Business owners have a lot to worry about. They have employees, taxes, products or services, advertising, marketing, finances, and a host of other issue to deal with. Because of all this they'll almost never realize the huge risk they place themselves in by not following all the rules and regulations.

When a business fails to follow all the laws, keep all the rules, or maintain all the regulations, a court may decide to set aside the liability protection otherwise afforded their business entity. This is called, piercing the corporate veil and has become one of the most litigated issues in business law today.

Here is a short list of five keys every business owner must recognize and follow if they hope to keep their corporate veil intact. Recognize, of course, this is not an exhaustive list. It is, however, a great place to start.

The First Key: Registering with the State, Getting a Tax ID Number and Thinking You're Done. Many business owners don't understand that ongoing corporate governance is the price for the liability protection of a corporate veil. Statistically, veil piercing cases succeed between 67-96% of the time, primarily because owners ignore governance requirements. Veil piercing is the classic stealth business problem - it's often invisible until it's too late.

The Second Key: Sole Shareholders Neglecting Formal Meetings

Many businesses consist of sole shareholders who also serve as President, Secretary, and Treasurer of their business entity. The idea of holding formal corporate meetings with oneself sounds silly, and many owners fail to do so. However, single shareholder corporations run the greatest risk of veil piercing, precisely because no other owners are helping to drive formal corporate behavior.

The Third Key: Wrongly Assuming Your Attorney/CPA is Taking Care of Governance

Very few CPAs and attorneys handle corporate governance for their clients. Nothing in a typical CPA's training prepares them to offer corporate governance. Few attorneys provide ongoing compliance management because most don't have the specific expertise and can't afford to do so when operating on a billable hours model. Corporate governance involves a lot of monitoring and detailed task work, which is precisely why many business owners neglect it.

The Fourth Key: Failing to Keep a Proper Paper Trail

Few business owners bother to maintain proper corporate behaviors, let alone document them. In an audit or litigation, usually the first thing requested is your corporate record. One business owner had suffered through a lengthy, expensive IRS audit simply because he couldn't produce Articles of Organization for his LLC when the IRS demanded it.

The Fifth Key: Believing LLCs are Safe and Won't be Pierced

No doubt, state laws on LLC liability are still evolving. Nevertheless, all the available evidence makes it clear that LLCs can be pierced, have been pierced, and will be subject to the same governance standards as corporations. Many business owners will say, My advisor says an LLC is great because I don't have to maintain it and it can't be pierced. This is bad, inaccurate advice. Don't allow yourself to become exposed by failing to maintain any and all of your business entities properly.

Michael McCleve has taught doctors, dentists, and other business owners critical strategies and court proven techniques they can use to protect their assets in the event of a lawsuit. Currently he specializes in helping the small business owner maintain compliance and preserve the protection of the corporate veil. Learn more at http://www.businessprotectionsecrets.com

Data loss has the potential to cost companies hundreds of thousands of dollars, yet most companies do not know how to effectively protect their confidential information. You must require more than just a security network to protect your data. Organizations always need to know where their information is being stored and where it is being released to. However, most businesses do not know this information.

If you are going to fully and completely protect your information, there are many requirements that your data loss prevention solution should meet. It is likely that your data loss prevention system will not meet all of the requirements, but here are the top 5 prevention requirements that any system should absolutely meet :

1. Your data loss prevention system should be able to find and protect all information regardless of where it is stored. Recent statistics have concluded that 1 in 50 files that are stored on desktops contain confidential information and most companies are not able to locate such information. It is for this reason why it is necessary for your data loss prevention system to be able to accurately identify confidential data. Once your system identifies the data, it should protect it by applying programs such as storage tiering, archiving, and digital rights management.

2. A data loss prevention system also must be able to monitor all data usage and prevent it from leaving the organization's network. Email is not the only thing that should be monitored. The prevention system should also monitor instant messaging, blogs, USB drives, CD/DVDs, and mp3 players. In addition to monitoring such devices, the protection system should prevent the transmission of data by blocking it. This combines monitoring with prevention.

3. The system must be able to accurately detect all security breaches. Inaccurate detections will cause you to spend time searching through incorrect information, and a failure of detection will cause you to lose data.

4. Any data loss system should have automated policy enforcement. This makes it very easy for security and human resource personnel to manage any security breaches. Without automated policy enforcement, workers would be forced to handle 2-3 times their normal work load.

5. Finally, data loss prevention systems need to have control over encrypted data. Encryption is a tool that is used to secure confidential information. Sometimes information is encrypted even though it is not permitted to leave the company and confidential data isn't always encrypted when it should be. Therefore, you need make sure that your program allows you to see and monitor encrypted material.

It is very important to make sure that you have a data loss prevention system that runs effectively. A strong system is essential for the protection of your private data and business.

North Star Networks : Network Security Services (http://www.northstarli.com)

NorthStar Networks Inc. is an Information Technology Consulting company that specializes in providing technology solutions to meet the needs of any sized business. We focus on installing and maintaining networks. Network support not only includes highly efficient network design, support and integration, but the core of our vision is Proactive Network Support. We succeed at maintaining the networks we build and work on, so they don't go down outside of uncontrollable events like weather, fire, earthquakes or power outages.

Our goal is for your network and related hardware and software to run at its best. We have a commitment to providing excellent service and support for your local and wide-area networks. We keep your business running, so you can do what you do best.

Visit our Blog to read more, comment, and/or ask questions about Network Security at (http://northstarli.wordpress.com/)

"The process of identifying, recruiting, and developing talent creates great value within your organization. First, it creates a viable talent pool - a group of leaders and future leaders that you can rely on to share your vision and values and move the organization forward.."

On the personal side, the process gives you the ability sharpen your skills in identifying exactly what kind of talent you want to see in the organization. If you are in a constant talent identification mode, you're going to be ready for the workforce and also keeping up with changing environments.

First, you must identify talent - but the identification starts before you look for the actual people. You must take the time to identify the competencies you're looking for in potential talent. For example, you can look at competencies that are behavioral, attitudinal, and personal. Behavioral competencies are those that demonstrate the skill and knowledge you're looking for - they could be skills or knowledge in certain areas that are common to your organization. Attitude and value competencies show a person's self concept and self-perception, as well as the kind of work each person enjoys or thrives upon. Personal competencies are the traits and motivations that drive each person - these are internal factors that drive outward behavior. Look at all of the competencies shared in your organization - between yourself, your leadership team, and down the line. Once you've decided on the common competencies, you'll be able to readily identify individuals who share them.

But now that you know what you're looking for, where do you go to find it? The first place is your own network, both personal and business. You probably know people who you've thought of as possibilities to bring into your own organization. With your identified competencies, look at these people again and evaluate them. Believe it or not, just living your life can bring you to the identification of potential talent. When you're interacting in the community, from the local shops and restaurants to community events, look for talent you identify with. Some organizations even provide cards telling a person that they've been identified as someone you want to work with. Campus recruiting is also a good way to go - you can always farm talent from the growing number of new graduates.

Recruiting is the most difficult part of the process. Your organization must be competitive in its offerings, so you have to find out what motivates your target population. You've identified your competencies, so which of those can be translated into a benefit of working for your organization? Money is always important, so be sure to look for industry wide salary trends and try to compete with them. But recruiting goes far beyond money - does your organization offer a flexible schedule, a relaxed working environment, or other non-tangible benefits? Think about the people with the competencies you've identified - and make your organization competitive by putting yourself in potential talent's shoes.

Development is probably the most overlooked part of the process - never assume that you can keep your talent simply by bringing them in. Newer generations of workers are on the constant lookout for something better - for advancement and new skills. So this makes your development of talent extremely important. For starters, be sure that there is functional development - every person should have the tools and knowledge to do his or her job. Whether it's classroom, online, on the job, or a combination, be sure that you've got this piece. Offer management training such as coaching and human resources management as a way to keep talent interested. In addition, you should be ready to assess potential leaders based on your identified competencies - find out where each person is in relation to the competencies. Once you've done that, you can offer leadership training as a way of enhancing your talent pool - and making sure that your talent is not walking out the door.

When looking at identifying, recruiting, and developing talent from the leadership standpoint, there are a few things to avoid.

If you have a recruitment team, be sure each person is aware of these things to avoid - it's not only your responsibility to recruit but also your responsibility to ensure that recruiters are all on the same page.

First, avoid what's known as "central tendency", which is basically hiring talent down the middle. You want to look for talent that falls on both sides of the medium for your competencies - in other words, even though a person may not seem to be high in X Competency but is very talented in the Y competency, don't discount them. By doing this, you're ensuring a wide variety of talent.

Avoid stereotyping. It's a very simple command, but many people involved in recruiting may have unconscious stereotypes based on age, race, or gender. It's illegal, yes, but nonetheless be aware of tendency in this area. Another thing to avoid is the "halo or horns" effect, which takes one item or action a person does or says and turns it into an extreme.

For example, a potential talent may say that he or she went to the same school as you -and you may unconsciously award them a "halo" that doesn't allow you to see the true depth of his or her competency. On the other hand, a person may say something about a bad habit or weakness that causes you to brand them with "horns".

Finally, avoid the "similar to me" syndrome - you do not want leaders in your organization who are just like you - variety in leadership style and competencies will go a long way.

Be aware of the difficulties and benefits of identifying, recruiting, and developing talent in your organization - when you are, you'll have a constant pool of talent as well as a highly competent recruiting team.

Copyright 2008 Bryant Nielson. All Rights Reserved.

Bryant Nielson - Managing Director and National Sales Trainer - assists executives, business owners, and top performing sales executives in taking the leap from the ordinary to extraordinary. Bryant is a trainer, business & leadership coach, and strategic planner for sales organizations. Bryant's 27 year business career has been based on his results-oriented style of empowering.

Subscribe to his blog - and learn the legendary secrets of top business training programs at:
http://www.BreathtakingLeadership.com & http://www.BryantNielson.com

New leaders - and sometimes more senior leaders - can find themselves in organizations and situations that are very cloudy and confusing. This problem could arise from changes in the organization's structure, new leadership, a lack of direction, or even a new team or organization. What can a leader do to create clarity amidst the confusion?

First of all, you must define the future for the organization. Many times confusion arises from just not knowing where the organization is headed. Define the future by determining a vision and mission for the organization - and be as specific as possible. What goal do you want the organization to reach, and in what time frame? Do you need or want the organization to grow in size, revenue, or number of locations? All of these things must be described concisely in order to lift some confusion. You'll find that by just painting a picture of what the future looks like, people will fall behind it and begin moving in the same direction. Remember that your vision is most likely a change, so expect the organization to react to change before embracing the new direction.

Next, be sure to clarify roles. This simple statement takes on quite a bit of complication because you must clarify the roles of everyone in the organization - from the front line to middle managers, as well as your own role. As a leader, your role should concentrate on the big picture and you should communicate this to the organization. While you're clarifying roles, you may need to adjust them, as well. For example, if you're trying to move your organization into a more leadership-based organization, you may have to define managers as team leaders - and begin changing the hierarchy. You may also find that you have to adjust roles within the organization - the person or team who was responsible for certain tasks may not be the best suited for those tasks and you may have to make adjustments. As you move down into the organization, be certain that every person is aware of his or her role - and that their questions about that role can be answered by you or another leader. With clarified roles, at least people can direct their attention to their tasks and not to the confusion that may be occurring.

Third, begin the process of developing leaders at all levels. Look at the training that currently exists in the organization. Is the training based on function only, or are there opportunities for people to grow as coaches or leaders? Can you take functional training and adjust it to create functional leaders, that is, people who excel at their normal tasks and can be used to lead others in those tasks? Examine the organization to determine if any leadership is visible at the lower levels - and spend time developing those groups. But how does this create clarity in confusion? First, creating a talent pool helps you to clarify roles. You may have emerging leaders who can now see their role within the organization - and the possibility that they can move up within the organization. Second, you're making it clear that in order to reach the organization's goals, each person has a chance to become a leader. So not only can people concentrate on their own tasks, they can also concentrate on how leadership skill can improve the entire organization.

You must remove hierarchies and boundaries that may have caused confusion in the past. Sometimes you'll find that the organization may have quite a bit of redundancy in tasks and responsibilities. This not only creates confusion but it also creates less than good will amongst departments and teams. By examining who's doing what, you can clarify the hierarchy and move to create an organization that functions efficiently. Boundaries between teams and departments can also contribute to confusion. In many organizations, teams do not have a general awareness of how they fit in with the big picture and with other teams. In fact, many individual team members may be keenly aware of his or her own tasks, but have no idea how those tasks contribute to the overall function of the organization. By breaking down the walls between teams and departments, you'll allow everyone to see how it all fits together, as well as to expose redundancy and ineffective processes. Again, removing an old way of doing things is a change, so be sure to communicate the benefits the change at all times.

Finally, communication is the key to removing confusion - both formally and informally. On the informal side, you, as the leader, must be a constant champion of your own vision and goals for the future. In other words, you should talk about it whenever you have the chance. Be sure that lower-level organizational members hear the words coming out of your mouth - prove to them that it's not just top-level talk. More formally, consider using a G.E. "Work Out" approach, where business units come together to solve problems and brainstorm on future efficiencies. Allow the people who do the work to communicate with you and your team - you'll find that some of the best ideas come from that type of communication. You can also consider "town hall" type meetings, where you go to the groups and allow them to ask questions about the changes, the new vision, and the direction of the organization. Remember that communication is a two way street, so just as you communicate to the organization, allow the organization to communicate with you.

By defining the future, clarifying roles, developing leaders, removing boundaries, and opening communication, you can create clarity in the midst of confusion - and move your organization ahead.

Copyright 2008 Bryant Nielson. All Rights Reserved.

Bryant Nielson - Managing Director and National Sales Trainer - assists executives, business owners, and top performing sales executives in taking the leap from the ordinary to extraordinary. Bryant is a trainer, business & leadership coach, and strategic planner for sales organizations. Bryant's 27 year business career has been based on his results-oriented style of empowering.

Subscribe to his blog - and learn the legendary secrets of top business training programs at:
http://www.BreathtakingLeadership.com & http://www.BryantNielson.com

What separates the good leaders from the mediocre? What makes one leader succeed and inspire many to greatness while others continually struggle and fight to achieve any positive results? The difference may surprise you, and even slightly anger some. The difference is often the reason that person is a leader in the first place. I like to call it the leadership conundrum, and if you can rise above it, you will be on your way to greatness.

What do leaders have that followers do not? One they have an inexorable desire to succeed and be at the top of their field. They do not let failure be an option. These individuals are often wise decision makers. They call the shots, command the troops, devise amazing strategies, and often have to pave a difficult path to success. These individuals have goals. They know what their ideal vision looks like and they make progress towards it. Leaders carry a powerful aura around them that propels them further in life and influences other with their simple presence.

With all these amazing qualities, why do some leaders still struggle? They forget to employ their most powerful ally and the leadership secret. Encouragement. A little encouragement goes a long way. A simple heart-felt thank you, great job, or well done coming from an influential person can change lives.

Why do leaders fail to use this simple but extremely effective tool? The most important person in anyone's life is number one. This applies to both the leader and the follower; it is inherent in our nature. In many cases, the leaders are so driven by their personal goals and intentions; they often forget about the emotions of others and leave encouragement behind. To be a great leader, one must not only manage personal goals and make themselves succeed, but make others feel as if they could succeed as well. Encouragement will stand the test of time and propel you and your followers to places never thought before. Your job for the week is to look for way to encourage those around you, and when they do something you like, encourage them.

Jesse Sherer is an entrepreneur and specializes in helping others achieve their goals and dreams. Read other articles about entrepreneurism and self-improvement http://www.jmsherer.blogspot.com

How many times do you find yourself in a rut? Nothing you try to do seems to be going anywhere. Just when you seem to get something going, you fall into the same old trends and routines, many times the opposite of what we are trying to accomplish. I am going to show you how to rid yourself of these trends and get BETTER everyday.

We see these trends happen in a variety of aspects of our live. Have you ever been in a bad relationship, then broken up with that person only to find another person who treats you even worse? How about trying to go on a diet and lose a few pounds? The average person will go strong for about 1-3 weeks only to get back to their previous weight a month down the road. We are creatures of habit; we love what is comfortable to us. This very cause is one of the number one roots of what holds us back from accomplishing our goals. Here are a few easy tips that will launch you past your unpleasant plateaus.

Change it up. Fitness experts, musicians, and scholars will tell you, the only way to get better at something is to work it from all the different angles. Fitness experts mix up their workouts, working different muscles in a wide variety of ways. Otherwise, their muscles get complacent and goals are not reached. In a similar fashion, musicians exercise difficult passages of music in a variety of ways slowing them down, speeding them up, and changing rhythm and dynamics to eventually come to a thorough understanding of the mind and memory functions need to perform the music.

Be Positive. This one is difficult, but how can you expect to get better when you shroud your expectations in negativity. Take a three-month commitment to being positive about EVERYTHING. This step will change your life I guarantee it. Stop associating with negative people, turn off negative shows (the news), and do not accept negative thought processes.

Let go of the past. The past is gone. Do not worry about it. Each day you have the potential to be who you want to be. Start a POSITIVE action plan to get there and NEVER GIVE UP at it.

The preceding are not only good ideas, but also principles that govern our being (They also make your life last longer). Here is an easy task to get you started: Have something DIFFERENT for dinner every night this week. If you go out, order something you've never had (better yet go to a restaurant you have never been). If you eat in, buy something different at the grocery store.

Jesse Sherer is an entrepreneur and specializes in helping others achieve their goals and dreams. Read other articles self-improvement athttp://www.jmsherer.blogspot.com

Making changes in your life involves reshaping the way you think. When your thinking has changed and taken new form, situations will spontaneously change. How we react to the events in our lives form a relationship with our plans and desires creating the path for the future.

If you have a goal you would like to accomplish in the future, continually walking down the same road and reacting to your life in the same way will not get you to your destination. For example you plan on losing 30 pounds. If you continually eat the same type of food and do the same exercise routine inevitably no results will be made - despite your solidified goal of losing the weight. Therefore, one of our most powerful enemies is complacency.

Our subconscious mind is programmed to influence our actions and habits. When our subconscious is programmed in a healthy manner, our actions and reactions perform flawlessly achieving miraculous results. When our subconscious is programmed destructively bad lucks seems to naturally follow us around every corner.

Having a positive outlook on life will bring about positive results. Expect the best and get it (likewise expect the worst and get ready for the storm). Thinking positively is not an easy task. As we grow up and face difficulties in life, negative influences that tell you that you cannot do something, or are not good enough engrave themselves our subconscious mind. The following is a 21-day plan to get yourself on the road to positive thinking.

Day 1-7

Stop watching the news (there is never positive news on the news)

Write down a positive affirmation (such as I will accomplish _____) and read it aloud every morning and night

Drive a different way to work every morning (this is to remind yourself that you are making an effort to change your thinking and it is a fresh outlook on life)

Day 7-14

Continue step 1 and 2

Make an effort everyday to say something positive to the people you associate with

Day 14-21

Do not be around negative people; you should be able to recognize these individuals by now. Even if they are close friends, trust me, they will do your life no favors.

Fight Negative thoughts: If a negative or self restricting thought enters your mind immediately identify it as such and replace it with a positive one.

After 21 days, I guarantee that you will recognize a difference in your life. I will not have to tell you to repeat the steps because the new life style will become so refreshing you will not ever want to deviate from it.

Jesse Sherer is an entrepreneur and specializes in helping others achieve their goals and dreams. Read other articles about entrepreneurism and self-improvement at  http://www.jmsherer.blogspot.com

Jobs are great, for some. Chances are if you are an entrepreneurial minded individual, the thought of getting a job in the "rat race" seems like a very unappealing idea. Millions of Internet scams out there advertise that you can make 1000s a week just by signing up on their program.

The reason they are successful is that many people realize that having their current job is not living out their dream and hope this could be an easy way out. They feel they are not living their fullest.

They are not LIVING INFINITELY.

However, if you are reading this far, I know a couple of things about you. One, you have enough knowledge to know yourself enough to think "I can enable myself to live a lifestyle on my terms". Two, you have realized that working for someone else is not working out for you and your ready to explore your options. No need to wait any longer:

The top 10 reason why you should not get a job.

10. You don't like feeling owned. Many people do not like the feeling of being completely owned by another, we intrinsically have a sense of independence. Jobs provide a false sense of "job security." Job security is not being able to get fired at a moments notice at the will of another.

9. Help the economy. Economies thrive under competitive environments. When imagination and ideas flourish, societies get better. Entrepreneurs help the economy by fighting monopolization with their ingenuity.

8. Your dreams will never come true. Many people do the same activities day- after day (largely because of restrictions from their employer) without hopes of accomplishing their dreams. Do you have a dream of traveling the world, not working everyday, or starting a charitable foundation? Chances are you will not win the lottery, take action today.

7. You are a leader at heart and can make a difference if given the chance. Entrepreneurs are leaders within our society. If you want to make a difference and believe this deep within you, boldly step forward and be an agent of change.

6. Enable self-development. Nothing restricts the development of the self as much as having a harsh employer that sucks the life out of your potential. The mind and body are powerful instruments we have, yet many go through life without a chance to use them to their fullest.

5. You don't have a boss over your shoulder. Many of us dislike being told what to do. Unfortunately, many face bosses have issues asserting their authority because of some kind of lack of competence, inferiority, and a host of other leadership problems. This typically results in a poor working environment that fosters resentment instead of productivity.

4. Make more money. When I was younger I worked at a country club. Who were the members? Almost every single member (with the exception of a few doctors) was a business owner. Business owners control wealth within our society, you should be one too.

3. Let Capitalism work for you. Our economy is set up to reward risk takers, entrepreneurs, and those with opportunistic drive. Our great country enjoys more economic success across all classes than any other country in the world. Take advantage of the ingenious of "the corporation" and use its benefits to create wealth.

2. Not enough family life. Working for "the man" can bring down your family. Too much work puts strain on relationships. If you do not have enough time to spend with the people you love in this world, be proactive and make a change.

1. Trading time for money on someone else's terms. Many of the points I have made come back to the point that trading your precious time (you only have one life) for someone else's money is a system that does not work for them.

There are many create ways of making money and many more yet to be discovered. My dare to you is to take that risk. Those who fail typically say that they did not regret doing so even if they end up back at work for someone else.

Jesse Sherer is an entrepreneur and specializes in helping others achieve their goals and dreams. Read other articles about entrepreneurism and self-improvement at http://www.jmsherer.blogspot.com

It seems as if lately we've seen a huge resurgence in the popularity of the comic book superhero. It could be attributed to many things, I suppose…not the least of which being that we could all use a little super hero intervention these days. It got me to thinking — even for those of us who may never have picked up a comic book, isn't it surprising the amount of "brand recognition" we have for the average superhero? And, how can we translate that technique into our own marketing plans?

Any self-respecting superhero has to have a great looking costume. Now, you can liken this to your product packaging, your website, your promotional materials…essentially anything that visually depicts either your company or brand. Regardless of the form it takes, you want to be sure to take the time to craft yourself the proper costume. Take into consideration what market you are in, and how that market might be more receptive to certain colors, fonts, imagery, etc. Having the right look for the right market is as essential as having a superhero having the right costume to highlight his particular powers. For instance, what good is a cape to Aquaman, anyhow?

Having a distinctive image, whether that be a big red "S", or a little black bat insignia — plays a big part in your branding. This ties in nicely with your "costume"…it plays to your strengths, and serves as a singular image by which your customers can easily recognize you. Even the villains know to do this, so don't leave this facet of your character to chance. Select something that will grow with you and your business — something that will hold as much significance for your brand today as it will 10 years from now. It is much more difficult to change these things after you are established than to take the extra time to conceive it right the first time around.

When you are putting together your line, establishing your web presence, stationery, or even a business card — you should be working within a consistent framework. Pick a color scheme, a font, a graphic, and use it consistently.

Why is this so important? Let me give you another practical example. Have you ever sent your spouse shopping for a product you regularly use — only to find yourself providing the description of the packaging of the product, in addition to its name? Wouldn't it be great to have that kind of recognition with your own customers? We've all heard of the "rule of 7" in advertising — think how much easier it will be to close that sale if during each of those seven times your prospect saw the same imagery.

Now, what about your super catch phrase? Not all the superheroes have them, but quite a few of the great ones do. Whether it is the Lone Ranger's "Hi, ho Silver!", or Buzz Lightyear's(R) "To infinity, and beyond!" — having a great tag line leaves a lasting impression — long after you've flown, sailed, or rode away. Your own tagline doesn't have to have super powers to be effective; but, it should be a compliment to, and a reinforcement of, your brand. A helpful exercise to brainstorm for a tagline is to make a list of all of the products or services you offer. Next, list some descriptive terms to apply to your niche market. Are you using specific colors that could be employed in your tag line? If you get stuck, refer to a dictionary or thesaurus…try to come up with synonyms, rhyming words, etc. This process often leads to that "ah ha!" moment when the perfect tagline presents itself.

Does Super Branding Work for The Average Guy?

You bet it does. Recently I was reading an interesting news item in which a CEO noted that his company participated in many community events, and the company provided the employees with branded apparel (shirts, jackets, etc) to wear at these events. He noted that they gained a spike in business after each event — and in many cases, prospects specifically cited the logo wear as the impetus for making contact.

Don't Forget Your Super Tools

I almost forgot to mention these. What kind of superhero doesn't have cool gadgets? Think of Wonder Woman's golden lasso, or Spiderman's web…it is paramount to have the right tool for the job. The same holds true in creating promotional items for your business. Select items that compliment what your company provides. Do you sell sporting goods? Consider something useful, like a logo branded water bottle, pedometer, or tote bag. If your company creates gourmet foods, why not offer a logo branded oven mitt, bottle opener, or apron? Not only do promotional giveaways create good will, they also provide ongoing advertising.

Never fear — you don't need to go into debt to create your own promo items. With the rise of such on-demand services as Cafe Press, you can print a myriad of items that feature your logo, and you can print as few as you need. Another great service, Designashirt.com, offers fast and easy custom T-Shirt designs. With services such as these making branded wear more affordable, you may want to consider doing a little "super branding" of your own.

Traci Hayner Vanover, The Promo Diva(R), is the publisher of Create the Dream magazine, http://www.createthedream.com, and the president of Market Outside the Box Trade Association, http://www.marketoutsidethebox.com

Many of the same "print" principles which apply to newspaper advertising also apply to magazine advertising. The biggest differences are:

* Magazines are usually weekly or monthly publications instead of daily.

* Advertising messages are more image-oriented and less price-oriented.

* The quality of the pictures and paper are superior to newsprint.

* Advertisements in magazines involve color more often.

The general rule that you can run the same ad 3-5 times within a campaign period before its appeal lessens applies to magazine advertising as well, even with a monthly publication. So it makes sense to spend extra time and money to prepare a worthwhile ad that can be successfully repeated. Over long terms such as these, however, be aware that the client (you) often tires of the ad before the audience does.

Because ads in magazines are not immediate, they take more planning. Often, an ad for a monthly magazine must be prepared between one to three months in advance of publication, so ads detailing prices and items must be carefully crafted to ensure accuracy. Keep this in mind when planning out your ad, and make sure your offer is appropriate for the issue (season, editorial content, etc.) in which it will appear.

Since the quality of the magazines are superior, the advertising that you generate must be superior as well. All publications have different specifications as to the file types they accept, but the most widely accepted include: EPS, PSD, TIFF, and PDF. Consider obtaining assistance from a graphic artist or an advertising agency if this is not an area you feel comfortable with.

There are two categories of magazines: trade magazines and consumer magazines.

Trade magazines are publications that go to certain types of businesses, services, and industries.

Consumer magazines are generally the kind you find on the average newsstand. Investigate which type would do your business the most good.

Working With An Ad Agency

An agency can also purchase the magazine space for you, often at rates that are better than what you could obtain on your own. If you would prefer to purchase space yourself, contact the magazine's advertising department, and request their Media Kit. The kit will include a folder that includes demographic information, reach information, a current rate card, and a sample of the publication. Sites like Media Bids (http://www.mediabids.com) have recently emerged, and offer small business owners an unprecedented opportunity to obtain space in national, mainstream magazines at a significant savings. The Media Bids site allows users to browse current publication offerings, and also to create auctions, in which publications will "bid" for their business.

Saving Money With Discounted Space

Although most magazines are national in nature, many have regional advertising sections that allow your business to focus on a smaller target area, at a discounted price. This is particularly useful for companies that target specific regional areas that would not benefit those outside the target region. Each magazine does this differently, so contact the one(s) you are interested in and ask them about their geographic editions. Some sophisticated magazines even have demographic editions available, which might also be advantageous.

A little known fact is that all magazine advertising rates are negotiable. This tends to work better if you are using an agency to broker space for you, but, if you are a savvy negotiator, you can certainly do this on your own. Inquire as to special pricing for multiple insertions, advertorial considerations with paid display ads, and remnant space. Remnant space is unsold advertising space that the magazine has leftover as they approach deadline. In many cases, this space can be purchased at a significant discount, and it offers a great way to test the waters with a new publication. When you establish a relationship with your advertising representative, it pays to ask them to keep you in mind whenever they have remnant space available.

Getting More Mileage — Be a Savvy Negotiator

If you are considering signing an annual contract for display advertising in a magazine, don't be afraid to ask your representative to "sweeten the deal" for you. You will automatically get a better deal when you contract for multiple issues — but it never hurts to try to parlay that into a short advertorial as well. Take a look at their Editorial Calendar, and see where you might have an "in" based on the content that will appear in future issues. If you have a great product or service that fits the subject matter in a particular issue, pitch them your idea. You may even want to consider suggesting that if they agree to feature a product or service in an advertorial, you would be willing to give the magazine's readers a special price on that item for a limited time only. This creates a win-win situation; the magazine looks good for securing a special product discount, and you get added visibility. Give it a try…you may just be surprised with the results.

Other Things You Can Negotiate For:

* Reader Response Cards. Readers fill out a small survey card in the back of the magazine to obtain more information from advertisers. These leads are typically delivered via email in an Excel or CSV file. If you get these, make sure you follow up with the leads right away.

*Special Placement. With a multiple insertion order, you may be able to wrangle special placement out of the publication. Remember that prime advertising like covers won't be an option, but requesting options such as the front 1/3, right or left side of page, upgrade from black and white to spot color, placement near a specific feature article, or the top of a page may be something you can secure.

Traci Hayner Vanover, The Promo Diva(R), is the publisher of Create the Dream magazine, http://www.createthedream.com, and the president of Market Outside the Box Trade Association, http://www.marketoutsidethebox.com