You are here: Home >> small business

Build Your Own Brand and Be Your Own Boss: Tips To Go From Just Thinking About Entrepreneurship To Just Doing It

September 20, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Share

Entrepreneur word art

Build Your Own Brand and Be Your Own Boss: Tips To Go From Just Thinking About Entrepreneurship To Just Doing It

by Frederika Angus

Wealth. Excitement. Opportunity. Family. Change. Freedom. Control.

There are a variety of reasons why business owners take the leap of faith into entrepreneurship including those on list above. While those general reasons will get you started, it takes more than inspiration, desire and hope to build a brand that you are passionate about and sparks lasting loyalty from your customers and brands.

Branding when done right will help you be found, be heard and be profitable. As you begin to build and grow your business brand and work for yourself, keep these tips in mind.

1. To thine own self be true – Ok so I didn’t originally pen this one but in order to build a business and brand that attracts your ideal client, nothing is more important than being yourself. As I work with different clients on bringing their professional and business brands online, we often take a look at what others are doing in the marketplace to determine their online business model, product offering, marketing message and the overall brand experience. The goal in this activity is not to replicate, duplicate or even imitate what similar brands are doing. It helps to further refine what they like and do not like. Every brand has its own DNA and as you create the business and life of your dreams remember to #BeBrandYou. Be authentic, be unique and remember be true to who you are.

2. Branding what you know helps your business grow – Simply put expertise sells. If you’re looking to start a business that will create a lasting legacy for generations to come, it’s best you start with what you know. If you don’t have a clue about baking, starting a business coaching other bakers is a recipe (pun intended) for instant failure and disappointment. It’s also faulty to believe that just because someone else you like and respect is doing something that you will be able to get the same results that they have. You can have the same ability and know how but if it isn’t your highest level of mastery you’ll find yourself frustrated. It isn’t important that your brand master everything. Start small, use what you know, and grow from there.

3. Even the strongest person needs support – Visionary entrepreneurs have dreams that seem to be bigger than life itself. As a mom of 4, I can tell you with all certainty that while you can carry a baby alone, delivering that baby is not something that you want to do alone. You want a team of people ready to help and support you. The same is true of your business “baby.” Get your support team around you that includes, mentors, graphic designers, legal counsel, accountants, web developers and assistants. While you can do much of the work on your own, having support allows your brand to go so much further.

I had the opportunity and honor to sit down with an awesome Virtual Assistant coach, Tiffany Parson and discuss how I got started in business and work from the comfort of my home daily. This interview really is the insider look at how I went from employee to entrepreneur as I build a brand and enjoy being my own boss. Included are tips on how to get started, tools I use in my business daily and exactly what you need to get your business started online. I invite you to listen to the interview NOW! 

Be sure to let me know over on my Facebook page what you learned from the interview!

Talk to you soon!

Frederika Angus

Filed Under: Branding, Entrepreneurship Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

You Are Now Free to Fly

July 4, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Share

leap-of-faith

You Are Now Free to Fly

by Frederika Angus

Here in the United States, we are celebrating the 4th of July or Independence Day. By this afternoon, backyards and parks will be filled with family and friends gathered together to celebrate the holiday. Fireworks will fill the night sky as we look up with childlike wonder at colorful displays with reverence the freedom we have.

But what does freedom really mean?

Freedom is defined as 1) The right to speak or act without restriction, interference, or fear, or; 2) a country’s right to rule itself, without interference from, or domination by, another country or power, or; 3) the state of being unaffected by, or not subject to, something unpleasant or unwanted.

On today, I believe the 2nd part of that definition is what immediately comes to mind. But the freedom that we have and live daily is more than a corporate freedom by default of living in a free country. I believe freedom is much more personal than that and can be expressed regardless of the location or country in which you live.

Daily, I’m honored to serve brilliant entrepreneur and visionary business owners all over the world. When asked how they started their business, you’ll the hear multiple stories from just looking to add an additional (or primary) income, chasing dreams to turn their passion to profit, being laid off, wanting to bring a bigger change to the problems they see around them or even just sick and tired of being sick and tired of the same thing day after day. While each story is individual in details, you can hear woven together in the telling of their business beginnings one common thread; business gives you freedom to be and do what you love.

And on the surface it means, you get to do what you want, when you want, if you want. But much on a much deeper level your business has the right to speak a message of light to those in darkness, and the ability to share hope and show love to every person you serve. You are free to face your own fears BOLDY and say, “I do not choose to shrink down and accept what is given to me. I am determined to take leaps of faith (often daily) to build and create the business and life that I love!”

Bald Eagle Soaring

You are now free to fly!

Take a look at that definition again! You can speak and act without fear. You can look at limitations and restrictions and choose to go over, around and even through any hinderance to you living your best life right now. You can choose to not be affected by those things that are unpleasant or unwanted. Freedom is your right to live as a creator of your circumstance based on what you say and do! You can soar like an eagle.

So today and everyday remember that you have the right and full on permission to be more and impact many others with your business and your life. See you in the friendly skies. You are free to fly!

Talk to you soon!

Frederika Angus

 

 

Filed Under: Mindset, Motivational Moment Tagged With: , , , , , ,

5 Internet Marketing Tips for Local Businesses

May 29, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Share

5 Internet Marketing Tips for Local Businesses

by Frederika Angus

Local business marketing online

As a local business you have a great opportunity using internet marketing and social media. Your small business is able to use the internet and social media to be found, strengthen your brand, connect with your current and potential patrons and also boost your SEO ranking. Establishing and expanding your reach online is important in today’s instant access to information, smartphone society. Online marketing keeps your brand’s name at the top of your customers’ mind when they need your products or services.

Here are 5 tips to help your local business get results and see the benefits from your online presence.

1. Use WordPress as your website platform to blog weekly. WordPress plays so beautifully with search engines such as Google. When it comes to Search Engine Optimization (SEO), this helps to pull your website up on to the first page of results because it sees your consistent new blog info. There are also a couple really great SEO plugins that make adding your keywords so easy throughout the entire site.

2. Name the URL of your posts and pages with your local area city and one main keyword phrase. If you are an italian restaurant in Dallas, TX (using WordPress as your platform), you can easily add italian-restaurant-dallas-texas to the URL text. When customers are looking for a great italian dinner in Dallas, your website will begin to be shown to them. Simple boost to website traffic and eyes on your business!

3. Establish a Google+ page in the local category. Google is the top search engine used on daily basis. Users are able to discover the new Google+ Local pages in several ways: through a search on Google.com or Google Maps, in mobile apps or through a search on Google+.

4. Create and use Facebook and Twitter daily. For many, social media is the first thing they check in the morning when they awaken and the last thing they read at night. Be sure your local business has a dedicated Facebook like page (Read more on why you shouldn’t use a Facebook profile page) and Twitter page. Post updates regularly throughout the day to connect with you customers.

5. Share your brand visually. It is often said that a picture is worth a thousand words. Share behind the scenes photos in your office, marketing and promotional images, employees of the month, store front specials and decor. People will begin to feel like part of the culture of your business and this helps you build trust and credibility for your brand.

Have these tips helped you? Be sure to leave me a comment below!

Talk to you soon!

Frederika Angus

Filed Under: Online Marketing, Social Media Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Using A Blog To Build Your Brand – 5 Tips For Blogging Success

January 6, 2013 by 1 Comment
Share

Using A Blog To Build Your Brand – 5 Tips For Blogging Success

by Frederika Angus

Blog for profit Blog with social media tips for beginners

Blogging these days is about as popular as smartphones; nearly everyone has one. And if you aren’t currently writing a blog, it’s likely that you’ve started one and quit writing in the past, you read someone else’s blog regularly, or you have an idea to start one.

Using a blog is one of the most effective ways to share your creativity, inspiration, and message quickly with those it will resonate with. It is also a great tool to use to brand yourself, share your expertise and build a business around. If you’re just staring out with blogging or looking for help to blog successfully, here are a few tips that will help.

1- Be You!

Authenticity is a critical point to branding, building a business and life in general. The popular phrase “Fake it til you make it” does not work well in the blogging world. People are naturally more suspicious of things that sound to good to be be true. No wants you to be perfect. Being perfect is a myth. Being the real, genuine, best you on your blog will results in building a brand that doesn’t feel like a production. Your blog will become the natural extension of who you are.

2- Be Positive!

When building a brand, save the drama. People may enjoy and laugh and agree with you for a while, but do you want your internet lasting legacy to be one of negativity? Think about the books, tv shows, and friends you enjoy and like to regularly read, watch and be around. If you’re like me, it’s very likely that negativity is draining and you much prefer the positive inspiration to constant negative news. Create that same culture for your brand through your blog.

3- Be Consistent!

Show up and write regularly. Attention spans tend to be short so if you don’t show up, you will quickly be forgotten. Bring your brand to the top of mind for your followers consistently. Once you determine your routine, this will be easy!

4- Be Focused!

Before you start, decide what exactly you will be blogging about. Try not to shift and jump around. For instance, if I talking about branding then jump into discussing makeup and fashion, that will create a disconnect between the topics and with my followers. Decide your focus and the topics you will discuss on your blog. When people arrive at your blog it should be clear what you are about and the type of information they will receive.

5- Be Diverse!

Everyone doesn’t like to read blogs in the same fashion. Some may like to go directly to your website, while others prefer to read them directly from their email. Other’s may happen upon your blog from the many social media outlets you post on. Be sure to provide your blog content in diverse ways. Being able to stay connected with your followers in the method they prefer most, will be beneficial in growing your following and spreading your message through blogging!

I hope you enjoy these tips!

Post below if you have any questions or to just let me know how these tips help you out!

Talk to you soon!

Frederika Angus

 

Filed Under: Branding, Wordpress Website Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

What is Pinterest and Why Businesses Should Be Paying Attention

February 20, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Share

 

What is Pinterest and Why Businesses Should Be Paying Attention

by Frederika Angus

 pinterest

Pinterest. It’s social media’s newest fastest growing platform. It’s been around for almost 2 years and this past Tuesday reached 11.7 million monthly active users. If you have a business that requires you market to consumers, pay attention to what’s going with Pinterest.

The best part about Pinterest is that unlike using SEO techniques to rank highly in google search, this platform allows users to discover and experience your brand visually. And unlike Facebook and Twitter where the content visibility is limited to the time you post it, pinning content goes on and on as more people collaborate and share within the same interest.

Post image for What is Pinterest and Why Businesses Should Be Paying Attention

Get up to speed quickly on why your brand should care about this social media platform and how to get started right away.

Great article on the basics on Pinterest from Mashable
http://mashable.com/2011/12/26/pinterest-beginners-guide/

Tips on how to read your ideal customer’s mind using Pinterest
http://www.arealchange.com/blog/read-mind-pinterest

Very specific ways for your brand can leverage Pinterest
http://techcrunch.com/2012/02/12/five-ways-brands-can-leverage-pinterest/

Using Pinterest for Marketing
http://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/31434/6-Compelling-Reasons-You-Should-Use-Pinterest-for-Marketing.aspx

9 Ways to capture the attention of ideal customers
http://www.inc.com/john-brandon/9-tips-boost-your-business-pinterest.html

Let me know what questions you have below.

Find me on Pinterest here and connect with me.

And if you’re convinced that Pinterest is the right platform to expand your brand and ready to get started but need an invite, go to my contact page here http://nextlevelvision.com/contact/. I’ll make sure you get an invite sent to you with 24-48 hours.

Talk to you soon!

Filed Under: Social Media Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Stand Out From the Crowd with your Social Media Content

February 13, 2012 by 2 Comments
Share

Stand Out From the Crowd with your Social Media Content

by Frederika Angus

stand-out-social-media

Social media can be overwhelming. Especially when you are using social media for your business and you want to be heard and stand out from the crowd.

At the end of 2011, Facebook had on average 483 million daily active users. Twitter had over 100 million active users. Google+ had more than 150 million active users. Those numbers are continuing to be on the rise.

That’s a lot of competition!

It’s like being a small fish in a small pond with millions of other small fish for small businesses.

Post image for Stand Out From the Crowd with your Social Media Content

And at the rate that social media moves, your ideal customers can forget about you just as quickly as they found you. It’s like my mom always told me, “Out of sight. Out of mind.”

Your brand cannot afford to be out of sight from potential revenue generating opportunities nor out of the mind of your ideal clients. This is why your branding efforts on social media is critical for you to stand out. Social media branding is bigger than a great profile picture or background. While your brand strategy should incorporate visual elements, those visual elements should help support your overall brand message.

How do you expand your brand through social media in a stand out way?

Too often I see the “self-proclaimed experts” sharing the ideas and opinions of everyone else and very little of their own original content. It’s fine to share great articles and quotes that resonate with you from others … occasionally through out the day. The trouble starts when you begin to bombard your following with everyone else’s opinion.

This style of social media content distribution downgrades your expert credibility and leaves them with questions like:

If you are the expert, where’s your opinion? Why should I follow you if I can just follow the person whose content you’re always promoting?

It’s difficult to differentiate why you are different from the thousands of competitors you have on social media with this strategy. That’s why it is vital that your website has blog functionality attached to it or that it is completely built using a content management system like WordPress.

You have to be the creator of valuable content that your target market can’t wait to not only read, but consume.

3 Tips For Stand Out Content in Social Media

  1. Commit to writing at least twice a week. Yes, I understand you have work to do and you don’t need another thing on your plate. This is only recommended this to those who want to go beyond their current level of success. Your ideal customers are consuming the majority of their content in snippets of 140 characters and through article links on status updates. Get your brand in front of them consistently to avoid the out of sight, out of mind syndrome.
  2. Use current events as a way to attract into your niche. We are in a right now society. Content that is quickly consumed and shared via social media is relevant to what is going on in the world. After Steve Jobs died, the internet and social media platforms immediately had articles and graphics posted for others to consume from all different perspectives. Write content in your niche that people are currently searching and looking for.
  3. Share you! People recognize and respect authenticity. Don’t be afraid to be genuinely you as your write. It’s not necessary for you to write like a journalist for people to love and appreciate what your write. Ensure that your content sounds the same as if someone was talking to you across the table sharing coffee. The best way stand out in the conversation is to contribute content with your unique and fresh way of thinking.

Stand out brands are leaders in their industry. Social media is a great, cost-effective avenue to expand your brand quickly. Elevate your social media strategy by standing out with your content.

Talk to you soon!

Filed Under: Social Media Tagged With: , , , ,

Building Your Small Business, Networking and Having Enough Time to Spend With Your Family. Is It Possible?

January 26, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Share

Building Your Small Business, Networking and Having Enough Time to Spend With Your Family. Is It Possible?

by Frederika Angus

When you decided to go into business, your goal was probably to generate an income, a substantial income. Now it wasn’t all about the money, but the lifestyle that the additional money could provide for you. This business was supposed to be a bridge between the life you currently have and the one you dream about. You know, the life where you live comfortably without the stress of bills, are free to dictate how you spend your time instead of being told, and enjoy doing fulfilling work and serving your clients.

I wholeheartedly believe that entrepreneurship is a great vehicle to make all of those things happen. As an entrepreneur, I can also tell you that all of those things don’t happen if you don’t make enough money in your business to eliminate the need for a full or part-time job. One of the best ways to put money in the bank is to have a large enough funnel of prospective ideal clients.

Networking to expand your brand and reach of influence is a very smart way to to gain new customers. Unfortunately, the way networking is typically done does not produce a very good ROI, or return on your (time) investment.

I received a great question from a client requesting tips on how to add networking to an already full plate. What is a busy entrepreneur that loves time with their family, has an additional job and is even going to school to better their skills for their clients to do?

Really there are only two options (since we know not networking means no new work coming in). Either you decide to network live or online. Let me explain.

If you decide you will do in-person networking events, be selective. I value spending time with my family and creating memories that will last a lifetime. Every event that presents itself for networking is not necessarily the event for me. Select events where you know that the people in attendance are of high quality. These are the people that are not at events because they want to be seen or they have nothing else to do. Be mindful to associate and network with people who may know your ideal client or even potentially be your ideal client.

Also understand that at networking events you are the representative for the brand. Yes, especially at live networking events, you are branding via your business cards and your overall appearance and attitude. Because of the corporate clients that I attract, I understood the importance of being memorable in a very cookie cutter industry. My cards are intentionally not like most. It has a flair and quality that reflects me and allows me to standout days and even weeks after meeting someone. Just this past week I happened to run into a person from a past business function and he identified me first by my business card which reminded him I was unique in the marketplace and that we should talk further.

Learn how to network online from your couch and even while you sleep!  You have enough going on in your life that you don’t need “one more thing to do.” Networking usually takes time away from the things or the people that you would prefer to spend your time with. If you are not already making good use of the technology that is available, start today. Connect with me on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook to help expand your online network. Developing relationships on these platforms is a good way to also expand your brand where your ideal clients hang out without being intrusive.

If your networking purpose is to generate new leads and prospective customers, there are strategic methods, systems and tools that you can use that will work for you even while you aren’t working your business. Weigh your return on investment. Would you rather spend 2 hours talking to a person in hopes that you will be able to schedule a meeting that might one day lead to a customer? Or would your 2 hours be better spent with friends, family, or even doing what you love and taking care of yourself while your lead generation is handled for you?

Over the next few weeks, we will further discuss how to build your brand online in such a strategic way that you are actively adding new prospects to your network because they are already looking for you. I’m looking forward to sharing these innovative strategies and techniques that will take your business to the next level.

In the meantime, be sure to post any comments or questions you have below.

Talk to you soon!

Filed Under: Branding, Entrepreneurship, Social Media Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Keeping Up With the Joneses – Free Tools That Will Help Your Business Hear the Marketplace

January 12, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Share

Keeping Up With the Joneses – Free Tools That Will Help Your Business Hear the Marketplace

by Frederika Angus

How much time do you spend researching your target market? Your industry? What about your competition? How consistently are you obtaining feedback from your clients?

If your answer is not enough or not at all, don’t feel badly. Most solopreneurs and many small business owners don’t have dedicated research and marketing departments. Unfortunately, not knowing what the marketplace desires or needs could really be hindering your profits and your branding.

If your small business is just starting up or hasn’t been involved in the marketplace for many years, you may not have much insight into target market research or industry trends. You may only recognize the terms because you know they are included in formal business plans. The benefits of being able to “see” what is upcoming and having your ears to the ground are numerous.

What would it be worth for you to know the needs of your customer, provide them and be the sought out industry expert?

Fortunately, there are tools available for free that can work for you while you continue to get the work of the business done. In this article, I’ll discuss my two of my favorites. They will help you keep up with the Joneses, whether your Jones is Customer Jones, Industry Jones or Competition Jones, and enable you to make informed business decisions.

Google Alerts

Google has a very innovative group of tools that has changed how we use and even refer to web searching and the internet. Google Alerts are emails sent when Google finds new relevant information that match your specific search terms. The results provide you with a listing of newspaper articles, web pages and blogs allowing you to monitor anything on the web.

You can set up alerts for your business name, your name, keywords, your website address, even on your competition’s company name to “hear” what the world has to say. You can even decide how often you want the alerts delivered to you. For more critical terms, like your name (if it isn’t a common name) or the name of your company, it may be best to have at a minimum a daily delivery. For industry terms, you may only want to receive information once a week.

Twitter

I am a social media enthusiast (read: I am a social butterfly that loves spreading her wings via social media). As a researcher, consultant and strategist, I absolutely love the power of being able find out anything, immediately, with social media. As a marketer, coach and encourager, the ease of being able to share valuable information with people I may not otherwise have met is one of the highlights of my day. As much as I enjoy Facebook, I have to confess Twitter is my favorite when it comes to hearing what people are saying.

The biggest bonus to Twitter is the search functionality. Pop in your company name or industry keyword and you are instantly connected to real-time updates. Depending on which Twitter app you have installed on your smart device, you can even save those searches for future use and see what new information is available in the palm of your hand.

Hearing the marketplace has just gotten easier!

Do you have any favorite tools to listen to what marketplace is saying? I’d love to hear them!

Talk to you soon!

Filed Under: Social Media Tagged With: , , , , , ,
Next Page»