One of the first elements of your new business that you must give ample thought to is it’s branding.  Strong branding is essential if you are going to stand out of the crowd and be remembered by your target audience.  Your brand should be easily remembered by your customers but also encompass the principles your company represents (read ooShirts.com’s story for inspiration).

Here are five quick tips to help you

1.  Be Visual.  If you can associate your brand with a strong picture then you have a good starting point.  Sometimes even simple is better.  Your logo should stand alone on it’s own.  Picture it on a business card, billboard or even in a television commercial.

2.  Be Sociable.  Your brand should be catchy if possible.  Social media is only going to continue to grow in importance and when you get those mentions, you want your name to stand out.  When you’re selecting your brand name, think about how it would work within all of the available social media channels.

3.  Be Comfortable.  Don’t gloss over the fact that you will have to live with your brand for many years to come, if not for the lifetime of your business.  While impulse decisions can work when it comes to deciding on brand identity, don’t be too hasty.  Give it time to grow on you.  You may find, for instance, one logo concept grows on you over others after you spend a few days looking at your options.

4.  Be Different.  Take the time to hire someone to help you with all of your design needs.  The last thing you want to do is choose a logo or some other branding elements online that are available for others to purchase also.  You’d be just another acme company that shares the same brand identity with hundreds of other businesses.   Be unique.  Sometimes that means consulting with creative directors who bring a new edge to your own imagination and business descriptions.

5.  Be Consistent.  Use your brand everywhere, consistently.  Don’t have a different colors for your business cards, brochures and website.  Be consistent amongst it all.  Small differences can confuse your customer and it doesn’t do your business any good to have them asking, “is this you?”.  Consistency is the key to helping people remember your brand.

Meditation on any level has been known to help people from all walks of life relieve the stress of everyday life.  Maybe you don’t believe in this kind of thing, you’ll never know until you try.  Or maybe you are a veteran at meditation and your spiritual values come from following a divine teacher such as Jagatguru Kripaluji Maharaj.  In any case, all steps to begin your inward journey with meditation starts with peace and quiet.

The first step is to locate a quiet setting for the mediation and this could be at a public park, in the car, in your backyard or in a closet in the house. After this you should breathe slowly and naturally, and a little positive self-talk is also good to do during meditation. Avoid other distractions by focusing mostly on your thoughts during the meditation. Here are other ways to meditate as a business owner.

Meditation While Walking

When you decide to meditate while walking, choose a long walkway in a park that does not have structures in your way that would cause you to fall. Check the weather before going on the walk because you want to walk when the weather is not dangerous. You then want to look down at your legs and toes as you walk and deeply reflect on your current problems and solutions to those problems. Also use this time to think about your accomplishments, future goals and strengths.

Meditation and Fasting

If you hold to a religious belief and you want to grow in your walk with God through meditation, you can also go on a fast to improve spiritually and reflect more on God’s power and authority in your life. Spend a few minutes each day in prayer to God and ask that He would reveal His will to you through your Bible study and through various circumstances. As you pray consider sins you committed during the day and repent of them before God. Then ask for help in changing your mindset and turning from the sins permanently.

Mantras for Meditation

While you meditate, use inspirational mantras and recite them as a way to remain positive about your business and yourself as a person. You can find books that have mantras in them at bookstores, online and at natural health stores. You can also create your own mantras by writing a few of them based on your situation.

Read Personal Testimonies

Another way to meditate effectively is to read the testimonies of others in the business world who overcame tough circumstances through growing spiritually with meditation. If you notice certain meditation practices they used and have never used before, incorporate those meditation techniques into your routine.

Meditative Music

Finally, you should have meditative music that is soothing so you will be able to focus on what you are meditating about. As you hear the music and meditate, write down some of positive things you experienced during the day and write down the things you are grateful for such as your business’s success, supportive spouse and family, and the health you have.

Zoho is one option for those who prefer a Web-based Office alternative. This business tool combines the information you’ve placed in third party applications such as Outlook or Google Apps. Zoho also offers 30 apps that allow for document publishing and chat. The pricing plan is quite affordable, with a mobile site that looks best on an iPhone. The best plan comes at $25 a month, but cannot connect to other social media sites.

SugarCRM, on the other hand, allows for social media linkage. Businesses can avail of the free version that not only manages contacts, but also integrates their tweets into the dashboard. This basic service comes for free while paid plans have a minimum of $360 per year.

For users that value an easy on the eyes design, check out Highrise. With a dashboard that is similar to a Facebook newsfeed, this CRM gives access to your contacts history, recent activity, and a search option for specific people. However, the highest plan only permits 40 users. The Basic Plan comes at a fair price of $24 a month, enabling about six users.

Apple users can look into Daylite, a desktop application that appeals to design, film, and photography professionals. iPhone and Macbook OS X users will appreciate the integration of iCal and Address Book information, plus the added iPhone app. This CRM comes at an investment price of $1,499.95 for about six users.

For those not quite invested in CRM, Free CRM gives the experience of contacts organization, calendars, and task management for up to five users. Unfortunately the dashboard is not as attractive as the others and can be a challenge to set up. Premium plans are also purchasable for those needing more users.

Salesforce is a top notch CRM that offers an endless list of features. Along with an attractive interface, a good number of dashboard tools, and an iPhone app, their website even includes 24/7 support. Although the CRM isn’t as affordable as others, it is a worthwhile investment for users needing multiple activities.

Vtiger is one free open source option that includes every other CRM’s functions: calendars, integration, and task management. Only Windows and Linux users will benefit from the desktop application, but for zero payment or at the affordable $12 for full features, Vtiger saves you time, money, and effort.

Social media marketers may want to opt for BatchBook, which is described as the “social CRM.” Its dashboard lets you view your contacts’ LinkedIn, Twitter, blog, and Flickr updates. Five plans are available at a minimum of $9.95 a month.

Whether you are tired of sorting through a long list or simply want an easier way to keep up with your network, all these CRM apps provide enough features, depending on your budget, operating system, and device.

We’ve all heard the stories and critics ramble on about those who earned their spots in the limelight.  Successful, innovative people who bring about change in their industries (think about the criticism you’ve heard on the radio, tv or Internet about game changers in technology like Steve Jobs or the latest controversial film such as those made by Christopher Mallick which make people think outside the box).

Naysayers come in various forms, from old colleagues to family members and friends who always see the risk in taking those forward steps you have mapped out. However, without your knowledge, one or two of them might be lurking behind to steal your idea in order to create the next big thing in the world.

Forget about the need to justify

Do not justify what you are doing or spend time explaining your ideas to them. Justifying means that you are given your power away, trying to prove your validation. You only need to justify to the people who are very important to you.

Stretch the truth

Even if things are not going as planned for you, and a naysayer asks, “How are you?” You should respond with words like, “Everything is fine. Thank you.” Doing that prevents you from falling into the justification trap as you give the naysayers the opportunity to say, “Well, I told you before”.

Stop, think and re-frame

You are likely to feel uneasy when a person asks how you are doing, especially if things have not been going on planned. Secretly, many people envy the demonstration of entrepreneurs, and instead of encouraging you and providing useful suggestions, they try to question your decision, making you to see the need to abandon your plans.

Only listen to those who inspire you

Do not listen to, and you should avoid, anybody who does not inspire you to continue what you are doing. Use the empowering advice of positive-thinkers to replace the negative assumptions of the naysayers.

Show Self-assurance

Instead of looking defeated and being defensive, you should always show self-assurance. Respond to the naysayers with words such as, “Thank you for your opinion, but I am very excited with the challenges before me and what I want to achieve”.

Those are the 5 golden rules of handling naysayers if you are an entrepreneur with set goals. Do not expect everybody who hears about your plans to be happy and be willing to follow you. Along the way, some of the closest person to you could even be the most aggressive negative-thinkers. The most important thing is being focused on your set goals.

Organize Your Things

If you want to relieve stress, you will need to organize things in the office so everything will be in neat place when you need to locate the items. For example, if you have a lot of invoices, you can place these in a separate bin for your receipts and business letters. This keeps you from having to look for your most important things in the office.

Delegate Often

One of the best things about being an entrepreneur is that you do not have to carry the load because you will have workers who can share the load. If you received large orders that require many deliveries, you can reduce the stress by hiring more delivery drivers to bring the goods to customers.

Get Plenty of Rest

When you do not get adequate rest, you become fussy and irritated. On the days you are away from the business sleep for a few extra hours so you can be well-rested the next day. You also want to take a warm bath as this relaxes your muscles and you will fall asleep faster. Adequate rest is also good for improving your skin.

Let a Mentor Help When You Have Problems with any Task

Let a business advisor, trusted friend or sales guru such as Bob Beck Sales Expert guide you when you are facing problems. Doing this enables you to see the other side of things and will help you grow both personally and professionally.

Do not Let Your Emotions Overcome You

Stress is bound to be faced in life. Therefore, you should let it lead you to a life of frustration and anger, or loss of productivity. Staying calm and in control is a good way of handling tough situations.

Let the Phantom Work Items be Eliminated

The phantom items are those things which are on your to-do list, but which probably don’t need to do. Get rid of them, or else, you would continue to be bothered by not having done them. They are “time wasters”.

Have Fun Often

Just because you are an entrepreneur does not mean that you cannot enjoy life sometimes. Take a week off from work so that you can hang out with your spouse, children or best friends. Some good places to go include free local community events, a picnic in the park, opera concert, a day at the spa or the beach. Bring your camera or camcorder to capture the memories.

Start Assignments Early

If you were given a time-consuming project, it would be a good idea to start it a few days before the deadline since this keeps you from cramming when it is almost the due date. Purchase a calendar to keep up with business appointments. Another idea is to delegate few of the assignments if you are swamped.

Learn To Say No

This is important because if you take on too many responsibilities you will become overwhelmed. If a client wants you to complete an assignment in two weeks but you already have lengthy items you are working on, mention that you are unable to take on more loads so you will be less stressed.

Train Staff Properly

This is one of the best ways to relieve stress because if the staff knows what to do and does it, you will be called upon less and you can enjoy your week even if things get crazy at the business.

Entrepreneurs face a lot of stress but the stress does not have to overtake you if you follow these and many other tips that you may need to run the business. Stress relief reduces the discouragement that could occur at the business, and you will be less likely to take things out on the staff. It is important to learn to say no at times and enjoy your family and friends.

Utilize Advanced Technology to Get More Sales

Thanks to the advanced technology we have, there are millions of ways to find new customers and increase sales. One example is Facebook. You should set up a Facebook business page and look for Facebook visitors whose interests and needs would be met by your services and products. Invite them to your business page and offer free or discounted items in the form of promo codes and online coupons. When more Facebook visitors do this and are satisfied with the product, they will purchase more and they will tell others about what you sell.

Nurture Your Current Customers

If you have a stable amount of regular customers who come to your business, you should do everything you can to keep them interested in your business. For example, if your current customers love your restaurant’s chocolate dessert buffet and they suggest that you have a buffet of cakes, you should look into this idea. Or if a customer would like to see more vegan dishes on the menu, you may hire a cook who specializes in this cuisine.

Go Out in the Community

You will not increase your sales if you stay in the office and make cold calls alone. You must visit the community around you and get to know them and their needs so you can tailor your services after them. If you own an independent music magazine, you need to visit the areas of the city where the musicians hang out. Talk to them about their music and discuss the possibility of advertising their album and tours in your magazine. It is necessary to attend local music industry seminars and ask to be a guest speaker at these seminars.

Appeal to Potential Customers’ Needs

It is also important that you appeal to the person’s needs when you try to close the sale. If you are trying to sell old-school encyclopedias to local homeschooling families, you need to mention that today’s encyclopedias lack substance and that there is a lot of information left out of them, which do not benefit the children.

Present Your Offer in Writing

If you want to close a sale with a potential client, you should present the offer in writing because it makes you appear professional and enthusiastic in getting the sale. Let the potential client look over your offer and terms of the contract carefully and answer his questions truthfully and clearly.

Hire Experienced Sales Staff

You cannot promote your business and close sales all by yourself and you should choose experienced sales staff members who can come with innovative methods to get more people interested in your products. Ask your sales staff for their opinions and write their recommendations.

Conclusion

Entrepreneurs cannot afford to fall asleep at the wheel when it comes to getting more customers. You need to identify your target customer base and develop strategies for reaching them. You need to visit your community and ask how you can provide the services they need. Finally, entrepreneurs need to utilize their current staff for the task.

Freelancers with an Entrepreneurial Mindset Are More Satisfied

According to the 2012 Freelance Industry Report, 92% of freelancers who saw themselves as entrepreneurs stated that they were happy in their careers. Interestingly, 86% of those who do not see themselves as entrepreneurs say that they are happy too. We see that both groups of freelancers are satisfied but those who think like entrepreneurs are happier.

Entrepreneur-Minded Freelancers Work Longer Hours

The report also stated that 32% of freelancers who have an entrepreneurial mindset work at least 40 hours or more a week compared to those who do not think like an entrepreneur, which was 23%. This is probably because the entrepreneurial freelancers are driven to please their clients and they want to do everything they can to build success.

Entrepreneur-Minded Freelances Promote Their Services More

A freelancer who spends a lot of time seeking new clients is more likely to succeed in this business because the report stated that 25% of entrepreneurial freelancers seek new clients while 13% of those who do not think like an entrepreneur actively seek clients.

You Create Jobs If You Are An Entrepreneurial Freelancer

The report also mentioned that 46% of entrepreneurial freelancers are more likely to outsource some of their tasks compared to the 27% of those who do not think like entrepreneurs. This shows that an entrepreneur is someone who is interested in helping others earn income and hone their crafts.

How to Become More Entrepreneurial

One way to become more entrepreneurial is by increasing your bids. If you work with a freelance website, you should spend at least thirty minutes searching for prospects and sending bids to them. Another thing that should be done is to increase your productivity, and if your client gave you a workload of assignments, you can outsource them to other freelancers. It is also necessary to tell your friends and relatives about your work so they can seek clients for you. It also helps to research the average salary for freelancers.

Benefits of Entrepreneurial Freelancing

One benefit of entrepreneurial freelancing is that you set your own schedule, although you still need to have assignments completed by certain dates. Another benefit of this type of entrepreneurial freelancing is that you are able to earn more money than if you were working for a corporation or a low-wage administrative job.

How to Learn More about Entrepreneurial Freelancing

One way to learn about entrepreneurial freelancing is to talk to other freelancers about their experiences. You can also read books and magazine articles on this subject. Attend freelance conventions so you can learn the business side of this profession.

Freelancers, who develop the entrepreneurial mindset work longer hours, work harder to get more clients and are the most satisfied with their work than those who do not see themselves as entrepreneurs. Freelancers should see themselves as entrepreneurs because they are able to create new jobs by outsourcing jobs to other freelancers.

Taking your freelance business to be the traditional business makes you to adopt a more business-like approach anything that is done, and there are certain key functions that must be evaluated and improved from time to time. Therefore, the different “departments” needed to be run for a successful freelance business are Sales, Marketing, Operations, Human Resources, Customer Service, Production, Finance and Accounting, and Research and Development.

Schools and Entrepreneurs

In the days of John D. Rockefeller and Henry Ford, there were very few business schools that existed on the college level and Rockefeller and Ford did not attend a four-year university but they managed to be successful and make millions. On the other hand, there are also successful entrepreneurs who attended business school. If you wonder if schools can teach entrepreneurship, the answer is yes and no.

Ask Yourself If You Can Be an Entrepreneur for a Long Time

Based on what some business schools are teaching, they ask students a fundamental question regarding entrepreneurship; they ask the students which activity they see themselves doing for the rest of their lives without getting tired of it. This is an important consideration because too-often aspiring entrepreneurs have unrealistic views of owning a business.

Why Inner Cities Benefit From Entrepreneurship Classes in Schools

Some social science researchers stated that one reason why low-income families struggle with crime, teenage pregnancy and a host of family problems is because of a lack of financial stability that could help them get out of poverty. It is for this reason that some education experts suggested that high schools in low-income neighborhoods teach students the principles of entrepreneurship so the students can be inspired to develop innovative ideas and start businesses as adults.

Some Say Business School Does Not Adequately Prepare for Entrepreneurship

Some who work in the corporate world as entrepreneurs are not impressed with the business schools, and say that the business schools do not always emphasize the importance of getting sales, which is one of the most basic entrepreneurial lessons. Other successful entrepreneurs feel that some business schools deceive their students into thinking that an MBA is a one-way ticket to entrepreneurship but fail to teach that entrepreneurship involves creating unique ideas and working hard to achieve success.

Businesses You Can Start Without Attending Business School

There are still many businesses you can start without going to business school if you cannot afford to do so. If you like tutoring children you can have your own tutoring service. Prepare flyers and bring them to elementary and high school students. You can purchase tutoring materials inexpensively from online stores. Another idea is to create greeting cards for special occasions such as graduations, weddings and birthdays.

Sometimes Business Schools Benefit Aspiring Entrepreneurs

There are times when business school is good for entrepreneurs, and this is when the person wants to engage in international business operations or run more than one branch of his future company. The aspiring entrepreneur will need to know the principles of international business in order to engage in trade with business owners in other countries.

Business Schools Assist Current Entrepreneurs

Business schools are also helpful for those who have been entrepreneurs for many years because they can learn the latest business trends and how those trends will affect their businesses. For example, if a bookstore owner learns in business school that there will be a decline in interest in visiting bookstores due to the Amazon Kindles and iPads, this bookstore owner may decide to offer an app that lets his customers download to their phones so they can read the books he sells for a fee.

Conclusion

Business schools are a good tool of training aspiring entrepreneurs but this should not be the only method of training them. Aspiring entrepreneurs also learn about entrepreneurship by obtaining apprenticeships and reading other books on this topic. If business schools consider entrepreneurship and innovation as the things needed for students to be successful, they will be able to help the young people in establishing companies, producing products really needed by the consumers, and building fortunes.