VISA, Master Charge, and regional credit cards. The important thing here is to ultimately set up your account in the bank that will service all of these credit transactions for you - one stop for all your banking needs. In most instances, you'll find that having the capability to fill orders/make sales via credit card transactions, will increase your volume of sales appreciatively. </P> <P>Once you've made the decision as to which bank is going to handle your account, you'll need your Social Security Number or your Federal Employer's Identification Number, your driver's license, the fictitious name certificate, and if you're requesting a VISA or Master Charge franchise, you'll also need a financial statement. </P> <P>For corporations, you'll also need a corporate resolution approving of the opening of your business account. </P> <P>There are different policies exercised in just about every state regarding installation/hook-up charges by the telephone and utility companies. Some require a deposit, and some don't. </P> <P>You'll find that a great number of city business license departments are there solely for the purpose of collecting another tax. Depending on the type of business you're asking a license for, the building and zoning people may inspect your premises for soundness of structure and safety. Generally, you won't encounter any difficulties - you simply pay your fee to operate your business in that city, and the clerk types your name onto a city license certificate. </P> <P>Relative to sales tax permits and licenses, each state's rules and regulations very widely. The best thing to do is call your state offices and ask for information concerning registry and collection procedures. Many states require an advance deposit or bond, and you'll find that some wholesalers or manufacturers will not sell to you at wholesale prices until you can show them your sales tax permit or number. </P> <P>Should your business entail selling your products or services across state lines, in another state, you're not required to collect taxes except in those where you have offices or stores. </P> <P>You may find also that your particular business requires the collection of Federal Excise Taxes. For information along these lines, check in with your local office of the Internal Revenue Service. </P> <P>Some states also require certain businesses to hold state licenses, such as those required in many states for TV Repairmen. </P> <P>These are known as "occupational permits" and are most often required of barbers, hair stylists, real estate people and a number of other consumer oriented businesses. If you have any doubts, check with your state offices for a list of those occupations that require licensing. </P> <P>Any business doing business in any type of interstate commerce is subject to federal regulations, usually through the Federal Trade Commission. This means that any business that shops, sells or advertises in more than one state is subject to such regulation, and this includes even the smallest of mail order operations. </P> <P>Normally, very few business people ever have and contact with the federal regulatory agencies. The only exceptions being when there is a question of your operating your business unethically or illegally. </P> <P>Any business that sells or distributes food in any manner almost always requires a county health department permit. If your business falls into this category, simply call the county health department and invite them out to your place of business for an inspection. The fees generally range from about $25, depending on the size of your business when they first inspect it for permit approval. </P> <P>There are also a number of businesses that require inspection by a fire marshall, and fire department approval. Generally, these are those that handle flammable materials or attract large numbers of people, such as a theater. Overall, the local fire department has to be allowed to inspect your premises whenever they desire to do so. </P> <P>You may also run into a requirement for an air and/or water pollution control permit. These specifically apply to any business that burns anything, discharges anything into the sewers or waterways, or use any gas-producing product, such as a paint sprayer. </P> <P>Without a doubt, you'll need to check on local regulations relating to advertising display signs. Each city or township makes its own rules and then enforces those rules according to its own thinking -check before you contract to have a sign made for your business. </P> <P>The design and placement of your sign is very important to your business - specifically to retail establishments - but let me remind you that your business sign is usually the first thing a potential customer sees and as such, it should catch his eye and leave an impression that lasts. It would be a good idea to ride around your town and take a look at the signs that catch your eye, and try to determine the impression of the business that sign leaves on you. This is a basic learning formula for determining the design, size and placement of your business sign. </P> <P>Some of the other things to consider before opening for business - If you intend to employ one or more employees, you'll be required to deduct Federal Income Taxes, and Social Security payments from their checks. This will involve your filing for a Federal Tax Number and necessitates contact with your local IRS Office. </P> <P>Most states have "unemployment taxes" which will have to be deducted from the paychecks of any employees you hire. And there are a number of states that have income taxes - disability insurance - and any number of other taxes. Again, the best thing to do is check with your local office of the IRS. And above all else, don't forget to ask for the rules of the minimum wage law, and comply. </P> <P>When your business grows to the point of needing additional help, don't be afraid to look for and hire the help you need. when you're ready to hire someone, simply run an ad in your local paper and/or register your needs with the local office of your state's employment service. Businesses either grow or die, and those that grow eventually need more people in order to continue growing. </P> <P>When that time comes, hire the additional people you need, and your business will continue growing. If you don't, for whatever reason, you'll find yourself married to your business and your business growth stymied. </P> <P>Regardless of how small your business is when you begin, never walk in with the thought in mind that it's something to keep you busy. Anyone with an attitude of that kind is a fool. You begin and make a business successful in order to realize financial freedom. Establish your business. Put it on its feet, and then hire other people to do the work for you. And those businesses that require an operations manager, or someone to run a phase of the business you're too busy to handle, hire the person needed or the business will surely suffer. </P> <P>To protect the investment of your business, you need business insurance. If you've never had any experience with business insurance, simply look under the heading of "business insurance" in your phone directory. Ask for bids from several different companies or agents...Primarily, you should have a policy that gives you general liability, fire, workmen's compensation, business interruption, and vehicle coverage. You amy also want coverage against possible losses related to burglary, robbery, Life & Accident, Key Man, and Fidelity Bonds. </P> <P>As the sole proprietor of a business, you won't be paid as an employee, so there will be no income tax deducted from whatever you withdraw from the company's earnings. What you'll have to do is a gain check with the IRS Office for a Tax Guide For Small Businesses Handbook, and probably end up filing an estimated tax return on a quarterly basis. </P> <P>The minute you open your doors for business, you'll have to spend some time engaged in the work of bookkeeping. Exactly how, and using what forms, you keep books, should be on the recommendations of a good tax counselor...The same holds true for your overall business and/or payroll accounting system. Look for an experienced CPA that knows the accounting problems to your particular kind of business, and solicit his advise/counseling. </P> <P>If your business is going to involve the possible purchase or lease of operating equipment, again seek the help of your tax counselor for the most advantageous method of obtaining the needed equipment. </P> <P>Basically, arranging for your suppliers to give you materials on credit will depend upon your honesty and personal financial statement. The best way is usually a personal visit to the person with the power to approve or disapprove of credit at the company where you want to set up a credit account. Show him your financial statement, and explain your prospects for success. Then assure him that you've always honored all of your obligations, and that if ever there's a question or problem, you'd like for him to call you at home. And of course, give him your home phone number. </P> <P>We won't go into the exigencies of advertising your products, services or business here, but there is something along these lines you should always keep in mind. The best kind of advertising your business can receive is that you don't really pay for - publicity. </P> <P>When something unusual happens to you, your business, or your employees - that's news, so be sure to tell the news media in your area about it. </P> <P>The most important ingredient of your eventual success will be the soundness of the planning you did before you started your business. Any number of bad things can really throw your business into a tailspin, but it you've done your homework well - really set up a detailed business plan before starting - your losses or setbacks will be minimal. Success takes planning, and within this report, you've got a basic checklist...The rest is up to you...Good luck, and may your life overflow with success in all that you undertake from this moment forward. <P>---------------------------------------------------------<BR>Julia Tang publishes Smart Online Business Tips, a fresh <BR>and informative newsletter dedicated to supporting people<BR>like you! To find out the best online business opportunities,<BR>and to discover hundreds more proven and practical internet <BR>marketing secrets, plus FREE internet marketing products <BR>worth over $200, visit: <A target="_new" href="http://www.best-internet-businesses.com">http://www.best-internet-businesses.com</A><BR>----------------------------------------------------------</P>Note: Feel free to publish it with the resource box and content unchanged