I contemplated about started this Business Motivational from Jnairb Design. First, I thought what does this have to do with design. And, then I said a lot because every website that I have created for a person or business was through some form of inspiration for both them and I. “Nothing Great Was Ever Accomplished Without Inspiration!”

Do you believe in self help books? Are they effective or just a bunch of bull? Have you ever been called closed minded because you will only take from the Bible or Koran? Do you constantly work on improving yourself? Well, whatever you believe, believe in belief itself because “Life Principles” never change.

No matter where you are in your life, we all can stand some improvement in every aspect. Would you affirm that our life is a constant work in progress! Can you relate that a human life born into this world is one significant treasure that doesn’t come with instructions? So, how do we become who we are? We are who we are literally through our inspired thoughts first then creating our feelings indigenous of our hearts. (In Beach Chair—Jay-Z said it best “Books can guide you, but your heart defines you” Ha, Ha, Ha!) So I said to chica, Is it really our corazon that bring us on? It is said that everything you come in contact with or see on a daily started either in the Universal Mind (i.e. God) or in the mind of a human (in which is a derivative of the Universal Mind).

With that said; practice these five steps for improvement:

• Stay Focus: Permit your mind to think about only what you want it to think about (stop letting your mind drift and wonder) this causes you to lose control. Remember the old saw, “An idle mind is the devils workshop”. More of a three part series on focus.
• Get in tune with the universe: Mind, Body, and Soul. Read more on Mind, Body, and Soul
• Set Goals: Setting and accomplishing goals builds self esteem and confidence. A person who practices goal setting will run circles around the average person that’s considered to be smart.
• Practice Daily Affirmations: Constantly tell yourself, I can…, I will…, I am going to do…
• Pray and ask God for Knowledge, Wisdom, and Understanding of life. Knowledge which is the 1st step. Knowledge is knowing what you want and want to accomplish. Pray and ask God for Wisdom, which is the 2nd step. Being wise enough to learn from life’s experiences. Wisdom is accumulated knowledge and the ability to utilize and apply prudent and sensible knowledge. Understanding is the 3rd step and considered the most powerful of all. And I say that because, once you understand something and how it works. This thing can be turned inside out, right side up, upside down, or around and round. It doesn’t matter what something, someone or what predicament you’re faced with, you will always have the knowledge, wisdom, and understanding to pick up the pieces, put them back together and get on with your life, in ANY situations.

Is it possible to get a full understanding of life. THAT WOULD BE POWERFUL! Go ahead, ask for it! Nothing is impossible.

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Sometimes a company or brand logo is more than it first appears. For example, take a look at the hidden meanings or messages embedded in these 12 popular logos below. You won’t look at these designs the same way again.

Fed Ex

FedEx
Can you spot something in this logo? The FedEx logo, designed in 1994 by Linden Leader & Landor Associates, at first appears simple and straightforward. However, if you look at the white space between the “E” and “x” you can see a right-facing arrow. This “hidden” arrow was intended to be a subliminal symbol for speed and precision.

Amazon.com

Amazon.com
That yellow arrow is more than just a decorative swoosh. The Amazon logo was created to represent the message that it sells everything from A to Z (the arrow connects the two letters) and also represents the smile that customers would experience by shopping on the Amazon.com Web site (the arrow becomes a smile).

Baskin Robbins

Baskin-Robbins
In 2005, as part of its 60th anniversary celebration, Baskin-Robbins launched a new brand identity. The new logo was intended to “capture the fun and energy of Baskin-Robbins.” In the old logo, the number “31″ appeared within a simple arc, suggestive of a scoop of ice cream, and next to the name. In the new logo, you can see that the “31″ still exists. It is now formed by the pink portion of the ice cream store’s two initials: “B” and “R.”

See More…

Steve Waganer – March 28, 2009

In this global market, online access is the prime medium for the globalization. Information and commerce are mingling with each other in order to open doors for the people who are interested in this communication process. Organic search engine marketing is such a marketing process through which one can promote business or the product and can have the full update about the business world.

The new comers are promoting their own sites in order to be acquainted with the market. A computer with the online service is enough to reach out to the enthusiasts. Organic search engine marketing is the helping hand to provide all kinds of assistance to create a site which can be discovered by the searching engines.

Each page of the site should be constructed in such a way that the content or the materials are indexed to the keywords so that the customers can get the information about the product without much effort. This search engine is modelled to detect the steps necessary to obtain the benefits in short period of time. These kinds of functions are essential in the field of business and corporate world in order to minimize the gap between the product and its targeted customers. The site designers also must have the satisfactory information and accurate ideas of the product or the service. There should be the clear facts about the productivity and profitability.

People who are looking for grabbing this chance should submit the complete package like the personal site, the report on the catalogue etc. There are sources who will accompany you in developing a set of keywords. These sources go through the ingredients of the site. Therefore the site has to be designed catchy and appealing to have a positive result. It will also examine the statistics of the traffic. Then it delivers the ranking position of the site. The information of organic search engine marketing is highly recommended to understand the various search engines. Then it goes for selecting the proper keywords. After that, add the titles META descriptions, link structure and other vital requirements. These companies or the sources are experienced leaders in the marketing analysis.

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A growing number of businesses are making Facebook an indispensible part of hanging out their shingles. Small businesses are using it to find new customers, build online communities of fans and dig into gold mines of demographic information.

“You need to be where your customers are and your prospective customers are,” said Clara Shih, author of “The Facebook Era” (Pearson Education, 2009). “And with 300 million people on Facebook, and still growing, that’s increasingly where your audience is for a lot of products and services.”

Start Small

For most businesses, Facebook Pages (distinct from individual profiles and Facebook groups) are the best place to start. Pages allow businesses to collect “fans” the way celebrities, sports teams, musicians and politicians do. There are now 1.4 million Facebook Pages and they collect more than 10 million fans every day, according to the site.

Businesses can easily create a Web presence with Facebook, even if they don’t have their own Web site (most companies still should maintain a Web site to reach people who don’t use Facebook or whose employers block access to the site). Businesses can claim a vanity address so that their Facebook address reflects the business name, like www.facebook.com/Starbucks. Facebook pages can link to the company’s Web site or direct sales to e-commerce sites like Ticketmaster or Amazon.

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Outsourcing — the practice of using outside firms to handle work normally performed within a company — is a familiar concept to many entrepreneurs. Small companies routinely outsource their payroll processing, accounting, distribution, and many other important functions — often because they have no other choice. Many large companies turn to outsourcing to cut costs. In response, entire industries have evolved to serve companies’ outsourcing needs.

But not many businesses thoroughly understand the benefits of outsourcing. It’s true that outsourcing can save money, but that’s not the only (or even the most important) reason to do it. As many firms discovered during the outsourcing “mania” of the early 1990s, outsourcing too much can be an even bigger mistake than not outsourcing any work at all. The flat economy caused many companies into huge layoffs and subsequently outsourced functions that were better kept in-house. Wise outsourcing, however, can provide a number of long-term benefits:

Control capital costs. Cost-cutting may not be the only reason to outsource, but it’s certainly a major factor. Outsourcing converts fixed costs into variable costs, releases capital for investment elsewhere in your business, and allows you to avoid large expenditures in the early stages of your business. Outsourcing can also make your firm more attractive to investors, since you’re able to pump more capital directly into revenue-producing activities.

Increase efficiency. Companies that do everything themselves have much higher research, development, marketing, and distribution expenses, all of which must be passed on to customers. An outside provider’s cost structure and economy of scale can give your firm an important competitive advantage.

Reduce labor costs. Hiring and training staff for short-term or peripheral projects can be very expensive, and temporary employees don’t always live up to your expectations. Outsourcing lets you focus your human resources where you need them most.

Start new projects quickly. A good outsourcing firm has the resources to start a project right away. Handling the same project in-house might involve taking weeks or months to hire the right people, train them, and provide the support they need. And if a project requires major capital investments (such as building a series of distribution centers), the startup process can be even more difficult.

Focus on your core business. Every business has limited resources, and every manager has limited time and attention. Outsourcing can help your business to shift its focus from peripheral activities toward work that serves the customer, and it can help managers set their priorities more clearly.

Level the playing field. Most small firms simply can’t afford to match the in-house support services that larger companies maintain. Outsourcing can help small firms act “big” by giving them access to the same economies of scale, efficiency, and expertise that large companies enjoy.

Reduce risk. Every business investment carries a certain amount of risk. Markets, competition, government regulations, financial conditions, and technologies all change very quickly. Outsourcing providers assume and manage this risk for you, and they generally are much better at deciding how to avoid risk in their areas of expertise.

Search engine optimization (SEO) is a fairly hot topic these days. Every business wants to know how to get found online.

Anita Campbell from Small Business Trends is running a short information-packed webinar entitled:

Getting Found in Search Engines, for Beginners

These two bullet points jumped out at me, since I have clients who are trying to navigate this new frontier:

• Simple techniques you can do yourself to improve your website so you can get found by potential customers in the search engines more easily

• When and how to hire SEO professionals — over the years I have hired a number of search optimization and marketing experts and I will share some tips for what to look for

I’m planning to listen in and tweet about it. Please join in, if your schedule allows. If not, you can check the Twitter feed using the hashtag #SMBTOOLS. I’m a fan of TweetChat.com for these sorts of events, so you can use the hash tag to enter the room, as they call it.

What is the purpose of a business card? It should be designed to attract and acquire new customers to your product or services.  It is not only one of the most cost effective advertisements, a networking and lead-generating tool, Not to mention a visual representation of you and your business.  The bottom line is if it is not bringing you business and presenting a professional image of you and your company, it is not working.

For most people, especially for those just starting in business, the business card is the only marketing tool used.

People frequently think a business card that can be designed and printed on their home computer will be a good enough tool to get them noticed and remembered.  The truth is business cards are one of the most overlooked of all business tools.  A well-designed, professional card makes a professional presence; a homemade business card typically gives the impression of an amateur taking a stab at being in business.

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To some, branding might not feel like a tangible aspect of running a business. It can’t be seen like a product on the shelf, or counted like a cash drawer at the end of the night. But, branding is the reason people pay three times more for a product at one store over another.

To some, branding might not feel like a tangible aspect of running a business. It can’t be seen like a product on the shelf, or counted like a cash drawer at the end of the night. But, branding is the reason people pay three times more for a product at one store over another.

Good branding is the product of a clear vision, and nobody knows more about vision than small business owners. But, with limited resources, creating a brand identity can be tricky. Fortunately, building brand awareness on the Internet doesn’t need to take a lot of money or resources.

Here are seven strategies to build your business brand:

Define the vision. Before moving ahead with the web site, create a brand positioning statement. “This isn’t just, ‘What kind of web site do we want to be?’ This is ‘Who are we?’” says Harley Manning, vice president at Forrester Research in Cambridge, Mass., a technology and market research firm that advises on the effects technology has on consumers and businesses. Good brand statements typically include the company’s mission, vision and values. “It’s succinct. It’s typically something that will fit on a page easily,” he says.

Build a brand worth believing in. “Do you so believe in what you’re creating that you would trademark it?” says Andrea Fitch, president and CEO of RedCarpet Creations, Inc., and national president of the Society for Marketing Professional Services, both based out of Alexandria, Va. Really consider what kind of brand could represent the business through the next decade. “Don’t have a logo that in five years you’re going to be tired of and discard for another,” she says.

Remember, the web site is the brand. “A web site is not just a communication medium,” Manning says. “It is actually a channel that must deliver on the promise.” Essentially, a web site should embody the promise that it makes to customers. If, for instance, a business claims to be innovative, the web site should look fresh and modern.

Create a cohesive experience between all mediums. Before she launched her company’s new web site, Fitch made sure it would be an event that her potential clients would never forget. RedCarpet Creations mailed 4,000 silver tubes containing scrolls that looked like rolled-up carpet. Inside the scrolls was an announcement about the web site’s launch. Once online, the web site was an extension of the invitations because it followed through on the themes of red carpet imagery and references to visitors being treated like a VIP. Customers should easily be able to recognize the company’s brand, whether it is print, online or some other form of media, Manning says.

Don’t sacrifice creativity. Once the brand’s guidelines are established, creative choices must bring those attributes to life, Manning says. Don’t let the company’s brand become so dominating that there is no room for new thoughts and ideas. Brand should be the jumping-off point for interesting ideas, not the place where every new idea dead-ends. Fitch stresses that a sense of fun and whimsy will only enhance the likelihood that people will take an interest in the web site.

Don’t communicate brand at the expense of delivering. While a web site can be a significant tool for building brand awareness, clarity and functionality are paramount. “Just be careful not to let the communication about your brand get in the way of delivering your message,” Manning says. People should be able to understand how to navigate the site without knowing a thing about the company’s catch phrases. “You can’t frustrate and annoy people into liking your brand,” he says.

Listen to the customers: They determine a brand’s true value. Pay attention to customer feedback about the site because, ultimately, it’s the customers’ opinion that counts. When it comes to building a brand, a company can incorporate everything from signature colors to catch phrases, but at the end of the day, it’s the consumer who decides what a brand is really worth. “It’s not what you say [about] yourself, it’s what others say of you,” Fitch says.

7 Ways to Build Brand Awareness

Effective business networking is the linking together of individuals who, through trust and relationship building, become walking, talking advertisements for one another.

1. Keep in mind that networking is about being genuine and authentic, building trust and relationships, and seeing how you can help others.
2. Ask yourself what your goals are in participating in networking meetings so that you will pick groups that will help you get what you are looking for. Some meetings are based more on learning, making contacts, and/or volunteering rather than on strictly making business connections.
3. Visit as many groups as possible that spark your interest. Notice the tone and attitude of the group. Do the people sound supportive of one another? Does the leadership appear competent? Many groups will allow you to visit two times before joining.
4. Hold volunteer positions in organizations. This is a great way to stay visible and give back to groups that have helped you.
5. Ask open-ended questions in networking conversations. This means questions that ask who, what, where, when, and how as opposed to those that can be answered with a simple yes or no. This form of questioning opens up the discussion and shows listeners that you are interested in them.
6. Become known as a powerful resource for others. When you are known as a strong resource, people remember to turn to you for suggestions, ideas, names of other people, etc. This keeps you visible to them.
7. Have a clear understanding of what you do and why, for whom, and what makes your doing it special or different from others doing the same thing. In order to get referrals, you must first have a clear understanding of what you do that you can easily articulate to others.
8. Be able to articulate what you are looking for and how others may help you. Too often people in conversations ask, “How may I help you?” and no immediate answer comes to mind.
9. Follow through quickly and efficiently on referrals you are given. When people give you referrals, your actions are a reflection on them. Respect and honor that and your referrals will grow.
10. Call those you meet who may benefit from what you do and vice versa. Express that you enjoyed meeting them, and ask if you could get together and share ideas.

-by Stephanie Speisman

If you think business cards aren’t important marketing tools, you’re wrong. Yet too may lawyers simply stick to the old, outdated format of white card stock with a name and number printed in boring black letters. Bad idea, says Larry Bodine, business development advisor at Larry Bodine Marketing and owner of the popular legal marketing site www.LawMarketing.com.

“A business card is like a mini-capsule of yourself,” Bodine says. “Why not make it interesting?”

Here are his suggestions for doing just that:

1. Add some pizzazz.

One advantage that smaller firms have over their white shoe counterparts is the ability to break away from the old black-and-white, block-letter mold.

Use color to make your cards pop. Add memorable pictures, and think of printing cards portrait style instead of the traditional landscape shape. Try using a glossy finish and nontraditional fonts – just make sure they are professional and easily readable.

2. A name and number isn’t enough.

Your cards should include things like Facebook pages, LinkedIn profiles and twitter and blog addresses.

“Make an effort to show that you are technologically hip,” Bodine says.

And of course, don’t forget your firm website address and email address – you’d be surprised how many lawyers omit such crucial information.

3. Make them user-friendly.

Print lines on the back, which allows the receiver to jot down notes.

“I always record the date and where and when I met a contact on the back of a card I receive” for easier reference later, Bodine says.

Make it easy for your contacts to do the same.

4. Banish cards from the wallet.

No one wants to wait for you to rustle through your pants or jacket pocket for a wallet, then watch you rummage through money and pictures of your kids before handing them a beaten-up, dog-eared card.

“That blows any classy impression you were trying to make,” Bodine says.

5. Make the experience special.

One hugely important – yet frequently overlooked – tool for good business card marketing: a card case.

Not only does it eliminate the wallet problem, but “when you pull a card out of a card container, people feel you are handing them something special,” says Bodine.

A leather case, silver card holder or even something more adorned – some cases look like “pieces of jewelry” Bodine notes – makes the experience memorable for the receiver.

Credit: Kimberly Atkins