Thanks to David Letterman, top ten lists are everywhere. A quick Google search of "startup advice" yields over 3.3 million hits. So where do you start? When it comes to your startup, do you really want your business advice to be a joke? There are many ways to find reliable advice to help your startup become a success.  For business tips, you can check out magazines such as Inc. and Entrepreneur, or magazines which focus on your specific industry. You can meet people and network through your localBNI International chapter, or make connections online using LinkedIn. In our experience, some of the best advice has come ...

What is a logo? Being an entrepreneur is a valued and accomplished status, which also comes with important decisions, sacrifices, and plans. Choosing a branding strategy is a decision every entrepreneur must make, but no matter how it is done, the first step starts with a logo. A logo is the most important asset to your business branding. It is the visual representation of your company and the start of your branding strategy. Most people get a strong first impression of a company based on their logo image. Even if the product or service that a company offers is great, but the ...

Running your own business is no doubt a stressful task, and unfortunately, it comes with the territory, but is the stress doing more harm than good for your business? Some busy entrepreneurs thrive on the stress and use it to push them along, but for the rest of us, stress is more a killer than a helper. Not only does it hurt your business progress, upset your employees, and frustrate your clients, it is also bad for your health as well. The good news is that stress doesn’t have to run your business, as long as you run yourself with balance ...

Why does it seem that everybody today has a very negative attitude? We know that we are in a recession and eventually we will get out of it and have a bright and prosperous future, but why don’t people see the possibilities? If you ask a business person "how is your business going?" They may tell you, "It was bad year, it's bad today, and it will be bad next year." You get a negative answer, negative this and negative that. It seems that we are surrounded by negative entrepreneurs, which is never good for building business. Business people go to the ...

When designing a website for your business, keep in mind that the first thing visitors will see is your Home Page. It’s valuable real estate that will make or break a visitor’s impression of your site or your business. A favorable experience could lead to a sale and a long-term business relationship. A bad experience will result in a quick exit and a lost opportunity.  Make sure when you are designing your business website, you follow the 5 tips below to ensure you are getting the most out of your Home Page. 1. Who Am I? Is your logo displayed prominently in ...

By Joe Witte, Executive Vice President and Partner, Logo Design Guru Are you seeing more traffic come to your website? Seeing more leads come through your email? But not seeing the results in your revenue? Here are some tips to help you convert these leads to customers. 1)    Call/Email immediately- remember, if someone found you online, and took the time to phone/ fill out a lead form, chances are they did this with another company. Being the first company to contact that individual is critical. If you don’t reach them on the phone, follow up with an email that includes all of your ...

Spring is traditionally the time of year associated with rebirth and rejuvenation. Flowers are in bloom, the doldrums of winter are over, and everybody’s mood seems to improve. If your house is anything like mine, Spring is also the time for “Spring Cleaning” and the undertaking of minor and some not so minor household repairs and improvements. From putting away the winter wardrobe to taking a harder look at that old torn window screen, it’s a great time to evaluate and fix little things around your home. Once your house is in order, what about Spring Cleaning for your business? Do ...