Owner-managers think design is just about a product and its styling or visual application. It takes a while for them to understand that it is the design of the business they are dealing with.

Questions to consider are:

1. How you perceive the business

2. How you present yourselves to clients. This ranges from signage outside the offices to the reception area and stationery – right into the very heart of operations.

Marketers see a brand as an implied promise regarding the level of quality people have come to expect from a brand will continue with future purchases of the same product. This may increase sales by making a comparison with competing products more favourable. It may also enable the company to charge more for the product.

There are four defining characteristics that allow companies to actively involve customers in creating communities around their brands. Each are essential in building brand communities.

Think about the way in which people would describe certain brands. For Volvo that one thing is "Safety." McDonalds is "A fun place for kids." In Jakarta, Indonesia, Bluebird is "The safest way to travel by taxi." And everyone knows, Avis tries harder.

Did you ever wonder about the effectiveness of your advertising? How many times have you had to make a decision to place an ad only to ask, does advertising really work? Unfortunately, many small business owners miss the mark on advertising and then believe that advertising doesn't work. This is a sad misconception because when done effectively, advertising can be one of your strongest marketing tactics to drive customers to your doors. Chances are, if your advertising isn't working, it may because of one of these five reasons:

1. Too much information

How can you raise your profile and get noticed by lots more potential customers and do it in a cost effective, time efficient way?

The answer: invest in your public relations. Public relations is about communicating with everyone that has an interest in your business. It's about managing your reputation and making sure that you have a voice.