Colin’s 4 steps when creating a new brand.

1. Vision & Values. The first and probably the most important is to understand and articulate the ‘Brand Objectives’, this is a defined set of criteria (also know as Vision & Values) that you want the brand to achieve. These could be tangible or aspirational depending on the market place.

2. Target. Once the objectives have been set, it is important to understand who the brand will “talk” to, i.e. know your audience. In order to understand your audience some degree of insight should be carried out to enable the brand to be matched to the target demograph.

3. Brand Persona. Now the Objectives and Audience are understood, you will need to establish the “Brand Persona”, essentially this is what the brand looks and feels like, how it will talk to its customers (tone of voice) and how it will build upbrand equity moving forward.

4. Positioning. The last component to brand creation is ‘Positioning’, i.e what space will your brand occupy in its given sector.For example, will your brand be a cost-effective consumer brand or a luxury experience?

About Colin Green

I have over 15 years’ experience within the creative industry, and have worked in senior rolesfor agencies such as Bluegoose, FDA, Razorfish and J2, prior to launching Wildfire in 2004.My particular specialism is brand strategy and brand positioning, and have completed brandprojects for FUJI, Centrica, British Gas, The AA, Oxfam and Keith Prowse.

My passion for branding underpins Wildfire’s work, and as an agency we have undertakenbranding projects for many B2B and B2C organisations. We work predominantly in the leisure,travel and property sectors, with our clients ranging from Bounty to the Compass Group. Aswell as working in the area of branding, we also have considerable experience producing digitalcreative and marketing communications.

Core to our agency is the principle of intelligent design. We consider ourselves to be ‘thinker’snot just ‘doers’. Whatever the project, we believe in truly understanding a client and their aimsbefore beginning the creative process – only then can we produce something that will reallyrepresent them and move their company forward.

Website: www.wildfiredesign.co.uk

Twitter: @wildfireagency

1. Offline PR: Call/write to your local paper/radio station and tell them your story. Lead with the most newsworthy piece of information surrounding your business to ensure  that a local journalist will snap your story up.

2. Offline PR: Speak at industry events. Search local industry event listings and connect with the hosts to see if they have some space for you to speak. You could also hold your own free training or workshop events.

3. Online PR: Blog outreach. Do some research and find the most influential bloggers in your industry. Write a personalised email to them and ask them to write about your product or service. Make sure you clearly state why you think their blog readers will want to know about your business. Influential bloggers are bombarded with these types of requests and usual require a payment of some sort. Blog outreach works really well because they will share the article with all of their social media followers.

4. Online PR: Become a Guest Editor: Bloggers are always looking for ready-made content. Contact a list of popular bloggers that you think your story or top industry tips will fit well on and suggest that you write a Guest Editor post for them.

5. Online PR: Contact online industry magazines and news websites. In the same way that you would call up your local paper and radio station, get in touch with online news and magazines websites.

#VMPitch2Rich

Dan Watson, the brains behind SafetyNet Technologies is the winner of Pitch to Richard Branson. His idea for a specialist fishing net to support sustainable fishing captured the attention of the panel and Richard Branson who called it a ‘sea-shaking idea’.

Well done to Heidi and Guy of CODOC, Maria Albertsen of Rag Heroes and Jacob Hill of Lazy Camper who also pitched their ideas to Richard Branson and came away with £750 each.

Alongside Richard Branson, the judging panel consisted of Nigel Gilbert of Virgin Media, Innocent Drinks co-founder Richard Reed and Jamal Edwards of SBTV who reminisced that around this time last year, he himself had won a VMP opportunity to meet Richard Branson.

Today! Twitter Q + A with Fraser Doherty –  12 noon – 1pm:

Fraser will join us today for a Twitter Q + A. You can start tweeting your questions for Fraser now using #AskFraser. Find out more about Fraser here.

Pioneer opportunity: The Project – The ultimate venue. One night only. Yours for the taking.

We’ve teamed up with Virgin Unite to bring you The Project – The ultimate venue. One night only. Yours for the taking. Find out more and register your interest here!

We’re looking for 100 people aged 18-29  to join the team and create a show stopping live event that will celebrate the businesses and skills of the Pioneers community. You’ll gain an Enterprise qualification, unique exposure, contacts across the entertainment industry, experience working with some of the best names in the business and the challenge of managing a team.

Apply now!

Poll of the week:

The BBC recently published an article asking:

‘Can we still say that innovation is truly driven by the entrepreneur or are eureka moments increasingly only coming about because technology allows them to happen?’ What do you think? Vote below!

Blog highlights:

• Pioneers discuss ‘is having a career before starting a business is necessary?’
• Business Basics: 5 top tips on managing your cash flow – Bernard Willis of AIMS
• Business Basics: Top 5 tips when starting out – Fraser Doherty of Superjam
• Business Basics: Who needs to know you’re starting a business?

Pioneer Video of the Week:

Pioneer Aaron is starting a magazine for teenagers. Graphic designers, web designers and writers needed!

A huge round of applause also to the other finalists Guy and Heidi from CODOC, Maria from Jack and Jill Toys and Jacob Hill from The Lazy Camper, who all made such excellent pitches, giving the judges a pretty hard task of choosing.

Alongside Richard Branson, the judging panel consisted of Nigel Gilbert of Virgin Media, Innocent Drinks co-founder Richard Reed and Jamal Edwards of SBTV who reminisced that around this time last year, he himself had won a VMP opportunity to meet Richard Branson.

“It’s crazy how this time last year I was a candidate but now I’m sitting on a panel with @RichardBranson #VMPitch2Rich – progression! ” he tweeted.

And now we have a few more Pioneers who have been able to enjoy the experience. In the end, the finalists were each rewarded with £750 investment, with £3,000 going to Dan Watson as the overall winner.

We’ll be posting more pictures and a video of the day but for now watch Dan’s entry pitch below to find out more about him and his amazing idea.

The article asked: ‘Can we still say that innovation is truly driven by the entrepreneur or are eureka moments increasingly only coming about because technology allows them to happen?’

‘For entrepreneurial zeal it’s hard to beat the moment Archimedes sprang from his bath and charged naked down the street shouting ‘Eureka!’, leaving the ladies swooning in his wake.

There is a certain purity to this revelation in entrepreneurial terms; here was one man, a bath, some water and a genuine discovery that changed the world.

But can the same be said of entrepreneurialism in this day and age, where ever-prevalent and burgeoning technology impacts on almost everything we do?

Jax Kneppers, himself an entrepreneur and creator of digital inventory platform, Imfuna, sides with the argument that technology is the inspiration behind business innovation. ”I believe that technology is the enabler and entrepreneurs recognise the opportunity that technology provides,” he says.

“Without ideas you have nothing,” says Mark Roberts, founder of mobile phone app Cardwolf.

Elizabeth Varley set up TechHub, a company that provides space for technology entrepreneurs to come together, work and get innovative.

“If you go into any small business the sense of the culture is very driven by the entrepreneur,” she says.

“Lots of people can see change, but it is the entrepreneur who is prepared to say ‘I have the appetite for the risk, I will put in the time and the money’,” she adds.’

Read the full article.

Pioneer responses:

Stuart of Raisedart.com said:  ’You don’t need to have had a career first in a large company! Something I do think is important is life experience, but if you don’t have this then an amazing mentor would fill the gap! If you enjoy learning along the way, with steap learning curves and have an passion and desire to suceed you can do anything.’

Myrna of Mythy Myrnae said: ‘Many people will tell you what is best for you. I think you will always know what is best for you. I have wasted many years taking other peoples advice rather sticking to my intuition. I think people need to scrap the traditional route and just be creative.’

Heidi of CODOC said: ‘ I don’t believe that you have to have a career first, however, any experiences and knowledge you have gained in your career can help you. You’ll always have to know the market and industry you go into but in some cases you can learn that by doing your own research. I worked in a few film and television companies before starting my own business and I feel that I did gain some knowledge that has benefited me, however, I have learnt a lot more by doing, speaking to mentors, reading and networking.’

Dan of SafetyNet Technologies said: ‘ I agree with Heidi that some experiences picked up during work for other people can be helpful when starting your own business. On the other hand, if you go into a new business with entirely learned methods then you might find it tricky to ask the questions that turn into innovations. I guess it has to be a mixture of both. Using the methods you have learnt elsewhere to give you the confidence to stray from the beaten path.’

Trudy of T and T web design said: ‘ The real key to being an Entrepreneur is confidence in your own abilities. A will to suceed, drive & ambition. If your heart & soul is in it then you can move mountains. We were once asked by a new client when we first started out,“if your business goes bump, what happens to me?” I told him quite straight, we don’t intend to go bump! I believed in our service, I trusted my husbands technical abilities & he trusted my support, encouragement & assisstance. Together we built what we have. We’re not wealthy but we’re still here 7 years later & paying our bills with our own decisions guiding our lives. I say, just believe in yourself & all else will follow.

This week’s Pioneer of the Week is Tim Knight. Tim will join the running for May’s Pioneer of the Month.

Why we’ve chosen Tim:

We’ve selected Tim as Pioneer of the Week for his fab introduction video. See below.

About Tim:

‘I technically run 5ways Media, but our flagship project for 2012 is our digital download magazine titled ‘Amaze Magazine’ which will become our main identity over the next twelve months.

Amaze Magazine has been designed to give unknown talent a voice, and is packed full with interviews from industry professionals, peers, tips & tricks, news on competitions/projects from around the world, and much more.

The business will work by selling the advertising space within the magazine, which will see it become self-sustainable, as well as provide new talented individuals with cut-price deals to advertise themselves on the website too.’

You could be a Pioneer of the Week contender!

Let us know what you’ve been up to, achieved, discovered, need or learned? Whatever’s happening with you and your business let us know by video blog, comment or status update and you could be our Pioneer of the Week.

Pioneer of the Week is announced every Friday and the winner gets special access to the Pioneer of the Week Group and is featured in the Virgin Media Pioneers homepage.

At the end of the month the community and Pioneer supporters get to vote on which one of those Pioneers should become the ultimate Pioneer of the Month.

That winner will be invited to our exclusive Pioneers of the Month Group and first on the list for Pioneer opportunities.

So don’t miss out. Get involved and keep learning, sharing and connecting with your fellow Pioneers.

More people work remotely than you might imagine

‘The UK Labour Force Survey for the final quarter of 2011 shows that 13.6% of the working population work remotely’…read more.

2012 London Olympics: a blessing or a curse?

‘When the Olympics come to London many small business owners are worried their profits will disappear quicker than a Usain Bolt’…read more.

SMEs could be in line for tax rebate

‘Hundreds of thousands of UK small business owners are due a sizeable tax rebate from HMRC, according to a tax specialist’…read more.

Small businesses failing to keep up online

‘Despite being the equivalent to a ‘shop window’, just one in six small businesses believes they have a website they can be very proud about’….read more.

Video of the Week: Business Zone –  Sir Richard Branson’s tips for pitching to investors.

[Image courtesy of Johan Larsson]

Five things to remember when running a business:

1. Cash is king.

Having money owing to the business may look good on the balance sheet but that does not pay the businesses bills or provide money for the owner to live on.

2. Anyone can work for nothing.

You must cost your service/ product to generate a profit for you not your customers. Don’t be dazzled by large orders that don’t provide you with a profit, be aware of cash flow because if you have to pay for goods/ services in advance that that will cost you something and don’t forget you must fund your overhead costs.

3. Organise your business records.

Keep your business records well organised, don’t leave bookkeeping and bank reconciliations until the last minute. You can’t collect money owing to you if you don’t know it is outstanding and H M Revenue & Customs now have powers to fine you if you do not keep proper records. Do not mix business and personal bank accounts or records.

4. Plan your cash flow.

Don’t spend money without regard to what you owe and when you will need to pay your taxes. Bank overdrafts are expensive and difficult to get and whilst it can pay to have an overdraft or loan you should try to limit your exposure to unexpected interest rate changes. Strict Credit Control will stop you funding your customer’s cash flow and have as diversified a customer base as possible, don’t become a hostage to one customer.

5. Buy the services you need.

There is nothing an accountant, financial advisor, solicitor or other professional advisor can do for you that you could not learn to do yourself but whilst you are learning their job you are not running your own business and making a profit. The right accountant will give you a sounding board for ideas and solutions to problems if you develop a close relationship and use them properly. Best of all if you cost your services/ products properly your clients will cover the cost.

Need an accountant?

At AIMS we take pride in our work and we offer a top service level guarantee. We don’t charge by the hour, our fees are always agreed in advance and we visit you at your convenience, initial consultations are always free.

About Bernard:

Bernard has worked as an accountant for over 40 years, working in private practice, in public service and with Charities; he is a Fellow of the Institute of Financial Accountants and a Fellow of the Federation of Tax Advisors. He currently focuses on start-ups and small to medium sized businesses as part of the AIMS network, the largest network of independent qualified accountants in the UK.

Although Bernard is based in Kingswood in Surrey he has clients as far afield as Perth in Scotland and currently, China and Canada. He is also a Trustee of a national charity. Because Bernard runs his own business and built it from scratch, he knows what it is like to be the driving force in a business and the triumphs and disappointments self-employment can bring.

Twitter Q + A with Fraser Doherty – May 16th 12 noon – 1pm:

Next week, Fraser will join us for a Twitter Q + A. You can start tweeting your questions for Fraser now using #AskFraser.

Fraser’s top 5 tips for getting your product off the ground:

1. Don’t be afraid: I meet so many people who have a great idea but are afraid to give it a shot, which is a real shame. You’ve nothing to lose from taking the first steps and trying.
2. Start small: A lot of people feel they need to jump in at the deep end by quitting their job or education, borrowing a lot of money and trying to sell their product to big stores from the start. It’s a lot less risky to make a few, sell them at a market and see if people actually like them.
3. Find a mentor: Don’t be afraid of getting in touch with entrepreneurs who inspire you and asking for their advice.
4. Pick up the phone: If you’re selling to a big retailer, you need to find out who the buyer for your category is and send them samples. Don’t be afraid of calling repeatedly until you get hold of them for feedback.
5. Create something you’re proud of and that you would buy yourself. The customer isn’t an abstract ‘target market’, they’re a person, just like you.

About Fraser:

After setting up production, creating a brand and perfecting his recipes,
Fraser became the youngest ever supplier to a major supermarket chain 
when Waitrose launched the range in March 2007. SuperJam now supplies
 over 2,000 supermarkets around the world (inc. Tesco, ASDA, WalMart,
 Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, Waitrose) in countries including Australia, Russia,
Denmark, Finland and Ireland.

SuperJam is exhibited in the National Museum of Scotland as an ‘Iconic
Scottish Brand’, alongside Irn Bru, Tunnock’s and Baxters and Fraser was
 named ‘Global Student Entrepreneur of The Year’, the first ever winner
 from outside North America, one of over twenty awards that the company 
has received.

Gordon Brown commended Fraser
 over dinner at Downing Street, after hearing about his amazing story. 
In August 2010, Fraser launched The SuperJam Cookbook, sharing his jam making 
secrets with the world. In April 2011, he launched SuperBusiness; 
a book about his story and everything he has learned. Both books have
since become best sellers, on sale at Waterstones, WHSmith and in
supermarkets.

The company invests in running ‘SuperJam Tea Parties’ for elderly people 
who live alone, in care homes or in sheltered housing. SuperJam has hosted 
over 125 events across the UK, with live music, dancing and, of course,
 scones and SuperJam. Up to 600 guests attend each of these events and
they are growing in popularity every month.