Many small business owners mistakenly assume that they don’t have a “brand”.  They may associate the word with mega-corporations like McDonalds, Delta Airlines, and Sony (for example).  But every company has a brand image, including yours, and just because you choose to ignore that fact doesn’t mean that consumers aren’t forming opinions about your business.  All you’re doing by neglecting to manage your brand identity is ensuring that others (the media, competitors, etc.) control how your brand is perceived by the public.  In order to keep your brand image in line with your business goals you absolutely must determine how it is shaped as much as possible.

Luckily, there are plenty of ways to endear customers to your brand, as well as spin any negative attention that comes your way.  And if your goal is financial gains (as it is for most companies), then you need to address both of these issues.  A good place to start is with the products or services you offer.  Are they necessary and/or popular?  Do you receive bad reviews or persistent customer complaints?  Do you seem to be losing money even though your products are the best available on the market?  If you’re facing such issues, you’ve made a wrong turn with your branding strategy.  First you need to offer the public something they can’t live without.  Then you need to convince them that they can’t live without it.  And finally, you need to stand by your assertion by ensuring that customers receive the service and consideration that will keep them loyal.  In short, the customer is always right.

Of course, you first need to notify potential customers that you’re in business.  Advertising can be an effective (but expensive) means to this end.  But thanks to emerging technologies you can communicate with a broad range of consumers through targeted efforts online and in the mobile space, including a website, blogs, and social networking outlets like Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, and more.  You’ll need to keep your finger on the pulse of pop culture, but it can really pay off in exposure.  And of course, you should create a store that is appealing to customers, both in the real world and in virtual space.  So consider your décor, store signs, and employee appearance as well as the design of your website and online store.  Building and maintain a brand image is no easy feat, but if you want to realize wealth in your business venture you can’t afford to ignore the impact of your brand.

• Start with your idea.  Does it have potential?  What will your start-up costs be?  What about overhead in the future?  How much time will you need to invest to get things off the ground?  Who is your market?  Do they want what you’re selling?
• If you’re having trouble thinking of a good idea, try thinking of a bad one.  If you can see what won’t work, it may be easier to view the opposites to find what would.  Try to meet a need, and don’t over-think it.  The simplest solution is usually the best one.  If you find a need to meet but aren’t sure how well your solution would be received, consider one definition of selling: convincing people that they need or want something that they didn’t know they needed.  Can you do that with your product or service?
• Don’t get overwhelmed by your idea and all of the surrounding questions!  There’s an easy way to settle in and find your answers, and that’s by creating a business plan.  You should go as in-depth as possible regarding every aspect of your business, but there’s no need to create a 50-100 page document (unless you’re going to apply for a bank loan for funding).  You’ll find yourself forced during this process to answer questions you may not think of at the start.  One detail will open up a new question, and you’ll want to know the answer.  Plus, writing everything down, especially goals, will give you a better chance of success.
• Know that you are not alone.  Go networking, attend seminars and conferences, and talk to people.  You’ll encounter entrepreneurs who are just starting out like you and others who have been at it long enough to offer you some sound advice and possible help.  You never know; that person behind you in the checkout lane might be the best mentor for you, and you won’t know it if you never open your mouth.
• Keep your work ethic strong.  You’ll only get out what you put in.  Start part-time if you need to; you won’t be raking in the millions right away, perhaps not even for a few years.  So don’t quit your day job if you know you won’t be able to survive financially without it yet, and focus all of your free time on your business.  Once it grows, you can take the next step into running it full-time.  Try not to get discouraged by any failures or slow times.  It’s inevitable.  Learn from it, talk to contacts and mentors, and keep going.
• Another simple but great piece of advice is to READ.  Chalene Johnson, a personal favorite entrepreneur and motivator, suggests in her blog that reading is the key to succeeding at anything, business or otherwise.  Pick up books and magazines and check out websites and blogs and the like.  You’ll learn about other people who have been in the same boat and have been kind enough to pass on details of their journeys and what they learned from their successes, failures, and other people.  And you don’t have to stick purely to business material.  Motivational, self-help, spiritual, and comedic books can all help you, and of course the list doesn’t stop there.  Think you don’t have time?  Make time.  Find time.  There’s probably at least a few minutes in between daily duties where you can pick up and read a few pages.  (The Kindle from Amazon comes highly recommended, as you can download and store numerous books at once and read on the go.  If you’re exceptionally busy, this can be extremely helpful.)

As you may suspect, I recommend checking out Chalene Johnson’s blog at www.chalenejohnson.blogspot.com.  She may be a fitness personality, but her passion lies in motivating others in all aspects of life.  In her July 16, 2009 blog, “Become the Smartest Person You Know,” you’ll find her advice on how reading will help you reach your goals.  Also, www.toiletpaperentrepreneur.com is a very interesting site, with more advice than I had time to read!  (I know, I know…I’m not listening to my own advice.  But my article had a deadline!)

You’ve probably heard the old saying about the lottery: you can’t win if you don’t play.  That holds true for almost anything.  If there’s something you want in life, whether it be a promotion, a better home, or a positive relationship, you need to take the steps necessary to get there.  And don’t say you’re going to try.  To really have a chance at the results you want, it’s time to start doing.

Chalene Johnson, the creator of the popular DVD exercise programs Turbo Jam and ChaLEAN Extreme, is currently running a session of YouTube videos from her motivational speaking seminars.  In one of them, she makes a great point about how reaching your potential is all about perspective.  If you say or do something that causes 20 people to tell you how amazing it was, but one person only has a negative comment, what do you normally focus on?  If you’re like most people, that one negative comment is enough to ruin the rest of your day and cause you to avoid doing whatever it was that prompted the comment.

If you focus on the positive, you’re more likely to have positive results.  For example, if you’re about to go onstage to perform or give a huge presentation and you walk out thinking you’re going to trip and fall on your face or mess up somehow, you probably will.  If you believe you’re going to do well, you’ll have the poise you desire.  You alone can choose what you place your focus on.  Your perspective can change something as simple as going to a party; if you think you’re going to have a miserable time, you probably will because you’ll be giving off a negative vibe.  If you expect to have fun, people will be attracted to your positive energy.

Of course, it’s not realistic to be 100% positive all the time.  No matter your outlook, you will still encounter failure, and there will always be instances when you just need to let off steam, cry, or mourn, and this is healthy.  It’s how you handle yourself in these situations that will make the ultimate difference.  When you let that negative energy consume your everyday life, that’s when you have a problem.  It may sound cheesy, but it’s true that you are your greatest obstacle to your own success.  If you stay focused on the negative, you’ll never learn from your failures or be able to make a change, so where is your motivation going to come from?

There are no handouts waiting for you.  Only actions will produce results.  Read books.  Take classes.  Network.  Find every last bit of helpful advice that can help you reach your goals.  Ignore anything that you know doesn’t apply to you or has the potential to crush your hopes.  You can dream and wish all you want, but nothing is going to happen until you get up and make it happen yourself.

Don’t let yourself get too comfortable in one place for too long, especially if you know that’s not where you want to be.  If you notice yourself falling into a routine that’s sucking the life out of you, make a change.  It might be scary, but overcoming your fears is a key step in reaching your goals, and it feels good to make that accomplishment, too!

There is a wealth of information available to help you, no matter what you’re hoping to be successful in, so you have no excuses not to follow the path to your goals.  A little homework and determination can go quite a long way, whether you’re dreaming big or small.  Stay realistic, but not comfortable, and stay active!

Some people are incredibly ambitious, would eat their own, and will do anything it takes to become number one. I’m sure a psychologist would determine that there’s a underlying fear of acceptance or punishment for not winning, but these types of people have the eye on the prize that seems to continue moving forward. One one goal is achieved, the target moves forward to the next level. It’s a frustrating mindset because there may never be a sense of achievement when you’re chasing a moving target.

Particularly where there are already signs of failure, the fear of not achieving tends to be a stronger motivator than the idea of succeeding. The thought of losing money is generally a stronger motivator than the idea of earning money. The thought of becoming overweight is more motivating than the idea of becoming fit, and even less motivating is the idea of remaining fit.

It’s an interesting introspective that may be able to help push you to not only achieve more, but to go after achieving a long-term goal with everything you got. If fear is a stronger motivator for you, use that to your advantage in order to keep your focus and achieve your goal. It’s interesting that as some success is achieved, you may find it harder to press on and strive to achieve more. But when there is little or no success, and the fear of failure or a negative outcome is still present, people tend to put extraordinary effort into reaching success.

What do you do to motivate yourself and remain focused?

Try talking to a wealthy entrepreneur, business owner, real estate investor or stock trader, and ask them “Who can do this?” They will often reply that anyone is capable of making a fortune doing what they are doing. If that were the case, wouldn’t there be more wealthy people in this world being their own boss? Wouldn’t there be more success stories than failures?

The truth is that this is an accurate response. Anyone can be successful and build their own empire if they have they have the right personality, mindset and persistence.

There are a number of reasons why everyone is “not doing it” if anyone can do it:

• Skepticism, or the belief that it just can’t be true
• Security, or comfortable in receiving and cashing a paycheck
• Lack of initiative
• The need for structure
• Lack of persistence and long-term perspective

Those who create their own wealth are often the complete opposite of the norm. Just like a stock trader knows that the stock market is counter-intuitive, and what you think should happen next is typically the opposite of what actually happens.

Entrepreneurs have such a strong belief in them self that they can succeed and that “the herd” is wrong. They see more security in building their own business rather than the chance of being laid off at any moment. They prefer to create their own wealth rather than playing politics in order to get a promotion and make someone else’s business rich.

This group does not need to be handed a structured plan. If they were, they would just break the rules and come up with their own, creative ways to accomplish things. Most importantly, they believe in nothing but the ability to accomplish their goals Against everyone’s advice or criticism, they do not give up. Failure is simply a way to learn and allows you to come that much closer to success.

It’s typical to find that entrepreneurs are wise business people, but they do not follow text-book business models. They go against the grain, take chances, and take risks. Their road to success can have many bumps and bruises, but the payoff in the end is the ultimate reward. And what satisfiction in not only creating great wealth, but looking back to see what you went through to build your own empire.

For most people the best solution is to develop their professional skills and continue to climb the corporate ladder. But, yes, anyone can do it, but do you have the drive, determination and the belief in yourself to make it happen?