Branding (Part 1 of 3)

February 4th, 2011

By Adam Mefford

(this would be the first of three installments on the function of branding, brand design, and execution)

The term ‘brand’ is often misused in my view. As an entrepreneur and designer, I’d like to share that a brand is not the visual impressions of a company.

A brand reflects the clarity of the intent of the organization in total. When someone really understands something, they are able to share it succinctly, without a lot of pretense. This is the nucleus of strong branding.

Think of the difference between Japanese cuisine and Chinese cuisine – one relies on the purity of the ingredients, the other adds colors and sauces.

If your goal is to enjoy the benefits of a clear voice for your company, get your base ingredients in order before you begin to cook, so to speak. Understand your mission, your audience and the level of play relative to your competitors, and then prioritize your message around the change you intend to bring to the market.

A well-designed brand serves the intent of the business by translating these few key messages across the range of impressions made as the business functions. But without connecting these key messages to the strategy and intent of the business, the best design in the world won’t be able to build positive inertia in the minds of your audience.

Don’t rely on design to make-pretty an unintelligible strategy. Get your goals down and next month I’ll share how to get what you pay for in the area of brand design for young companies.

Adam Mefford is an alumni of Art Center College, where he founded MINT, a community focused on creative entrepreneurship.

E-mail him at Adam Mefford

Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

Space Matters to Succeed in Business

February 1st, 2011

By Ben Gary

Starting and growing a business is an ambitious endeavor which requires a large amount of business acumen to pull off. There are many pitfalls that even the savviest entrepreneur may fall into without carefully charting the waters before setting sail. According to the Small Business Administration Office of Advocacy seventy percent of new businesses fail within the first ten years.

The problem of course is that these days are rarely stable. A company now must be nimble and flexible, which is directly at odds with the long term lease commitment, especially for the newer company. And since landlords are in the business of real estate, with few exceptions they almost always hold the advantage in lease negotiations. Here’s how to be successful.

While the reasons for this high failure rate are varied, the wrong answer to the question of “where do we locate or conduct our business?” is a common mistake many entrepreneurs make when starting and operating a business. The fact that so many things need to be considered in choosing a location combined with so many choices makes the mistake all the more common. Fortunately, a competent real estate advisor can help businesses create and execute a sound real estate strategy capable of creating competitive advantage that will contribute to business success.

Effective management of operating capital is crucial to any successful business and occupancy cost is typically one of the largest operating expenses businesses incur. In many cases, businesses are operating very inefficiently from an occupancy standpoint. Cornell University’s International Workplace Studies Program conducted a study in 2003 to show that the average vacancy rate for commercial office space from 8 am to 5 pm is between 50% and 70%. That is a lot of money being spent for dedicated work space that is not being occupied by company employees.

Give your business a better probability of success by recognizing the fact that space matters and turn a potential pitfall into one of your businesses biggest assets!

Ben Gary is an office services broker for CB Richard Ellis, the world’s largest commercial real estate firm. CB Richard Ellis currently represents 85 of the Fortune 100 companies.

E-mail him at Ben Gary

Tags: , ,
Posted in Best Practices | No Comments »

Phone Interviews

January 26th, 2011

By Dylan Campbell

You’ve submitted the resume, or gotten referred by a friend, and now you’ve got an interview… a phone interview. Personally, I hate phone interviews. But, life gets in the way. Schedules get in the way. This is the dawning of the age of phone interviews, Skype Interviews, Web-conferencing, or “anywhere but here” interaction. Here are a few things to keep in mind before you pick up that phone:

80% Percent:

Congratulations, you have just lost 80% of your communication skills. It’s not as bad as losing 80% of your vocabulary, but it’s close. 80% of communication is non-verbal. Be Descriptive: Take the extra step. Whenever I ask my single friend how a date went, I get a lame answer: ‘blonde, blue eyes, she’s cool.”

Orient the Listener:

Don’t assume the listener (interviewer) knows what your company does, or what you did at your company. Help them out! “So, tell me a little bit about what you’re doing over at your current company?” You could say, “I did sales at a software company.” or…“I’m currently working at a company called (Insert Company Name). We specialize in security software solutions for small and mid-level companies in and around southern California. My role was a sales executive. The first half of my day was prospecting, making cold calls to develop new business. And the second half of my day was spent working on the clients I had, seeing them through to completion, or taking care of their needs. I consistently hit my quota for the last two years I was there, and I’m looking for a great company to be a part of and call home.” I always encourage candidates to think of their answers as an upside-down pyramid. Start big, and go small:

BIG: COMPANY AND WHAT THEY DO

MEDIUM: YOUR ROLE

SMALL: YOUR DAY TO DAY ACTIVITIES THAT MAKE YOU SUCCESSFUL.

Get Them Talking.

Have them talk about what they like. Do your research about the company and the person you’ll be talking to on the phone. There’s nothing wrong with saying, “I saw your profile on LinkedIn, you’ve been at the company a long time. The must be doing some good work there. Tell me a little bit about the projects you guys are working on, and what’s next for you as a company.” The person you’re talking to spends more time at work than they do with their family. So, be interested! Let them know what you think they’re doing is great, interesting, etc. Get them to feel like you want to know more.

A pro-active approach never hurt anyone. Do your homework. Take the time to communicate your company, and your role and responsibility clearly. Talk to the hiring manager about their company and what’s next. These are the little things that will set you apart from the stack of resumes on the desk!

Dylan Campbell is an executive recruiter based in the city of Los Angeles, CA.

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Best Practices | 1 Comment »

Bricks and Mortar in the 21st Century

November 12th, 2010

Real property is a static thing. Buildings are not readily replaced. Interiors are expensive to remodel. Ownership and financing are structured over 10 and 20-yr horizons, all of which require long term lease commitments from stable tenants to make it work.

The problem of course is that these days are rarely stable. A company now must be nimble and flexible, which is directly at odds with the long term lease commitment, especially for the newer company. And since landlords are in the business of real estate, with few exceptions they almost always hold the advantage in lease negotiations. Here’s how to be successful.

Before you start a search for a new workplace, understand your short and long term strategic business plans cold, especially headcount growth. The size of your workforce over time is the best indicator of your space size and lease period commitment.

You must also consider the nature of your workforce. The trend today is away from private offices that isolate the individual towards open environments that encourage collaboration. A workplace with many private offices is inflexible and doesn’t easily accommodate headcount growth and contraction. An open plan design with modular furniture is more readily adapted to change. An open plan also allows for greater density. With an understanding of headcount and the nature of your workforce, you can now negotiate a new lease that better reflects your needs.

Remember, your business strategy and real estate commitment sought by Landlords are traditionally at odds. The search for a new workplace will be a long and trying process unless you understand these divergent needs and negotiate lease terms accordingly.

By Michael Preiss

Michael Preiss is a commercial real estate agent with 20 years experience representing commercial tenants and landlords

Tags: ,
Posted in Best Practices, Resources | No Comments »

No Permit, No Value

September 2nd, 2010

Property Owners wanting to do improvements are always asking us if acquiring building permits is really necessary.

Let’s take a poll: Raise your hand if you can actually park two cars in your garage. Closet anarchists are we? As if it’s anybody’s business what you do on your own property, right?

Wrong! In boom years gone past, even the malicious whistle blowing of a jealous neighbor could be hushed with phrases like “pre-existing condition” or “grandfathered- in”. Upon selling the house, a good broker would list only the legally permitted square footage then work multiple offers over the asking price due to the “bonus second story master suite” or the “backyard editing studio”. With an interest only, stated-stated loan, escrow would close long before anybody asked the City’s Building and Safety Department for permit records.

These days there is a new whistle blower and it’s the LENDERS! BMR recently represented a Buyer in the purchase of a home near Griffith Park. In order to comply with new Federal underwriting guidelines, the Seller had to remove an unpermitted guest house from the garage and drywall over the staircase leading up to the unpermitted bedrooms in the attic. Not only did her house just shrink by HALF, but it cost her $8,000 out-of-pocket and three weeks of despair! Lenders are now more liable than ever for the integrity of the properties they finance and with their capital so severely limited, they will find unimaginable reasons not to approve a loan. Do you want to be stuck hanging upside down in your property for the next
decade?

Consult with licensed professionals to permit your projects and always seek to justify even the most indulgent improvements by their market value.

BMR Enterprises is a real property firm based in Los Angeles with general
contracting and real estate sales licenses. Our team draws from extensive experience in architectural design development, construction, real estate brokerage, syndications, and financial analysis to develop creative and thoughtful real property solutions that enrich our clients’ homes, businesses and lifestyles.

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

Twitter Is A Dream Come True For Brand Awareness

August 10th, 2010

It is undeniable that Twitter has quickly become a mainstay of social media alongside Facebook. There are many key reasons for its popularity and its rise in popularity, like the simplicity, micro-blogging platform, and mobile application. Twitter’s growth is astounding; in April 2010 they released some of their statistics including over 105 million registered users, 300,000 new registered users per day, and 180 million unique visitors per month. Simply said, people are spending their time reading tweets and making tweets.

Businesses are now realizing the potential of creating brand awareness on Twitter as people continue to shift their attention away from traditional forms of media. If managed effectively, companies can use Twitter to reach a large, targeted audience regardless of industry. A presence on Twitter allows companies to be found by users searching for their products and services because they can actively attract potential customers by providing useful content and information.

Twitter provides a platform that allows businesses to find targeted prospects, then engage them by providing relevant information and through direct, real-time conversation. Twitter makes it easy for us to help our clients manage relationships with new prospects and existing customers. This is much more powerful than one way marketing of yesterday. This new interactive marketing allows a dialogue that can help match the needs of the consumer and the benefits being offered by businesses.

Vince Yuen founded TweetsByUs, a Twitter & Facebook management company, after experiencing the benefits of social media in creating brand awareness and driving traffic to a site he co-founded, toptentopten.com. Since then, he has been constantly learning about how social media marketing works and how it is evolving. He holds an MBA from the Rady School of Management at UC San Diego and a BA in Business Economics from UC Santa Barbara.

Tags: , ,
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

The Importance of Keyword Research for SEO

July 13th, 2010

As many of you probably know, having your website optimized for search engines is a crucial component to generating more traffic. One of the building blocks of successful SEO is conducting proper Keyword & Competitor Research in order to identify which keywords you should be targeting. If you conduct your Keyword & Competitor Research correctly, you can find out which keywords your potential clients are using to find your business online. You can also discover which keywords your competitors are targeting.

Getting started with your Keyword Research is easy:

1. Brainstorm 10-20 words that you think your consumers may type into the search engines when looking for your product and/or service.

2. Go to the Google AdWords Keyword Tool and enter them in.

After you submit your keywords, Google will let you know approximately how many searches are conducted for these keywords. They will also provide similar keywords that people are searching for… which may also be ones that you hadn’t even thought of! By figuring out which keywords people are actually searching for, you’ll have a better of idea which keywords you should target for your website.

To learn more about how to identify lucrative keywords for your website, join us for SEO for Everyone: Highly Relevant Keyword & Competitor Research Bootcamp.

Tags: , ,
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

3 Money Tips for Entrepreneurs and Self-Employed Workers

June 24th, 2010

So you’re working on the next great Web 2.0 startup, or you’re finally shedding your corporate past to work for yourself. You spend all your free time thinking about your business, how to get more clients, and even dabbling in SEO. Well, let’s take a few minutes to make sure your financial house is in order. Here are 3 simple money tips for entrepreneurs, self-employed workers, or anyone going through a career transition.

1. Don’t invest your rent money

If your income is not stable yet and you expect to dip into savings to
pay rent or other living/business expenses, that money should not be
invested in the stock or bond market. Any savings you expect to use
within a year or two should be in very safe, “cash” investments. We’re
talking about the boring stuff here: savings accounts, CDs, and money market funds. You’ll need the money soon, don’t gamble it away.

2. Consider a Roth IRA conversion

If you expect your income to be unusually low this year because your
business is not yet making Zynga money, or you’re just getting started as a consultant, you may be an excellent candidate for converting your old IRAs and 401k’s into a Roth IRA. By converting, you would be prepaying your taxes this year, when you’re in a low bracket, instead of paying them later, when you return to a high bracket. Obviously, many factors go into this decision, so consult a tax expert.

3. Contribute to a small business retirement plan

Once you start making a decent income, saving on taxes becomes a high priority. As a business owner or contractor, an easy solution is to
set up a small business retirement account, like a SEP IRA or
Self-Employed 401k. Your contribution limit depends on your business income, so you may even be able to contribute more than you did with your old corporate 401k. Take a look at Fidelity’s comparison chart to find the right option for you. And if you’re still working a job while starting your business, you may be able to contribute to the small business plan on top of your plan at work.

Edwin Choi is an investment advisor and owner Mariposa Capital Management. Prior to starting Mariposa, he spent several years as a portfolio manager and trader with Merrill Lynch in New York. Subscribe to Mariposa’s quarterly newsletter at http://www.mariposacap.com/join-our-mailing-list/

Tags: , ,
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

Is Twitter a Presenter’s Nightmare or a Dream Come True?

June 23rd, 2010

Sharing your ideas with an audience can be challenging enough. Doing it in the age of Twitter—when everything you say can instantly be broadcast to a potential audience of far greater numbers—can be downright daunting.

But just like PowerPoint, Twitter is a tool that can be used for good or for bad. To use it for good, start by thinking of it as a means of engaging your audience before, during and after your presentation:
Use Twitter beforehand to research your audience and solicit case studies and challenges they face.
Use it during the presentation when you take Twitter breaks, to answer questions and get a feel for the temperature of the audience.
Use Twitter after your talk to follow up on open items and keep the conversation going. Because you can make a record of all of the tweets your audience has made during your talk, this “Twitterstream” is a goldmine of audience feedback, showing you which of your ideas and techniques were a hit, and which ones were a miss that you can then revise for the next time.

You can best manage the change to the audience-speaker dynamic that Twitter has introduced when you embrace Twitter, and guide it to become the dream come true that it has the potential to be.

Cliff Atkinson (@cliffatkinson on Twitter) wrote the bestselling book Beyond Bullet Points (Microsoft Press, 2007). For more on how you can effectively engage audiences who use Twitter, see his latest book The Backchannel: How Audiences are Using Twitter and Social Media and Changing Presentations Forever (New Riders, 2009), and the companion website at www.backchannelbook.com

Tags: , ,
Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

Adding meaning to spring cleaning by Samantha Bennett, The Organized Artist Company

June 22nd, 2010

Chores are just chores unless they are tied to a higher purpose, so before you start cleaning, organizing or putting things away, I want you to create a short list of how you want your space to feel. Close your eyes – how does the more-perfect version of your space look? Spacious? Clear? Warm? Cozy? Sun-soaked? Elegant?

Now, what do you imagine might happen if the space felt that way all the time? Might you be more productive? Have a more cheerful staff? Be more spontaneous? Spend less time looking for stuff?

Picking out one or two words from each list, let’s put it all together and make a sign that says:

I Want My Space To Feel________ So That I Can _________.

Now we’re not just getting organized (groan); we’re creating a space that feels “Open and Friendly” so that we can “Invite Friends Over Spontaneously” (yay!). Tying the work of organizing to your dreams and values will motivate you to action and help prevent backsliding.

Now, Get Rid Of Some Stuff
Don’t panic – I didn’t say, “Get rid of everything.” I said, “Get rid of some stuff.” Take a deep breath. Take frequent breaks. Don’t forget to eat something. If at any time in the process you feel wobbly, get a drink of water, remind yourself of your dreams and values (i.e., “having an open and friendly space so you can invite friends over spontaneously”) and keep going. Even doing a little is better than doing nothing.

Tags: ,
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »