Ten Rules for Building Your Brand

1. SPEND SMARTLY: Five percent of gross is a good rule of thumb, but it varies from company to company. It’s important to "spend your dollars smartly",but also be smart as to how you spend your time and energy.
2. NEVER STOP LEARNING: Read, take a class, get training and learn from experts outside your business.
3. BE CONSISTENT: Figure out your niche and make sure your image is correctly and consistently reflected in all of your marketing materials and activities.
4. FREQUENCY MATTERS: Develop a budget & timeline, and stick to it. One hit wonders are few-and-far between.
5. THINK DIFFERENTLY: Make sure that you have differentiated your business. Following the herd is the shortest path to mediocrity.
6. FOCUS ~ FOCUS ~ FOCUS: Focus your time and money on what you do best. Seek out help before it’s too late.
7. COMMUNICATE EFFECTIVELY: No one is an island. Listen, learn firsthand and figure out how to best motivate employees & customers. It all starts by being a good listener.
8. SET GOALS: Write down your specific goals and develop a plan to reach your desired results.
9. TAKE ACTION: Your goals mean something. Review them frequently, measure results and modify accordingly. And always be positive. Think success, not failure.
10. BE HONEST, DEPENDABLE & ACCOUNTABLE: If you don’t do this, items 1-9 won’t mean a thing.