Simplifying the business plan — so that you don’t run in fear!

This week we will be looking at creating a basic business plan for your business — and once again we are in conversation with Paolo Rigo fro Studio Rigo Tax & Accounting.

I have added an info graphic to explain it in a simple way. (Link at end)

Paolo, to get started, can you explain to us what is a business plan?

A business plan is a written statement that describes and analyzes your business’ objectives, how you will achieve them as well as giving opportunity for detailed…

“Customer Delight vs. Customer Satisfaction
Customer delight is the process of surpassing customers’ expectations to build a long term, positive experience around your product or service and brand. Customer satisfaction happens when you simply meet customers’ expectations.” (1)

Now that we have a better idea of who our clients are, we need to do some market research. What is Market Research? It is the means to meet your clients where they are. In a world that is increasingly going online and therefore creating huge opportunity that is not geographically bound to the area or country that your business is in…

Creating a visual pathway to understanding your client base.

If you have been following my blog you will see I did a inspiration board with you at the end of February. I love the way that they enable us to order our thoughts and get a visual grasp on what we are working on. So I thought it would be a great place to start our conversation about your tribe — the people who will make your business a success.

As an entrepreneur it is vitally important to know who your client will be. It basically determines the way you…

How to become a freelancer in Italy.

I cannot believe it is already March! Getting your logo designed, figuring out who your clients are and building a website are the fun things to get done when you are starting a business. The next step is making sure that the financial side of the business is all correctly set up. In Italy it is important to get it professionally done because believe me there is no easy option.This month I am going to be having a conversation with Paolo from Studio Rigo — Tax and Accounting.

As Paolo says it is…

Now for a bit of fun. It’s the last week of the month, and as such, I have something a bit more fun for you. An inspiration board can be a fun and ‘inspirational’ way to get your ideas around brand identity to form a cohesive image in your head.

There is a difference between a mood board and an inspiration board.
Mood Boards are all about feeling, conceptualized, psychological ie mood, colour.
Feeds into the -
Inspiration Board is about details, colors, textures, specific details of your brand identity

Dictionbary.com describes an inspiration boards in the following way, inspiration…

When we speak about logo design and branding we often confuse one with the other. There are fundamental differences between just having a logo designed and working to develop a brand that works for you. The most successful business’ spend time developing a complete brand identity right from the get go. Having a firm understanding of the what, the why and the how of your business will make sure that your brand stays true to your initial vision.

Branding is a wide concept which has two main arms. It is made up of brand identity (visual) which includes logo design…

Your key function as a business owner is to problem solve. Your brand is your shop window. It sets up the expectations of potential clients or customers. It’s the old adage ‘First impressions are lasting’ At a glance you branding needs to convince that person to delve deeper. You literally have three seconds to make people stay, or loose them.

As you work through the branding process, knowing, or finding out which markets you want to serve is key. It is critical to your branding success. By defining your markets, your brand can better appeal to and serve your markets’…

Definition: Brand
According to Investopedia, a brand is an identifying symbol, mark, logo, name, word, and/or sentence that companies use to distinguish their product from others. A combination of one or more of those elements can be utilized to create a brand identity. Legal protection given to a brand name is called a trademark.

Your brand is the single most important investment you can make in your business.
- Steve Forbes Editor-in-Chief of business magazine Forbes.

Your brand is the way in which you present your business to potential clients, it speaks of your qualities, strength, the personality of your…