BRANDING YOUR BUSINESS WAY TO GO

How do you differentiate yourself? With the explosion of service businesses it should be your top concern - to set yourself apart from the pack. The trick is to be one in a million, not one of the millions.

In marketing jargon it's called a Unique Selling Proposition (USP). I call it a HUB - Hot Undeniable Benefit of doing business with you. Your HUB sets you apart from the crowd. It tells your clients why you are special. And it answers their biggest question: "Why should I do business with you instead of anyone else?"

Try this little exercise. Take a look at your promotional materials. Do they say things like:

*best service, * in business since 1291 B.C. * newest technology, * best trained, * fastest delivery, * friendly smiles, * we do it right the first time, *professional service and so on.

You get the point, right? These are useless platitudes that don't communicate your uniqueness. Even worse - all of your competitors say it too!

So how do you go about discovering your HUB? If you work in a competitive industry it may be virtually impossible to set yourself apart based on what you do. But you can always find something unique about how you do it. Do you cater to a specific group of people? Are you expert in addressing a specific issue? Do you guarantee your work?

Finally, there is one thing in your business that no one else can duplicate - YOU! So don't be afraid to give your business or practice a little personality.

***Here is a winning tip: look for unresolved problems in your industry and become an expert in providing a solution.

That is exactly what a small parcel delivery company called FEDEX did. Do you know their HUB? It is: "When you absolutely, positively need it overnight - guaranteed." Funny thing is they are no longer the only company doing it, but they offered it first.

Discover your HUB, state it in all your marketing messages, and see your business turn into a client magnet!

TIPS ON HOW TO BUILD YOUR SELF ESTEEM

Low self esteem is a feeling of a low self worth. Self esteem is a reflection of what you think or your opinion about yourself. Your self esteem is directly related to your self image. Self esteem can be affected by what you think about your self and what people think about you. Low self esteem can literally affect your life by limiting you from success and discouraging you from setting goals that can turn your life to a great accomplishment. It can go a long way to cause people to live a depressed life or even to the extent of committing suicide.

One fact i know is that we all are special in our different ways. Everybody in life is unique and special, talented, endowed in so many different areas. At the state of a low self esteem, the negative image of oneself takes the dominating part of the mind. We all as a human being have our strengths and weaknesses. Focusing our thoughts on our weaknesses can lead to an unhealthy self esteem.


BUILD YOUR SELF ESTEEM IN FIVE WAYS

1. DISCOVER YOURSELF: you are the major player in determining your self esteem so; the change will start from you. What are those things you like about your self? Take a pen and list all the things you like about yourself, your strengths and your abilities.
   
2. LOVE YOURSELF: Yes I mean love yourself; show your self some good love and care. It is said that the way you see your self is the way other people will see you. Start by showing your self some love. Take care of your physical appearance and make exercise part of your daily routine. Dress with good sense of style as this will help you feel good about yourself. Personal hygiene and proper health care should not be ignored. Try to go on your way to give yourself a nice treat sometimes, buy gifts and assure yourself by saying: "I deserve it". Yes if you believe you deserve good things, people around you will also agree with you.
3. YOUR MIND: your mind is the real you that lives inside you. You build your mind positively by thinking positively. Negative thoughts about your self will result to a low self esteem and this will be reflected in your actions and how you relate to people. Go back to your journal, read those positive things you wrote about your self and focus your thoughts on them.
   
4. SET REALISTIC GOALS: why not start by setting small goals you know that you can achieve as this will help you to feel good about your self. Endeavor to reward your self beautifully for accomplishing any goal.
5. ACCEPT MISTAKES AS A LEARNING PROCESS: nobody is perfect. Even the most successful people on earth have their mistakes or failures but they did not stop there. Instead, they learn from it and move on. Teach yourself to see mistakes as a learning process and a chance to perform better.