Guest Post by Laura Ries (learn more about Laura at the end of this article): Talk about "having it all." How about the 37-year-old woman, pregnant with her first child, named the new CEO of a $5 billion company that last year had net profits of $1 billion. With Marissa Mayer's Yahoo appointment, there are now 20 female CEOs of Fortune 500 companies. So how do you … [Read more...]
Why Some are Fearful of Social Media
In the financial services industry, compliance departments are up in arms because of industry rules requiring firms to retain records of all the social media conversations that their advisors are having. The Securities and Exchange Commission has been reported to be conducting a sweep of registered investment advisers' use of social media and social networking (Investment … [Read more...]
Building Your Brand “Buddy The Elf” Style – Part 2
Last week I talked about the first two steps of brand building: awareness and understanding, and developing brand associations and meaning. Just to refresh, if you have seen the delightful holiday movie Elf, you are familiar with the endearing qualities of child-like hope and wonder “Buddy the Elf” exudes. How endearing is your brand to your customers? What do you your … [Read more...]
Building Your Brand “Buddy the Elf” Style – Part 1
If you have seen the delightful holiday movie Elf, you are familiar with the endearing qualities of child-like hope and wonder “Buddy the Elf” exudes among believers and non-believers. How endearing is your brand to your customers? What do you your customers believe and understand about your brand? Let’s use “Buddy the Elf” as an example for the four steps to brand building. … [Read more...]
Six tips to creating a business that means something
Stop a minute and think about the impact you have on your clients and the industry you serve. Are you presenting yourself as a leader in your field, full of great ideas and providing valuable resources to everyone who comes your way? Are you making a difference in the lives of the people you meet, either online or in person? Sure, the goal of every business is to make money- … [Read more...]
Messaging is Critical – How’s Yours?
When someone asks, “What do you do?” how valuable is your answer? A run of the mill, “I am a financial advisor” or “I run a consulting firm” response has the person who asked knowing almost less about you than before they asked. You gave them a phone book response. You were about as personable and memorable as a business directory. AND you’ve forced them to jump to a … [Read more...]
My love affair with social media
I’ve been battling a bad cold for the past few days and I could not sit at my computer long enough to send a Tweet - thank goodness for BlackBerries! As you can imagine, I had a lot of time to think between making my next batch of green tea and watching the Olympics in bed (Go Canada!). One question that came to mind was, “what would the world be like without the internet, … [Read more...]
Employee Brand Differentiation
Differentiating oneself in the workforce today may hold the key for many employees who are keenly interested and highly motivated to survive downsizing. While it may take extra effort, the payoff can be exponentially greater both short and long range; for the employee and the company. With discipline, determination, and drive, employees can make their mark strategically, … [Read more...]
What Kind of Brand Do You Have?
If you were to act with conduct that causes extensive negative public relations, would your entire company disintegrate? How closely tied are your individual actions to your company’s brand and well-being? In general, if an individual at a corporation caused trouble, that position in the company would be replaced, the company would manage the bad PR, and everyone would move on. … [Read more...]
Top 10 US Cities to Capture Small Business Recovery Act Dollars
Uncle Sam wants small business entrepreneurs to lead the nation to economic recovery--and has billions of dollars to make it happen. Small business owners are in line to receive low-interest loans and government contracts through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). To secure your little corner of the recovery, you'll need to be at the right place with the right … [Read more...]