In a recent blog, I wrote about the need for small business owners to eat the frog, tackling their most important challenges early and often. Doing so helps better ensure their long-term survival, but it requires attentiveness to what kills small businesses and, more specifically,...
Social psychology teaches us that panhandlers asking for specific amounts of money are typically far more likely to receive a handout. A specific ask conveys an effort to complete a clear-cut task, which makes it easier for normally apathetic passersby to assist in what they...
How innovation and unique branding give small businesses an unfair advantage I’ve been blessed to work with some amazing brands over the last fifteen years, many of which weren’t even around when I was born. I can still remember sitting at the large conference room...
Demystifying the power of branding “What is branding, anyway?” That’s one of the most-asked questions I get from small business owners. “A brand refers to the unique, intangible, and often indiscernible, association prospects and customers have regarding your products and services,” I say to them....
My opening to the group of entrepreneurs I spoke to earlier this week was “You must build a brand. The success of your business depends on it.” During the talk, sponsored by Selph Marketing, I shared how-to advice on a number of topics I’ve seen...
Many years ago, during an initial client engagement, the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) for the brand I was about to start working with shared a user manual of sorts with me and his then-new team. Having never seen such a manual before, I didn’t know...