You know, I could almost hear everyone’s heads nodding in agreement on our call today with Kim Castle. Kim described the vicious cycle that so many of us fall into. You know the one where you are enthusiastic and start a business, after a while when it is not as successful as you would like, you try another idea to see if that will work, etc etc. We all do it at some stage. The challenge is not to confuse tactics with strategies. Tactics (eg a web site, an ebook) are only a part of the picture yet so many of us expect this to give us the long term results that sustain a strong business.
Today Kim shared with us the essential foundation for all businesses. Branding. Now don’t be tempted to think of this as a logo, business cards and colours. That is just the icing on the cake (or the cherry on the ice-cream sundae as Kim described it). What Kim described goes much deeper than that. In this article, I’ll cover some of the steps Kim outlined and also give you some links to gifts from both Kim and myself.
In a hurry? Here is a gift from Kim
4 Steps You Need In Place To Build Your Brand
Kim covered some great content in our one hour together. You can listen to the replays in the GOLD members area now. But for now, let me tell you about the 4 things you need in place before you can go any further.
Manage Your Conditioning
We all have limiting beliefs that stop us from taking action. In Kim’s training (see below) she details the process she uses with her clients to turn any limiting belief into action. It is interesting that every successful woman I have interviewed has stressed the importance of “getting your head straight” first. I love the idea that Kim has created processes for this as the first stage of starting your business.
Define Your Vision
We all start our businesses with an idea and intangible feelings about what we hope to achieve. Kim calls this our gas-like state. The next step is to take that vague concept and refine it so that it connects to customers and has a place for you to grow into. To do this you have to attach it to a solid point out in the future that draws you forward. And, in order for your vision to serve you well it must be very…very specific.
Structure The Form Of Your Business
Once you have your vision and know where you want to end up, you need to determine the best form for your business so it can carry you to where you want to go. Often this is the point that entrepreneurs start from and ignore the importance of the first 2 steps. Can you see how important the first 2 steps are if you are going to create a business that will help you realise your dreams? This is where you decide what it is that you offer and what other products and services you need to develop in order to move you closer to your end point.
Focus
Once you know where you want to end up the challenge is to focus. You defined the values that you base on your business on in the second step and that is the essence of your brand. If you make all your decisions based on that focus and refer back to your business structure, you will be able to clearly communicate your brand to your customers. Kim has developed a process for staying focused which she shares as part of the courses that she teaches. You can find out how to attend one of those course free, below.
Kim’s Offer - free tele-class valued at $97
Kim has kindly gifted Wonderful Web Women members access to the teleseminar “How to thrive in business today: The 8 stages of reliable long-lasting success”. Kim charges over $1500 for an hour of her time so you can imagine how much value she will deliver in this seminar. You can enroll for free here.
Another gift from Kim
You can get a copy of Kim’s free ebook “15 mistakes that kill business success” here.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on branding and the 4 steps you must take before you can create an effective brand. Why not share your ideas on the blog or discuss it with others in our community at Wonderful Web Forum?
