Faith in Your Business Epiphany

By Tommi Wolfe, The Startup Expert and CWCC Member

I was watching TV on a lazy Sunday morning recently, and caught the tail end of Oprah’s Super Soul Sunday, just as Mastin Kipp told the story of the small 8′  x 8′ room representing the size of his faith.

And then it hit me. The size of our faith is a mega-indicator of our business success potential. And this is true regardless of how religious you may be or what your beliefs are. The fact that I see demonstrated daily by my clients is this:

Your faith and belief in yourself, your future and your businesses is arguably the best indicator of your future success as an entrepreneur.

Kendra Prospero
Turning the Corner LLC

When you BELIEVE you are going to succeed, this totally governs your decision making. You act boldly and fearlessly, bounce back from mistakes, and think expansively. I am reminded of one of my favorite clients, recruiter and career counselor  Kendra Prospero, winner of The Startup Expert business of the year award last year. She broke 6 figures in her first year of business, and we celebrated the holidays with a company lunch that boasted around 10 people. She never considered failure at all; her business Turning The Corner LLC’s growth was meteoric because her big decisions were grounded in a place of confidence. She has always had huge faith in her ability to succeed.

Sadly, the converse is also true. I watch entrepreneurs who really don’t believe in their ability or their future success. I watch as they make small, fearful decisions, one step forward, two steps back. You can’t succeed with this lack of belief and faith, and sadly their progress is predictable and unimpressive.

Luckily, when your work matters and you are doing what you are meant to be doing – then it is about something way bigger than you. This is your universal and divine permission to BELIEVE, and to take FEARLESS, COURAGEOUS ACTION.

I leave you with a few more words of inspiration from Oprah’s show: “Fear is trusting in your own power. Instead, trust in the universal and the Divine. When you are doing what you are meant to do, all you need to do is get out of your own way”.

If this article has piqued your interest and you want more specifics on how to start earning abundantly, join Tommi and the CWCC for on March 22, 2013 for Client Attraction Secrets Live  and on July 31, 3013 for Show Me the Money.

Tommi Wolfe specializes in helping new, service-based companies start and grow quickly, simply, and profitably.  She can help you in two special ways. She can make sure you have the entrepreneurial skills and techniques you need to run an awesome business. And, because she’s been down this road before, she can provide the excellent support system you need.  For more information visit http://www.thestartupexpert.com.

Entrepreneurs: Is Your Business Brand the Same as Your Personal Brand?

By Lori Dubois, Marketing and Branding Expert and CWCC Member

When starting a small business, there is so much of “you” in the business it is sometimes hard to tell where you end and the business begins. This can serve you well—it’s easier to get (and stay) excited about a vision that you created and own. When the days get long, it’s easier to keep going when you have a high stake in the success of the business. At what point, though, does the business have its own identity? How do you know how much of you should be reflected in your business brand?

It is highly likely that your personal brand is stamped all over your business; it can be difficult to avoid. You naturally make decisions based on your core values, what you like, and who you are. We often build a personal brand by default; meaning we don’t spend the time to purposefully create the image we want to portray, it just kind of “happens.” While this may not be the ideal way to build our personal brand, it certainly is not the way to build a business brand.

It is worth the time and effort it takes to plan and carefully craft your business brand. Branding your business is like planting a stake in the ground that says “this is who we are and this is the space we claim.” This process should be done independently of building your personal brand. Of course, it makes sense that your core values will be aligned between your personal values and business values. It would be difficult to put your blood, sweat, and tears into a venture you didn’t really believe in.

Whether you are starting or running your first business, or are a serial entrepreneur and have several business ventures under your belt, make sure each business is branded uniquely. This is for differentiation purposes—clarity in how your business is unique in the marketplace. This does not mean your personal brand or brand of other businesses you are involved with don’t align with your business, it just means that at its core every organization should have a unique identity.

Want to find out more about branding your business? Come to “Branding Uncensored for the New Year” on November 13, 2012, at the Colorado Women’s Chamber of Commerce. As you work on your marketing plan for 2013, make sure you are on track to leverage a strong brand to grow your business. Learn about the five critical pieces of a brand and how to avoid common misconceptions about branding.

Lori Dubois owns Dubois Information, a marketing communications company helping small to medium sized businesses build a brand that tells their unique story in the right way to the right people using the right methods. Dubois Information works with business owners to communicate better with their clients and prospects through email marketing, newsletters, surveys, web content, video, and social media strategies. www.DuboisInformation.com, 303-221-1129

Your Brand VS Brand X – How to Differentiate

By Emilie Downs, Owner, Imago Visual and CWCC Member

If you are competing on price, it means your customers can’t tell the difference between you and Brand X.

If clients are asking you to discount, it means they are making their purchasing decision based solely on price. You don’t want that. Why? Because it means they can’t tell the difference between you and your competitor. Come on, you’ve heard it before, “I think your estimate looks great, BUT your price is higher than the other bids we received.”

Then, the long pause…. Are you going to discount? Are you going to try to defend yourself by stating all the reasons why you’re worth more? It’s too late. It’s too late to try to explain how you differ now, “We have great customer service.” So does the competition. “We have a great product.” Well, so do they. Better luck next time (better evaluate your brand).

Your branding efforts (or lack thereof) directly correlate to the amount of money in your pocket. Don’t believe me? Think lower prices are the way of the “new” economy? Think again. If that were true, why would anyone shop at Whole Foods? We all know the joke, “don’t you mean Whole Paycheck?” You see, Whole Foods is a premium brand. They stand for organic, unprocessed food because you want to fill your body with the best food money can buy.

Let’s turn that idea on it’s head: If there’s premium food for purchase elsewhere, why would anyone shop at King Soopers? Because they are looking for affordable, nutritious food to feed their growing family–that is the King Soopers brand.

The bottom line: Which brand do you want to be? There’s no right or wrong answer here. But there IS a difference. There’s a BIG difference between the two brands. There’s no confusion. You expect that your grocery bill will be higher at Whole Foods. You are not surprised to save money at King Soopers so you stock up on the basics.

If you’re spending time responding to comments like, “What can you do for me that Brand X can’t do?” or “I guess I don’t see the difference between the two services.” Then it’s time to differentiate–and to make sure those differences are heard loud and clear by your potential customers.

If you need help setting your brand apart from the rest, or would like to learn more from Emilie on branding, sign up for “Branding Uncensored for the New Year: Essential Planning for Your Business Brand” on November 13th.

This popular branding seminar led by Emilie Downs and Lori Dubois will:

• Lead you through our signature 5-step branding process-what it takes to build a strong brand and why it is so crucial to your business.
• Explore some common branding misconceptions, how they can be barriers, and how to use them to your advantage.
• Show you how to differentiate your company through your brand.
• Discuss the impact of social media on your brand.

Register today!

Emilie Downs is the owner of Imago Visual a branding company based in Denver. In her 15 years of experience, Emilie discovered business owners often have trouble conveying their exciting and unique message to customers and employees. We help our clients move beyond business categories, to telling their brand story, both verbally and visually, resulting in clarity for their businesses, employees and customers.

Interviews at the Annual Awards VIP Reception