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I Help With...

Brainstorming / Thinking Partner

Business Auditing

Marketing, Branding, Advertising

Media Assets (Offering In-House Services)
Business Proposal / Plan Guidance*
Finance, Feasibility

Growth, Scaling
Human Resources

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Areas of Focus

Real Estate

Construction, Subcontractors

Interior Design

Non-profits

Brick & Mortar Retail

Service-Based

Health & Wellness

Business Auditing

Doing sustainable business and maximizing profit requires frequent reassessing. This can be driven by market changes, company growth, and myriad other possible factors. Utilizing an outsider's view offers insights that those who are too close can't glean. Business owners especially inherently can't see as objectively as they would like. It is the nature of it. Borrowing the perspective of someone on the outside who has experience in the mechanics of business as well as a grasp on the psychology underpinning all interactions allows you, the business owner, to find and address areas of weakness.

Many business owners didn't set out to be business owners. Are you a lawyer who wanted to practice law and now find yourself learning about "closing sales"? Interior designers and therapists alike find themselves as business owners realizing that they don't understand the many facets of business. Often they throw a lot of money at advertising and then are disappointed when it doesn't work. Advertising must be targeted, part of a plan, consistent and reactive to the data. Anything shy is most likely, a waste.

Business owners learn a tremendous amount from an audit. Auditing your business should be a part of your business practice, with more frequent assessment during times of change and/or growth. Armed with the knowledge of what you have done well, where you need to improve and a road map for how to get there, you are doing proactive business limiting waste and setbacks. 

Marketing, Branding & Advertising

Marketing was a very fuzzy word to me when I got my start in the workforce. It wasn’t a tangible thing that I could put on a list, do, and check off. What I have learned is that it is multifaceted, should be fluid and responsive, and it is what propels a business forward and keeps it relevant. 

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For me, marketing is only ever "Full Circle Marketing". If your marketing effort stops short of customer service, all of your external efforts may be killed by that crabby receptionist of yours. Marketing has to consider every way your business interacts with its customers. Let's talk about branding, and advertising, and come back to marketing.

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What is branding? Why can developing a brand be crucial to a business's success? How exactly do you develop a brand? Many people are confused about branding. I know I was. For me, branding is one of the most creative, fun parts of the business. It is more than your logo and colors. It is more than your mission statement and taglines. It is the feel that the customer gets when they interact with your business. It;s kind of like "the soul" of your company. Does your return policy make them feel it is safe to take the chance? Does your customer service leave them feeling valued?

 

In a culture that is spoilt for choice, branding is more important than ever before. But that's just one layer. Having a well-developed brand isn't enough. Your brand needs to resonate with its target market and compel them to interact. Are you using the tried and true psychological principles we know motivate us to click or buy? In the era of data, we know what works. In this area of a very savvy consumer, your brand needs to have integrity. Are you chipping away at your brand's integrity by using stock photography? Gone are the days when appearing professional was sufficient. You have to play but the current metrics. The consumer expects it. You have to convey emotion and be distinctive. What it all boils down to is propelling them to act! Look at your competition and ask yourself, "What are they doing right? What are they doing wrong? Why will customers like/click/remember us?" This is where many companies come close, yet fall short. Targeting your very specific client base is where it's at. Market narrow; service wide.

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Advertising begins as art and turns into a science. In the beginning, it's about finding a way to gain attention in your market. That takes an intimate knowledge of your market/your niche slice of your market and knowing how to be different from your competition. What makes you stand apart? Once you have advertised, it's about reading the data and tweaking to optimize. Most small start-up businesses grossly underestimate the importance and cost of effective advertising. And they chop and change strategies too quickly. It's very hard to learn what works and what doesn't when your sample sizes are very small. The next component is the creative. Surprisingly, the majority of those who create creative assets are not taught about business (they don't teach business in design school), leaving a disjoint in the very approach to the materials. Your business marketing strategy must be represented by your "creative". Otherwise, like many, you are left with ineffective advertising. (Click here for a great book for creatives that want "a framework for their concepts to succeed".)

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So what is marketing? It is getting people interested in what you have to offer. By whatever means. This starts with your brand as the guide, then reaches out into the world through advertising, word of mouth, flyers, your website, coupons, interactions with your customers/potential customers, and so on. Full-circle marketing takes into account every point in which the consumer interacts with your company. It knows that too many weaknesses in any of the interactions equal a missed opportunity and/or a lost customer. Did your website not load quickly enough? Did they get confused navigating it? Did your brand voice capture them on the top of your homepage and leave a strong clear impression on them of who you are and what you offer? People are impatient. Did your materials set the expectation and then under-deliver? The list of questions that a business owner needs to ask is long. The good news is that this is a well-worn path. We don't have to reinvent the wheel. You do have to be comprehensive in your approach. If you are, you will reap the benefits. 

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Social Media Marketing

Are you increasing revenue or just sharing? Many small businesses too often confuse constant content with marketing on social media platforms. Many posts fall into the category of "just sharing". Brand awareness matters, but it is one prong on the larger wheel of effective marketing. Marketing materials that intend to help bring in more business should have a clear objective. Is your post supposed to get people to visit your website? Or get them to visit your store? Or compel them to sign up and pay? Whatever the end goal is, it needs to be narrow and clearly defined. The post then needs to be created backward to achieve its goal. And then the second stage of that process needs to be in place. Once they are on your website, it is clear what they are supposed to do next?

Do an audit of your social media accounts: Who is liking your posts? Are you gaining new eyeballs? What interaction is happening and who is it with? If you are not crafting your materials with a clear goal, and growing your followers within your target demographic, then your efforts may largely be a waste. If this sounds like you, don't worry- you are not alone. I am happy to help educate you and provide some guidance. 

Media Assets

In partnership with my husband's company, I am able to offer in-house services for media asset needs. His career spans over 30 years in film, TV, and documentaries working for noteworthy directors including award-winning projects.

We are long-time creative collaborators who love adding value to marketing campaigns. Our focus is on developing the approach as an adjunct arm of your business. We want to listen carefully and then help elevate your brand. Your success is our success. We don't take that for granted.
 
www.framelinescreative.com
www.vimeo.com/vincentwrenn
www.imdb.com/

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C R E A T I V E

Business Plan / Proposal Guidance

I notate it as guidance because I am often asked if I write business plans. I do! For myself. For small business owners, no one should be writing your business plan, but you. That doesn't mean that you shouldn't engage others for help. But you should sit at the helm, learning the broad strokes of what it takes to compile a comprehensive business plan. Everything in the business plan is relevant to your business's operation and success. I advise that my clients use their business plan in a very literal, practical, applied way. It should be a living document that guides everything you do.

You should be learning about each aspect, department, and facet. You need to understand how it all comes together, and how one small change can have a ripple effect across seemingly unrelated areas of the business. Though you may hire our for things such as market research, you need to qualify it. How do you know it is relevant, precise, or good? Why should you blindly trust a report when you don't understand how it was compiled? No- You can't become an expert at everything. But you must try your hardest to gain a level of comfort and familiarity and hire those that you trust have a firm grasp on their specialty. You can't skip over due-diligence. Building a business is about bringing together the right team. And that starts with the business plan. You will have to trust others. But not blindly.

Most people that contact me for help with their plan or proposal don't have a good grasp on what a real business proposal is supposed to be. There is so much misleading advice online providing them with inaccurate and surface definitions and examples. You must start with knowing why you are creatin0 git, who will be looking at it and what they require from it. If you can't get through assembling your business proposal or business plan with confidence, you may want to question if you need to back up a step and best prepare yourself with a refresher and overview. A "Business 101 Class" might be a good option.

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