Why You Should Invest in Your Brand’s Identity

Posted by Elizabeth Retton

Branding is essential to the success of whatever products or services you offer the general public.  The entire point of establishing and maintaining a brand name is to connect with your customers and increase their awareness of you, and, as you work and hopefully prosper, create a foundation for lasting customer loyalty.  A brand expresses what your position is in the world, what makes up your value system, and, perhaps most importantly, the identity of your business.  Therefore investing in your brand’s identity is essential for your success.

First, you must have a complete understanding of what exactly is your place in the world, business or otherwise.  Your brand’s identity is more than a logo or a catchy tagline.  What is your backstory?  Your mission statement?  How do you want to be perceived?  How will you invest your personality into the brand?  Most importantly, what is your individual voice:  what separates you from the common herd?  Your customers want to connect with you emotionally.  The clearer you are on who and why you are, the more of an emotional connection you will forge.

Consistency is the watchword with branding.  Your brand’s identity should be functional, but it should also be packed with meaning.  Everything about your brand should refer back to your original mission, so the more you understand what this is exactly, the more easily you will be able to organize your thoughts, develop a strategy, and use your imagination to create an accessible brand for your customers to embrace.

Part of your brand’s identity involves the choices you will make with regards to font, colors, and images that will become a part of your logo or tagline.  When selecting a font, the first thing to consider is readability:  how will people understand what you are trying to communicate to them if they are unable to read the words?  Colors and color schemes are also essential.  What colors do you identify with personally?  Why do you feel that way?  Do a little research to see what researchers have to say about psychological functions in consumers when confronted with specific colors and color schemes.  If you plan on using an image as part of your brand, make certain that the one you choose is not already in use.  Once again, conduct some research in your area of the business world.  It also wouldn’t hurt to have a full consideration of a range of different products and services.  Look at the big boys and reflect on the simplicity or complicated nature of their brands.  Why do you suppose they have been successful?  What can you learn from them?

Your brand identity will take you far along the path to success, but that means deep reflection on the values you intend to portray.  This also includes places where you plan to brand:  will you use billboards?  Social media sites?  Online video networking sites?  Spellcheck and hunt for grammatical and mechanical errors.  Put on your best face.  Remember:  your brand is what the world will see!

Elizabeth Retton is a contributing writer for LogoMojo.com, where you can design a logo for your business.

Inexpensive Ways to Improve the Resale Value of Your Home During a Recession

Posted by Elizabeth Retton

Times are tough and don’t seem to be improving any time soon.  This can be discouraging for homeowners, especially if you are looking for tips to improve the resale value of your property.  Even if you aren’t considering selling just yet, you may want to consider these hints:

Curb appeal. What do you suppose a prospective buyer’s first impression would be when they pull up to your home?  In other words, consider the appearance of your home’s exterior.  This includes the lawn, any landscaping, and the garage as well as the vehicles parked along the curb or in the driveway.  One of the least expensive ways to improve your home’s resale value is to make quick and easy fixes.  Keep the lawn mowed and watered.  Pull any unsightly weeds.  Trim the hedges and keep them trimmed!  If you don’t have any landscaping, consider adding a few plants or shrubs.  Even growing your own fruits and vegetables will add to the resale value.  Paint the windowsills or the trim, and fix anything that appears to be broken, including gutters or rains spouts.  Ask a friend or relative to look at your house objectively from across the street, and this should help give you an idea of what you may need to work on.  Anything outdated is going to turn away potential buyers.  At the same time, be aware of clutter:  remove anything that seems to detract from the overall look of your home.

Interior touch-ups. A fresh coat of paint will increase the value of your house. If you don’t have the budget, consider light touch-ups.  Kitchen and bathrooms are the two rooms considered the most closely by prospective buyers.  New appliances will increase your resale value.  If you plan on replacing the windows, look into tinting or more energy efficient windows.  Also consider the lighting in your home.  Carefully select places where you will use diffuse lightning or brighter, sharper lighting.  LED lighting is currently in style, which you should consider if you plan on selling any time in the near future.  You can make small, inexpensive changes such as switching out old light fixtures, faucets (in both the kitchen and the bathroom), and the toilet seat.

General maintenance. Don’t put off regular, day-to-day maintenance.  Work on and fix problems when they occur so they don’t build up and cost you a bundle when the time to sell comes.  You’ll increase your home’s value by keeping it salable and attractive at the same time if you fix leaks, keep the basement clean and un-flooded, and repair any structural damage as it occurs.

Clean! Maybe this goes without saying, but plan on cleaning up those harder to reach places.  Baseboards, under the stove and the refrigerator, even behind the washer and dryer:  these are all places that are usually overlooked in general cleaning, and where grime and dust bunnies can build up.

You don’t to spend a mint to improve the resale value of your home, and you don’t need to wait until the recession is over.  Follow these suggestions and you’ll be well on your way.

Elizabeth Retton is a contributing writer for Lima One Capital where you can find loans in Georgia and you can also find Georgia hard money lenders.

5 Ways to Save Big Money on a Wedding

Posted by Elizabeth Retton

Your big day is finally approaching, and you want to make sure that you can afford it.  As you begin to plan, you may find that you are beginning to feel slightly overwhelmed.  Don’t worry!  As times have changed and weddings have evolved, so have ways to cut corners and save money that you may not have, or that you’d rather spend somewhere else (like the honeymoon!).  So while you’re still in the planning stages, consider these five easy ways to save on your special day:

Save the dates and invites. With the advent of desktop publishing and access to the internet for the world at large, it is easier than ever to make your own invitations.  Visit a stationary store and see if they have specialized paper so you can print your own invitations at home.  With your save the date cards especially, you can email them or utilize a social networking site.

Cut down your guest list. This will be tough, but worth it in the end, especially when you begin to realize that every name on the list means another invitation and save the date card to send, more food to pay for, more party favors, drinks, and chairs to sit on.  You really can just invite immediate family, but be consistent, and don’t make exceptions, otherwise you may wind up with a lot of hurt feelings.  A good way to look at it is to consider inviting only as many people as you could spend a minute with.  Two hundred people means spending over three hours with them … before the ceremony!  And don’t let people pressure you into inviting them, especially from work.

Cut back on the bar. You can save a ton of money by eliminating the bar altogether, or by simply reducing it.  You might also consider having a beer and wine bar only.  Do a little research and see if you can provide your own alcohol.  You might be able to find a volunteer to pour or pay an acquaintance, which will still save you more money than if you brought in a catering company.

Scout for locations. Hunting for the perfect place can be a nightmare (just try scouting for wedding locations in San Diego during the spring and early summer!).  You may want to consider asking to stage the ceremony or reception at a private place belonging to a friend or family member, especially if they have a nice big backyard or a cabin in the woods.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Do you have a friend who is a wonderful photographer?  How about someone who DJs on the side?  Can your favorite aunt help with the cake?  Don’t hesitate to ask your close friends and family to employ their talents on your behalf, especially if they are well-spoken, imaginative, musically inclined, specialize in crafts and décor, or are a wiz in the kitchen.  Usually they will be honored to be included in the planning and presentation of your wedding.

Elizabeth Retton in a contributing writer for www.LosWillows.com, a private wedding and event estate located in beautiful San Diego, California.