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The new Small Biz Matters program is all about People, Policy, Purpose. It is conversational and chatty and dedicated to empowering small businesses and their advisors to engage with policy and advocacy. Why? Because what Government does very much Matters to all Small Biz. Good and bad. A labour of love, in 2014 Alexi Boyd started broadcasting to give back to the local small business community. She knew information and support was lacking. Now with over 220 podcasts, the show is sought by PR Agencies and Government departments for its rich, informative content. Media Partners include universities, the Australian Tax Office, ASBFEO, COSBOA and international fintechs. Sponsored by the Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman’s office, each week we sit down with experts, advocates, business leaders, policy makers and politicians to dive into specific areas of government policy that affects your business and clients. We’ll give you a heads up on what’s coming down the policy pipeline, find out who’s fighting in your corner and empower you with ways you can influence those decisions which affect your business every single day. The program is broadcast weekly on Tuesdays live on local community radio Triple H 100.1FM, through the Community Broadcasting network, and wherever you get your favourite podcasts.
Episodes
Tuesday Jun 20, 2017
Tuesday Jun 20, 2017
Small Biz Matters – a half hour program each week where you can work ON your business rather than IN it.
with Alexi Boyd from Boyd Office Management Services
Date: 20 June 2017
So your website spat a whole load of data in your lap. Now what? Its all fine and well to count the visits, see how people found you and see what you’ve sold but do you really know how to analyse the data which your website and Google Analytics (or both) can provide?
Today’s guest is Alex Dance, founder of Hero SEO Partners. He sees the Matrix when it comes to your data. Not only can the company set up your analytics (like lots of other companies) but also teach you how to see it, analyse it and actually use it as a tool in your marketing arsenal.
And that’s what he’s here to do today! Welcome to the show Alex.
Topics we’ll be covering:
â—Â Broadly your small business journey and what led you to start your own business
o Have a mathematics background
o Half of Marketing Works / Half doesn’t – I calculated which half
o Responsible for Innovation at Optus for Small Businesses and looked at Small Marketing opportunities and realised there was a hole in the marketplace for a reputable Marketing business
o Helped a few friends out and loved the process and the concrete results so started to help a wider audience
â—Â Where does small business typically get their data from?
o Big Data is a catch cry and there is often too much business – particularly depending on the size – it then becomes a matter of working out what is important – what are the key metrics to look at – what are the canaries in the mine or what are the things that highlight what is working well
o It can’t purely be the financials as that doesn’t necessarily drive good results
o There is then 2 types of data to look at
â—Â Data available on their industry and benchmarks
o Google adwords tools – on Keywords – for industry
o Competitors search volumes
â—Â Own data (the most useful)
o Google Analytics – on website – own customers
o Facebook Analytics – on Facebook – what works
o Google adwords tools – on Keywords – for industry
o Keyword ranking on Google – what position
o Google Tools – speed test of web site
â—Â What’s the process for small business to start the process of analysing their data?
o Spend some time to analyse it themselves or work with a partner they can trust
o Set up - Google Analytics –
o Look at the demographics
o Acquisition – Organic, Direct, social
o Plus others
o Facebook – Likes – is it only friends – test responses
â—Â Now that you’ve got the data and understand it how can we use that better in our business?
o Great question – purely analysing data without action is useful
o What are web page conversion rates
o Complete A/B testing
o For many businesses it is a great reality check – currently 5 people are seeing my web page – then is it 10 people
o Does it grow
o When you advertise can you see who those customers are – can you see return on investment
o When you know your target market you can know how to advertise to them – particularly in Facebook
o If you have a CRM tool – what are the conversion rates
o For Google adwords – you can see the rate you are paying per click – based on your quality score
To find out more go to their website: heroseopartners.com.au
Tuesday Jun 13, 2017
Tuesday Jun 13, 2017
Small Biz Matters – a half hour program each week where you can work ON your business rather than IN it.
with Alexi Boyd from Boyd Office Management Services
Date: 13 June 2017
Tayble
Tayble is a new app making every dining experience just a little bit better, launching in Sydney in 2017.
With Tayble you can discover great restaurants in your area, order and pay for your meal all from your phone.
Covet
Love fashion? Come play Covet Fashion, the game for the shopping obsessed! Join millions of other fashionistas, discover clothing and brands you love, and get recognized for your style! Feed your shopping addiction and create outfits in this fashion game designed to hone your style skills. Express your unique style by shopping for fabulous items to fill your closet, putting together looks for different Style Challenges and voting on other players’ looks. Plus, win exclusive in-game prizes for looks that earn 4 stars or more!
ToolMates
What’s the point in having a bunch of expensive machinery hanging around at home when you only use it once or twice a year? With ToolMates Hire, you can rent those tools out to people in your area and make money off your oft used items! Find out how with ToolMates Hire.
Agnov8
Agnov8 energises the adoption of IoT and other technologies in agriculture. We understand that deploying turnkey solutions will assist farm managers and growers in gaining and maintaining operational awareness and compliance. Cost effective solutions that facilitate increased stock yields, sustainable water and soil management and provides growers with peace of mind, having access to pertinent environmental insights.
Tuesday Jun 06, 2017
Tuesday Jun 06, 2017
Small Biz Matters – a half hour program each week where you can work ON your business rather than IN it.
with Alexi Boyd from Boyd Office Management Services
Date: 6 June 2017
Natasha Hawker has seen it all. An author of the successful From Hire to Fire and Everything In Between and owner of HR firm Employee Matters Natasha draws on her previous experiences and skills to help small businesses navigating the compliance-ridden world of employee relations.
After experience working in HR in the crazy, fast paced world of hiring and firing in India she learned fast to get control of a workforce under the most arduous of conditions. Returning to Australia she set up Employee Matters and now presents worldwide to businesses, professional associations and is the ‘go to’ resource for journalists wanting expert commentary on Human Resources. She has been interviewed for SMH, Australian Financial Review & The Huffington Post as well as ABC Radio. She advises big and small business about HR best practice and compliance for small businesses.
Welcome to the show Natasha.
Topics we’ll be covering:
- Broadly your small business journey and what led you to start your own business
- Began corporate life in the Financial sector
- Worked on HR for another business and realised I could it do better
- HR - recommendation from colleagues to look into HR then studied TAFE and post grad before starting my own business
- International work - UK, India at Accenture and learned FAST
- cultural learnings, gender issues , medical issues, travel challenges with SARS)
- Fast hiring - 500 people in 5weeks! So Natasha was thrown in the deep end. Fabulous learning environment.
- High stress, low infrastructure (electricity issues!)
- Built a passion for educating small business owners build great businesses through building their team.
- It’s a massive people investment
- Money, time, training time, wages, super, mentoring - it’s not just salary you’re paying
- Big mistake owners make is expecting staff to just sit down and immediately be productive
- You should expect someone to be productive at 100% after 6 months longer if they are more senior
- Attrition is a massive expense to business. They’ll take with them knowledge, training, new skills
- As business owners we tend to leave them in the technical part of their job rather than accountability for real people stuff
- Consider an Employee assistance program - counselling, you need to consider the person problem. BUT you’re not skilled in that so OUTSOURCE
- Don’t forget you need to engage with them as people not just task monkeys
- Team update tips / team
- Issues with sharing communication - who shares financials out there? Well, we SHOULD. They’ll be a direct uplift in engagement and understanding in where they fit in the bigger picture.
- Structuring a WIP
- Voxer app to send messages & communicate
- Building highly engaged teams
- Celebrate wins with your staff - the entire business should celebrate individual wins
- Communications strategy - transparent, builds trust
- Accountability not only to the owner but your team
- Weeks slip by - bite sized chunks are best
To find out more go to their website: https://www.employeematters.com.au
Bio Natasha Hawker
Natasha Hawker is a small business owner, running Employee Matters with her husband and business partner Mark for the past three years. They work in Queensland, Victoria and NSW and have 10 employees. Employee Matters helps small business with Hire to Fire and Everything in Between which aptly, is the name of her new book.
She has worked in Employee Relations for over for 21 years working both nationally and internationally. Including twelve years at Accenture, one of the top global management consulting firms. She is routinely featured in the SMH and Start Up Smart and she is a regular writer for Flying Solo and Australian Businesswomen’s Network. She has been nominated for the Telstra Businesswomen of the Year and she has personally hired, managed and fired over 15, 000 employees.
She has a postgraduate in Employee Relations from UTS and is on a mission to help small business owners hire great talent, build high performing teams and terminate non performers.
Tuesday May 30, 2017
Tuesday May 30, 2017
Small Biz Matters – a half hour program each week where you can work ON your business rather than IN it.
with Alexi Boyd from Boyd Office Management Services
Date: 30 May 2017
Slight variations and changes to Government policy can have big consequences to small business. Recently in the last few weeks there has been some major overhauls to the 457 visa system in Australia and if you’re a small business which relies on overseas workers to fill the void of the lack of qualified, experienced personnel then these changes will have big consequences to your business and the way you process these applicants into the future. We have an expert on the show today to help you navigate this minefield ….
Welcome to the show Shelley.
Firstly, as a local small business tell us a little about your small business journey and why you are passionate about helping small business owners to solve this tricky problem?
Having worked in the immigration space for the past 10 years I decided to move out of the corporate environment and use my knowledge to assist companies and individuals with their migration needs. I have built my reputation around providing a personalised and tailored service and through this dedication the majority of my work comes through word of mouth.
I am passionate about making the process as seamless as possible for people looking to migrate, the prospect can be a daunting one so at Simply Visas we try to take away the stress so clients can enjoy their stay in our great country.
Topics we’ll be covering:
- Why do, or should businesses consider overseas workers and really how hard is it to navigate your way around the processes in place to engage with a workers on a visa?
Generally businesses will consider employing a skilled overseas worker if they are experiencing a genuine difficulty in sourcing a suitable Australian worker to fill a position. The process itself really depends on the business, how long they’ve been operating, their Australian workforce, their commitment to training, their industry, the skill set they’re looking for and whether they’ve actively sought out an Australian... so as you can see there are a number of variables. The Department of Immigration and Border Protection places a strong emphasis on training of Australians and the reason for this is because they want to see that the business has an interest in up-skilling Australians, in turn reducing their reliance on overseas workers as a whole.
Simply Visas basically has an initial conversation with a business to go through these factors and gauges the chance of a successful application. In broad terms, the process itself is made up of 3 stages. The first stage is an application for standard business sponsorship - where the business applies for approval to sponsor overseas workers, the length of this agreement is 18 months for a start up and 5 years for an established business. The second stage is a 457 business nomination - where a business nominates an overseas worker to fill a position within their business - the Department will assess whether or not the position is genuine, whether the company has the capacity to support such a role, the scope and scale of the business, the salary on offer, the market and the job description in comparison to the job classification. The final stage is the overseas worker’s 457 Visa, this is where the Department assesses the workers skill set in line with the nominated occupation to ensure they have the relevant qualifications and experience to work in the nominated position.
- In your experience when do businesses typically engage with an immigration lawyer - or better still, when in your opinion is the BEST time to engage with legal support of this nature?
Businesses generally engage a professional to assist when they have not gone through the process before and if they don’t have an employee or division dedicated to global mobility. The best time to engage a professional is before things turn pear shaped, it is always best to gain advice in the first instance rather than attempting something you are unfamiliar with. When it comes to applying to the Department it is always best to ensure a successful outcome for the business and the overseas worker, track records are important and compliance is a major issue, being non-compliant with sponsorship obligations can result in sanctions or fines so it’s always best to be cautious and aim for the best outcome possible. A migration agency like Simply Visas can advise on the chances of success and even assist to identify areas that you may not have considered throughout the migration process.
- What have been the recent changes from a small business perspective and how in your opinion is this going to change the playing field?
There have been a number of changes announced that are in place already and there are more to come. I think the main thing to point out at this stage is that the 457 visa programme is still active and the visa itself won’t be abolished until March 2018. There have however been significant changes to the validity period of the visa, 216 occupations have been removed from the list of eligible occupations and caveats have been applied to certain occupations.
Firstly, the skilled occupation lists have been updated - there is now a short term list and a medium to long term list. If the nominated occupation appears on the short term list the worker will be granted a 457 visa for 2 years - with the option to renew for a further 2 years. If the nominated occupation appears on the medium to long term list then the 457 visa will be granted for 4 years and these workers will also have a pathway to permanent residency.
Anyone who has lodged a 457 visa and their occupation has been removed will have the opportunity to withdraw their application and seek a refund for the fee paid to the Department.
These changes will have a flow on effect to permanent residency applications however the full extent of these changes have not yet been determined.
Further changes are due to be announced on the 1st of July which include further adjustment to the skilled occupation lists, changes to the training benchmarks, a requirement for police clearances which previously were only required in certain circumstances or for permanent residency applications, tightening of the English language requirements and expanding mandatory skills assessments.
The new TSS visa will come into effect in March 2018, it will have 2 distinct streams - short term of up to 2 years and medium term of up to 4 years.
The fees will go up to $1150 for the short term stream and 2400 for the medium term stream.
A higher standard of English will be required for the medium term stream.
Only occupations on the medium term stream will have a pathway to permanent residency.
Labour Market Testing - where a company has to prove they have advertised and unsuccessfully located an Australian worker - will become mandatory unless international trade obligations apply.
The training requirement for businesses will be revised.
- What do you think the government was trying to achieve with these changes and do you think it will work?
Unfortunately change is the only constant when it comes to immigration and it’s just the nature of the industry. Some say these changes are purely political and a tactic to win votes however as an agent it is my job to simply interpret the new legislation and apply it correctly.
The one thing I will say is that I was quite surprised with the number of trade occupations remaining on the skilled occupation lists. In my opinion there are many occupations which should be going to Australian workers, and where once apprenticeships were an appealing prospect this no longer seems to be the case. I believe this goes back to education and outlining options to our younger generation as well as the benefits of working in a highly lucrative industry.
It’s hard to say what affect these changes will have in the long term and I truly believe we won’t know until 5-10 years down the line when there are even more skills shortages how this will affect Australia as a whole.
To find out more go to their website: http://simplyvisas.com/
Tuesday May 16, 2017
Tuesday May 16, 2017
Small Biz Matters – a half hour program each week where you can work ON your business rather than IN it.
with Alexi Boyd from Boyd Office Management Services
Date: 16 May 2017
Bookkeeping is a tiresome task for some, but for others a joy! This week on Small Biz we chat to a bookkeeping expert at the cutting edge of all new developments in the industry. Her business Small Business Financial Ops and she’s going to share with our listeners the new apps and industry developments which are there to assist small business to get their bookkeeping back under control.
Welcome to the show Cate. Tell us a little bit about yourself and your small business journey.
Topics we’ll be covering:
- Discussion in relation to disruptive technologies in industries such as bookkeeping...
- What new apps are out there to help small business take control of their bookkeeping?
- Why go paper-free and in the cloud?
- How and when is a bookkeeper a payroll expert & management consultant?
- Why is it important to make sure that your bookkeeper is also a BAS agent and a member of a professional association, and why is it important to know what and how they are doing whatever they do for you?
- Briefing consultants like bookkeepers: how you can save yourself money in the long run by ensuring that you're organised to handover to a bookkeeper?
- How you can set your business up to save time and money on bookkeeping, no matter WHO Is doing it?
To find out more go to Cate’s website: www.sbfo.com.au
Tuesday May 09, 2017
Tuesday May 09, 2017
Small Biz Matters – a half hour program each week where you can work ON your business rather than IN it.
with Alexi Boyd from Boyd Office Management Services
Date: 9 May 2017
For many reasons it's very important to be across the disability sector. Not just from the perspective of finding the ideal employee (which Northcott assists business with all the time) but also to be conscious of the needs of current and potential clients. Did you know one in five of your potential clients may be experiencing some sort of disability - and it’s not just the ones we can visually see. Is your business inviting, inclusive?
Hiring a new employee with a disability can be daunting but Kiran and Deenie are here to help. Taking listeners not only through the practical process but also the benefits and incentives available to small business owners when engaging with a disabled employee.
Welcome to the show Kiran & Deenie.
Topics we’ll be covering:
- The importance and of having an inclusive workplace
- The benefits to small business for hiring employees with a disability?
- Who are Northcott and what are their values?
- Are there any Govt or organisation grants, funding, subsidies which small businesses can access when employing an employee with a disability?
- Tell us about the event on Wed 24th May
Tuesday May 02, 2017
Tuesday May 02, 2017
Small Biz Matters – a half hour program each week where you can work ON your business rather than IN it.
with Alexi Boyd from Boyd Office Management Services
Date: 2 May 2017
As part of our Small Biz Journeys series this month we welcome Amy Harrison from Art of the Flower to share with us the path that led her to run her own small business – and its not what you’d expect….
Welcome to the show Amy!
Topics we’ll be covering:
- Broadly your small business journey and what led you to start your own business:
- Slave to retail but passion was artistic but more in the hands-on
- Random conversation with a colleague in London; of all things!
- Researched, learned more about the art form and then built on it
- Came back to Oz, trained and got some experience in the retail side of things in different, corporate stores.
- Relief of finding something you loved and something you were good at!
- Dove straight into her own retail space - and made the most of her experience in Visual
- Make connections with community - letterbox drops, WOM, little bit of a niche in a certain area. And finally throwing money at networking.
- Finally realised that online was the way to go… that and weddings.
- Actually discovered the she was working ON the business that IN it! So the move which was imminent was a blessing in disguise
- Why is colour so important to your working environment
- colour of nature is indescribable. We try and mimic it with art, paint, tones - even photography! The shape, the tone, the texture can only be captured with real flowers and real life
- Mental health, oxygen in your working environment (not wise to have plants in your bedroom)
- Let’s share your expertise with our small business listeners
- Home office environment - bring it inside. It’s not difficult to even take a cutting of some greenery and bring it inside
- Plants are ever changing - the shape, the shifts of life, the seasons - bringing that all inside
- Indoor plants need natural light & watering (less in winter) and talk to them! They like to be next to other plants and Orchids for example don’t need too much water - and don’t forget to move them around.
- Weekly plants might be better in the office environment (tropical flowers, native flowers last longer and have a smaller carbon footprint.)
- Every now and then put them outside for a dose of real light, real air & real water!
To find out more go to Art of the Flower’s website: www.artoftheflower.com.au
Tuesday Apr 11, 2017
Tuesday Apr 11, 2017
Small Biz Matters – a half hour program each week where you can work ON your business rather than IN it.
with Alexi Boyd from Boyd Office Management Services
Date: 11 April 2017
What happens when business owners become sick? Should you soldier on or take a few days off? Also, should a two-week invoicing cycle be enforced by the government?
- High density of small business owners in the Hornsby area
- What happens when business owners become sick? Stop and think.
- Take care of yourself when you become sick - take a day off; turn phone/emails off and just rest
- You are more likely to make errors and be less productive when you are sick
- Don’t share your illness with co-workers
- Employers rarely send sick employees home
- 2-week invoicing period - never discussed in parliament
- Countries like France enforce this, and saw an increase in profitability - accelerating their economy
- Average invoice to payment time is 58 days
Tuesday Apr 04, 2017
Tuesday Apr 04, 2017
Small Biz Matters – a half hour program each week where you can work ON your business rather than IN it.
with Alexi Boyd from Boyd Office Management Services
Date: 4 April 2017
Its different from a J.O.B. being a business owner. We don’t work 9-5 we work all ours. We live, we eat we breathe our small business. For many it is our everything, our identity, our baby… and with its ups and downs come a rollercoaster of of positive and negative emtions and all that turmoil can be mentally and emotionally exhausting.
But what affect is this all consuming entity having on the mental health of those which breathed life into it? And how important is your mental health as the business owner to ensure the life of your business well into the future?
Warning! This is one of those self-care topics because as business owners we need to look after ourselves first before helping others. Kind of like popping on the oxygen mask on a place before helping those around you.
On this week’s show we turn to you, small business owners who are the experts - not only in your field but also as experienced business owners, to share your best tips for ensuring & maintaining mental health whilst keeping your business going. So here are their suggestions…
Aruna Ellis from Pregnancy & Parenting TV has some great, specific suggestions around Mindfulness: Be mindful, you can practice this in many ways, at work, make drinking water a ritual. not a habit a ritual, put an alarm on every time you reach for your bottle, consciously breath, make subtle body changes, put your feet down, straighten your back, consciously roll your shoulders back, close your eyes while drinking your water and just saver the taste and feel of that water in your mouth and going down your throat. THIS WILL WORK IN MANY WAYS 1. break the pattern of stress in your body and mind. 2 give time for the water to absorb rather than run through you . 3 that mindful correct posture will fill you with oxygen you need to keep a clear head.
Ange Sinclair the Digestive Detective takes the perspective for your mind and body: Make sure you take a lunch break away from your desk. Not only good for your mental health but also excellent for your digestion. Go to a green space if you can find one (for) at least 30 mins. Good to take 3 really deep breaths before you start eating to switch your brain from fight or flight (which most of us live in at work) to rest and digest.
Ursula Hogben from Legalvision showed her real research & resourcefulness; drawing on Beyond Blue’s support services: My top 3 are reflection/remembering our purpose, at least 15 mins exercise a day, and spending time with great people - sometimes business owners who get the challenges, other times loved ones for their care and support :) Beyond Blue has a special program for business owners called business in mind.
And Tatjana Domazet at Power of Coaching agrees stating a walking group or meditation for 20 - 30 minutes is beneficial. You might want to consider this as a team building exercise.
Jennifer Taylor from vividity photography has two top tips: OK, because in a previous iteration of my career I was a yoga teacher, I'm going to second the advice above about meditation and exercise and healthy eating habits.....but my top tip at the moment is to allow a little time for silliness. I like to put on some 80s music and dance like a no one is watching, because they're not. I work on my own!!
And my second tip is phone a friend. That could be someone in the same industry as you, or someone you've known since you were 4. The key thing is that it's a person who makes you feel good just to be around.
Maureen Thompson agrees but adds the importance of a furry friend to keep you company!
Tania Teperson, Personal Stylist at modaboutstyle suggests the importance of taking breaks; Being able to get away occasionally, even if it’s once every few months, it kind of gets the juices flowing and refreshed again! Engaging in activities that you enjoy releases "feel good"endorphins.
And Debra Pittam from Person Centred Leadership draws on practical advice to help alleviate the stress: Last thing before you stop working or first thing before you start make a to do list or go a brain dump to get everything out of your head to free up your brain space (for focus and clear thinking). Prioritise and do the hardest thing on your list in the day 1st thing.
Here are some more great resources for businesses when it comes to mental health awareness:
https://www.headsup.org.au/creating-a-mentally-healthy-workplace/small-businesses
The information on this website and in the podcast is provided as a service to the public and offers general information only. It is not intended to be and should not be relied on as a substitute for specific medical or health advice.
You may wish to seek support from the following organisations when listening to this program:
National 24/7 Crisis Services • Lifeline 13 11 14 http://www.lifeline.org.au/ • Suicide Call Back Service 1300 659 467 http://www.suicidecallbackservice.org.au/ • Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800 http://www.kidshelp.com.au/ • MensLine Australia 1300 78 99 78 http://www.mensline.org.au/
(photo courtesy of https://www.flickr.com/photos/liveoncelivewild/ )
Tuesday Mar 14, 2017
Tuesday Mar 14, 2017
Small Biz Matters – a half hour program each week where you can work ON your business rather than IN it.
with Alexi Boyd from Boyd Office Management Services
Date: 14 March 2017
Branding. It certainly is a dark art. Where to begin? How do you differentiate yourself from the competition in what ALWAYS seems to be a flooded market (no matter what industry you’re in). How to stand out? How to stay relevant, hip, happening… it’s a minefield.
We are the experts in our field but I’ve never met a plumber who tried to brand themselves. It takes knowledge of industry, patience, creativity - many attributes we simply don’t have as small businesses, or worse still, we THINK we do but really don’t.
Welcome to the show Aranka.
Topics we’ll be covering:
- What’s crucial to a good brand?
- Why should you NEVER rush the branding process?
- What is a brand blueprint and why is it important?
- When is the best time to audit your brand?
- What is a Brand Audit process exactly?
- Can these concepts be applied to all industries or just those with “creativity” elements?
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- What’s crucial to a good brand?
Let’s first understand what is a brand.
It is every touch point that a prospect or client uses to understand your business.
A brand presents the brand story in a logo, words, messages, video, audio, sound, pictures, style, website, email, SEO, product, packaging, signage, car signage, PR, advertising……everything. So it is every engagement that you have with a prospect, all customer experiences including the telephone call you just finished.
Usually you need help from a specialist who knows how to ask the right questions, to tease out from you the things that you don’t see within your business, the things that make your business unique, special, different and the ability to focus on the how you add value to your clients. Then you need to be honest with them and let them create a brand that aligns to your brand story.
Great brands tell great stories. And by stories I don’t mean making it up. I mean knowing it so you are authentic, clear and succinct and visually representing what people are looking for when they look for a product like yours. It has to resonate with people. It is also about people talking about you and being prepared to endorse you.
When there is no story you don’t get noticed.
- Why should you NEVER rush the branding process?
There are so many things to decide:
- what are you offering,
- who is it for,
- how will you be remembered
- can people find you easily
- how are you different
- what is the competition doing
- what do they look like
- is there a gap in the market that this business will serve
- what makes you special, unique, different,
- why you?
- Do people understand the value?
- What is the user experience that you want to create?
- What is your vision, mission, and values?
Creating a brand is much more that bringing together an icon – a shape that will be ‘the mark’ you are know by and your name.
You can buy a logo from lots of places. Did you just buy on off the shelf or was it designed to tell your story? The logo is one part, what about the rest?
How many opportunities to put your brand out there are you missing because these parts have not been thought through?
What I often see is a logo that does not personify the brand, it confuses the target audience and has no meaning. It might be a colour that the business owner likes, but its style is not aligned to the business, or it is not speaking to the target audience at all.
Or worse still, it looks so similar to the competition that when one company spends dollars in marketing effort the competitors sales goes up. And when this happens continuously the business can go broke and the competition flourishes and ends up holding a greater market share. But then how would you know?
You really need to understand what your business is in the eyes of your prospects, existing clients, suppliers and other interested parties like shareholders for example and ultimately those who would want to buy your business.
What is the problem the business is solving, who is likely to want that service, where are they, how do you reach them?
Let us understand that great brands are stories. How well that story is told and how it engages the target audiences is how successful the business could be.
- What is a brand blueprint and why is it important?
When we start to design a brand we must understand the DNA of the organisation. We go through a process that we call the brand blueprint. A brand blueprint is about creating an understanding of what the business wants to become, why it exists, what is its promise, central idea and how will the business positions itself in the market as well as a lot of other drivers that is intended to create the brand.
It usually involves stakeholders and people who are emotionally involved in the brand and business.
- What is a Brand Audit process exactly?
It is a process of investigating what the perception of the brand is today and what clients think are the best and the worst of the brand, who really gets the business and who is likely to not be part of the future direction of business goals and activities. It supports how the brand should be evolved to reach a new audience or strengthen the commitment to the existing clients.
- When is the best time to audit your brand?
The best time of auditing your brand is when you are not reaching a new audience. We have seen a great shift in the way people want to be communicated with and many organisations have not made the change to digital in a way that helps them get more business. Brands should be audited once every 3-5 years to make sure that the audience understands what the business represents, it is refreshed and keeping up with digital changes and tools that help clients find you.
- Can these concepts be applied to all industries or just those with “creativity” elements?
Having solid brand principles and practices applies to all businesses and even those who are interested in the development of their personal brand. This is particularly relevant to smaller firms where the brand is the principal and there is a need for intergenerational transfer of the business and the brand needs to evolve to include a greater number of people that now want to build up the business.
Remember your brand will have long term impact on your business the name/font/style/logo/icons all sell your business
To find out more go to their website: einsteinmarketing.com.au