General Business Blog
Understanding Licensing Basics
I had a cool talk with my creative friend about something called licensing. Licensing is getting permission to use something, like a font or artwork, but you have to follow certain rules. Let me explain with an example. Imagine going to different theme parks. Each...
Embracing Analog in a Digital World
I was talking to a fellow business owner the other day who is newer to running their own business. While we were talking, they told me “I am so not good at technology, but that’s the only way to grow my business…so I’m trying to learn” I’ve heard this from other...
Logo Myths Exposed!
There’s so much conflicting advice on the internet and a lot of myths about logos. Today, let’s have a brief chat about the purpose of a logo as I debunk three common myths about logo design. The biggest myth about logos is that they are your brand, which is untrue....
What are some elements of successful branding that I should focus on for my small business?
What are some elements of successful branding that I should focus on for my small business? Successful brands prioritize their messaging above all else. Messaging is how you share your business—it's your voice, how you speak, what you say, and why you say it. This is...
How do I ensure that my branding is consistent across all customer touchpoints?
Q: How do I ensure that my branding is consistent across all customer touchpoints? A: Ensuring brand consistency across all customer touchpoints is crucial for building a strong, recognizable brand. Here are the key steps to achieve this: Understand Your Touchpoints:...
Here’s What Collectibles Teaches Us About Branding
I was talking to someone the other day about the plush bean bag toy collecting frenzy of the 1990s. During this time a certain brand of animal-shaped plush bean bag toys were collected for their value. People kept them in pristine condition in plastic boxes and...
What is USP and do I need to do it?
Question: I hear a lot about USP on social media. What is it and do I need to do it? Answer: A unique selling point or USP is the thing you do better than your competitors. It’s externally focused on what your competitors are doing and how you outshine them. For...
The Power of Pivoting in Business
Pivoting is powerful stuff. It’s where the magic lies and knowing when, where, and how to pivot is crucial. When we don’t change, we set ourselves up for future failure. Pivots help us correct course when like Marty McFly we end up going 88 mph in the wrong direction....
Your Business Needs More Than Just a Visual Identity
Let’s talk about the elephant in the room. A logo isn’t magic. It’s not going to make people feel warm and fuzzy about a business just by having one, nor will it make them buy anything. It might get you noticed, but that’s about the extent of it. Business owners need...
More Than A Sketch: The Truth About Logo Design
The other day I was out networking when someone said to me “I tried to do my logo myself and realized it was a lot more than just sketching something cool.” I just nodded because this is not the first time, I’ve heard it. The reality is creating a logo is a lot more...
Revealing the Secrets Behind My Logo Design Inspiration
You would not believe how often I get asked some form of “So where does your inspiration come from for logos?” while I’m out networking and chatting with people. Since it’s been coming up so much, I thought I’d chat today about where my inspiration for designs comes...
Mastering Differentiation in Business
Differentiation is the act of standing out from your competition. It’s a huge part of branding and marketing your business. Differentiation works because of the perceived value of your offer. The more valuable it seems to someone the more likely they are to want to...
The Power of Clear Communication in Building Your Business Brand
Last November after a frustrating day dealing with bureaucracy and getting shuffled from window to window only to find out I did not have the right paperwork. It came into stark relief how important customer service and clear communication are in business. Your...
Master Your Brand: Avoid These 3 Common Mistakes for Lasting Impact!
Let’s chat about branding mistakes, but before we do I want to reframe the concept of a mistake. A lot of us learned mistakes will get you in trouble and cause a punishment and they’re thought of very negatively because of that. I recognize that no one wants to make...
What role does my logo play in my overall branding strategy, and how can I ensure it effectively represents my business?
Q: What role does my logo play in my overall branding strategy, and how can I ensure it effectively represents my business? A: Let’s start with how your logo fits into your branding. Branding can be broken down into two pieces – external and internal. Internal...
Unveiling the Secrets of Rebranding!
I was talking about rebranding the other day with a friend. The company their employer just went through the process and they told me they had no idea how involved it was. They thought it was just changing the logo and maybe a few colors. To illustrate rebranding,...
Unlocking the Power of Logos: A Designer’s Perspective!
I hesitated in posting this on social media a while back, but it’s stuff I know people think even if they won’t say it to me. Turns out, it got a pretty good response there, and since I don’t know if you’re connected to my social media or not…I thought you might want...
Decoding Logo Trends: Crafting a Lasting Business Image
Let’s talk trends. I’ve designed a lot of logos over the years. One of the things I do to stay on top of my industry is to follow logo designs from major Fortune 500 companies. They show me what trends are waking up and which ones are tired. Here’s what I know. If...
The Power of Collaboration for Small Business Success
I love reading Forbes, and when they announced that around 80% of all small businesses in the USA are run by a single person with no employees. My first reaction was, Holy Smokes that’s a lot of people running businesses! I find this interesting though because it...
Harmony in Branding: The Power of Consistency Across Platforms
According to Forbes a consistent presence on all platforms can increase revenue by 23%. Consistent here doesn’t mean doing something as part of a routine. It means repetition. Sharing the same things, in the same way, no matter where you happen to be sharing your...
Being Different Matters: Stick Out Like a Bear Driving A Car
What makes your business stick out like a bear driving a car? I mean if you saw a bear driving a car you’d stop and look…right. If only to say “holy hamburger! there’s a bear driving a car!” Well, good brands have something, called a unique selling proposition or...
The Hidden Power of Brand Positioning in Marketing and Branding
One of the most insightful and frustrating things I’ve ever heard in my professional career came from my most recent brand strategy teacher. In trying to explain how we were to do things for the class, the teacher told us “The problem isn’t the problem. The problem...
Unlocking the Secrets to Building a Remarkable Brand: Four Essential Components and Ongoing Maintenance
A couple of months ago I was reading articles on public relations & advertising while sitting in a cafe and came to a couple of startling realizations. Some of our favorite companies don’t have a competitive advantage outside their name. Meaning that the only...
Refresh vs. Rebrand: Unlocking the True Essence of Branding!
a visual refresh is what most companies seem to do when they say they are branding or rebranding. The structure of the business stays the same, and the audience stays the same, but the external visuals such as brochures, websites, logos, uniforms, and storefronts...
Stay Ahead in Business: Embrace the Power of Competitive Analysis!
I was out for a drive the other day and came to a fascinating realization that driving is kind of like business. You see, when driving people typically watch the entire road. This is the same for business. Good brands monitor not only what they’re doing but what the...
Unlock Success: Master the Art of Crafting an Irresistible Customer Journey!
This is a business tip I shared a couple of years ago, but today I want to chat - briefly about a customer journey! Part of how you build your reputation is through the customer's experience. Now we all know or at least, I hope we do, that customer service matters,...
Does Content Really Matter?
I love trivia and interesting bits of information. One of these comes from the Content Marketing Institute. They claim that articles that are shorter than 3,000 words actually are rated third among business-to-business content materials that create the best results in...
Should You Reuse Old Content?
I saw a statistic from HubSpot the other day, it said that 51% of companies believe updating old content has proven the most efficient tactic they have implemented. Now when they say "content" what they are referring to most of the time is written text. This can be...
Clearing Up the Color Confusion
The other day I saw this statistic from Small Business Trends that 80% of consumers think color is a big part of brand recognition. This statistic didn’t exactly alarm me as it makes sense. Today, I want to briefly discuss where some of the confusion about branding...
Finding your Ideal Client can be as easy as One-Two-Three
After a decade of sitting down with businesses as a brand strategy and graphic design specialist helping businesses in my native Orange County California and nationwide, I’ve made a few observations about businesses and their advertising, so let’s chat today about who...
3 reasons why graphic design matters for your business (and your bottom line)
Whether we want to admit it or not, we live in an age of “hurry up and go”. We all have a lot to do and not a lot of time and often money to do it all. This is especially true for business owners. Unfortunately, when it comes time to trim the budget, most businesses...
technology can help your brand – here’s how!
I see this a lot with businesses that are run by different generations. This technology fight between the ways of yesteryear and the ways of the future. Today I want to briefly talk about the role of technology in your business and how it can help your brand. I’ve met...
printing and design terms to help you sound like a pro
Every industry has jargon. Jargon is specific words used among members of a certain industry that are hard for others outside that industry to understand. Today I’ll share three terms that will help you communicate better with printers. Substrate: The material you are...
why branding, marketing and pr matter
A common misconception that I hear a lot is that public relations (PR), marketing, and branding are all the same thing and that there’s no point in investing in all of them. While there might be some overlap here and there, these are three totally different...
Project Spotlight: Future Music Stars
I love working with my clients to create an amazing logo or even full brand visuals for them. The process differs a little for each customer based on what I’m doing for them and their goals. Today I’ll be sharing how I created the logo for Future Music Stars. They...
3 more design myths — broken!
I’ve written about design myths in the past, but like any industry, there are always more myths to uncover! Here are three more really common ones for us to examine. Myth: budgets don’t matter Fact: yes, they do. Budgets matter a lot. They matter for two reasons you...
Are you listening or are you hearing your clients?
I read a lot of blogs and articles that always tell you to talk to your clients. Really talk to them and find out what they want. I’ve encouraged you to do that too, but I forgot to mention a crucial piece of that – listening. Today I want to talk about what it means...
the popular marketing technique that boosts authenticity and grows businesses
The world has changed a lot in the last few years and people are craving connection now more than ever. The era of the traditional sales vehicles such as cold calls and sales pitch presentations is slowly fading into the background in favor of a different way to...
The Top 5 Font Personalities and Why They Matter for your Business
I’ve shared a lot about fonts over the years. Everything from how we got the name (it’s French) to how to choose them, but there’s one thing I’ve rarely talked about and that’s how fonts affect your business and your visual branding. It’s true. Every font has its own...
The “Math-y Stuff” that Will Grow Your Business
Numbers. Data. Metrics. Analytics. Whatever you want to call them, they matter. I know it seems maybe a little odd for a person in a creative field like graphic design to talk about them, but I have to talk about them – that’s how much they matter. Let’s chat about...
Why Research Helps your Business Sell More
A big part of my process is research. What research I do changes with each type of project, but regardless I’m always doing some. In all my years of helping businesses with their graphics, and oftentimes giving them communications or marketing tips, I’ve learned that...
Why taking action in your business matters
There are a lot of phrases meant to inspire action. I’m part of the generation that grew up in the USA in the 1990s. During this era, a specific sportswear brand's slogan was the inspirational catchphrase of the day. My personal favorite is one from my family that I...
How to Choose Fonts – Simple and Easy!
If you ever have had to choose fonts for your business then you know how stressful that can be. This is especially true if you’re brand visuals are weak, confusing or you’re just creating them. If that’s you, then I have a solution for you that should help you...
3 Basic Things a Business Should Do Before a Business Crisis Happens
I’ve seen a lot of people online chatting about branding and marketing lately, but they seem to only talk about how to set it up and what it is. They never seem to chat about how a crisis affects a brand. Before any crisis situation even happens, there are a few...
The not fun, but very important thing your business needs!
I love designing and consulting my clients, but there’s an unfun side to my business – most businesses really. One of those things is contracts. Writing them, reading them. They’re important to understand. A contract doesn’t just protect the business, it also protects...
One of the Top Things to do to Get Your Design Noticed!
What separates an okay design from a good one…well a lot of things actually. Today we’re going to talk about one in particular – Eye Flow. Eye Flow has nothing to do with anything that might send someone to see an eye doctor. It’s actually about how the eye moves...
5 Things You Need to Craft a Good Sales Message
I’m not a professional copywriter, but I’ve written my fair share of sales messages over the years. Some were for clients who are struggling with their writing, but most were for me. I’ve also read a lot of sales messages and seen which ones have pulled in customers...
Why Everything is Sales
For many of us, our first exposure to learning to sell was for your school, another organization, or their family’s business. However, you unknowingly got your start learning how to sell goods and services is important. It’s especially important if you want to run a...
Why understanding where your marketing materials are going to be seen is important
If you’ve ever travelled or have family from another country, you’re well aware of the fact that communication is different in each country. Communication doesn’t just mean language, it’s also gestures, icons, and images as well. Now that the internet and social media...
Fun Ways to Stay Motivated in Your Business
At different points in the year, things can feel stale and the motivation to uphold your business's professional standard can disappear. This lack of motivation is totally okay and probably more common than you think. The question then becomes how do you get that...