What's Your Brand?

Hello. My name is Janelle and I have a confession.

I am a fan of... The Kardashians. 

Yes, you know, The Kardashians. OF COURSE you know The Kardashians! We all know The Kardashians. The sisters who are touted for being famous for being famous, curvy women with no apparent talent yet they are all over the media and oh, let's not forget what got them sitting on their celebrity throne... Kim K's infamous sex tape with the "has been" R&B singer, RayJ. 

Say what you may about The Kardashians but they, well their momager Kris Jenner, have turned their 15 minutes of fame into 6 years of success. Their flagship reality show, "Keeping Up with The Kardashians" just completed its 7th season and has been renewed for two more and their spin-offs have also been able to draw millions of viewers. It seems as though the sisters never rest. They have their hands in everything from beauty to books, perfumes to home collections, stores, endorsements, diet supplements and fitness gear. The Kardashians have built their empire. 

Now, what is the relevance of The Kardashians? These women are evidently more than just a pretty face. They are businesswomen and entrepreneurs who understand the importance of branding. Their brand is their name- Kardashian. Their brand is so strong that their momager, Kris Jenner (married to former Olympian 

Bruce Jenner) even contemplated changing back her name to Kardashian.

What's in a Brand?

The American Marketing Association (AMA) defines a brand as "a name, term, sign, symbol or design, or a combination of them intended to identify the goods and services of one seller of a group of sellers and to differentiate them from those of other sellers". 

We can agree that there is a lot of noise in the market and by noise I mean companies competing in a "cut throat" manner for the attention of the consumers. In such an environment, you need to have a solid and clear brand that consumers and potential customers can identify and identify with. It's more than just being seen on  the shelves.When you develop your brand, you develop your reputation. It sends a message to your audience about what your company represents. It establishes credibility. It is through your brand that you develop a relationship with your customers; a relationship is reciprocal and motivates them to keep supporting your business. 

Your Branding Message

Adam Kleinberg, one of the contributing writers for entrepreneur.com gives us the secret to a strong branding message. Focus. He tells us that in the minds of the consumers, we only get to be one thing and we must choose what we want to be carefully. According to Kleinberg, "your one thing is the unique value that your brand delivers. Volvo keeps you safe. IBM is building a smarter planet. 7-Up is the uncola". This message must be both emotional and rational. It must also be relevant to your consumers and be simple enough for them to remember it. What message do you want to send?

The Logo

So, you've come up with your name for your brand and what your branding message would be and now you want a logo. Why? Because it seems like the right thing to do... everybody does it right? No. You don't just decide to do a logo because you want to jump on the bandwagon. Logos are important because as humans, we place a great deal of importance and value on sight. It helps us commit things and brands to memory. As such, logos are important components of your branding strategy or campaign. 

Now, logos can come either as abstract symbols such as the tick/correction sign that Nike uses or as logotypes, i.e, a stylized rendition of your company name such as the one subway uses.

The following are three reasons adapted from businessbrandingstrategy.com on why you, as an entrepreneur, should invest in a logo:

1. Visual Representation- The logo can be likened to the face of your business. It gives your company an image and appeal that no other branding tool can provide.

2. Memory- People tend to remember logos better than they remember names. E.g. for me, sometimes I forget the name of the product but when I see the logo, it jogs my memory. Additionally, if I'm in a store buying an unfamiliar product and there is a range to choose from and I see a logo that I'm familiar with; I will choose that product over others. Why? Because I know the quality the brand associated with that particular logo produces. 

3. Uniqueness- As I mentioned earlier, there is a lot of noise and clutter on the market. A good logo helps your company or product stand out. A logo can do more for differentiating a product from its competitors at first glance than virtually anything else, hence, its a critical tool in developing your company and brand. 

One logo that REALLY like is that of the Crayons Count; an initiative that encourages investment in early childhood education in Jamaica.

When Deika Morrison, mastermind behind this initiative, paid our class a visit to speak about Crayons Count, what really stood out to me was the logo. This is not an initiative that is competing with others on the market, after all, its a non profit organization but, she understood that having a logo to represent her cause was still of premium importance. Why? Her logo has to do two things, not just appeal to donors but to children! So, I'm pretty sure she conveyed this message to her graphic artist. 

Let's break it down:

1. The colours are engaging and because there is little clutter; it easily can easily pull the attention of both children and adults.

2. The font simulates a child's handwriting. It is not fancy of complicated but simple, effective and easy to read.

3. Crayons Count has a recycling arm and as such, the strategic decision to replace the O's with the symbol for recycling was made. This is genius. It not only immediately tells donors/investors that those who run the organization are environmentally conscious but since the programme is geared towards children, it encourages them to start recycling at a young age. It is more than just investing in the education of Jamaican children but its about investing in Jamaica and preserving the environment for future generations.

4. The name of the initiative is "Crayons Count" so naturally they included a crayon. However, if you look closely you can see that on the crayon there is a Jamaican flag thereby indicating the focus or location of the programme.

Logos are important in building your brand regardless of if its a profit or not for profit organization.

Branding is important because it helps other identify and identify with your product.

If you want to establish a successful business... work on both. 

and last, but not least, I like the Kardashians. 

Janelle 

So You Think You Can Blog (Pt. II)

For Part II of this "So You Think You Can Blog" post, I had all intentions of writing a detailed spew on how you and I can start making money off our blogs.I had to do research because I don't know the ins and outs of "blog pimping"  turning a blog into a business. When Corve DaCosta, the mastermind behind the Jamaica Blog awards, visited our class, he skimmed the surface but I wanted to give you some more substance. Then, I came across this amazing article from Bob Lotich who runs the blog Christian Personal Finance (Christian PF). The article is LONG but if you really want to know about generating traffic for your blog, getting companies to advertise with you and strategically placing those ads so you can make more than an extra penny... Take a Read =====>>>>>How to Make Money with a Blog (Christian PF)

Just remember...

On another note, in the not so distant past I realized that there was some trouble brewing in the natural hair community on Youtube when one vlogger called out another on the ethics of her business operation. There has been a natural hair revolution so nearly everybody has a YouTube channel where they share their opinions on how to take care of your hair, retain length, trim, stretch, curl... everything. Companies, seeing a great opportunity to reach their audience, often time approach these vloggers and ask them to review their products or even pay them to do so and as a result... sponsor the post. The problem with this is that some of these vloggers forget to mention "hey! this post is sponsored" and of course, this is misleading because they are opinion leaders who influence the masses. The belief is, if you're going to get paid to push a product, let the people know so you don't seem shady! In the video below, Franchesca from Chescalocs talks a bit on the business of beauty blogging. She not only talks about declaring if your post is sponsored but she goes into how you become a Youtube partner, getting paid after they determine your CPM and how you can go about running an ethical and legal operation on the site. Take a look!

The internet is an amazing and lucrative tool and a great way for you to start exercising your entrepreneurial spirit. Whilst you may have to pay for your domain name to ensure that your content actually belongs to you, the fee is quite minimal when you compare it to the markets and opportunities that it opens up. Damian Marley sings about "set up shop" and the internet makes it possible to do so virtually with little start up costs. Look at people like fashion blogger DulceCandy... she works from home and basically gets paid to shop and tell her readers what she thinks of products. Another example is Jess from the Wellness Warrior, her website has allowed her to write and sell her ebooks and wellness programmes (of course they take place virtually) and because she has developed such a reputation, she has even been invited to speak at various seminars. In a few years she may even start being the spokesperson for brand named products or even create a line of her own... who knows?

Don't limit yourself. This is your life and you should snatch these opportunities while they are hot... just remember to keep it ethical!

Have fun blogging and banking
Janelle

So You Think You Can Blog?

Sometimes I like to think of myself as a carefree and adventurous person who loves living life on the edge. A girl can fantasize right? My life is pretty much the opposite. I am a creature of habit, a woman who secretly craves structure... I've never been one to embrace the "go with the flow" scheme. On that note, part of my daily routine is blogging... well it's actually reading other people's blogs as opposed to actually generating content for my own... don't worry, that's on my "To Do" list. I have a list of blogs that I MUST look at everyday in order to feel as though my life is complete.

My daily dose of celebrity gossip is brought to me by Necole Bitchie and YBF (Young, Black and Fabulous), I get my fitness nugget from the one and only Melavond, my vegan tidbit from vegansaurus.com, my mind and body sync from mindbodygreen and my natural hair updates from Black Girl Long Hair. However blogging has taken on another dimension; video blogging or vlogging and thanks to video hosting sites like YouTube, people are also letting their voices heard and well their faces seen on this platform.

But, what is a blog?

The word blog comes from the term web log which is a website that is arranged in a reversed chronological order so you see your most recent posts first and scroll down for the older ones. It's basically a diary/journal that you can share with your friends, family or the whole world if you so choose. 

People blog about everything! Cars, shoes, clothes, hair, parenting, relationships! You name it and there is probably a blog just designed specifically for it. 

Blogging is amazing! I mean of course if you're not careful you can get sued for defamation or plagiarism or something like that but it's a great way to express yourself and share your opinion! It's an even better way to build your brand if you have a business orrrrr even start a business! I mean, BEYONCE BLOGS. There are some people who quit their 9-5 jobs and blog for a living.

So, you think you can blog?

1. Pick a theme and work on developing your niche.

The blogs that I read have a particular focus and the bloggers develop their content around this focal point. If it's a natural hair blog, I expect to see product review, hair styles, hair care tips, style icons etc. Don't go drop a random food recipe in there along with a rant about your relationship, how to fix your lap top... no. According to sweet brown, "Ain't nobody gat time for that". Keep it focused baby. If of course you want to talk about these things, by all means, start another blog! We see it all the time. Naptural85 has her main channel hair channel and then she has her personal channel, dearnaptural85 where she talks about her life and raising her child and all that drama. Remember, always keep the purpose of your site and your target audience in mind.

2. Post Frequently!

One of my main problems with blogging is being inconsistent with my posting. When you stop posting, people stop coming to your site. Readers develop a bond with the bloggers and when they don't post... the readers get mad. Well, I do. I hate when Mela from melavond forgets to post... it annoys me. I get so frustrated!. I faithfully read her blog, I feel like I know her! Like I'm a part of her life. I feel like she is almost obligated to inspire me with her fit abs and legs. I know it sounds crazy but if you want people to keep coming back to your site and if you want there to more hits/visitors, you must let your readers know that they are important to you and part of doing this is fulfilling your duty to them and post! And hey, Keep it interesting, give us some videos, pictures, memes, links to interesting articles. 

3. Keep it conversational.

Don't go using a lot of big words and complicated jargon on your blog... you have to write so that your audience understands without the aid of a dictionary. Keep it simple. Keep it light, fun, humorous. You want to write as though you're talking to your readers. They want to hear your voice not read your dissertation.

4. Be Passionate and Confident

Blogging is serious business. It's more than just finding a topic that you want to explore, posting frequently and having a conversational tone. You must exude passion and confidence. Case in point, there is this Trinidadian youtube vlogger who makes videos about... you guessed it, natural hair. I reallllly want to like her. I do. Her videos are informative, she posts fairly regularly but gosh, she has no passion! She gives great hair advice but she seems bored even making the video and she just apologizes too much! It gets annoying after a while. So, be passionate! Fake it to make it baby! 

5. Keep it simple.

Did I say this already? Yes. I did and I will repeat it because it is soooooo important. I know this may been contradictory but... keep those posts short. When I see extremely long posts, sometimes I don't even bother to read them or watch the videos. For me, posts that are about 500 words and 5 minutes long are the best. Don't bore me before I begin. Another thing, don't distract me with a whole heap of colours and graphics and this and that moving... no. Keep it sleek, clean, classy but interesting. And, if you plan on having a vlog, can you please, please, please try to not film your entries on your blackberry? Poor video quality is not cute.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of this post where I talk a bit about making money from your blog! 

Canned Air: Stupid Idea or Genius Invention?

Hello World,

One day, in the not so distant past, I was procrastinating on this genius invention called Facebook. There I was, just scrolling down my news feed, minding everybody's business but my own, when this post by a girl I'm not particularly fond of caught my eye (yes, I'm not fond of her but she's still my "friend" on Facebook, I'm sure you have some of those too). She was in disbelief about where the world was heading because this Chinese businessman who just happened to be a billionaire was selling... wait for it, cans of air. When I saw this my reaction was the polar opposite to hers, I was like "Omg! That's such a brilliant invention!"

I mean think about it, China is a hot mess. This rising super power may have America by the balls sack and keep world markets in sync buy who are we kidding, China is the most polluted place on this earth. If you have respiratory problems and just happen to be suicidal... go to China.

On January 29th 2013, Matthew Hilburn's article entitled "Pollution in China goes "off the charts"" was published on Voice of America's website. This articles explains that that the United States measures air quality by using this six-colour scale index measuring from 0-500. The higher the number, the more polluted the air. By the title, you can deduce that China has exceeded this 500 marker and sits comfortably in code red.

Now in steps Mr. Chen Guangbiao, a celebrity businessman and philanthropist who has been urging his people to adopt a more environmentally friendly and sustainable lifestyle. Not only does he own a recycling company but he as donated over 6,000 bicycles in an effort to urge people to reduce their carbon footprint. Some may say that he is exploiting the situation but at the end of the day, he is a businessman; an entrepreneur who saw an opportunity to make a profit.
People in China NEED clean air and good old Chenny boy is supplying this need in a convenient package and in a variety of flavours including Pristine Tibet and Post Industrial Taiwan. In this part of the world we may seem so perplexed at this idea because air pollution on such a wide scale is not our reality. Here, there is no market for such a product. In China, the markets are everywhere.

Millionaire Entrepreneur Chen Guangbiao shows off two flavours of his company's new and controversial product; canned air, at the Beijing Financial Street of January 20, 2013.

Photo via www.dailymail.co.uk 

The cans of air will be going for US$.80/ J$75. and Mr. Guangbiao has committed to giving a portion of the proceeds to charity. Despite the avenue for profit, he has stated that this is an exaggerated tactic to send a message that China needs to pay greater attention on the environment in order to preserve the future.

Here's a video that sheds some more light on the situation in China:

Chinese Billionaire sells cans of fresh air in light of China's increasing air pollution problem

On another note, we really shouldn't be too quick to judge the Mr. Guangbiao or even the Chinese who buy into this idea. We live in a place where clean water flows through our pipes yet we choose to go out and buy bottled water that comes in plastic bottles that are not labelled as BPA free. So we buy "purified" water that is full of toxins caused by harmful chemicals. Makes sense? No.

As they say, necessity is the mother of invention.
Mr. Guangbiao just happened to be the mastermind behind this invention... an invention that made his pocket just a few million fatter seeing that over 8 million of those cans have been reportedly sold as of February 1, 2013.
By the way, you know that saying "one man's trash is another man's treasure"? Yeah. Mr. Guanbiao made his $740 million fortune from the recycling business. Think twice before you dismiss ANY idea as too small or stupid.

That's all for now folks!
Janelle

Peeling back the Layers

So we meet again...

In my last blog post I shed some light... or gave a slightly depressing rant on my desire to not audition for the 8-4 gig that will slowly suffocate every creative cell in my body. I ended by mentioning a bit about my present self and this grand idea of becoming an entrepreneur but then it occurred to me that some of my readers may have but a vague notion of this whole Entrepreneurship shabang... so naturally I enlisted my good friend/ life saver Google to help out in this matter.

It seems to me that everybody and their grandmother's boyfriend has their own way of defining who or what is an entrepreneur. Despite this fluidity, there were some overlapping and reoccurring themes/ideas that arose.

Here are some of the ones I found to be genius.

1. "An entrepreneur searches for change, responds to it, and exploits it as an opportunity. Innovation is the specific tool of entrepreneurs, the means by which they exploit change as an opportunity for a different business or a different service"- Peter Drucker, Renowned Management Guru. 
2. "The entrepreneur is our visionary, the creator in each of us. We're born with that quality and it defines our lives as we respond to what we see, hear, feel and experience. It is developed, nurtured and given space to flourish or it is squelched, thwarted, without air or stimulation and dies" - Michael Gerber, Author and Entrepreneur.
3. "Entrepreneurs are risk takers, willing to roll the dice with their money or put their reputation on the line in support of an idea or enterprise. They willingly assume responsibility for the success or failure of a venture and are answerable for all its facets"- Victor Kiam, Former Owner of New England Patriots. 

Basically and in a less profound manner, an entrepreneur is an individual...but not just any old "individual", s/he is one of those creative and innovative ones who sees potential in what we, the masses, might disregard and  just push under the carpet. These people are gifted with foresight. We see a lemon, a regular green/yellow lemon and if we're in the mood we might make some lemonade... maybe even sell a glass or two. An entrepreneur sees this lemon, goes to the orchard where the lemons are grown, makes a deal with the owner and sets up an operation that churns out lemon tarts, lemon pies, lemon disinfectant and dish washing liquid,  lemon shaped stationary, lemon scented paper... s/he might even start selling lemonade wholesale if the lemon liquor deal doesn't go as well as s/he expected. 

Back to the point, an entrepreneur is this visionary who sees an opportunity that can be exploited monetarily. They set a goal to capitalize on that opportunity. They make a plan to accomplish this goal. They get others to buy into the idea and seek out the necessary resources. They dedicate time and effort into seeing this plan through. They reap the rewards/profits... or suffer the losses.

Of course it's not that simple. Entrepreneurs are gamblers. Regardless of how amazing the plan appears, there is no assurance that they will indeed be a success. They stand the chance of losing all they put in... and often times a lot more. Not only are they taking this financial risk but they are putting their reputation on the line. 

In addition to this whole risk factor and losing every penny I'm worth if my business fails, there are a few attributes that I'd need to possess if I decide to tread this path.

I can't be focusing/obsessing on the potential failure of my idea. I must be optimistic and have utomost faith in my the success of my idea. If I want others to jump on board, I can't be sailing a sinking ship and disclose this information to my crew. I must patch up the holes and re-assure my sailors that the shoreline is just a few miles out.

Now, I must not be so optimistic that I get myopic and start believing that it's my way or the high way. I must be able to adapt and make the most out of the worst of situations. 

I must also be a leader. A self motivated leader who, although may not be the most charismatic, is able to move the team to action through effective communication. 

I must have that triple threat factor. I must be able ambitious, determined and dedicated. Who cares about 18 hour shifts if that means that my business will reap rewards that are threefold? 

If I do decide to become an entrepreneur, these are some of the things I would have to come to terms with, qualities/skills and I'd have to possess. It might be my ticket to the good life or leave me a pauper. In any case, Life is a Gamble. 

Life on my Lane

My name is Janelle and I am afraid.

I fear that when I graduate I will get a "normal" 8-4 job in the public sector, work my butt off for a measly salary all whilst listening to a boss who is not far from being a fossil. Not to mention I will be forced to submit myself to having to wake up at some ungodly hour to beat the morning traffic because naturally, I live on the curb of the creator's back.

I am afraid that I will be miserable.

I am afraid that after about 2 years of working in this deadbeat job that everyone is telling me I should be thankful for because "the economy isn't too good right now", I will decide it's time to get my Masters Degree.  Now, seeing that I want to keep this job that excites every bone in my body, this degree will be done in the comfort of my home country- another fear of what would then be considered the "younger self". Seeing that  I am an attractive young lady with a stable job and "ambition", I suspect that there would be a myriad of suitors at my doorstep... or at least one. I would then accept his proposal for marriage because well... some help with the bills would be nice and you know, I'm human and though some may say that I have a conscience of concrete, I have that dumb desire for companionship.

I will have that wedding, we will purchase a house together, have two or perhaps three children and eventually the sex will be routine where orgasms become a feature of the past. I will fill the gaps in my life by going to church whilst simultaneously reading future versions of "Fifty Shades" hoping that an imaginary Christian Grey sweeps me off my feet... feet which are of course, in dire need of exfoliating.

I am afraid that I will settle.

My name is Janelle and what you've just read is my greatest fear.

... but I am a poet and whilst I may not give my work sufficient credit, many say I'm quite good at it.
I am a writer.
I am one of those crazy tree hugging green people who you think might be related to alien but you respect nonetheless because they have passion.
I am a vegan (a gluten free one for the moment).
I am a feminist.
I am a yogini.
I am a conscious being
I am a square peg in society's round hole.
I am too much but just enough.
I have dreams to travel the world and be successful... and happy.

I do not want to graduate and join the rat race.

So, what's a girl to do?

If I'm so determined not to be a part of the masses, I need to sell myself... not my soul.

I need to tap into my resources and harness my creative energies so that I can be that person I want to be... the person I need to be.

Life in the Entreposphere will take you through my journey as I toy with this idea of entrepreneurship.

I will be looking at the skills I need to be a successful entrepreneur, funding available for what may be my future self, words of wisdom from those who refused to conform to the 8-4 gig that most people grab for and  lots more.

Join me on my journey!

My name is Janelle and I refuse to let my fears become my reality.