HeatherStone commented on the following stories on BizSugar
Have You Thought about the Costs of Being Self-Employed
"Miranda, These are a lot of very good points. Of course, one option, assuming you make enough money, is to incorporate and pay yourself a steady salary out of corporate profits holding back enough for some kind of benefit package. In this way, the company controls your income by doling it out on a regular predictable basis. The only thing you need to worry about is continuing to create and sell your products or services. That will keep enough money in the coffers to keep those steady payments coming."What to look out for when hiring employees!
"Great post, Bernd, and one of the first I've read in a long time that reflects my thinking. I agree that employee attitude is key, really it's "willingness". Companies need to invest in employees and groom them when they have this great attitude. And I think that's a problem nowadays. A lot of companies care about the skills only, not the people. I was reading an article or two on Generation X, which is in its prime right now and probably makes up the majority of the executive workforce and well as many of the small business owners and managers out there. One of the biggest factors to this group is working conditions and company culture. This group is highly skilled and creative thinking, but are willing to work for a little less than some if working conditions are prime--an intellectual or professional challenge, a mission/vision, employee recognition, mobility, perks, schedule flexibility, green initiatives and health and family consciousness in the company, no micro-management, etc. They and most employees want to be treated like people, with consideration, acknowledgement, and respect over super-high pay. I know I feel that way :)"How To Brand Your Business
"Lots of good advice here! What I find difficult is taking this systematic approach to branding when you're trying to bootstrap a small business in your spare time, while holding down a job. The motivation factor just isn't always there equally for each step of the process. I think pushing ahead on all fronts is best as an alternative to not pushing on any, though. Sometimes you just don't evolve the whole brand concept at one sitting. I find that then it's best to develop what I can and skip what I can't do for now, going back later to redefine, rework, or add. It's not an ideal process, but it's better than waiting."How To Brand Your Business
"Just another thought based on one of the other comments on this post. Branding is critical, given that it sets your company, product, or service apart from competitors, but, ultimately, keep your focus on the quality of your products and services themselves. Ultimately the quality of these is what truly builds your brand even if social media and other marketing helps you spread the word about that quality."Are You Building Coalitions With Your Customers?
"Dave, I like the distinction between "relationships in the 'old sense'" and "relationships earned through establishing trust and credibility with your customers, and the customer’s respect for the value created in the relationship." Two very different ideas, indeed. All too often, we see businesses still attempting to build a foundation on the former rather than the latter. "Why Color Branding Matters
"Hi Art. A lot to think about here when selecting colors for your business. I'm inclined to believe really great colors for logos and brands start with a shade appropriate to the product in question and then strengthen, develop, and enhance that connection over time. I'm curious whether you have this kind of discussion with your clients on a regular basis when creating a logo and brand. "Why Color Branding Matters
"Thanks for your answer on BizSugar, Art. It seems to me there has to be a bit of collaboration here between printer and client. If I were working with a printing partner, I would certainly hope to draw from their vast experience during the process and would expect them not to hold back if they believed the project would not produce the desired results. Maybe that's just me, though."The Universal Appeal of Knowledgable Content (Part 2)
"Kelvin, So true. It's important to find your niche and then broaden that niche by making what you do appealing to more and more customers. This is the way highly successful companies have been built for as long as anyone can remember. It's deceptive to look at the end result, a big company that seems to be all things to all people, and believe that this is where it began. "Subscribe
Social Media Loves Funny and Real
"es, funny post, John Paul. I can't tell you how much the cute kitty puppy thing turns me off, but I love to see quirky pics of personality bloggers. It's all about making yourself "real" to your readers and followers. Especially if you write on serious topics a lot, it's a good way to inject spirit into your style. The problem for me is always how "real" do I get?...and how edgy? There's sort of a line that I'm not sure I want to cross. How do you be yourself, be edgy, and yet hold on to a general audience?"