Suits and Ties

  Brand launch,  is the process of creating a professional services brand where none currently exists. Since you are starting from scratch, you have a unique opportunity to choose how you wish to position your firm in the marketplace, which clients you want to serve and what services you will provide to them. It is the perfect time to develop a compelling value proposition. 3 Steps to build your Brand Launch: Step 1-Get the Brand Strategy right This phase is aimed at making sure you have positioned the firm properly and have a compelling, easy-to-understand  value proposition . As with any branding exercise, it starts with research. Since you don’t have existing clients, you must rely on interviews with prospects and influencers. Often, your initial positioning will be built around the founders’ reputations and experience. In this case, you can research clients from past engagements to uncover key positioning elements. Next, you will develop a core set of brand documents. These include

2 B usiness Blunders every entrepreneur must avoid  !! •  Being too “salesy” with your marketing strategy: We all want our customers to make purchases so the profits keep on flowing. However, many entrepreneurs make the mistake of being too pushy with their marketing tactics. For example, they will send several “Buy now!” emails a week to their newsletter subscribers, and their company’s social media timelines are just a flood of sales promotions. It is crucial to prevent this mistake, because it can really turn away potential customers. Entrepreneurs can educate current and potential customers by producing an informational podcast for their website visitors and by sharing interesting articles related to their industry on their company’s social media channels. They can also optimise their email marketing strategy  by creating an email nurture sequence that spans three to six quarters, and by sending one email per week that provides value first and is not overly promotional. I have foun

8  Crisis management tips for when your business is falling apart. • Have a plan ahead of time  Having a plan in place allows you to: >Hire key personnel before you need them, such as a crisis management specialist. If you don’t have the cash flow for dedicated personnel, you can appoint one of your existing team members (or even yourself) as the go-to or point of contact person for anyone handling crisis-related matters.  >Anticipate potential accusations or crises for your company based on its industry, products, and interpretation. >Come up with potential solutions or responses ahead of time.  • Delegate, delegate, delegate You need to delegate tasks to your crisis management or response team members, including PR spokespeople. By delegating tasks, you’ll ensure that vital work gets done on time and there isn’t a lot of back-and-forth or delay between your responses to the public.  • Speak to the public If word gets out that a crisis is coming your way, face it head on and