Top 10 Branding Mistakes That Diminish Business Value

Top 10 Branding Mistakes That Diminish Business Value
By Cheryl L. Hodgson, J.D.

Branding is one of the most important parts of any business and successful branding starts with the registration and maintenance of trademarks. Filing a trademark application might seem simple but in reality, it is the steps you take both before and after the application that really count. In the branding process, companies often face a fork in the brand path, one direction leads to Brand Distinction and the other leads to Brand Extinction. Here are the top ten branding mistakes to avoid so that you can follow the path to Brand Distinction:

Branding is one of the most important parts of any business and successful branding starts with the registration and maintenance of trademarks. Filing a trademark application might seem simple but in reality, it is the steps you take both before and after the application that really count. In the branding process, companies often face a fork in the brand path, one direction leads to Brand Distinction and the other leads to Brand Extinction. Here are the top ten branding mistakes to avoid so that you can follow the path to Brand Distinction:

Branding is one of the most important parts of any business. Successful branding begins with the registration and maintenance of trademarks. Filing a trademark application might seem simple, but in reality, the steps you take both before and after the application is filed are even more important. In the branding process, companies often face a fork in the brand path, one direction leads to Brand Distinction and the other leads to Brand Extinction. Here are the top ten branding mistakes to avoid so that you can follow the path to Brand Distinction:

1. Selection and use of a word or phrase without conducting a proper search and investigation of prior users of the term. Conduct an investigation prior to your use, since sued by a third party, the failure to perform a search prior to adoption and use can be considered evidence of bad faith and used against you in court.

2. Failure to analyze the results of investigative search reports carefully and failure to use them as a tool to position the brand in the market with a clear registration strategy. Look for the intersection where selection can meet protection. A trademark is a shield and a sword. Stake out your turf and fence it in.

3. Adoption and use of weak terms that describe the goods and services or contain the generic term of the product. Terms which describe the goods or services, or the characteristics of your goods and services can not be registered and make legal protection difficult if not impossible. Successful registrations of weak terms create a false sense of security, and these types of marks require constant vigilance.

4. Incorrect use of trademarks in advertising and marketing materials leading to loss of rights. Trademarks should be used as adjectives, not verbs or nouns for the goods or services.

5. Improper trademark filings that are too narrow or overbroad, leading to increased risks of rejection or opposition by third parties that you could have avoided. Do it yourself, but only if you understand what you are doing because up to 80% of all filings receive a rejection or Office Action from a trademark lawyer working for the Trademark Office

6. Failure to protect a personal name as a brand when appropriate. An individual's name can be extremely valuable and should be registered and protected as a trademark when used to market or endorse goods and services. For example, authors teaching workshops, or offering services on line will benefit greatly from a registration as a means of preventing unauthorized use of one's name in domains or for competitive goods and services. Just because your parents gave you that name does not mean you automatically own rights for it as a brand.

7. Erroneous belief that trademark registration is enough to protect rights. A trademark registration is a piece of paper, not the property itself. While a registration gives certain statutory rights and presumptions, one should not ignore the marketplace. Trademarks and brands can comprise up to 70% of the value of a business and require ongoing management.

8. Failure to monitor and police trademark rights against new entrants into the market by use of expert counsel. Trademark rights are lost if the term becomes generic some examples being "aspirin" and "escalator" Therefore, be alert and show infringers who is in control by notifying unauthorized users of similar marks for related goods and services of your rights.

9. Mistaking a domain registration with trademark and brand protection. Clients have lost their domains and have been sued because they failed to register a trademark for their goods and services.

10. Failure to maintain and renew registrations as required. Clients who treat registration as a commodity often fail to file necessary documents to keep registrations in effect. Trademarks require "maintenance" filings between the end of the 5^th and 6^th years from registration, and renewal after 10 years.

7 Things You Really Must Do to Make On-the-Job Training Successful in Small-Medium Business

7 Things You Really Must Do to Make On-the-Job Training Successful in Small-Medium Business
By Leon Noone

Summary
Whether training a new or current employee the old adage still applies. "If the student hasn't learnt, the teacher hasn't taught". In the workplace you also suffer a major penalty. It costs you heaps when employees can't do their jobs properly because of poor training.

1. Specify What They'll Be Able To Do At The End
The purpose of training is to get a job done well. The first thing to do is to state what the trainees will be able to do at the end of the training that they couldn't do at the start. The operative word is "do": not understand, appreciate, grasp or any of these other fuzzy verbs; "do". If you can't measure it don't teach it. And you can only measure what the trainee can do.

2. Specify What They Need To Know
In order to be able to "do" trainees need knowledge. Only when you've stated what they need to be able to do can you specify what they need to know. Be careful. Don't overdo the "knows". For example, you don't need to know how a PC works in order to be able to operate it. But you do need to know how to read various screens and what data represents.

Stating the "able to do" and "need to know" matters is the key to successful on job training. Do this before you start. If you don't, your trainees won't learn what's essential.

3. Set Performance Standards For "Do" And "Know"
It's not enough to say "be computer literate" or "operate all company computer systems". You need to add "how often", "how well", "how quickly", "how accurately". You must decide how you would measure competence and what you'd consider to be adequate knowledge. This degree of detail also gives the trainee clearly defined goals and standards and a clear idea of how his or her competence will be assessed.

4. Replicate Job Conditions
This is the golden rule: replicate actual working conditions as accurately as possible. Use tools and equipment in good working order exactly as the trainee would find them on the job. If you can run the training in the trainees' normal workplace, that's ideal. You can learn to drive in the family sedan. But it's no place to learn to be a Formula One racing driver.

5. Treat Safety Seriously
Be casual about safety and that's what trainees will learn. Ensure that all safety procedures and practices are followed exactly. Imagine that you're teaching the trainee how to throw a hand grenade safely and accurately for maximum effect. Be as careful as you would in those circumstances.

6. Plan Carefully And In Great Detail
You might be the best trainer working with the smartest trainee. It doesn't matter. Your training will be as successful as the thoroughness of your planning. You have your "able to do", "need to know" and "performance standards". That's an excellent basis for your training plan. To develop your plan start with the end goal and work backwards to the start - where you'll commence the training. Include competency checks at various stages of the plan. And don't move to a new training phase until you're satisfied with trainee competence in the previous phase.

7. Test Before Training
There's one last thing to do before you actually start training. You must test each trainee before starting the training. Use the competency checks you've built into your training plan. If you're satisfied that the trainee is competent in any areas, don't train in those. Nothing irritates trainees than being taught something that they're already good at. It wastes your time and resources too.

Conclusion
It's what you do before you start training that determines whether or not your training will be successful. It's been said so often it's a cliché. But it merits repeating in this context. "if you don't know where you're going, how will you know when you've arrived"?

Leon Noone helps managers in small-medium business to improve on-job staff performance without training courses. Some say his ideas are too unconventional. Find out for yourself by reading his free Special Report "49 Practical Tips For Better People Management In Small-Medium Business". Simply visit http://www.leons7secrets.com and download your free copy now.

How Do I Quit My Day Job and Work For Myself? Learn How You Can Do the Same

How Do I Quit My Day Job and Work For Myself? Learn How You Can Do the Same
By Douglas Quinn

Are you one of the millions of people that wish that you could find a way to start your own business? Have you ever asked yourself "How do I quit my day job and work for myself?" The good news is that many people have gone down this road. But the bad news is that only those people who are dedicated to success will be the ones to obtain their dream. So that being said, you could be one of the lucky ones if you have the determination and the drive to achieve your goal of running your own small business.

I once found my self asking "how do I quit my day job and work for myself?" I was working a dead end 45 hour work week job, making my boss and the people above him millions of dollars a year. It is sad that the little guy is the one that does all the work while getting paid the least. And this is the reason that I decided that I had to find a better way to make a living and support my family.

The first thing I did was write down the different skills and hobbies that I liked to do. Some examples are various sports, writing, working on computers and spending time with my kids. So I set a goal to try and find something that would take advantage of all my skills and hobbies and turn it into a business that would allow me to quit my day job and work for myself.

The second area I had to address was to document what career goals I wanted to achieve. This is very important, and you need to make sure that you write everything down. Start your goals off small for the beginning of your business. For example, my first goal was to make my first affiliate sale within 2 months of starting my business. I knew that I would get better as time went on and my next goal would be to have my first $100 day, then a $250 day and then a $500 day and so on. Setting business goals will help you to see how well you are doing and if you need to make adjustment to achieve the goals.

Do not get discouraged if you miss a goal deadline. It does not mean that you failed. What it does mean is that you need to change your approach a little bit to see what works and what does not work.

The final part of starting your own small business is to get that fire burning inside of you. Get excited about your business. At first my spouse was a little hesitant about me starting my own affiliate marketing business. She was afraid because she did not understand. I sat her down and explained to her that this was a dream of mine and that I needed to do it to be happy. When she realized that cash was actually coming in she got excited about it and we are now working together to grow our business. It is a business that I hope I can one day teach my children.

So I hope that my example has helped you to understand that I was able to quit my day job and work for myself. I did this without any specialized training or degree. All I did recognized my skills and use them to develop a business that utilized my strengths. I stayed dedicated to my goals and did not let anyone tell me that I could not do it. If I can do it so can you.

Are you looking for videos, tutorials and techniques that will enable you to begin and earn income from your very own computer? Do you imagine yourself using techniques that could help you start your very own online marketing business? Learn the Learn more about some techniques and programs that will help you turn a small investment into a profitable money maker. If you are Interested in learning more, click on to the next page ==> CB Affiliate Formula.

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You Can Make Money Quickly As an Affiliate - But How About Those Commissions?

You Can Make Money Quickly As an Affiliate - But How About Those Commissions?
By John G Bradley

An entire industry has blossomed around online affiliate marketing since the mid-1990's and it is getting better by the year It's one of the greatest ways to make money quickly on the internet.

Affiliate marketing is basically a way for you to make money from other people's efforts by simply referring people to the merchant's web site. The product owner takes care of the costumer, closes the sale and pays you a commission for your help. Affiliate marketing is really a very simple business method. Most programs are easy to join and free. However, some basic questions must be answered at the beginning, starting with "tell me, how much money is in this for me?" This article will provide you with some of the questions you need answered before you jump in.

"How much money will I make?" That is always an important question. Well, the sky is virtually the limit, but look for a program that will let you make money quickly with the best commission possible.

When you look at affiliate programs, one of the very first questions should be - how much commission is paid per sale. Find out both the dollars paid and the commission percent.

I prefer digital products because they generally pay higher commissions. I target for a minimum of 50%. For higher priced products, you might consider going as low as 25% or 30% commission, but for lower priced products I won't consider anything less than 50%. Do not waste your time with programs that do not reward you adequately for your hard work.

When looking at the commission, also consider what it will cost you to promote the product. You cannot afford to spend more money and effort on promoting than you are making in commissions - obviously. Do your due diligence up front, and have a good idea how you plan to promote it. Some affiliate programs impose certain minimum requirements before you get your commissions. So be aware of any minimum quotas that you must meet or sales target that is too hard to achieve. Just be sure that you are capable of meeting or beating their requirements.

How often will I get paid? And how? Some vendors issue their checks once a month, or every quarter, etc. Click Bank which offers the digital products that I like pays every 2 weeks. Select the program that is best suited to your needs. Remember, every program is different

Many affiliate programs are establishing a minimum earned commission amount that an affiliate must meet or exceed in order for their checks to be issued, otherwise the amount owing will be carried over to the next month.

Affiliate marketing really is easy to get into, and a perfect place to start for a person new to online marketing. But keep this in mind: As an affiliate marketer, your goal is to profit from the hard work someone else has done; and from the money they have spent on copywriters, product developers, software, and the like. Unless you select a product that adequately addresses these "commission" questions, you are likely to benefit less than you would like.

I hope you have found this information helpful. Getting a decent commission arrangement will have a big influence on your opportunity for success. For more FREE information on how to earn money quickly, go here: http://AffiliateforMaverickMoneyMakers.com. Be sure to watch the videos. You'll be glad you did.

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With home-based business being the promise to riches why is it that 98% of mlm'ers fail? Okay perhaps you've done all the hotel meetings, driven all over town doing presentation after presentation, been rejected more times than a telemarketer calling during supper time, and are asking yourself why did I get involved in this again??

Your dreams of having more freedom, spending time with your family, traveling around the world, having too many hot rod car...remember?

Using conventional methods to build your downline such as buying leads, cold calling, plastering flyers all over town, classified adds, getting referrals and drop boxes in stores all work. Yes I said they all work, however building your business this way is like waiting for molasses to pour on a cold winters day!

What more is that these traditional methods your upline has "sworn" to you works, end up costing you oodles of time, money and effort with little to no rewards.

I've tried all of these methods. At one time I was even the top recruiter for all of Canada for cripes sakes, and Still never made any Big checks to write home about. Forget big, $5000 would have done it, but I had no such luck using conventional methods.

The reasons why 98% of mlm'ers fail is that it costs too much time energy and money invested than what is being pumped back. Most people in today's society want microwave, Rome was built yesterday results. They are discouraged when their big dreams mlm business doesn't fire out the gate and make them thousands at the get go.

That is unless you do it properly. You see mlm is sold to "average people" who haven't a clue about marketing. "We are only sharing our product/service with you", not selling? Good God not the "S" word! Common we sell everyday. We sell our kids on the benefits of eating broccoli and our spouses on this vacation destination vs another.

The problem is that average people are buying into mlm hoping to one day taste those $20,000 - $60,000 per month checks, without a clue as to what is actually needed to generate a downline that can provide residuals as such.

Here's what every successful network marketer needs in order to generate those kinds of checks. An inexpensive way to get quality, warm leads beating down your door to do business with you each day! This produces sign up after sign up with relative ease. Now if you don't get this, count on freezing your balls off before tasting any sweet molasses!

Imagine...no more chasing the neighbors and bombarding your friends at the water cooler at work with the upcoming hotel meeting schedule. What a concept, people coming to you! Here's how it works...

People know the Internet is the way to go these days. So use it to your advantage. All the top dogs are using what is called "automated prospecting systems"; Ya go ahead and say that 5 times fast.

This is absolutely indispensable information you are about to hear and crucial if you are serious about retiring any time soon on a beach in Maui.

You get your hands on an information product an E-book for example about network marketing. Something that over delivers quality information on how to solve the problems most mlm'ers face, frustration! Make sure when you go about selling this product it is also attached to a back end office that shows you where each sale gives you a profit$ and a lead! Yap I'm giving out huge secrets here, I will probably get crucified for letting this one out of the bag but someone's got to do it. Good mlm'ers are failing not because they don't have potential to succeed but for lack of the right information and proper methods to really make it in this business.

Now once the prospect has bought the info product or e-book under your affiliate, put some cash in your pocket they then become a lead for you. Who better to prospect for building your business than mlm'ers themselves! How many duds have you gone through to find the serious builders? Imagine people paying you to become your leads! Ingenious isn't it?

And that's how the big barkers prance around on stage earning $20,000 - $60,000 per month and more. That's all there is to say. I hope this article about mlm help resource- network marketing secrets reveled will help you pave your way to riches!