To Partner or Not to Partner? Follow these 5 steps to make your decision easier

Small Business Owners:  How to prepare for a partnership 

Thinking of adding a business partner to expand your small business?

What steps will you take to make this important decision? 

Strong research skills are vital to getting the results you want: 

1) a partner that helps you grow your business and

2) a partner that matches your small business' & customers' needs  

 5 Research Steps for a Successful Partnership:

Step 1    Do your due diligence

Investigate the potential partner thoroughly before creating a partnership agreement

• What is their brand?  What do they stand for?  See my post on Brand Strategy for easy to follow fill in the blank sections.
• Who are their target markets? Competitors? Suppliers?  See my post on target marketing for more detail.
• What are the parameters of their business: products, geographic, online/offline?
• What are their financials:  check general public knowledge before you request company access?
• Where is their marketing strategy?  Traditional, Trade, Direct Marketing, Social Media, Public Relations
• Complete a full SWOT analysis:  Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats 

Bonus: Here are a few free SWOT templates from Smart Sheet, Business News Daily and Creatly (powerpoint ready).

Step 2 Your turn

Answer the above questions about your own business as if you were an outsider

Step 3 Compare Step 1 & 2

Create a side by side chart for each area.  Use a large white board or multiple poster boards or if you prefer project management software or Excel spreadsheets. 

• Where are the inconsistencies or differences?  
• Is the potential partner filling gaps in your portfolio or markets or adding more?
• Are the differences deal breakers or a solution waiting to happen?

Step 4  Think beyond the initial partnership

Consider how your business will grow

• Where will the partnership be in a year? 3 years? 5 years?
• What terms must be included to mitigate risk for both parties?
• How will the partnership impact the overall market for your business?
• What changes are you willing to make to make the partnership work?
• Financials, financials, financials….

Step 5 Gut check

How do you feel about this partnership? 

• Is it right for your business?
• Is the timing right for your business?  

 Protect the small business you created. 

Take time to do thorough research before jumping into a new partnership.  

Start your research and get excited about the opportunities to grow your small business into the future. 

Heather is the creative brand coach, a marketing consultant helping businesses & professionals build strong brands to connect with their target market. Her prior experience includes Research & Development and Brand Management Marketing for global consumer products goods companies.  For over a decade, she has helped small business owners focus on their passion and their products, while creating strong brands and solid business plans.

Find Heather via Twitter @creativebrandch or the blog SmallBusiness, Big Brand.

Target Marketing 101

smallbusinessbigbrand.blogspot.com

The mission of Small Business, Big Brand is to give small business owners easy to use brand & marketing techniques to strengthen & grow their business. 

Target Marketing 101: 

Basic techniques to find your high value customers

Given that marketing is becoming more personalized, the key to success in business is reaching your high value target market.  So how do you find your target market?     
Use these Basic techniques to get closer to your target market… so you can give them what they want…
and grow your business. 

FIRST List the qualities of your ideal customer

• Who are your most loyal customers? 
• What problem does your product/service solve & who needs your product service most?
• Where can you find customers that use your product/service?  Locations offline/online, geographic, industry
• Why do they love your brand & who else is similar?
• Who else could become part of your target market that isn’t already?
• Think beyond basic demographics of age, location & industry to include life stage, hobbies, & values

NEXT  Create a target market communication plan 

• What forms of media do they enjoy and use regularly? 

• What advertising are they motivated by:  types of content, message type & form of media? 

• What is the cost of reaching your target market for each media type? 

• Which ones are in budget & likely to succeed? 

• Use a small sample to test your communication in multiple forms of media & with multiple messages. 

• Choose the one that works the best. 

FINALLY  Listen to your target market

Now that you are sending out your message...

• Use comments, social feeds, social media listening, your sales team & customer service to:
• Hear what your target market thinks of your brand, product/service, & marketing communication. 
• Adjust your campaign with this input as needed to stay 1) relevant & 2) ahead of what your target market needs.  Anticipate what will make them value your product even more. 

Let these techniques help you find your target market so you can reach them with the products and services they want and need for better business results.

Repeat this process with any new products to make sure you invest wisely in successful advertising, social media and marketing.

“Target Marketing means you are putting your customer and their needs at the center of your focus and attention.  You are making your customer the most important aspect of doing business, so your products/services are the best they can be. “ 
- Heather Bennett, Creative Brand Coach

Here are a few expert resources to keep in mind for more information about target markets. 

The Future of Marketing: 90% ofMarketers Say It’s All About Getting Personal 

from @MobileMktrDaily

My take: Marketing is moving to individualized message,  therefore it is important to know your audience to get the individualized message right.  

Don't Spoil Secrets with Retargeting: 5 tips 

by Bryan Pearson Simply collecting information isn’t the answer to understanding your customer and building a lasting relationship. Marketers need to use this data wisely and keep their customers’ needs and desires at the center of the business. The post shares 5 tips about how to do that.  My take: Clear tips to understand your target market.

Four simple steps todefining and reaching your target market

by Paula Hutchings & @TalentedLadies 

My take: This group sets the bar high for useful, helpful & practical business knowledge.  A terrific set of steps to help guide you to your target market

How to Use Laddering By Henk Hoets
Quote: "You use laddering to develop unique selling propositions in your ads. "

My take: Using laddering to better understand your target markets, useful to creating content specifically for your audience

Heather is the creative brand coach, a marketing consultant helping businesses & professionals build strong brands to connect with their target market. Her prior experience includes Research & Development and Brand Management Marketing for global consumer products goods companies.  For over a decade, she has helped small business owners focus on their passion and their products, while creating strong brands and solid business plans.

Find Heather via Twitter @creativebrandch or the blog SmallBusiness, Big Brand.

How to create a Brand Plan for Bloggers

Bloggers, wondering how to make your blog better?  You’re already creating & promoting great content, but still want to do more to build your blog. 

What is a Brand Plan and how do I create one? 
TIP: Go to → if you are short on time. 

This definition of Brand Strategy by CarlyStec sums it up nicely. 

“Brand strategy is a plan that encompasses specific, long-term goals that can be achieved with the evolution of a successful brand -- the combined components of your company's character that make it identifiable.”

In short, your Brand Plan is what you plan to do with your Brand to grow and/or strengthen your business, in this case your Blog.

In case you missed it:  Why you need a Brand Plan

Quick guide to creating a Brand Strategy for Bloggers

(I could write 100 blog posts on this process, but will break it down into a few steps, just to get you started.  Please come back to Small Business, Big Brand for a more in-depth treatment of multiple aspects of Brand Management in future posts.)

Step 1:  What is your Brand?

 Ask yourself these questions to find your Brand

• You:  Imagine your brand's favorite…clothes, vacations, hobbies, cars, home décor, foods, music
• Followers:  What can your followers expect your brand to be, stand for, sound like?  
• Talk show host: What five words describe your brand? What 5 words are the opposite?
• Competition:  What does your Brand do well, unique & different from other blogs? 
• Mission statement:  does it match what you have answered above?

→Create a Brand Identity Statement:

My Brand _____________ will always be seen as _________, _________ and __________.  Brand X’s followers expect Brand X to do ___________, be ___________ and never _____________.  Brand X promises its loyal followers to provide _____________ in the time frame of ________________with these qualities: ______________, ________________, and ____________.

TIP: You may not be able to or need to fill out the entire Brand Identity Statement.  Take time to revisit this every few months to make sure your Brand is communicating consistently and staying true to itself. 

Step 2: Get feedback from followers and rewrite your Brand Identity

Email, tweet or message to your followers announcing your Brand Identity. 

• What do they love about your brand? What do they expect?
• "Customer service ", retweets and comment sections are especially helpful with this. 

Step 3:  List everywhere your Brand is present

Create A Brand Location Check List

Social Media, products, other blogs, customer forums, trade shows, books, webinars, guest blogging, Public Relations, press releases, websites, flyers, online community groups etc. etc. 

TIP: Ask friends, employees, & trusted colleagues to help you create this list. 

Step 4:  Using your Brand Location List, check how each interaction matches your Brand Identity

Are there areas that your message or image is not consistent, needs updating, or rewriting?

Tip:  This is a great opportunity to create a new logo that works everywhere, identify photography, design elements or writing style that is inconsistent and clean up any communications that stray from what you are trying to achieve as a brand. 

Step 5:  Find your Target Market

Now that you know who you are as a brand, what you stand for and where you are already located, figure out who you should be talking to…

Who is your target market? 

• What is the perfect customer for your brand? 
• What problem does your product, Brand solve and who needs that solution? 
• Who is actively seeking your Brand and loves your brand? 
• Who else could become part of your target market that isn’t already?

Rewrite your Brand Identity Statement with all you learned from determining your target market.

Step 6:  Create a list of Goals your Brand wants to achieve

Add these to the Brand Plan if it makes sense.

Step 7:  Create your Brand Strategy (Brand Plan)

→Answer the following in a few words to instantly create a Brand Plan.

• What is your Brand?
• Who is your Target Market?
• What does your Target Market expect from your Brand?  What does your Brand promise?
• Where will your Brand be found?  
• How will you communicate with your target market? (social media, voice)
• What will your Brand’s communications consistently say?
• How will your Brand uphold the promises it has made to its target market?

Having a strong Brand Strategy will help you consistently surprise & delight your followers, making them not only loyal viewers, but also advocates and promoters of your Brand. 

Heather is the creative brand coach, a marketing consultant helping businesses & professionals build strong brands to connect with their target market. Her prior experience includes Research & Development and Brand Management Marketing for global consumer products goods companies.  For over a decade, she has helped small business owners focus on their passion and their products, while creating strong brands and solid business plans.

Find Heather via Twitter @creativebrandch or the blog SmallBusiness, Big Brand.

The mission of Small Business, Big Brand is to give small business owners easy to use brand & marketing techniques to strengthen & grow their business. 

Why Bloggers need a Brand plan

Bloggers, wondering how to make your blog better?  You’re already creating great content, promoting via Twitter, Google+, Facebook etc., but still want to do more to build your blog. 

Why not create a Brand Plan?  What is a Brand Plan?  This definition of Brand Strategy by CarlyStec sums it up nicely. 

“Brand strategy is a plan that encompasses specific, long-term goals that can be achieved with the evolution of a successful brand -- the combined components of your company's character that make it identifiable.”

In short, your Brand Strategy is what actions you plan to take involving your Brand to grow and/or strengthen your business - in this case - your Blog.

Part 1:  Why?

But what does a Brand Strategy do for your Blog?

• Helps you Connect with your viewers
• Makes your blog (& products, videos, apps, books)stand out
• Creates confidence/trust in your words
• Gives a clear & consistent message across all channels to create brand loyalty
• Increases laymen’s recognition of your expertise as the one to trust 
• Consolidates Brand image across all media to provide consistent visuals to viewers
• Creates a brand that: loyal consumers can’t wait to share & Influencers can’t wait to quote
• Builds a community around you as the brand
• Allows you to surprise and delight with your brand
• Creates a rubric (set of rules) to follow for each target market and each social media outlet to make sure you are reaching your readers clearly
• Helps to monetize your blog
• Increases lists of followers to get a larger audience

Look for next post from Small Business, Big Brand containing the
Quick guide to creating a BrandStrategy for Bloggers to come in Part 2!

Having a strong Brand Strategy will help you consistently surprise & delight your customers, making them not only loyal but advocates and promoters of your Brand. 

Heather is the creative brand coach, a marketing consultant helping businesses & professionals build strong brands to connect with their target market. Her prior experience includes Research & Development and Brand Management Marketing for global consumer products goods companies.  For over a decade, she has helped small business owners focus on their passion and their products, while creating strong brands and solid business plans.

Find Heather via Twitter @creativebrandch or the blog SmallBusiness, Big Brand.

The mission of Small Business, Big Brand is to give small business owners easy to use brand & marketing techniques to strengthen & grow their business. 

Need help finding real world design inspiration? 4 steps to get inspired

So your small business has an empty shop window to fill, a trade show exhibit to build, or a product launch party to plan...how do you create a physical environment that gets your customers attention?  With solid set design skills, of course.  

Set Design:  How to Get Inspired

                Over the years, I have been designing sets for theater productions and events.  Each project starts with an inspiration session that can last weeks before the actual set is drawn and construction begins.  My personal process for getting inspired has evolved over the years, but a few specific sources have remained.  Many of the techniques I use can be applied to making a business space stand out.  I would like to share these to inspire you, whether you are designing a storefront window, planning an over the top party or event, creating a trade show must-see booth, or simply creating a unique space for your customers to enjoy your products.  

Grab a sketch book & pencils, and get started!

Step 1:  Go see a movie. 

Hollywood has provided us with a lifetime of visual inspiration.  Watch a period piece to see how fabric and knickknacks have changed over the years.  Use the brilliance of CGI to imagine color and size combinations that will make your design memorable.  Immerse yourself in the story to understand what elements are expected.  For example, I reluctantly forced myself to sit through a horror movie in preparation for a haunted house design and was shocked at how much it helped me with details like lighting, staging and props.   

Step 2:  Break out the crayons and coloring books. 

The simplicity of coloring books focuses on lines, angles and curves and are a great jumping off point for big picture design.  Besides, spending a few minutes coloring has been shown to relax adults, allowing their minds to open and think tangentially about a situation, problem or design.  Comic books and cartoons also offer clean, efficient images. 

Step 3:  Take a hike.  Look for Art and Architecture. 

Take a walk around a city.  Look at the statues including their bases.  Examine fences, bridges, walls and buildings.  Look at details like trim and windows to see layers of pattern.  Walk in nature.  Note the way water changes color.  Compare the texture of different bark, leaves and stones.   

Step 4:  Grab your passport. 

Ok, not literally.  Go to Netflix, Amazon Prime, a library, thrift store or bookstore and find travel films, books and DVDs.  Seeing somewhere far away can open your eyes to create a mind blowing space.  I especially love House Hunters International, Better Late than Never, the Rick Steves videos, and anything in the Visions travel series.  These companies take a lot of time to get lighting and composition just right.

After I have compiled a stack of drawings and notes, I sit down with the director, event planner or building team and discuss the limitations of the stage, set pieces and whatever other parameters will control the design.    

Taking the time to fill my mind and sketch book with ideas allows me to design with depth and an attention to detail. 

After all, the goal is to surprise and delight with a scene that not only enhances the performance, but transports the audience to a whole, new world. 

Bring this level of excitement to your

Small Business to create a Big Brand.

Heather is the creative brand coach, a marketing consultant helping businesses & professionals build strong brands to connect with their target market. Her prior experience includes Research & Development and Brand Management Marketing for global consumer products goods companies.  For over a decade, she has helped small business owners focus on their passion and their products, while creating strong brands and solid business plans.

Find Heather via Twitter @creativebrandch or the blog SmallBusiness, Big Brand.

The mission of Small Business, Big Brand is to give small business owners easy to use brand & marketing techniques to strengthen & grow their business. 

Be inspired!  A little extra thought and research can lead to a truly unforgettable experience for your customers.

Look for the next post in the small business design series coming soon to Small Business, Big Brand.