Dedicated Or Shared Web Hosting? What Does Your Business Need

There is nothing more frustrating as a webmaster than waking up in the morning, firing up your browser to check your website only to find a message saying "This site has exceeded it's bandwidth limits for the month"

It's embarrassing, time consuming and not to mention costly if you are missing out on sales.

On the other side of the scale, it can be very costly to be on a larger web hosting plan or dedicated server and hardly even use the services it offers.

Good quality web hosting is not cheap, but you need to balance your business needs with what you can really afford to pay.

So what web hosting service should you be using? Good question!

In this article I'm going to be talking about the pro's and con's of both shared web hosting and dedicated web hosting packages. By the end of the article you should have some idea what your online business needs now and what it will need when it expands.

Shared Hosting

Shared hosting is what most small online businesses use. Shared hosting means that your site is on one server that also holds other peoples websites as well. Your website will not be the only one on that server. Very few small online businesses need the power of a dedicated server.

Most companies offer a few different types of shared web hosting services. The only difference usually being how much disk space you want or how much transfer allowance you need.

The major differences between each package really is how many domain names you can host, how much transfer (how many megabytes that are downloading from your website) you can have and how much disk space (how many files you can store) you need.

If you're just starting out online and haven't got a website up yet and not sure what you are doing exactly, start off with the small plan. That's more then enough for a small site or blog for that matter.

Now if you run a larger website and you offer a lot of downloads, say for example you're selling a rather large ebook, you might need the large service. Let's say you have a 10mb ebook for sale, the large service this company offers would allow you to have roughly 2000 downloads of that package before you ran out of bandwidth (transfer).

Dedicated Hosting

Dedicated hosting is for the big boys. It's for medium to big business looking to do a lot of work online. A dedicated server is just that, you're own server. You get your own server just for your website which is unlike shared hosting as you have to share a server.

There are many different packages available with dedicated hosting depending on how much you want to spend. The more resources a server has, IE, RAM, Hard drive space, processor speed, the more it will cost.

You can see that a dedicated server allows you a lot more disk space and transfer allowance. It also allows you unlimited domain names. Dedicated servers are also known to be a lot more stable and allow you more control over your website and are perfect for a professional image.

There are two types of dedicated servers....

Managed hosting

Managed hosting offers you the support of a technical team looking after your server. They do all the updates and technical side of things for you. They will perform routine maintenance without you even asking. Managed hosting how ever does cost quite a lot more then un-managed usually.

Un-managed hosting

Un-managed hosting isn't as support less as it sounds. Most dedicated servers do come with technical assistance and routine maintenance, but any support questions will more then likely cost you extra. If you need something added to your server, it will cost you a in maintenance fee's. Rebooting your server should also come free with un-managed dedicated hosting.

Multiple Domain Name Hosting

Another thing you should look at is whether or not you want to host multiple domain names with your one hosting package. Both shared hosting and dedicated hosting can allow you to do this. A lot of share hosting services now allow this.

I recommend always using a web host that allows you to have multiple domain names with your one account. It really does solve the problem of having multiple hosting accounts for different domain names.

Other Things To Look For

Other things to think about when searching for a web hosting company is what you intend to do with your website.

Do you need a lot of technical assistance? If so, look for a hosting company with live 24/7 support. Do you want to create a blog, or lot's of blogs? Then you will need to see if your web hosting company allows you to setup multiple MYSQL databases.Contact Dawgen-e-Commerce for all your web support here

Entrepreneurship: The Super Career Of The 21st Century

Your job no longer comes with a guarantee.

Yes, that is right, you might have been taught that if you work hard, study for a professional occupation, and score high grades, your future is set. Nothing can harm you. You get a job with your beautiful education and a good salary, and after 40 – 50 years of working, you retire happy and do anything you want.

Let us look at the facts: Millions of people are laid off work yearly. Some industries, like the record industry, were completely obsolete overnight. Thousands of skilled senior executives and middle managers are losing their jobs. Some students even find themselves unemployed when they finish their courses.

Income and retirement isn’t looking too good either. Nowadays both husband and wife have to work to maintain a descent lifestyle. Statistics show that 95% of all people at age 65 are either dead, or dead broke, and that it is only 6% of the population that is financially independent … and only 1% of those can be considered wealthy.

In the 90’s people turned to small business as an opportunity to create the best economic return available. Most people who venture into their own business are the so-called “Baby Boomers” - people between the ages of 30 and 50. These Boomers represent a third of the population and they are leading the way to make entrepreneurship the Super Career of the 21st century.

Buying a franchise was also seen as a viable option. A franchise is a safe business structure as it has proven systems in place for generating and keeping business.

Women who are disillusioned with climbing the corporate ladder started a new trend in creating home businesses which they can work around their already busy schedules as mothers.

For these entrepreneurs who are looking to start a small business from home, Network Marketing offers many attractive characteristics, including low capital risk and the ease of operation. Unlike traditional small businesses, Network Marketing requires no expensive legal, financial or accounting services, low maintenance or overheads, no employees, advanced education or start up money.

In most cases the only requirements for success in Network Marketing are: A strong desire, integrity, attitude and action

Entrepreneurship And The Business Environment

Everywhere you turn nowadays, you always hear about venturing into entrepreneurship. But what is entrepreneurshipexactly? It is actually defined as the process wherein a group or an individual makes an effort to pursue opportunities to satisfy needs and wants through uniqueness and innovation. Some people have the misconception that entrepreneurs are gamblers in the sense that they take risks and invest in industries that have no record of success. However, the truth is, these entrepreneurs take calculated risks that have the potential to provide them with huge returns.

The key factors you need to remember about entrepreneurship are opportunities, innovation, and growth. An entrepreneur sees opportunities in environmental trends and changes that nobody has seen before and pursues this opportunity with whatever resources he has at hand. The second theme in entrepreneurship is innovation which involves transforming and revolutionizing existing products or services to cope up with the changing global environment. The third theme is growth; this involves the continual efforts of an entrepreneur to expand his business locally and internationally. An entrepreneur is on the constant look out on how to create new approaches to make his business grow and become a huge success.

These themes are the key factors which businesses are founded upon. The largest corporations you find today did not start out big, rather they started out as small enterprises by visionaries who want more than what is offered to them. You can see from the history of some of the most successful business today that the founders of these businesses have taken great leaps of faith and incredible amounts of risks in order to be what they are today. Wherever you turn, you see the results of entrepreneurship. But it is most obvious in internet commerce because this is a new industry. People that were unheard of before are becoming some of the riches names in the world and it is all because they have taken risks and have succeeded. So whether we realize it or not, it is the entrepreneurs who drive the global environment nowadays. They are the ones who are always seeking out opportunities and taking risks to improve our world and profit from it in return.

The business environment and even the technological advancements that are available today would not have been possible if these entrepreneurs did not come out of their comfort zone to invest in the development of these businesses. As you can see, having the entrepreneurial spirit is definitely necessary for businesses to reach greater heights and provide better and faster products and services to their clients. It is no wonder then that a lot of business enterprises are hiring young and dynamic individuals with a vision and who are not afraid to take calculated risks to ensure the survival of the business tomorrow.

Entrepreneur Training Program: Why is there a need for it?

In the world that we live in, several multinational companies tower over one another. It is not something to bring wonder to all as these occurrences form part of the goal to which everyone is geared towards—it is none other than global competitiveness.

You must not get the shock of your life when you see multinational companies springing form one continent to another, from one shore to another shore, and from one border towards another. In your most unexpected places, multinational companies may pop out and can also expand at any minute.

With the innumerable businesses in existence today, you might think that your effort to put up one will just be futile as it is like planting a seedling in an array of towering trees. It may be but it may not also be. Got the logic? Then, read on!

Despite all the lording gigantic businesses there are in these days, the rise of entrepreneurship cannot be stopped. The rate of entrepreneurship is in fact growing day-by-day concerning the hundreds of people who want to start up something with their capitals in hand. For someone who wishes to put up a business, risk must be taken. Competition is inevitable in this kind of industry. That is why you must be firm with whatever decision you will make and capable of risk-taking.

If people discourage you to dwell into any type of business, better not listen to them. After all, entrepreneurship is indeed very much alive. Government systems in fact encourage entrepreneurs that will help boost up the economy and save the nation from further crises. While the government is welcoming with open arms these foreign investors, it is not as well turning its backs from local investors. In reality, the government is encouraging investments from their local people. After all, the government deems that investments are the sole solutions to provide the nation some stability and certainty in terms of the economy.

Do not be taken aback by the giant investors existing in the market. They are already stable so they would not bother to pull you down. Just concentrate with your own stuff and think of better ways to further improve your craft. Who knows, someday you might be one of those giants lining up the business arena.

But how will you start? How can you be turned into an entrepreneur? Look into your own self. What can you offer? What capabilities can you boast of? What are you capable of doing? Just have a vision of what you like and certainly you can make it come true. Before pursuing into any type of business, equip yourself first with the utmost trainings.

Entrepreneurial training programs will make your qualifications sharper, fluent, and competent enough to face the battle among the existing competitors. Where can you gain access of entrepreneurial training programs? Several companies offer these training programs. Schools are also hooked into this scheme. Always consult the expert in the field of entrepreneurial training programs.

Do away with the negative vibes. Do away with negative thoughts about yourself. You know you can do it. You know you can face it. Do away with confusions. Do away with self-pity. Just sport a positive perspective about yourself and you will soon see what will become of you. Maybe you will not be too successful on the first try. But then the more you try, the closer you will be with success.

One ultimate source of entrepreneur training programs is the internet. Yes, online entrepreneurial training programs are widely available. These trainings harness and hone your entrepreneurial skills even you without knowing it. Online courses are at times free. But mostly, they need to be subscribed to. If you think you are now ready to face the battle, try searching for online courses on entrepreneurship training programs.

There are literally lots of them. While undergoing the training program, be sure that you pay keen attention to whatever lessons are given out. These lessons will determine the knowledge that you may manifest as you already deal with the actual reality.

A training program on entrepreneurship will let you reap fruitful results. Just believe in your own capacity

Essential Entrepreneurial Traits

It is not true that successful entrepreneurs are born that way; in fact, anyone can be a successful entrepreneur. However, there are some specific entrepreneurial traits a person must have to be successful in the field of business. Of course, entrepreneurship is not for everyone. But with these particular character traits, you can see if you really have what it takes to succeed in the highly-competitive, world of business. What are these essential entrepreneurial traits that anyone who is interested in starting a business must possess?

1. Independence – This is the most common denominator of all entrepreneurs. They want to seize control of their future; thus they decide to become their own boss instead of laboring under the gaze of a master. An entrepreneur has a strong sense of independence and will march forward with a purpose and that is to earn money through his own means and hard work.

2. Persistence and Determination – The world of entrepreneurship is fraught with both success and failure. An important quality of a successful entrepreneur is the doggedness to continue pursuing his goal despite some setbacks and obstacles that he may encounter on the road. This persistence and determination is fueled by a burning desire to achieve his goal of succeeding in his chosen field of business.

3. Self-Confidence – Along with independence, an entrepreneur possess self-confidence. They believe in their capabilities and makes sure that they will put in their best effort into their particular endeavors and likewise expect the best results from it. The business world is very competitive and is not a place for the half-hearted. Belief in one’s capabilities is very important in achieving any goal – especially in the world of entrepreneurship.

4. Creativity – In the business world, you can not afford to be complacent and un-creative unless you want the competition to move up on ahead of you. Thus, you really have to be very creative – you should be able to create new ideas as well as find new ways to solve problems. By this way, you can make sure that you stay ahead of the competition. Creative people are naturally curious, inquisitive, bright and highly flexible when thinking. They keenly observe their environment and have an eye for spotting new trends that could potentially be a business opportunity.

5. Organized and goal-oriented – An entrepreneur knows the value of organization in a business endeavor. All efforts must be focused towards achieving the goal. A good entrepreneur systematizes every move he/she makes so that less time and other resources are consumed in achieving the goal, yet the goal is the best expected result, nonetheless. A good entrepreneur has the ability to consolidate his resources.

6. Visionary – An entrepreneur has a vision for his future. He/She is guided by this vision in everything he/she in his business endeavor. This vision may be for short, middle or long term, but all visions are to ultimately succeed in expanding one’s business.

7. Risk-taking and Tolerance for Failure– A good entrepreneur realizes that loss and failure are inherent in any business endeavor. Thus, an entrepreneur must always be ready to make calculated risks and face whatever consequences those risks might have. Entrepreneurs must have the courage to face failure and start again despite these setbacks. As in all fields of endeavor, the characteristic of a successful entrepreneur is in never giving up and in picking up the pieces and continuing the journey even if failure momentarily obstructs the way.

8. Perseverance and Hard Work – These are perhaps two of the most important entrepreneurial traits. In the world of business, there can be no real success without perseverance and hard work.

9. Commitment – An entrepreneur will not achieve success if he/she gives up at the first sign of trouble. Commitment to his business and to its success springs from the urge to achieve the goal.

10. Honesty and Honor – Another very important mark of a good entrepreneur is his being honest and honorable in all his business dealings and interpersonal relationships – whether it is between business partners, employees, peers and investors.

So, do you think you have what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur? Make sure you have the above mentioned entrepreneurial traits and qualities and we assure you, you definitely have what it takes to succeed in the world of business.

Secured business loans: before you take that big business leap

Business loans form a significant part of lending industry. With so many people applying for business loans, you must be wondering how many of them actually get them. The increase in amount of business loan every year shows the swelling in approval rate of business loans. So, what are your chances of getting business loans? I say, attach a security to business loans and your chances are bright. Secured business loans are loans for specific purpose namely business. There is no better terminology for business loans with opportunity.

Before you apply for secured business loans check out your borrowing capacity. Every business is different which means there will be no universal method to know the cost and therefore budgeting is important. This enables you to deduce whether you can afford secured business loan or not.

Take in those documents! Generally a secured business loan borrower would require few of the documents for approval. First and foremost is the business profile – discussing the nature of business, annual sales, length and time of business ownership. In case of new business you would require to project the loan plan and how the business would be successful enough to pay back the loan. For secured business loans the loan application will also include a loan request. This will include the type of secured business loan required, the amount and the purpose (how the funds will be used).

Details about collateral will be integral. The collateral and its details, equity available, equity in the business, borrowed funds and existing cash should be included in details of collateral. Along with collateral you would be required to provide financial statements for yourself and your business. Be ready with personal and business financial statement for three years and current financials statements. With secured business loans you will be asked for owners, partners, officers, stockholders with more than 20% of etc.

A lender looking at your secured business loan application will search for repayment. A borrower can provide a brief repayment statement which includes sources, cash inflow and other information to support it. With secured business loan you are providing collateral which will mean an additional form of security for the lender. This the lender will certainly like! He will have additional repayment to fall back on when you don’t have required funds to payback the loan. Both personal and business assets can act as collateral for secured business loans. If the business loan borrower does not have collateral he should have co-signer who should have collateral to pledge. In a secured business loans application, collateral will be the second most identifiable source of loan repayment after business cash inflow.

A lender will inquire whether your personal or business credit is good or not. Get your latest credit report and make sure it carries accurate information. As you have applied for secured option it means that you would have better choices. However, credit score will modify the interest rates you get for secured business loans. With bad credit score you will be paying higher interest rates as compared to ones with perfect credit.

While preparing to get money it is important to see your financing options. There is both a financial and emotional component while borrowing secured business loans; your property is at stake. Make sure you are ready for it. Then do some market research. Take it as a test where you have to get the best grade. You would probably not start a business without researching the market; make sure you follow this rule while settling on secured business loan. Yet do remember that time is money. And don’t waste too much time in settling on the option.

Every big business starts out small. Secured business loans are in fact the first thing that comes to the mind and provide fundamental opportunity when one is raising money for business and can provide to those who are to those who are looking for funds for business purposes. Secured business loans are what you need when you are looking for business loans with security.

Financial Accounting Services

Offices and companies have various activities everyday and that includes accounting. Whether the company is private or government-owned, it still makes use of accounting. Companies, offices, and various organizations or institutions cannot operate successfully without an accounting staff. However, having an accounting staff can get very expensive and so most companies resort to auditing services or financial accounting services. Chartered accountants are not hard to find; with the use of the internet, you can easily locate them and hire their services.

A company needs to seek help from a competent and experienced auditor or accountant so that all financial activities of the company are monitored and evaluated. This way, the company can gain a lot of benefits which can lead to its success. It is now easy to monitor the sales as well the operating expenses. All expenditures and income are recorded and the accountant can even provide you with strategies to help increase the profit and sales of a company.

Outsourcing is quite popular nowadays because it is a cost-effective measure for companies who want to cut-down their operation costs. That is why most companies are looking for services of chartered accountants. These accounting services can provide any company or organization with auditing services, company laws, taxation, and other related matters.

Most of the auditing services are secured, private, and reasonable. New companies are opting for these financial accounting services. These accounting services are reasonable                                and you get a lot of benefits. It would be best to choose a financial accounting service locally because some laws differ in other countries. So while you’re conducting a search online, you have to check the location of the accounting service and if ever you choose a foreign accounting service, you have to provide all the necessary information so that nothing goes wrong.

The various services offered by these chartered accountants are quite helpful especially in taxation, financial accounting, preparation of account statements, and a lot more. You don’t have to worry about privacy issues because all business dealings are confidential and safe. These chartered accountants can be trusted.

However, it is a good idea to check out the background of these financial accounting services, just to be sure. You can check out the customer testimonials to see if the previous clients are satisfied with their services. it is one way of telling if the financial service can be trusted and if it is reputable in the industry.

There are so many chartered accountants all over the world. Choosing just one for your company or organization is an overwhelming task. You have to give a large portion of your time in searching for reputable chartered accountants as well as financial services. By exerting effort in your research, you will be able to find a good financial service provider.

It would be best to hire the services of chartered accountants as soon as you start your business operation. And you know what? Even individuals can hire the services of these accountants so that they can keep track of their financial matters, especially taxation.
Money is very important.

Individuals as well as businesses need it for their everyday expenditures. It is therefore of great importance to keep track of all financial and money matters. Go ahead and search for the best financial accounting service online or even locally.

'via Blog this'

Setting Financial Systems For Your Business | Crowe Jamaica (Accountants and Business Advisors)

One of the most common reasons why home businesses fail is that these businesses do not really have good financial systems. A lot of small business owners do not really keep good records of their revenue and expenses that they find it hard to determine whether their business is earning enough or not. If you are one of those business owners who have not been keeping good financial records, now is the best time for you to establish good financial systems for your company. Always remember that good financial systems will not only help your business grow, it will also keep you out of trouble when it is time to file for your income tax returns.

If you have an accountant, call him/her and explain that you are just starting your own home business. You will be surprised of all the tax deductions you are able to claim (heat, electricity, phone, rent, etc). Your accountant will advise you to keep financial records for your business.

Setting Up Your Financial Records:

You do not really have to be an accountant or a professional bookkeeper to be able to keep records of your financial transactions. To set up your financial records manually, all you need is a worksheet where you can record all your earnings and your expenses. To keep everything simple, just use a two column worksheet where you can record all your earnings in one column and your expenses in the other. Record your financial transactions at the end of each day so that you will not miss out something. Keep all your bills and receipts on file so that your accountant will be able to easily review your transactions later on for purposes of filing your income tax returns.

Another way to keep records of your financial transactions is the use of those accounting software being sold in the market today. The good thing about using accounting software is that you do not have to keep a lot of papers in your office and you do not have to bother writing things down a number of times in your worksheets. Just load the program into your computer and you can already use it by following the menu. With the use of good accounting software, all you need to do is to enter your financial transactions for the day and the software will do the rest of the work.

Most of this accounting software will also give you complete financial statements after you uploaded all the necessary information so you get to save a lot of time and efforts in computing your earnings. What is more interesting about this computer software is that some of these can also help you project your future income and calculate your estimated internal rate of returns.

How Much Will the Accounting Software Cost You?

The price of the accounting software will depend on the complexity of the program that you need. Simple programs do not really cost so much so you need not worry about the cost. Besides, you can always put the cost of accounting software as part of your business expenses. Get organized early in the game and avoid the pitfalls that may come later.

The Fairness of Limited Liability

Limited liability is one of the most successful commercial creations of all time, almost singularly responsible for the growth and expansion of capitalism. Encouraging risk and promoting successful enterprise through both small and large businesses alike, limited liability has been the driving force behind economic success in the Western world and is one of the most celebrated legal creations of all time. But what is it about limited liability that makes it so successful? Indeed, is the structure of limited liability fair as regards creditors, who ultimately bear the brunt of this mechanism?

Limited liability in general means a sacrifice of privacy in return for the benefit of limited personal liability. In layman's terms, this means that the company promoter is not personally liable for any of the company's debts, thus encouraging risk and promoting enterprise. For most small businesses, it is a lifeline, and without it the economy would level out and stifle with fewer new start-ups each year. At the back end, however, these businesses leave behind a trail of debts that ultimately result in financial loss for lenders and those that operate on credit terms. This raises the general question of whether limited liability as a creation is fair for the creditors it so apparently prejudices?

Limited liability has given life to companies across the world, by providing the reassurances necessary to entrepreneurs to take the risk, safe in the knowledge that personally speaking they should come out unscathed. From this, more companies have grown and flourished, which has led to more jobs and better state welfare for virtually all capitalist economies. The strength of this function has gone a long way towards building the great superpowers, and is seriously underestimated as a legal construct.

Limited liability leaves a gap in the pockets of those companies that lend money or offer their customers credit terms during the course of their business. As a consequence of the promoter's ability to walk away with his hands clean, many businesses find the squeeze of bad debts too severe, and end up having to take on credit of their own to meet the shortcomings. In theory, limited liability leaves creditors in a weak situation, with relatively limited powers to regain the full amount of any monies due.

In reality, limited liability doesn't operate in that way. Of course, many businesses go under every year as their owners walk free of encumbrance, but generally speaking the economic world does not work between insolvent companies. However, the flexibility allowed by limited liability has meant debt in a sense has become effective currency, and has helped businesses to survive during tough times, and to seek the financial help necessary without the appropriate risk.

Limited liability might be seen as slightly unfair at the razor's edge, but it works all round to ensure that everyone has access to credit and the benefits of limitation of damages when it is necessary. Ultimately, it promotes a more competitive, lower-risk environment within which business can flourish and economies can grow and multiply, providing jobs and economic strength to nations embracing its basic form. As legal fictions go, the limited company has undoubtedly prove itself to be one of the most popular ever created, and its growth looks set to continue as it is developed and refined across the world.

Why Opt For A Limited Liability Company?

Why Opt For A Limited Liability Company?

Entrepreneurs must already choose the legal structure of their business even before they start such venture, if only to make sure that they know the risks and the advantages involved in starting that kind of business. Business owners can choose to put up a sole or single proprietorship, enter into a partnership or form a corporation.

Each of the three legal structures has its own advantages and disadvantages. A sole proprietorship is the easiest type of business to put up and operate because only one person is responsible for decision making and for running the business. However, being alone in business means you are solely responsible for whatever happens to you business and you only have to rely on your own capital and resources.

A partnership is better considering that two or more heads are always better than one. A partnership offers more possibility in terms of capital base and of brain power. However, partnerships do not always work due to conflicting business decisions.

The next if not the best option is to form a corporation which would be composed of incorporators who will put up the seed capital for the business. A corporation can provide more sources of funds and the owners are only liable to as much as the money they have invested in the business. Provided of course that the corporation does not indulge in illegalities or does things in bad faith. Doing so would necessitate the application of the principle of piercing the veil of corporate fiction. This means that the owners can be made accountable even beyond the amount of their investments if they are found to be in bad faith in certain transactions.

While the corporation has proven to be the best option for business owner, there is apparently another option called the Limited Liability Company which offers the characteristics of both partnership and corporation. Members of a Limited Liability Company can enjoy the limited liability enjoyed by corporations unless a personal guarantee has been signed. This legal structure also offers tax benefits much like the benefits available to corporations.

A Limited Liability Company does not however require the bureaucracy of a corporation in terms of the taking of minutes. And unlike in a partnership where the partners can only participate in decision-making depending on their partnership status, members of a Limited liability Company can take part in decision making without losing their limited liability protection.

Despite the disadvantages of forming a Limited Liability Company, it is still the best choice for business start ups that are still testing the waters but already want to give their business a legal structure

Contact Crowe Jamaica for guidance regarding the appropriate Corporate Structure for your business: Email:info@crowehorwath.com.jm or tel:1876-9265210

Exploit Your Brand To The Fullest

A brand goes beyond a company name and tagline. It is a complete personality or set of values, sometimes even a story line, along with repeated visual, auditory and behavioral elements. When you decide to invest in creating a brand, follow these guidelines to ensure that you get your money's worth:

1. Be distinctive. You'll land your company in expensive legal hot water if you attempt to steal or encroach on another company's identity. Apart from legalities, you tend to get the most bang for your branding buck when you generate a powerful contrast with competitors' images. Do something different.


2. Repeat, repeat, repeat! The more times your slogans, logo, stories, colors, themes, values and other elements come before your intended public, the greater their effect. Normally, if you have XXXXX dollars to spend this year spreading awareness of your brand, you're better off creating thousands of small impressions than spending it all on one blow-out event.

Think of the radio and TV ads that sing in your head while you're trying to concentrate on something else. No matter how catchy those tunes, they wouldn't do that if you heard them only once. The same goes for the world's most creative bank logo. When prospective customers also see that image on magnets at their friends' houses, on tote bags at the day care center, on thermoses in taxicabs and on the uniforms of the local softball league - then it's really starting to make an impact.

3. Be consistent. Branding works best when you use the same colors, the same musical theme, the same company name and the same symbols in all company materials and environments. The store shouldn't be called "O'Reilley's" on T-shirts and "OReilleys" in the newspaper ad.

Sounds obvious, but even powerhouses like IBM have neglected this rule. In the early 1990's, IBM had several hundred different logos and slogans circulating. In mid-1994, it laid down the law on which identity elements were authorized and which prohibited. Partly as a result, in 1995 IBM rose to the position of the world's third most valuable brand from position number 282 the year before.

4. Be persistent. Those within a company will be tempted to change the image of a brand way before it's time to do so. Never modify or update a central element of a brand just because you're tired of it. If it's working, it can continue working for decades.

Since the 1880's, Ivory soap has successfully called itself "99 44/100% pure." Marlboro has linked itself with cowboys since the 1950's - and the brand has a current value of around $13 billion. Betty Crocker has changed her hairstyle, but she's been wearing red and white since her first appearance on food products in 1921.

5. Don't water it down. A brand must stand for something and must be linked with something specific in the minds of your public. When Packard, which had been America's top luxury-brand car, suddenly announced in the 1940's, "Now everyone can afford a Packard," the company slid into deep trouble. Cadillac picked up buyers who'd previously wanted the cachet of a Packard.

6. Evolve as necessary. Brands may need to mutate when they're perceived as misrepresenting a company that has changed or as out of step with the times. A dramatic example is the updating of Betty Crocker, who lost the original gray flecks in her hair over time and changed from homey-looking to dressed for success to more informally attired as society changed.

With bank mergers now epidemic, it's crucial to try to keep brand equity going. When one bank does not simply swallow the other, designers have come up with elegant new combinations of old identity elements -- one color from company A and one from company B, one syllable from each, a new shape incorporating symbols from both banks, etc.

7. Protect it. Registering a trademark gives you a measure of legal exclusivity on your brand identity, including sometimes even a color scheme, a product's look and feel or an interior decorating scheme. Even so, you may need to police unauthorized usage of your brand elements by searching out offenders and sending cease-and-desist letters. Contact an intellectual property attorney for details.

Don't let your brand name degenerate into a generic term. "Aspirin" used to be a brand name, as did "Escalator." You may feel flattered that people are using your product, service or company name to stand for its entire category, but when that kind of usage becomes widespread it can open the door to competitors having legal license to trade upon the investment you've made in injecting that name into people's minds.