Branding for the Small Business

Tags: branding, logo, Small Business, Virtual Assistants

You see them all the time.  Chances are you would recognize the Pepsi Logo or the Nike Swoop anywhere.  These icons are an example of the kind of logos that branding hinges on.  However, these are huge companies so a common question is-does branding work for small businesses?

Many logos are simply graphics that are designed with little to no thought about how the logo becomes a brand.  There are many things to take into consideration when branding a small business because your brand is your identity to your customers.  However, does it make a difference in the marketing of your products or services?

In the case of Nike for example, the “brand” was already in place before a clever marketer made a slogan which will forever be connected with that swoop.  The phrase “Just Do It” in many minds is interchangeable with the “brand” itself.  So, did the swoop help sell shoes?  The answer is no, the brand in itself identifies the product on the shelf.  If a person is already looking for Nike shoes they will be able to pick them out.

There is no branding substitute for a good product and great service.  Nick Rice who writes for SBB had the following to say:

The design of your logo really doesn’t matter. Would you choose MSN as your search engine over Google because of their logo? No, having a nice professional logo is great, but it very rarely increases sales. I’m all for a professional logo, but don’t think you need to spend a fortune on it. It’s more important to include your logo on every piece of communication. Put it on business cards, letterhead, envelopes, invoices, yellow page ads, building signage, newsletters etc..

Stand for something. People latch on to something they can understand and appreciate. If you’re trying to be everything to everybody, chances are you’ll attract no one. If you think it’s too controversial to choose a niche, remember the power of being seen as an expert. Experts are not good at everything, they’re awesome at one thing. This allows you to better position yourself and charge more for your services. People seek out experts, not generalists

So, while it may not be a substitute for a great product, your brand may be the difference when you already stand out as a company.  Keep in mind that the Logo you choose will be identified with your company indefinitely.  Like a tattoo, make sure its something will be proud of and that you can live with.  While some companies have successfully done it, changing a logo years after you are established can be tough and risky.  It takes a sizeable effort to re-brand your company.

Benefits Of A Paperless Office

Tags: environmentally friendly office, paperless office, small business tips, virtual

Many offices today both home and corporate are making the change to being paperless. There are many benefits with a paperless office beyond simply having less paper to deal with. While having an office completely paperless with no paper in sight is not really realistic, with the use of email, online calendars and other software and systems, you can eliminate a good portion of the clutter and waste.

Below are the main benefits of becoming paperless and tips how to make it happen.
• Save time. By eliminating paper you can save time finding, copying, filing and organizing paper. Information can be accessed instantly without having to search through files or boxes of stored documents.
• More space. With a paperless office there is no need for countless filing cabinets or boxes of files. Your desk will also provide more workspace without all the clutter of paper lying around.
• It is helping the environment. Less paper means less waste in the landfills and more trees saved, period.
• Increased security of files. By switching to an electronic system of filing and storing documents, you can decide who can review certain items. With the use of password protection, sensitive information can be restricted to those who really only need it.

If you are considering the move but still are not sure it will work for you, try to make at least a partial move towards a paperless office. Simple things like using scanners instead of copying machines, sending electronic faxes instead of paper faxes and storing information electronically instead of in filing cabinets is an easy way to get started!

Remember to make sure you’re backing up files since you are not creating a hard paper copy, a good choice to try is Carbonite. This is an online backup system that is easy to use and automatically backs up all your documents. So make a change today in how you work, you will find in the end your life is much easier and organized!

January is Get Organized Month

Tags: growing your business, Offsite Business Solutions, organization, Virtual Assitants

In 2005 The National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO) announced that January was designated as Get Organized Month. It makes sense that thy choose January as most everyone is making a list of resolutions for the New Year. One of the most common resolution is to get organized.

What does it mean exactly to be more ‘organized?’ And how do you accomplish that goal? The first step to getting organized is to write down your daily tasks and then decide which items you must do your self and what tasks you can delegate to someone like a virtual assistant. Think of all the time consuming tasks that you dislike or that take you away from spending time on growing your business.

The bottom line comes down to how you want to use your time; do you need to get the little things off your desk so you can focus on the core part of your business? Choosing how you will get organized is your first step. For some it can be difficult because it means you have to be willing to give up a bit of control and let someone else come in and help reach your solution. Accepting the fact that you need help is the first step. Contact a virtual assistant or professional organizer and let them know your needs. Be honest and they will lead you down the path to being organized! Happy New Year!

Don’t Type – Try Skype!

Tags: Internet conference calls, Internet video calls, Internet voice and video, Skye 5.0, Skype, Skype calling, Skype to Skype

If you use the Internet, you know about Skype. Skype has actually been around for several years and we are pleased to report that most of the PC crashing, file eating virus problems with early versions have been properly handled and put to rest. Everyone, everywhere is starting to use Skype as a free communications tool that lets Internet users conduct:

• Skype-to-Skype calls
• Video calls
• Instant messaging
• Screen sharing

Skype also has paid services (by the minute at 2.3 cents per minute and by the month at 1.2 cents per minute) that expands the reach to include additional calling features including non-Skype smartphone calling, SMS, call forwarding and a “Skype to Go” number.

Business uses for this amazing platform include video or voice conference calling, which is free when placed Skype to Skype. The latest version, 5.0 gives remarkably clear and quick video relay, even for international video; and it’s free when all members of the conference are Skype members.

You can manage group conversations by assigning topics using a number of tools that can alert members by topic and conference times. Chat and messaging features let you create organized, focused conversations with just the right team members for the topic at hand.

You can also track conversations and create a sense of community between team members and between your team and your clients, even if they are halfway around the world. Check out what Skype has to offer today – it’s easy to use, flexible, and free!

Can the Spam – How to Reduce Your Junk Email

Tags: antispam, block sender, junk email, reduce junk email, reduce spam, report junk email, report spam, SPAM, stop spam

Tired of spam and junk email? You should be – Symantec tells us that 72% of your email messages are spam. In spite of rules and regulations, clever marketers and spammer gurus just keep changing the game and how they get their messages to you. They’re pretty crafty, but if you follow some basic guidelines you can reduce your junk email significantly. Here are some tips to can the spam:

1. Never respond. Sure, it’s tempting to lock and load a hostile or sarcastic response, but all that tactic does is assure the spammers that your email address is valid. They’ll simply cross you off their list and sell your email to someone else.
2. Report the sender right away. Spam is illegal and even if the sender is going around the regulations, the messages are still junk and you can turn them into spam@uce.gov or to your ISP.
3. Block the sender’s domain. Most email services have a handy tool that lets you block all email from specific sources. Block the whole domain, since they may use a specific email address just once.
4. Block images. If you automatically block all images, you can reduce your junk email quite a bit. Once the image opens, even if you don’t click through any links, the spammer knows he has a good address.
5. Protect your email address. Don’t post your email address in a public place where anyone can see it and capture it – be wary of posting your email on blogs and Twitter. Extra special tip – spell out “at” instead of using the @ sign – spammer software won’t pick it up as an email address.
6. Include antispam software in your Internet security package. Go the extra mile when you buy security software and select an antispam option as well.
7. Update your email address. If all else fails, you can start over with a new email address. If you decide to make a change, try a more complex address that what you had before. It’s a pain, but it may be worth it if you are inundated with junk email.

Whatever course you take – do something! We all have to make a concerted effort to stop spammers and minimize the unwanted and uninvited email in our inboxes.

Gifts Of Appreciation

Tags: Client gifts, gifts of appreciation, holiday gifts

Tis’ the season for showing appreciation to the people who have played a part in your success and whether it is clients, employees or even vendors, there are many gifts available that won’t break your budget. Giftcards and food are always welcome gifts but if you are looking for more of a traditional gift, below are some ideas to get you started!

Personalized Engraved magnetic-pen This magnetic round desk pen stand with pen is supported in the stand with magnet. Personalize this gift by engraving a name or message or laser etch an order of 25 or more with a logo.

 Ribbon of Success Paperweight: This paperweight is different from the norm. Each one is hand created so no two are identical in size or pattern. Intricate and colorful ribbon swirls make this piece a beautiful work of art.  Add your logo for additional impact.

Unique Pen holder and Picture Frame Combination: A unique and useful desk item, this pen and pencil cup holder revolves to display 3 photographs. Comes in rosewood color or cherry wood color finish. 

Pop Up Business Card Holder and Frame: A gift that is versatile and unique. The business card holder and frame serve a dual purpose.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Tags: Giving Thanks, Offsite Business Solutions, Thanksgiving

It’s hard to believe that it is already that time of the year again! Thanksgiving is next week and during this time try to take a few moments to give thanks for the wonderful things in your life.  Many people are traveling, preparing their home for guests or getting things caught up in their business so they can finally take a few days off!
 
One of the things I am so very thankful for is my freedom. I am thankful for all the soldiers who are protecting us and our freedoms that we enjoy everyday and the sacrifice that they make. For those soldiers who are deployed overseas and who will be away from their families for the holidays we can do a few things to make it a little more bearable, such as sending a care package with some comforts of home. My family and I will be sending some care packages and notes of gratitude this holiday season and if you are interested in doing the same check out this wonderful website http://anysoldier.com./
 
All of us at Offsite Business Solutions wish you and your family a safe and wonderful Thanksgiving!

Email Lite–Reduce Your Unsubscribes with Lighter Frequency Lists

Tags: email lite, email marketing, email subscribers, lighter frequency, Offsite Business Solutions, opt-in emails, unsubscribes, Virtual Assistants

It’s great to build email lists, and we know that your subscribers love to hear from you – but how often? If you are a prolific emailer, your favorite subscribers may end up hitting the delete button before the ever open your message. Eventually, they may even unsubscribe just to lighten up their email boxes.

So why not help them lighten their load? With a couple of content changes and technical switches, you can create email lighter frequency lists that give your subscribers the options to get your broadcasts weekly, bi-monthly  or monthly. Here’s how:

Condense your content:

• Highlight the top news stories or tips each day
• Remove any announcements for timely events that will be obsolete
• Merge related articles
• Create topic lists that link back to the full story on your Web site

Tweak the Opt-In

• Make sure that your subscribers who opt in to lighter frequency aren’t still on the original daily deluge list
• Create a self-explanatory Web form for each list that makes it clear they are signing up for fewer emails
• Create confirmation messages that spell out what they have signed up for and when they will get emails

If you make the decision to offer lighter frequency email content, now may be the perfect time to reach out t your subscribers who haven’t opened your emails in a while. Send them an email that lets them know they can opt- in for your email lite version. Write a subject that lets them know it’s a new opportunity.  Ask them to select a frequency option and link them to a Web form that will set them up seamlessly. It may be just the way to get their attention again!

Great New Web Tool That Lets You See Your Site For What It Is

Tags: Offsite Business Solutions, Virtual Assistants, Web analytics, Web design, Web measurements, Web site content, Web traffic, Web usability, Web visitors, website marketing, Youseeable Web tool

If you aren’t using some type of Web analytics and Web usability tool, you should be. Now we have new, free usability tools springing up that are worth checking out and running on your site, even as a test. The latest cool tool is called Youseeble, a brand-new Internet tool that lets you see your Web site the way your visitors do.

Do you have your most important content in the right place? What are your visitors (and potential customers) really looking at? What gets ignored?

Youseeable doesn’t really replace a comprehensive Web analytics tool (Google Analytics is one that you can use for free), but it does let you see how people interact with your Web site, which is really the name of the game these days. Here’s how it works:

• Youseeable records the activity of each visitor then creates three different “heat maps” that show where people go on your site
• The Interaction heat map shows where visitors go and what they ignore; the Attention heat map shows cursor movement; and the Visibility heat map shows what visitors actually see on your pages based screen resolutions and browser differences
• Just insert a couple of lines of  segments of HTML code into all your pages, then create a test
• Youseeable also offers a playback function that lets you watch the actions of a real visitor

The real benefit to Youseeable is the ability to take your visitor numbers and actually understand them by looking at the behavior patterns. It’s free to try – all you need to get started is an email address and the ability to add the code onto your pages.

Today’s Web marketers must be relevant, real and responsive. Tools like Youseeable help you create and place content and design to keep visitors on the site and to give users the information and applications they are looking for in Web 3.0.

Who Has The WiFi? Check Out HasWiFi.com for In-Flight Services

Tags: carriers with Wi-Fi, Expedia, HasWiFi, HasWiFi.com, In-flight WiFi, SeatGuru, Wi-Fi airlines, Wi-Fi flight

If you can’t get through a flight without a trip to Facebook or to check your email, then check out which fights offer in-flight Wi-Fi services with HasWiFi.com. While in-flight Wi-Fi is becoming more common, especially on longer flights, it’ not offered consistently and you may not know until you are on board or about to board whether or not you’ll be able to get connected during your flight.

So far, HasWiFi only offers fight information for six airlines:

• Airtran
• Alaska Airlines
• American
• Delta
• US Airways
• United
• Virgin America

Because airlines commonly switch out aircraft for scheduling changes, the HasWiFi system can’t be 100% accurate, but it’s still pretty helpful; and the sit even offers you the chance to give feedback on accuracy with a  “You Tell Us” links to vote on whether or not the flight information was accurate.

The creator of HasWiFi, Anthony Petito, also plans to expand the listings with other carriers and also offer an Interface so that travel sites like Expedia.com can also search the database info for in-flight Wi-Fi.

Heard of SeatGuru? SeatGuru.com also provide Wi-Fi information, along with other details on particular flights like the arrangement and comfort of seats available. SeatGuru currently offers a larger database of carriers an flight information.

If you are going to get that report done while you are traveling, better make sure your boss isn’t checking up on you with HasWiFi!