Brands and Other Small Business Basics


Brands and business basics is a roundup looking at what is out there for your small business as you work to develop your company’s identity. Remember that brand will be important (and not just for the marketing department. ) They define how you behave as a company and who you are. There are plenty of other important tips in this roundup for operating your small business effectively plus success stories and other features. Got some ideas you would like to add? Leave a comment below.

Branding & Marketing

Not every brand is good. Even the world’s most wanted terrorist tried actively to create an image, one that would resonate with supporters and enemies alike. But this particular exercise demonstrates how not all attention is good. In the end the al-Qaida chief’s “message” alienated the West and the majority of the Muslim world as well, according to polls. This may be one of the world’s worst ever personal brands. Yahoo! News

Getting started with social media. You know, of course, that despite the ongoing debate over ROI, social media is important for your small business’s future. But like so many small business owners, you lack the time even to educate yourself about the options. Above is a link that will help, complete with infographic. V3 Integrated Marketing

Twitter benefits business. Have you ever had your doubts about the benefits of the planet’s most popular micro blogging platform when it comes to marketing  your business? Well, there are many ways you could use Twitter to better your business, especially when it comes to online presence. Here’s one small business owner’s take. Sian’s Just the Way I Am

Success Stories

Turning lemons into lemonade. What would you do if you were diagnosed with not one but two rare conditions that threatened not only to seriously impact your health but also to prevent you from ever seeking conventional employment again? Yonatan Maisel’s story is one of triumph and inspiration for anyone who has ever faced setbacks and should remind small business owners that no barrier is insurmountable. Yonatan Maisel Blog

Chis Zane and 31 other small business success stories. Chris Zane has built his cycle shop empire on a pretty simple concept: That the key to success is viewing the long term value of customers. Read Chris’s incredible story and browse the other success stories in this section for more entrepreneurs with a vision. Inc.com

Operations

Non-disclosure agreements: an overview. If you don’t know what a non-disclosure agreement is and you’re not clear why your small business needs one, it might be a good idea for you to check out this basic review. Discover why non-disclosure agreements are of invaluable benefit to entrepreneurs and how you might use them in your own business. 365 Days of Startups

Finance

Personal finance skills for your business? If you think that how you manage your personal finance doesn’t affect your business, think again! Here are seven basic personal finance skills every entrepreneur should know. Ignore these tips at your own risk. Managing your finances is a simple but important step toward better small business management too.  Solo Biz Coach

Sales

How can you create better content? And what exactly is better content for your business Website or social media channel anyway? Well, for lack of a more exact description, Facundo Villaveiran would say it should be entertaining, viral and support the buying process. But where to begin? Channelship

You are your own sales team. That’s right. When you start out with a small business (or even a startup that wants to be huge some day) you have to understand that in the beginning it will often be just you. Who’s going to bring those clients in the door then? Same answer! Tweak Your Biz

Tech

Google offers look inside your business. As if it weren’t enough to see maps of your business location on Google’s pages, the search giant has announced plans to provide a service that will let customers check out the inside of your business too. Want to let perspective customers get to know your small business even better? Find out more. Bloomberg BusinessWeek

3 Comments ▼
3 Reactions
  1. Thank you so much for including my article on personal finance. Personal finance skills are often overlooked by small business owners. But, I think this is a huge mistake.

  2. Thanks so much for the Channelship and Bloggertone mentions guys!

  3. Thanks for the mentions folks!