With time and attention scarce, it’s difficult for entrepreneurs and small business owners to upgrade or learn new skills.

There are, of course, millions of published articles and blog posts about entrepreneurship, business, finance, and management. But many of these articles are noisy and few offer real, actionable insights that can help you make better business decisions.

Fortunately, we live in the golden age of online learning. There are terrific free YouTube channels for entrepreneurs and small business owners and many online schools and sites offer free or low-cost online courses.

Online learning takes many forms. The most common online courses are MOOCs, or “Massively Online Open Courses.” These tend to be video-based lectures accompanied by exercises or notes. Many MOOCs are self-directed and can be started anytime and finished at your own pace, although some universities offer scheduled classes that have specific start and end dates.

Learning online has many benefits for an aspiring entrepreneur or small business owner. Besides convenience and affordability, online programs often offer courses and instruction that might normally not be open to the general public.

For example, many renowned universities like Harvard and MIT have made their course lectures available online. This means anyone can audit any course they can find, usually for free, sitting in front of a computer in their pajamas.

We’ve researched and prepared a list of some of the most popular sources of online courses that could help you become a better entrepreneur or small business owner.

Coursera

Coursera is one of the biggest online educators with over 20 million registered users and 150 education partners which include universities from all over the world. You can take courses offered by prestigious schools like Stanford University and Yale, and even pursue master’s degrees in business and computer science (among others).

Coursera’s catalog offers a wide variety of courses, from music and art to technology, science, and business. Of particular note to small business owners are courses covering small business management and strategy, marketing, and finance. The site boasts over 850 courses of interest to small businesses, so there’s something for everyone.

Many courses can be taken a la carte and there are also subscriptions available (starting at $39 per month) to access specific subjects and even the entire site. Financial aid is available for those who might need the extra support.

Here are two good courses you might consider through Coursera:

• Business Strategy, offered by the University of Virginia
  “With cases drawn from leading companies like Disney, Microsoft and Zappos, you’ll learn how to evaluate industry evolution, build and sustain competitive advantage, formulate and assess business strategies, and align efforts to organizational strategy.”
• Digital Marketing, offered by the University of Illinois
  “Acquire a new set of stories, concepts, and tools to help you digitally create, distribute, promote and price products and services.”

Udemy

Want to learn how to create a demo video in Apple’s Keynote? Learn how to market and brand your small business? Master leadership skills? Udemy has you covered.

Unlike Coursera’s partnership with higher education, Udemy works more like an educational marketplace, connecting people interested in sharing their skills and knowledge with interested students.

Udemy has a vast course catalog that covers an impressive array of subjects. Course pages offer you a valuable breakdown of any given course with the following information:

• A short bio of the instructor,
• A 1-5 star rating with student reviews,
• The number of students who have enrolled in the course, and
• A video preview of a lecture so you can get a feel for what the instructor is like.

Prices range from $20 to a maximum of $300, but there are frequent sales and discount codes offered online.

Here are two good courses you might consider through Udemy:

• Effective Time Management
  “What this course will teach you, is the concept of ‘Task Management.’ In other words, it will teach you how to accomplish more high-value tasks, so that you get a 10X greater return for all of the work you put in every hour.”
• Body Language for Entrepreneurs
  “Mastering body language is the missing ingredient for many business owners. Nonverbal communication can not only help you be more effective in your business dealings, but it can also give you an added edge above competitors.”

Khan Academy

The story behind Khan Academy is tech legend: educator Salman Khan started by posting videos on YouTube to help his cousin with her math homework and the videos went viral. Khan made the videos his full-time job, and Bill Gates and Google came knocking with funding and inspiration.

The site is now used by 40 million students and two million teachers every month, with courses available in over 35 languages. The Khan Academy is a recognized non-profit organization with donations from companies including Google, Bank of America, and AT&T. Best of all? It offers all of its courses free of charge.

A lot of the courses offered are within the STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) realm, but there are a number of arts and humanities courses as well as courses of interest to small business owners in entrepreneurship, finance, and careers.

Here are two good courses you might consider through Khan Academo:

• Sal chats with entrepreneurs
  “Personal lessons and insights from accomplished entrepreneurs are the basis of this interview series produced by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and Khan Academy.”
• Supply, demand, and market equilibrium
  “The core ideas in microeconomics.”

edX

edX’s courses are delivered through a partnership with a long list of international universities and schools (including Harvard and MIT). It is non-profit and offers almost all of its courses free of charge. edX charges a small fee (around $50) only if you want to receive a certificate of completion.

The courses offered by edX run the gamut from the usual university courses in arts and humanities, science, and engineering, to business-related courses offered by well-known schools like the Wharton School of Business. Some of the courses are self-directed, and some are time-specific and have defined start and end dates.

With over 1,300 courses offered by dozens of schools there’s an excellent chance you will find something of value, and with most of the courses being free they are certainly accessible for everyone.

Here are two good courses you might consider through edX:

• You Can Innovate: User Innovation and Entrepreneurship
  “The boot camp is a one-week, intensive entrepreneurship education program that challenges you to start a company in 5 days. The Bootcamp offers you the unique opportunity to be mentored by MIT faculty and MIT alumni entrepreneurs and investors as you begin your new entrepreneurial journey.”
• Selling Ideas: How to Influence Others, and Get Your Message to Catch On
  “Small businesses and entrepreneurs want to help their businesses grow but don’t have the money for big marketing campaigns. Word of mouth can help them grow for less money. But for all these efforts to be successful, managers have to understand how to get people to talk and share. This course provides a step-by-step guide to getting anything to catch on.”

Lynda.com

Lynda.com is the oldest education resource online, with an origin story that stretches all the way back to 1995. Originally created as online support for co-founder Lynda Weinman’s books on web design, the site has grown into a major learning destination. According to the site, there are nearly 6,000 courses covering topics in business, technology, and creative skills.

Courses in finances, leadership, management, and communications are particularly noteworthy for small business owners and entrepreneurs. Subjects range from broad topics like interpersonal communication to more specific things like creating a family business plan.

The site is priced using an an all-you-can-consume subscription model, with $20 a month getting you access to the entire site’s catalog and $30 a month adding offline viewing and related project files.

Many public libraries offer Lynda.com courses to their patrons, so it’s worth checking out your local library to see if you already have free access via your library card.

Here are two good courses you might consider through Lynda.com:

• Become a Small Business Owner
  This 11-course program says it will help you learn “everything you need to become a small business owner, from understanding the responsibilities of entrepreneurship to figuring out the legal, financial, and operational aspects of your future business.”
• Small Business Survival Kit
  “Get the skills it takes to start and manage your own business with these hand-curated small business survival courses.”

Safari

Originally started by tech publisher O’Reilly & Associates as a place to read their books online, Safari has steadily grown into a library of e-books, videos, and online courses from other publishers, schools, and teachers. In addition to technology and design books, there are thousands of books and videos covering all aspects of small business.

Subscriptions cost $39 per month for individual accounts, and business teams can subscribe with a small per-person discount. Safari is another service that has made deals with many public libraries, so check with your library to see if yours has access.

Here are two good courses you might consider through Safari:

• The Entrepreneur’s Playbook
  “Len Green, an experienced investor, entrepreneur, and business professor, shares inside secrets and proven tactics for launching a business. Based on his popular Ultimate Entrepreneurship course.”
• The Entrepreneurial Instinct: How Everyone Has the Innate Ability to Start a Successful Small Business
  “In The Entrepreneurial Instinct, sought after small business expert Monica Mehta looks past the rags to riches stories to explore the role of mind, behavior, and brain chemistry in our ability to be successful entrepreneurs.

Google and Facebook

Interested in marketing or selling on Google or Facebook? Both companies offer detailed online courses for people and small businesses interested in leveraging their huge audiences.

Google has their Digital Marketing Course, which covers advertising, Adwords, and marketing on the Google network. It consists of 10 modules broken up into smaller lessons and is offered completely free.

Facebook’s Blueprint is also free, and is equally detailed. It has over 15 streams dedicated to the needs of groups like small businesses, and specific areas of interest like working on Instagram or campaign optimization.

Learning online isn’t just convenient and reasonably priced. There are many benefits:

• A 2009 report from the Department of Education found that students taking online courses scored better than those attending a traditional in-class program,
• Students reported they found it easier to concentrate taking online courses because there was less distraction and noise from other students, and
• Another study by MIT researchers found similar benefits: the “learning gain” of a group of MOOC students was comparable to that achieved by students enrolled in the same course at MIT.

The self-paced nature of many online courses is a perfect fit for busy owners and entrepreneurs who want to expand their skills or knowledge without sacrificing the time they spend on their business. And you don’t have to worry about the quality of education being impacted: A study by the University of the Potamac found that 77% of educators surveyed thought that online learning was at least as good as the traditional classroom, if not better.

If you’ve been putting off learning about managing human resources, project management, or even just improinge your mood through the science of happiness, maybe now’s the time.

For more about ways to improve yourself and your business, check out the free ebook written by crowdSPRING CEO and founder Ross Kimbarovsky entitled Stand Out: An Entrepreneur’s Guide to Starting, Growing, and Managing a Successful Business.

Real estate agencies and companies in the real estate industry typically focus on similar things: buying and selling real estate. But that’s like saying that Microsoft and Apple sell the same thing (computers).

We know that there are many fundamental differences that make Apple products unique from Microsoft’s. The same thing is true for real estate companies.

So why are so many of the logos used by businesses in the real estate industry generic and identical?

Do a quick Google search for “real estate logos” and you’ll probably see image results like this one:

Slap a name on what looks like a roof or house and you’ve got yourself a generic logo shared by tens of thousands of other indistinguishable businesses.

If your goal is to get lost in the crowd, then you can consider your branding – and your business – finished.

Surely you want your real estate business to stand out. After all, who wants to be lost in a crowd when you’re trying to attract clients.

We’ve talked a lot about the pitfalls of generic logo design and how to avoid generic logos. Whether it’s by following a trend and working with a designer from the beginning or going through a rebrand, having a great logo is extremely important for your business.

The truth is that not every company – even in the real estate industry – does the exact same thing. The reason there are options to choose from when picking a company to help you buy or sell your house is because they all offer a slightly different service or experience. Each real estate company has something special about it.

But, contrary to the need for every business to differentiate, the real estate industry is riddled with generic branding full of house icons and tall buildings.

Not only does this cause you to blend in with your competition, but it fails to make a strong first impression and renders your company forgettable. It doesn’t show off that special “thing” that your company has. It doesn’t show off what makes you different. As we previously wrote:

Many logos in the real estate industry show a house or some buildings with the company name underneath it. It’s like putting the picture of a shoe on the logo of a shoe company! The colors are usually in serious tones: reds, grays, and dull blues. The logos are literal but people already understand that a real estate company will deal with the buying and selling of houses. When people choose a real estate agency, they assume that! What they don’t know is what makes a real estate company different, whether that is a personal touch or high-quality agents. Real estate companies that use generic elements in their logos completely miss the opportunity to stand out.

In today’s world, missing an opportunity to leave an impression with your prospective customers usually means missing out on business. With so much competition and the surge of websites that help people find, sell, and buy houses, blending-in is the worst thing that you can do for your company.

Therefore, it’s important to brand your business and use a strong, unique logo. By following the example of companies with famous logos, you can focus on what makes your business different instead of what makes your business the same.

So whether you’re designing a logo for a realtor or real estate company or have a real estate agency, a mortgage company or another business in the real estate industry, you should pay attention. This is important.

Here are 6 of our favorite real estate logos and the lessons you can learn from each.

Haven

We love this logo by ravitejabhukya for real estate/homeowner startup, Haven. While the company is in the real estate industry, their focus is on trust, modernity, and bold neighborhoods. In their original project posting, they talked about what it means to be at home. We love the unique font, the leaf, and the simple color scheme of this logo. The cursive font is trendy and luxurious, and the details are simple enough to still keep the logo versatile so that it can be printed on a variety of promotional materials.

Pellego

Pellego’s logo is another great example of a unique real estate company logo. Pellego was looking for a logo that could also be translated into an app icon because they focus on helping people shop for their homes. Their focus on results ties in well with cdavisdesigns interpretation of a house being marked off on a to-do list. It’s a clever and simple way to get the message across!

Ovo Minneapolis

Ovo Minneapolis is a company that mostly leases office space in buildings around Minneapolis. For their newest building, they needed a fun, modern logo to attract startups and new businesses to the area. crowdSPRING creative ScottPetinga designed this logo, stacking the letters of the company’s name to make up the shape of a building. It’s a thousand times more memorable than just another skyscraper!

The Up House

This is another great example of a unique real estate logo. The Up House is a luxury real estate company that focuses on apartment buildings in major cities like London and New York. Logo designer Appleberry combined two common elements of real estate logos: a key and some buildings to make a unique skyline. And unlike many other luxury real estate logos, this one doesn’t use shimmery metallics or lots of swirly details. By keeping it simple, the company maintains their luxurious message.

Zero Nine LLC

Here’s another unique real estate logo, this time by JohnBlaine. Zero Nine LLC brands itself as a cutting edge, modern real estate company. Their logo accomplishes this goal with its minimal color scheme, sharp font, and no frills focus on the name. The angles and the combination of words create a visually interesting logo that definitely stands out from the sea of blue house logos.

Boca

But sometimes, a good building logo is too hard to pass up – especially when it focuses on specific details. For Boca’s logo, jodsgn made a building from lots of colorful lines, which evoke movement and energy. This is perfect for Boca, because as an entertainment real estate company they focus on fun, lively locations.

Hopefully, you can see that not all real estate logos have to be a house icon with a name. When we focus on what makes us special and unique, customers will remember. What are some of your favorite real estate logos?

If you’re ready to create a quality professional logo for your business that helps your business stand out from the competition, consider enlisting the help of over 200,000 creatives to give you great options. It’s easy, fast, starts at just $299 and your satisfaction is 100% guaranteed – post a logo design project today to get started.

Image courtesy of Flickr

When it comes to brand recognition, companies like Kleenex and Coke have cracked the code. With millions of Americans calling their tissues “Kleenex” and their sodas “Cokes,” these brand names have become synonymous for the products they sell.

Strong brand recognition is key to building loyal customer relationships. Every business should aspire to create strong brand recognition. After all, loyal customers lead to reliable, consistent revenue.

But what is brand recognition?

Tech Target defines brand recognition as:

…[the] extent to which a consumer can correctly identify a particular product or service just by viewing the product or service’s logo, tag line, packaging or advertising campaign.

And it’s an extremely valuable commodity. As Ryan Erskine of BrandYourself  points out:

If I don’t know you, you’ve automatically lost my business. How can I buy your products, invest in your company or fund your next venture if I don’t know who you are? I guarantee it won’t happen.

Every company can’t realistically expect to become the next mega-brand. But every company should do everything within their power to improve their brand recognition. And what better way to start than by studying the masters?

We’ve looked at five mega-brands – Kleenex, Hoover, Jacuzzi, Band-Aid and Coca-Cola – and gathered actionable tips from their successful marketing strategies that you can use in your business. Let’s take a look.

Kleenex: Create your own niche.

Image courtesy of Wikipedia

One of the most compelling business strategies is to solve a real problem or fill a genuine need.

And, if you can manage to do it first? Well, then you’re pretty much golden. Kleenex seized their spot in history by finding and ruling their unique niche.

Today tissues are a staple of the American shopping list.

In the wake of the First World War, that was not the case. The Kleenex Brand Story explains that the modern tissue evolved from a unique tissue paper used in gas masks developed by parent company Kimberly Clarke. After the war, they had leftover tissue, but with the fighting over, the demand for gas masks sharply declined.

So, Kimberly Clarke sought out new uses for their technology. This lead to Kleenex – the brand and the facial tissue.

Kleenex’ first incarnation was as a disposable cleaning wipe (hence, “Kleenex”).

At first, we thought of Kleenex® as a disposable cleansing tissue, to help women with the growing use of make up: the tissues could be a clean, convenient replacement for the ugly ‘cold cream towel’ that hung in many bathrooms.

So in 1924, we began selling Kleenex® in the USA as a cold cream or makeup remover, and in 1925 we launched in the UK.

Kleenex sold well as facial cleaning cloths. But, business really took off when they found Kleenex’ true calling – a disposable handkerchief. Sales doubled in their first year of marketing their product in this fashion. Kleenex had found their niche.

The staff of Entrepreneur Media, Inc. explains in their book  Start Your Own Business:

No business—particularly a small one—can be all things to all people. The more narrowly you can define your target market, the better. This process is known as creating a niche and is key to success for even the biggest companies.

Kleenex found their niche and made history. Now it’s time to find yours.

Your Lesson from Kleenex: 

Give your brand a unique identity by filling a unique niche. crowdSPRING CEO Ross Kimbarovsky recommends in his e-book Stand Out: An Entrepreneur’s Guide to Starting, Growing, and Managing a Successful Business:

“The best way to discover a great business idea is to solve your own problem. The second best way to discover a great business idea is to solve someone else’s problem.”

Ask yourself what specific problem your product or service solves – that’s your niche. Then build your marketing strategy around that position.

Hoover: Be everywhere your customers are.

Image courtesy of Main Street Vacuum

The vacuum legend Hoover traces its humble beginnings to a tanning mill in Canton, Ohio. Today, their brand and their vacuums are known around the globe.

In the U.S. the name “Hoover” is linked with vacuum cleaners. In Great Britain vacuum cleaners are commonly referred to as “hoovers” and the act of using a vacuum cleaner is called “hoovering.”

So how did Hoover achieve this level of mass appeal and brand familiarity?

They made sure they were everywhere their customers were. Encyclopedia.com’s history of the Hoover Company shares:

Mr. Hoover began marketing the sweeper in stores throughout the country. His strategy relied on a small magazine ad, which ran in the Saturday Evening Post, offering a free ten-day trial period to those who wrote and requested it. Customers would then be directed to a nearby store that had agreed to stock the Hoover sweeper for the duration of the ad…. This strategy proved remarkably effective, and the company eventually established a chain of 5,000 reputable dealers from coast to coast. Mr. Hoover’s early success relied on door-to-door salesmen who represented each local store… Hoover also stationed salesmen in dealer showrooms to give free product demonstrations.

Hoover sweepers (soon to be called vacuums) were everywhere. They were in your news. They were in your local store. They were on your doorstep.

This strategy works on multiple levels. First, it ensures that anyone who wants to purchase your product can get their hands on one. This is pretty important if you want to make sales.

Secondly, it takes advantage of the psychology principle of mere exposure which “posits that the more people see something, the more they will like it.” By offering a number of brand interactions (print, retail and home visits), Hoover increased the likelihood that his brand would become familiar and, as a result, more likable.

If you’d like to learn more about mere exposure and other psychological principles that can amp up your business marketing check out our previous article, “7 Marketing Psychology Tips to Improve Your Business Marketing.”

Your Lesson from Hoover:

Build recognition by positioning your brand everywhere your customers are. Don’t just copy Hoover’s strategy verbatim. Door-to-door sales visits may not be the best way to reach your audience. Start by really getting to know your customers. Do some research to determine where they will be – online, in print and in stores. Then build familiarity by marketing your brand in as many of those places as possible.

Jacuzzi: Find your platform.

Image courtesy of Creative Market

Everyone knows what a Jacuzzi is – delightful, hot, bubbly, and luxurious!

But, I digress.

A Jacuzzi is a whirlpool hot tub. It’s also the name of the family that invented the whirlpool hot tub. But, the name “Jacuzzi” didn’t always conjure images of scantily clad folks neck-deep in watery bliss.

The Jacuzzi began its life as a medical device. The original Jacuzzi was a hydrotherapy pump designed by Candido Jacuzzi to help soothe his son Ken’s arthritis.

So, how did the not-very-sexy first incarnation of the Jacuzzi make a splash? The company found their platform.

With the help of an L.A. based freelance sportswriter Ray Schwartz, the Jacuzzis got their product on Queen for a Day, a daytime TV show broadcast from 1956 to 1964… The concept was simple: host Jack Bailey would ask the female contestants about their hard luck story and then, using an applause meter, rule on the most heart-breaking. The winning contestant was named “Queen for a Day” and given a variety of prizes, depending on their specific plight. “Every time a queen had a story that had some medical-related aspect to it, one of the prizes was a jacuzzi,” said Ken. “The name ‘Jacuzzi’ became known overnight.”

If Jacuzzi, Inc hadn’t found their platform on Queen for a Day the name “Jacuzzi” might have been a mere footnote in history. Competitor General Electric may have developed their own hydro pump and eclipsed the fledgling company.

But, Jacuzzi found their platform and that platform ensured that the Jacuzzi brand became synonymous with bubbles and happiness.

Your Lesson from Jacuzzi:

Find the best platform to reach your customer. Are your customers print readers or online readers? Do they get their info from tv ads as they sit on their couch or from billboards as they travel the country in an RV?

Take the time to learn about your customers and where they get their news. Don’t just target social media. Target the social media platforms your customers frequent. Find where your audience is most receptive to marketing contacts. That’s your platform.

Band-Aid: Let your customer guide you.

Image courtesy of Dresser Johnson

A few months ago I was visiting friends. Those friends have a delightful daughter we’ll call “K”. K had a bruise on her leg. So she asked her mom for a Band-Aid.

K didn’t technically need a Band-Aid. There was no break in her skin. She just thought it would make her feel better, she explained.

“Band-Aid” is not just a proprietary eponym for adhesive bandages. It’s synonymous with comfort. K gets it.

But how did Band-Aid do it? How did the Band-Aid brand become so pervasive that it came to represent something larger than the product itself?

They let their customers’ needs guide them. According to this case study of the Band-Aid brand:

The brand came into existence in 1920. The person behind this innovation was Ms. Josphene Dickson, a homemaker and wife of Mr. Eric Dickson who was cotton buyer at Johnson & Johnson. Josphene during her daily chores inevitably encounters numerous minor cuts and bruises, wanted an easy solution to cover the cuts to prevent it from worsening while continuing her work.

The Band-Aid brand owes its entire existence to the fact that Eric Dickson listened to the needs of his wife – Band-Aid’s first customer.

When Band-Aid chose to expand into the Indian market in 1978 the company faced an uphill battle. Indian medicine traditionally recommended treating wounds with iodine and leaving them open to the air. But, Band-Aid listened to their customers and adapted to their needs.

Band-Aid incorporated red medication into their bandages to imitate the color of iodine. Mothers were comforted by the familiarity and children loved that Band-Aids were less painful than iodine. Band-Aid later created a variant with the popular Indian herb turmeric.

The spirit of adapting to the needs of their customers has served Band-Aid well. Marketing blog Marketing Practice observes:

Band-Aid was a brand that changed with time and it keenly watched the consumers and tried to identify their needs. The company had valuable consumer insights.

Follow their lead and you’ll be well on your way to developing a strong brand recognition and loyalty, too.

Your Lesson from Band-Aid:

Pay attention to your customer’s needs and meet them. It’s not enough to create a cool product or service. Keep the needs of your customer first and foremost in your mind as you design your products and services. And as your business grows, check back in with your customers. Let their needs guide you – the customer should always be your company’s true north.

Coca Cola: Keep it Consistent.

Image courtesy of Wikimedia

Coca-Cola is a brand that almost needs no introduction. According to Forbes, it is one of the top 3 food and beverage companies in the world. No doubt you’ve heard of it.

In fact, the brand is so ubiquitous that soda of any kind can be called a “coke” in many regions of the southern United States.

Without question, Coca-Cola owes much of their success to the consistency of their branding. North Star Marketing muses,

From the name to the logo, from the product to the messaging, everyone knows Coca-Cola. It has been said that “Coca-Cola” is one of the most widely recognized terms worldwide, eclipsed only by the word “okay.”

Interestingly, their logo has remained largely unchanged since the 1900s. The script font and classic red are recognizable all over the world, even when displayed in different languages. Even with a massive ad budget, the sheer scale of this branding phenomenon would be unsustainable without an unwavering commitment to consistency.

Consistent branding is absolutely necessary if you want to achieve strong brand recognition. As we wrote in a previous article:

Customers can’t get to know (and trust) your business if they don’t have the opportunity to experience your brand in a consistent manner.

One of the best ways to do this is with a strong, timeless logo. Coke realized this valuable lesson early and they’re still reaping the benefits. Their logo has barely changed since the company was founded in 1892.

Your Lesson from Coke:

Give your customers the time and opportunity to get to know your brand. Brand recognition – at its core – depends upon consistency. Repeated exposure creates familiarity and trust.

In other words, plan for the long game. Widespread brand recognition doesn’t usually happen overnight. So, make branding choices that will stand the test of time and then stick with them. For more tips on creating a consistent branding strategy check out this article from our blog.

It’s always inspiring to spend time in the company of giants. It’s even more rewarding when you can walk away from the experience a little wiser. I hope you’re walking away from this article with a few ideas about how you can improve your brand’s recognition. Let’s review:

• Give your brand a unique identity by creating or filling a unique niche.
• Build recognition by positioning your brand everywhere your customers are.
• Find the best platform to reach your customer.
• Pay attention to your customer’s needs and meet them.
• Give your customers the time and opportunity to get to know your brand.

Follow in the footsteps of these marketing giants and watch your brand recognition grow.

If your business is ready for a quality professional logo that will help your brand gain the recognition it deserves, consider enlisting the help of crowdSPRING’s team of over 200,000 creatives. It’s fast, it’s easy, and your satisfaction is 100% guaranteed – post a logo design project today to get started.

When perusing our galleries here on crowdSPRING, we see some amazing work submitted in the projects. Today, we recognize a gem submitted in this logo project:

The challenge of this project was to create a beautiful artistic logo for wireless artisans. The design needed to include a Wi-Fi signal meter and convey that wireless design is as much an art as a science.

Let us start the slow clap for graphycode. Check out more great work on graphycode’s profile page.

Nicely done, graphycode, nicely done!

“A Christmas Truce between Opposing Trenches” Illustrated by AC Michael. Published in The Illustrated London News, January 9, 1915.

“We are punished by our sins, not for them.” ~ Elbert Hubbard

Analyzing trust through game theory is a fascinating exercise. If there’s one major conclusion to draw from game theory, it’s that the game played defines what the players do.

How does this relate to trust? Check out this fun, fascinating interactive video The Evolution of Trust to see game theory in action and how trust plays into winning and losing scenarios.

Now, we hope you enjoy another great set of links and articles that we shared with you over the past week on our crowdSPRING Twitter account (and on Ross’s Twitter account). We regularly share our favorite posts on entrepreneurship, small business, marketing, logo design, web design, startups, leadership, social media, marketing, economics and other interesting stuff! Enjoy!

Got a negotiation with a vendor coming up? Read this. https://t.co/Ngvg2vlxdd pic.twitter.com/plqefH0r5k

— Forbes Small Biz (@forbessmallbiz) August 3, 2017

These Online Programs Will Make You Rethink How You Can Improve Your Business Skills – https://t.co/fX6y1V02ZQ pic.twitter.com/KFJ1dOT7Xq

— crowdSPRING (@crowdSPRING) August 7, 2017

Why It’s a Great Time to Be a Female #Entrepreneur – https://t.co/dm46aST4My #women #smallbiz #business pic.twitter.com/0blImdFi74

— Cindy Readnower (@CindyReadnower) August 4, 2017

A Different Way — Thoughtful Financing, Or Why We Said “No” to a Lot of Money | Parse.ly https://t.co/ZvlhpZk073

— Ross Kimbarovsky (@rosskimbarovsky) August 10, 2017

Got a negotiation with a vendor coming up? Read this. https://t.co/Ngvg2vlxdd pic.twitter.com/plqefH0r5k

— Forbes Small Biz (@forbessmallbiz) August 3, 2017

Thanks to @crowdSPRING for including my advice on networking: 3 Steps to Becoming a Networking Ninja https://t.co/PNq6bDdbka #smallbiz pic.twitter.com/iEC8Vk8MU6

— Michelle Garrett (@PRisUs) August 8, 2017

Smart advice … How to Start a Startup: Management Advice from Ben Horowitz – https://t.co/ZWJLZtczdA

— Ross Kimbarovsky (@rosskimbarovsky) August 5, 2017

4 Things That Set Successful CEOs Apart | HBR – https://t.co/JzV5Vpu0YZ pic.twitter.com/3kfg0TDv8j

— Ross Kimbarovsky (@rosskimbarovsky) August 5, 2017

A Different Way — Thoughtful Financing, Or Why We Said “No” to a Lot of Money | Parse.ly https://t.co/ZvlhpZk073

— Ross Kimbarovsky (@rosskimbarovsky) August 10, 2017

Shows the tremendous impact social media has on amplifying popularity of content. https://t.co/LmjsWxerSN

— Ross Kimbarovsky (@rosskimbarovsky) August 4, 2017

Good insights … 11 Lessons Learned from Failed Link Building Campaigns https://t.co/jefYXRZiK4 pic.twitter.com/7Uqx4NsGgS

— Ross Kimbarovsky (@rosskimbarovsky) August 9, 2017

6 Unique Real Estate Logos That Can Help You Close The Sale | @crowdSPRING Blog – https://t.co/gNP39i7qTY pic.twitter.com/l74tQMbDkf

— Ross Kimbarovsky (@rosskimbarovsky) August 10, 2017

We urgently need UX designers to tackle larger problems https://t.co/KbJ9FuYi87

— Tyler Travitz (@tylertravitz) August 10, 2017

Fascinating read … Emotional Intelligence Needs a Rewrite – Nautilus https://t.co/couvVwDlZq pic.twitter.com/11K4o4QWuV

— Ross Kimbarovsky (@rosskimbarovsky) August 5, 2017

Important … Why We Desperately Need To Bring Back Vocational Training In Schools https://t.co/pob1lY8llm

— Ross Kimbarovsky (@rosskimbarovsky) August 6, 2017

Lengthy but good read … A comprehensive guide to the new science of treating lower back pain https://t.co/NoKy5wrz8u pic.twitter.com/hSzStqso6E

— Ross Kimbarovsky (@rosskimbarovsky) August 6, 2017

Most business owners say that they lack the time to get everything done.

This is especially true if your job involves travel. Travel puts extra pressure on our ability to deal with email, meet with our teams, review deliverables, etc. It doesn’t help that when we’re away from the office, we rarely have access to the technology and tools that help us stay productive.

The truth is that the ability to run your business from anywhere, at any time can substantially boost your productivity.

Five years ago, this kind of freedom came at a cost. Mobile apps were often “lite” versions of desktop applications, and lacked critical features that would allow business owners to be fully untethered from the office.

A lot has changed in five years.

Cloud-based applications (aka “software as a service”, or SAAS) are widely available and cover most of the needs of business owners, with very few compromises. Toss in readily available, high-speed mobile Internet and you have the perfect mix of access and apps to make any small business owner fully mobile.

To help turn your phone into a powerful business tool, we’ve gathered some popular, useful apps and services that can make running your business on the go a reality.

Scheduling

The days of paper schedules or wrangling with online calendars or spreadsheets are over: cloud scheduling services are plentiful, and many offer robust mobile support. Some cater to the needs of specific industries (e.g. food and hospitality, consultant services, and house call services) and some target shift workers.

Here are a few popular scheduling apps:

• • TSheets – A full-featured scheduling service with integrated time tracking and shift work support,
  • Acuity Scheduling – An appointment-based scheduling system for consultants and their clients, and
  • 7Shifts – A scheduling service designed for restaurants and their staff.

Hiring

Finding and hiring new staff can be fast-paced, complicated, and messy.

Not only do you have to keep track of who has applied, but also where you both are in the application process and who your top candidates might be. Not having an effective recruitment workflow and being unresponsive to your candidates in a timely fashion may mean you’ll lose out on hiring great talent.

There are many excellent options out there to make recruiting easier for everyone involved. These apps have extensive mobile support and will make the hiring process much easier. Check out:

• • Jobvite – Operating since 2006, with native iOS and Android and powerful social media recruitment tools,
  • Greenhouse – A full-featured recruitment app with employee lifecycle management support, and
  • Recruitee – A collaborative system with built-in customer relationship management, background screening, and more.

Remote access

When it comes to file-sharing and storage, the choices are innumerable: Dropbox, Box, OneDrive, SpiderOak, Google Drive, and more. But what happens if the file you need isn’t in the cloud? What if it’s sitting on your computer, unhelpfully languishing back at your office?

Remote access apps give you just that: the ability to access your computer or network remotely. There are a number of services available with a wide mix of features. Some just make your office-bound files available remotely, while others give you full access to your entire computer.

• • TeamViewer – Free for personal use, has collaboration and remote support included,
  • AnyDesk – Another app that is free for personal use, affordable, and very fast, and
  • LogMeIn – This one is a bit pricey, but includes excellent mobile support and online storage.

Fax

The importance of faxing has decreased significantly as technologies like digital signatures and mobile phone scanning apps have caught on, but every once in a while only a fax will do.

Many VoIP providers include fax capability as part of their service. If you currently use an VoIP phone number, it’s worth checking with your provider to see what’s available. If you don’t use VoIP, you can still sign up with with a VoIP provider that offers faxing.

There are many dedicated fax services that include mobile access. Some only let you send faxes, while some send and receive.

• • eFax – The oldest online fax service. 24/7 customer service, with a decent mobile app,
  • HelloFax – A simple, intuitive interface and a free option that allows 5 pages free a month,
  • MyFax – A well-rounded service with native mobile apps and 30-day free trial, and
  • RingCentral Fax – A cost-effective solution from one of the biggest cloud phone providers.

If you need more options, FaxCompare has a large collection of fax provider reviews, how-tos, and other information.

Accounting

Finance and accounting apps benefit greatly from the general public’s acceptance of SAAS. Options are plentiful, and many apps boast extensive feature sets and third-party integrations. Both the power and flexibility of cloud-based solutions have made them quite attractive to small business owners.

Whether you need a full-fledged accounting system for a large business, a solo consultancy, or more specific requirements like expense tracking, there’s an app for you.

• • Intuit Quickbooks Online – This software veteran has a raft of products with broad mobile support and financial institution support,
  • Xero – A close competitor to Quickbooks, Xero has an impressive list of features and support for iOS and Android, and
  • Wave – Wave has accounting, invoicing, and expense tracking apps, mobile support, and is free to use. The company makes money from credit card processing fees and premium services.

Expenses

Tracking and filing expenses can be a real chore. Fortunately, there is an abundance of mobile-friendly services available to make it less painful for you (and your employees).

Many cloud-based accounting services offer receipt and expense tracking. There are also dedicated options for anyone who may not need a complete solution.

• • Expensify – Cheekily boasting “to make expense reports not suck;” their mobile support and third-party integrations go a long way to making that a reality,
  • Shoeboxed – You can go paperless with this service, which integrates a mobile app for scanning on the go. It includes the option to mail in paper receipts and have them scanned and added automatically, and
  • Receipt Bank – Another option with similar features to Shoeboxed, including the ability to mail in physical receipts.

Payroll

Running payroll from wherever you are is now possible, thanks to payroll service companies adding mobile support.  Payroll services used to be quite expensive, but increases in competition and advances in cloud applications have brought prices down.

• ADP – One of the largest managed payroll services offers mobile support, powerful HR tools, and a well-established brand,
• Intuit Payroll – Intuit’s good reputation extends to their payroll solution, which has extensive integration with the rest of Intuit’s products as well as mobile access, and
• Paychex – Another well-known company that, like ADP, offers HR services, retirement planning, and other features.
• Gusto – a company we use and like at crowdSPRING. Very popular with startups and small businesses.

Customer service

It’s a well-documented fact that great customer service will make or break your business. Being able to answer customer questions quickly and respond to any issues they are experiencing effectively will make the difference between a positive customer experience and a frustrating one.

Luckily, customer support services are just as mobile as the customers they support. Here are some excellent apps to help you serve your customers on the go:

• Zendesk – This app offers a mature suite of support products with extensive third party integration (we use Zendesk at crowdSPRING),
• Desk –  A part of Safesforce, Desk is deeply integrated with the renowned customer management system and boasts excellent social media integration, and
• Freshdesk – This is another option with comparable features to Zendesk and Desk, but with a different approach to workflow. There are native iOS and Android apps available.

Find the right solution

We’ve barely scratched the surface of what’s available in any of these categories. Small business owners are not suffering for choice when it comes to services and apps that let you work from anywhere. The options can be overwhelming, and choosing a solution can be a challenge.

Fortunately, there are sites that aim to catalog the vast number of SAAS options available and try to help business owners narrow the field. In addition to feature lists and pricing, many of these sites also have user-submitted reviews and comments to help owners find the service that best fits their needs.

If you’re still searching for the right solution for your business, spend a little time and look through some of these sites. There’s a good chance you’ll find just the thing to help you keep your business humming along, no matter where you are.

• Getapp
• Moblized
• G2Crowd
• Capterra

For more solutions to get your business up and running, check out the free ebook written by crowdSPRING CEO and founder Ross Kimbarovsky entitled Stand Out: An Entrepreneur’s Guide to Starting, Growing, and Managing a Successful Business.

When perusing our galleries here on crowdSPRING, we see some amazing work submitted in the projects. Today, we recognize a gem submitted in this logo project:

The challenge of this project was to create logo as fresh as a cool splash of water on a hot summer day.

Let us start the slow clap for goodfather. Check out more great work on goodfather’s profile page.

Nicely done, goodfather, nicely done!

“Any word you have to hunt for in a thesaurus is the wrong word.”

~Stephen King

The paper dictionary has become less and less frequently used as we become increasingly reliant upon the web to define unfamiliar words or look up a synonym for that article you’re writing (I have never done this, but I hear some people do).

The benefits of using a paper dictionary, however, are not to be dismissed. Austin Kleon espouses his sentimental-meets-pragmatic reasons for holding onto a life long love affair with the dictionary. As he points out, when you look up one word, you’re encountering all kinds of word-relatives in the process. This deepens our understanding of language and leads to better writing as we gain a more complex mastery of the written word.

The next time you’re tempted to rush through a quick word lookup, think about pulling your trusty dictionary off the shelf. You might be surprised to find a trove of word treasures waiting for you in its pages.

Now, we hope you enjoy another great set of links and articles that we shared with you over the past week on our crowdSPRING Twitter account (and on Ross’s Twitter account). We regularly share our favorite posts on entrepreneurship, small business, marketing, logo design, web design, startups, leadership, social media, marketing, economics and other interesting stuff! Enjoy!

7 Ways Your Small Business Can Market Better on Social Media https://t.co/XVk7hEnpsa

— crowdSPRING (@crowdSPRING) August 18, 2017

30 Apps That Turn Your Phone Into A High-Powered Mobile Office For Your Business | @crowdSPRING Blog – https://t.co/AaRNuOCKQJ

— Ross Kimbarovsky (@rosskimbarovsky) August 15, 2017

A Different Way — Thoughtful Financing, Or Why We Said “No” to a Lot of Money | Parse.ly https://t.co/ZvlhpZk073

— Ross Kimbarovsky (@rosskimbarovsky) August 10, 2017

The Truth About the Post-Truth World (And Why Businesses Should Care) https://t.co/LwJbhdNeUt

— crowdSPRING (@crowdSPRING) August 15, 2017

How Much is Your SaaS Startup Worth? | by @ttunguz – https://t.co/ZJhaGRjQHT pic.twitter.com/hxwHafZoEV

— Ross Kimbarovsky (@rosskimbarovsky) August 18, 2017

Good insights … 11 Lessons Learned from Failed Link Building Campaigns https://t.co/jefYXRZiK4 pic.twitter.com/7Uqx4NsGgS

— Ross Kimbarovsky (@rosskimbarovsky) August 9, 2017

What Trends in Email Marketing Mean For Your Strategy https://t.co/jeOdUj7UgM

— crowdSPRING (@crowdSPRING) August 16, 2017

When will Brands & Agencies wake-up? Report: Over 40% Of Mobile Ad Impressions Fraudulent – https://t.co/OL2px9OYmm pic.twitter.com/nGIlZYyptb

— Ross Kimbarovsky (@rosskimbarovsky) August 17, 2017

A look at ways marketers can use Artificial Intelligence. https://t.co/4ya9xWScqp But there's SO much more than can be done…

— Use Curio (@UseCurio) August 16, 2017

How Color Influences What People Buy https://t.co/skOGOc7fan

— crowdSPRING (@crowdSPRING) August 16, 2017

Lengthy but good read … A comprehensive guide to the new science of treating lower back pain https://t.co/NoKy5wrz8u pic.twitter.com/hSzStqso6E

— Ross Kimbarovsky (@rosskimbarovsky) August 6, 2017

Wow – well worth a few minutes to watch. https://t.co/RbCOuZjb1z

— Ross Kimbarovsky (@rosskimbarovsky) August 11, 2017

I always learn something useful from @randfish Whiteboard Friday (this one about a possible organic quality score) https://t.co/XosnAcbHbL pic.twitter.com/wGoIx62LpY

— Ross Kimbarovsky (@rosskimbarovsky) August 12, 2017

This is an interesting way to look at population distribution. https://t.co/DOuBJ33WGj

— Ross Kimbarovsky (@rosskimbarovsky) August 18, 2017

Thinking of ways to market your small business can be overwhelming, especially when you consider the cost and return on investment. Big companies spend millions of dollars every year marketing and building their businesses. Small businesses have a similar need to get the word out but have much more modest budgets.

Here’s the secret that smart marketers hold close to their heart: marketing your small business doesn’t have to cost a fortune.

There are many different strategies and techniques business owners can take advantage of to help spread the word, and most of them are low-cost (or even free). All it takes is a little determination, ingenuity, and a carefully planned marketing strategy.

We’ve evaluated many ideas for marketing your business without breaking the bank, and want to share our top 21.

Make it yourself

Create a blog

Of all of the low-cost tactics you can deploy to raise awareness about your business and its products, writing great content is one of the best.

A good vehicle for that content is a blog. There are a ton of resources and tips out there for getting your blog off the ground, but one of the most critical things to remember is to write about your passion. You are the expert when it comes to your business — find something about it that excites you and write about it. Your passion and knowledge will help make whatever you create compelling and worth reading.

Start a newsletter

Newsletters and blogs aren’t necessarily exclusive; there are many successful blogs that effectively incorporate them. Invision, Buffer, and Hubspot are three companies with well-run blogs and accompanying newsletters.

If you prefer, you can create a dedicated newsletter that has different content than your blog, or mix and match existing blog writing with new content as you see fit. Having an email arrive regularly in your customer’s inbox with content created by you and your business is invaluable.

Do a podcast

Are you one of the lucky ones who likes the sound of their own voice? Or do you have someone on staff with the gift of gab? Podcasts can be an excellent way to build awareness while making your business more human. After all, the human voice is connecting, humanizing, and authentic in ways no other media can be. A well-executed podcast can be an incredibly valuable marketing tool.

Run a sale or create discount coupons

Everyone loves a sale, and thanks to discount tracking sites like RetailMeNot and browser extensions like Honey, consumers are finding them easier than ever. This isn’t just about offering your customers a break on price, however. This is about creating unique, interesting promotions to attract new customers and retain existing ones.

Think about creating add-on discounts to incentivize customers to spend a certain amount of money. Adding free shipping to an order after the customer spends at least $50 is a great way to remove a barrier to purchase and helps build new sales.

But keep in mind that value isn’t only measured in discounts. As we wrote previously:

Obviously, knowing your audience is the first step in determining what valuable content is. Your content’s value is measured by how useful it is to that audience. And, remember that “value” doesn’t only refer to promotions, discounts, and coupons. Informational content has great value as well – assuming it’s information that your audience will find interesting or useful.

So you might consider running a promotion around some of your content and offering discounts as part of that promotion as a way to generate some buzz.

Create product samples

Removing barriers for new customers to experience your products is an excellent way to build your base. “Try before you buy” helps customers feel confident that they can trial your products without fear of commitment or cost. Customers want to know that they’re making a well-informed decision, and providing samples can give them compelling information to influence their decision. Combining this with other marketing efforts can have a noticeable effect on your business.

Connect and Communicate

Form partnerships with like-minded companies

The old saying that “two heads are better than one” can also be applied to business partnerships. Working with another company with complementary products, services, or customers can be beneficial to both sides. You can coordinate and amplify your marketing efforts. You can also explore other ways of growing your businesses through things like product or service bundling or joint discounts.

Create a cool giveaway

Promotional giveaways are a tried-and-true way of building consumer awareness and getting your name out there, sometimes literally. There are old standards like balloons and t-shirts, and then there are more useful (and thus potentially more used) items like tote bags, umbrellas, and water bottles.

Another option is to run a contest with some of your product or services as a prize. The most important thing is to ensure whatever prize you choose has the broadest appeal to your audience. You also want to make sure to promote the contest or giveaway effectively – your customers can’t participate in something they don’t know about.

At the end, make sure you talk about and publicize the results. People who missed out on that giveaway will know to keep their eyes open for the next one.

Guerrilla marketing

It used to be that guerrilla marketing was the weapon of choice for scrappy startups and unorthodox small businesses, but those days are over. You can’t walk a block in the downtown of most cities without seeing posters, signage, and other elements of guerrilla marketing plastered everywhere by “street teams” hired by big marketing firms.

That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take advantage of this type of marketing. It can be very effective (and low-cost) if done well. The key is to make sure you hone the message you put out into the world, and you have a plan for how to onboard customers who respond. Here are some examples of effective guerrilla marketing.

Don’t try too hard to “go viral” and above all, obey the law. Guerrilla marketing is a little risky, but the risk should be in the success or failure of the campaign and not in running afoul of the law. The goal here is to foster and grow your relationship with the greater community.

Networking

There are many ways to network: send someone an email, make a phone call, engage on social media, etc. The reality is there are few things as effective as getting out and talking to people.

But where should you start?

As daunting as it may be for some, networking is a skill that can be learned. There are ample resources online and in the bookstore for how to network more effectively, but one thing that can really make a difference is to find someone to mentor you or be your “wing-person.” If you can, partnering up with someone more gregarious or at ease with networking is a great way of easing into networking.

Other than that, the best advice is to make networking a regular thing. The more you do it, the more comfortable you’ll feel and the better you’ll be at it.

Run an event

If you can’t find a business event to go to, maybe it’s time you ran your own! Holding your own event means you have more control over the target audience, the message you put out there (you did have a message, right?), and what take aways you want your audience to have.

The downside is you actually have to plan your own event. It doesn’t have to be complicated, but having a well-thought out plan is key.

If you’re stuck for ideas on what kind of event to hold, here are some ideas:

• Hold an open house where customers can come “behind the scenes” and interact with your products and your staff in ways they normally aren’t allowed to.
• Find and host an interesting speaker whose message or talents mesh with your marketing strategy.
• Have a fundraising event for a charity you support.
• Host your own networking event.
• Run an online seminar on a topic relevant to your audience. For example, many design-related businesses run seminars that cover topics specific to designers.
• Set up a “pop-up” store in a location you’re interested in but don’t have a presence yet.

Share and educate (run a web seminar, share time-saving templates, etc.)

Many companies have processes and tools that allow them to run their businesses more effectively. Think about how you could share some of that knowledge with the community. People appreciate information-sharing, and it can help build relationships that you might not have uncovered had you not shared in the first place.

The adage that a rising tide lifts all boats holds true here. By paying it forward and sharing some of your secret sauce with the community, you can create connections and encourage others to do the same.

Create a referral/affiliate program

Everyone knows word of mouth is one of the most persuasive marketing tools there are. Tap directly into that by creating a referral or affiliate program that rewards customers for sharing your business. This can be an incredibly effective way to build more business while encouraging stronger product loyalty from your current customer base.

Add a personal touch (write a handwritten thank you letter, send a video shout-out, etc.)

Adding a personal touch and providing exemplary service is a cornerstone of most small businesses, so why not take that even further? Including a handwritten note with an order, or sending customers a surprise thank you card are ways you can personalize your service and make your business feel authentic and human.

Customers remember when they’ve been treated with respect and like real people, and this can’t help but build awareness and goodwill with your audience.

Ask your customers for their input

Your loyal customers are often chock-full of ideas, criticisms, and comments on how they think your business, products, and services could be better. People appreciate being asked their opinion. There are a number of services that make gathering customer feedback and making it actionable easy. The key is to not expect your customers to solve your problems for you — that’s your job — but feedback can help you determine what kind of outcomes or results they want.

It’s important you and your company are receptive to feedback and open to change. Asking people for their input and then doing nothing about it is worse than not asking at all. Set expectations for what your company can do and what your customers can expect, then try your best to meet or exceed them.

Ask for testimonials or reviews

Another way of gathering information from your customers is to open up the floor for reviews and testimonials. Having comments made by real people about your business can be a big motivator for new customers.

It’s important to remember asking your customers for reviews is asking them to give you some of their time. Be respectful of that, and be prepared to act on reviews that are consistently negative. People want to know that reviews are fair and unbiased.

Celebrate your company’s successes

Has your business had an especially great month? Was there something newsworthy that happened recently, like your company hit a big sales mark or launched a cool new feature? Don’t forget to celebrate these events with your customers and the community. Not only does that give you a reason to publish some PR, it shows that your company is changing and evolving. So break out the bubbly and blow some horns!

Get efficient

Clean up your customer lists

It’s not useful for anyone if you’re sending notices and newsletters out to customers who don’t exist anymore (because their email addresses have changed, or they’ve stopped using your product). It’s hard to measure the efficiency of your marketing effort if your customer list is out of date.

We’re not talking about the demolition of everything you’ve built up to now, but a careful pruning of your customer list makes sure the people you’re talking to are actually listening.

Reevaluate your target audience – create buyer personas

Personas are fictional, generalized representations of your ideal customers. If you haven’t spent the time creating some, it’s worth the effort. The creation of personas can help you understand who your customers really are. This helps you create content and marketing campaigns that speak more effectively to them.

Personas usually come out of the combination of market research and insights obtained from your customers themselves. Surveys, interviews, polls, and other methods are some of the ways you can gather information from your customers.

Remember that you want to speak to a broad sample of your customers, both good and bad. Negative feedback is often just as valuable (or more so) than positive as it helps you determine where you need to improve, and sometimes what kind of customer you don’t want to target.

Use your employee’s email signatures more effectively

One really simple marketing tactic you can try is to take advantage of your staff’s email signatures. Every email sent by your staff is a contact point between your company and your customers and another opportunity for a marketing message. It’s relatively easy to have a bit of text added to every outgoing email.

We’re not talking about embedding giant banner ads or long-winded copy at the end of every email. A short sentence with a call to action can work well and is unobtrusive enough to avoid being crass or too opportunistic.

Optimize your site’s search engine listing

If your site is like the vast majority of sites, the amount of traffic it gets from search results is probably a lot higher than direct traffic to the homepage. Optimizing how your site appears in search results is a cheap and effective way to increase site traffic. Google has a lot of specialized search result templates that help people find the best information, and you can take advantage of these with a schema.org document.

Schema is a way to tell search engines what your content means, not just what it says. For example, marking up an article with the correct information can mean its search result includes not just the title, but the author’s name, a star rating, category, and more. This kind of metadata can really boost clickthroughs to your site.

Schema.org has a lot of Information on how to set up a schema document for your site. It can get quite technical, but the basics can be learned fairly easily. Google has a tool called Google Tag Manager that makes this a little easier, and Search Engine Land has a good primer on how to use it to tag your site with the correct schema.

Speed up your web site

All of the search engine optimization (SEO) and marketing in the world won’t matter much if your site is slow and takes too long to load. Not only can a slow site deter customers from using your site, Google’s search algorithm also punishes slow-loading sites by placing them lower in results (due to the poor user experience slow sites can have).

There are a lot of methods and tools for testing and improving site performance. Kinsta has a good introduction to website performance optimization for those looking for a primer.

Next steps

Often marketing is one of the first things to get cut when businesses are trying to keep costs low. This is usually a big mistake. Successful marketing campaigns can be created by any business, even if their budget is tiny.

One of the strengths of small businesses is their uniqueness and personality. Often the humanity behind the brand is what separates small businesses from the big corporations, and this can really shine with a good marketing strategy. Thanks to social media and the internet, business owners can have just as much reach and visibility as the bigger companies, and as we’ve shown here, they can often do it on a shoestring budget.

What are you waiting for?

Does your business need a design update, too? Afraid of a massive expense? Fear not! Engage with crowdSPRING’s community of over 200,000 designers and namers who can work with you to move your company’s brand and design to the next level for as little as $299.

There are many dentists and dental practices in the world, but most suffer from a common problem that limits their ability to build a strong brand: their logos are generic and in most cases, composed solely of clip art. As we wrote previously:

One of the best parts of a logo, assuming you’re not using generic templates, is that it can only be associated with your business. It doesn’t matter if a different company is similar to yours, what matters is that your logos are different. As a result, you have an opportunity to make a unique first impression. Often, a logo is one of the first defense barriers against competition. Besides your company’s name, it’s the first difference customers and prospects will notice. That’s why it’s important to avoid generic and cliche logos.

In fact, we’ve regularly cautioned against using generic branding. You might recall our most recent post when we looked at the generic logo epidemic in the real estate industry.

Think about your experiences with a dentist or orthodontist. Do you remember their logo? Chances are you don’t.

Most dental logos involve an illustration of a tooth with a glyph or shape and some text – usually in blue. And while at first this makes sense, when there is no differentiation between these basic shapes and images, it’s easy for logos – and your brand – to get lost.

You would think that by now, the dental industry would catch on to the trends of logo design and importance of branding. However, a quick Google search reveals that the industry is still stuck in selling their logo best practices as boring, blue tooth logos.

This is disappointing because just like real estate companies, dentists and orthodontists all have unique things that make them different. While they all work with mouths and teeth, some focus more on kids while others specialize in certain types of services or patients.

Some dentists focus on using the latest dental technologies, while others stay old school. Whatever the differences, it’s important to celebrate those differences in your branding. As we previously wrote:

In today’s world, missing an opportunity to leave an impression with your prospective customers usually means missing out on business. With so much competition and the surge of websites that help people find, sell, and buy houses, blending-in is the worst thing that you can do for your company. Therefore, it’s important to brand your business and use a strong, unique logo. By following the example of companies with famous logos, you can focus on what makes your business different instead of what makes your business the same.

Once you start focusing on the key differences, you can focus on standing out.

Now, if you want to be lost in the sea of other dental practices, then you don’t really need to worry about this. You can stop reading now.

But if you want to be remembered and recognized in your community and build a strong dental practice, it’s in your best interest to take a look at some of the logo trends, designers, or other resources available to you – because it may be time to rethink your logo.

And this isn’t just important for dental practice owners. This is just as important for logo designers, especially those working on dental logos. When an industry is stuck in a rut, it makes it that much harder for designers to help companies break out of it. Luckily, not every dental practice has lost sight of unique logo design.

So if you’re still not convinced why you need a unique logo for your dental practice, or you’re a dental logo designer looking for some inspiration, check out some of our favorite dental logo designs we’ve seen on crowdspring.

Bassham Family Dental

We love this logo by freshcreative for Bassham Family Dental. While the colors may still follow the blue trend, there are two different variations of the logo and the colors are softer. The logo has organic lines, and a friendly, open font. This logo does a great job communicating the family oriented focus that this practice is based on.

Affordable Braces

Again, the logo for Affordable Braces uses blue. However, this blue is a bit brighter than usual and there is no generic tooth illustration to be seen! Designer hrouhani does a great job combining typography with illustration by giving the middle part of the A some braces. It’s creative, simple, and minimal. These elements help tie in together the main focus of affordability.

Energetic Smile

And finally, the blue cycle is broken by designer Arijita_b. This logo for Energetic Smile offers a fresh twist on the typical blue dental logo. Similar to Affordable Brace’s logo, Energetic Smile’s logo combines typography and some light illustration to bring some energy and friendliness to the simple font. The bottom part of the E was slightly modified to turn it into a smile. It’s simple, effective, and clearly reinforces the company’s name.

Dental Loft

Another great dental logo we saw was this minimal logo design for Dental Loft. At first glance, the illustration part of it looks like some lines, probably combining to make a building. But designer eirini actually took a toothbrush, simplified it, turned it on its side, and modified it so it was both a toothbrush and slightly building-like. This way, it combines both parts of the company’s name while keeping the logo modern and clean.

Hilborn Family Dentistry

But sometimes, you just can’t seem to get away from the classic tooth. Just like with real estate logos, having a generic symbol doesn’t always have to be boring or forgettable, as surip demonstrates. In this case, Hilborn Family Dentistry’s logo combines the generic tooth and turns it into the H of their name. It’s another play on typography and illustration, a trend that seems to work well for dental logos.

Now you can see that not all dental logos have to be boring or outdated. In fact, many of the best dental logos are simple, clean, and very modern. When we focus on what makes us special and lose the traditional mindset, customers will remember our companies.

What are some of your favorite dental logos?

If you’re ready to create a quality professional logo for your business that helps your business stand out from the competition, consider enlisting the help of over 200,000 creatives to give you great options. It’s easy, fast, starts at just $299 and your satisfaction is 100% guaranteed – post a logo design project today to get started.

Look around your office.

Are you seeing signs of a toxic work environment? Are your employees tired? Discouraged? Burnt out?

If you’re seeing these symptoms in more than one or two employees there’s a strong chance that a toxic culture may have crept into your workplace. That’s a problem for your business and your employees. Unhappy workers are less productive, make more mistakes, and are more likely to seek employment elsewhere.

And, once the word gets out, it can be difficult for a company to recover from a poor work culture reputation. Business.com’s Robert Glazer points out:

In the age of companies like Glassdoor, an anonymous company feedback website, employees are able to share what they like, and really don’t like, about working for a company. This can make it very difficult, or even impossible, to recruit quality candidates if those reviews reflect a toxic company culture.

It’s vital that you act quickly to turn around the negative work environment before productivity lags and employees start leaving for sunnier shores. But before you can jump into changing anything about your work culture, you need to understand what culture is.

John Kotter of Kotter International defines culture this way:

Culture consists of group norms of behavior and the underlying shared values that help keep those norms in place.

This definition lays out a very important aspect of culture – it exists on more than one level. Culture isn’t just behaviors. It’s also a supporting infrastructure of beliefs and values that enable those behaviors.

To effect a real and lasting change, your business must be willing to tackle their cultural issues on both levels.

But, don’t worry – you don’t have to go it alone. We’ve created a step-by-step practical strategy guide to carry with you into the fray. So, let’s get started reclaiming your office culture.

Step One: Identify Problem Behaviors

What’s your brand of toxicity?

Each and every company is a unique creature. No two are exactly alike. When a company’s culture turns toxic, it takes its own unique path to get there. And, that journey determines what form that toxicity will take.

Every bad work culture is just as unique as the company to which it belongs. As a result, there is no one-size-fits-all solution for repairing a damaged work culture. The first step is always to examine your business’s culture to identify your specific challenges.

So, start by taking a good hard look around you. And remember to keep an open mind – you might be unpleasantly surprised by what you find. Before you can make any changes for the better, you have to face these uncomfortable truths head-on.

Here are some common problems to keep an eye out for:

• Gossiping and/or social cliques
• Aggressive bullying behavior 
• Poor communication and unclear expectations between management and employees
• Dictatorial management techniques that don’t embrace employee feedback
• Excessive absenteeism, illness or fatigue
• Favoritism and imbalanced working conditions (double standards or  discriminatory policies)
• Workaholic behavior that sacrifices healthy work/life balance
• Unrealistic workloads or deadlines (and the accompanying stress)
• Little (or strained) interaction between employees or between employees and management
• Unsafe or morally questionable working conditions
• Wage gaps between genders, ethnicities or any criteria not related to job demands and performance

You probably won’t find all of these items in your workplace. And, you may very well find problems we haven’t listed here. Whatever problems you do identify – take note. Those issues will inform your custom plan to rescue your work culture.

Once you’ve identified your company’s cultural weak points it’s time to ask the next vital question – how did this happen?

Step Two: Evaluate the Underlying Support Network

A toxic culture can’t take root without a fertile environment. Remember John Kotter’s definition of culture – “group norms of behavior and the underlying shared values that help keep those norms in place.” None of the symptoms of a toxic workplace culture can survive without an infrastructure that supports them.

So, now that you’ve identified what the specific problems are it’s time to dig deeper and evaluate what shared values and actions are helping to feed and support those behaviors. But where to look?

Kotter muses,

Where does culture come from? It usually comes from the founders of the group. For whatever reason, they value certain things and behave in ways that seem to help the group succeed. Success is key. So it seeps into the group’s DNA.

So, it may be a good idea to examine your company’s leadership and the values they bring to the office. You can then work your way from the top of the corporate structure to the bottom looking for issues like:

• Discriminatory beliefs leading to imbalanced work policies and or compensation
• Dehumanizing employees (treating them as assets instead of people)
• Information guarding causing poor communication and unclear expectations
• Aggressive or hostile leadership styles that create resentment and fear, and undermine respect
• Belief that employees are lazy, stupid and/or expendable
• Resentment of Authority that creates conflict and friction between employees and superiors
• Contrariness leading to a negative environment for all involved
• Lack of accountability that creates resentment among employees
• Lack of appreciation for (or recognition of) good work

All of these problematic attitudes, actions and beliefs set the foundation to build a negative and stressful work culture. Keep a record of these toxic attitudes and bring it with you to your repair strategy meeting.

Step Three: Plan Your Repair Strategy

With a clear understanding of the illness, you can now strategize your treatment plan to reclaim your workplace culture for the side of good. And remember that change is hard work, so don’t try to fix everything all at once. Prioritize.

Erika Andersen writes:

First, you have to determine those ‘accepted behaviors’ that, if you changed them, would have the biggest positive impact on the culture.

Those are the pieces to tackle first. Once the wheels of change are in motion, the smaller issues will likely begin to right themselves. Here are some strategic antidotes to many of the most common problems in a toxic workplace:

1. Listen to Your Employees – Hear their grievances, validate their experiences and make the changes necessary to address their issues. Depending on your business, this can come in the form of informal one-on-one conversations, a town hall meeting with HR, or simple blind surveys. However, you go about it, listen, validate and work together to find solutions.

2. Assign Realistic Workloads and Deadlines – This may mean taking the time to get to know what your employees actually do. What tasks are they responsible for and how long do those tasks take? There are only 60 minutes in each and every hour. You may want it done yesterday; but, that’s not possible. Don’t assign workloads or deadlines that require a time machine to complete on time.

3. Communicate Transparently – Your employees can’t do their jobs well without understanding the context in which they operate. Having the information to do one’s job reduces confusion and frustration, making employees happier and more efficient workers. Hold weekly meetings, send frequent memos or a company newsletter – maybe all of the above. Encourage employees to communicate with each other and make sure you’re sharing the information they need to know.

4. Acknowledge Work Well Done – A study by the Boston Consulting Group reports “appreciation for your work” as the most important element to happiness on the job. Find ways to show appreciation. Tell employees what they are doing well – they’ll feel appreciated (and as a bonus they’ll be more likely to keep on doing it). Build a supportive environment by sharing employee successes with the group. Make positive encouragement a group activity.

5. Treat All Employees By the Same Rules – Playing favorites can breed resentment in the workplace faster than greased lightning. Examine your company policies – do they unfairly benefit one group more than others? Be open to feedback on this point because your employees may see problems that you don’t. Do what you can to even the playing field. And, once the rules are fair, require all employees to adhere to them.

6. Foster Emotional Intelligence – That BCG study we mentioned above included both “Good relationships with colleagues” and “Good relationships with superiors” among the top 5 elements leading to job satisfaction. Banish bullying, disrespect and dismissive behavior. Prioritize emotional intelligence. Provide resources to help employees expand their EQ. Improved emotional intelligence can cure a number of ills.

While these are all great suggestions for every company, don’t try to do everything all at once. Be mindful of your business’s challenges and choose your action items accordingly. You can (and should!) implement the rest later.

Step Four: Implement Your Plan

John Kotter offers two basic approaches to get started:

How does culture change? A powerful person at the top, or a large enough group from anywhere in the organization, decides the old ways are not working, figures out a change vision, starts acting differently, and enlists others to act differently.

If you are the man or woman in charge, you have a powerful platform from which to motivate change. Just realize that you will need to live and model the changes you want to see if anyone is to take those changes seriously. Actions speak louder than words – it’s not enough to simply tell people that the culture needs to change.

Kotter addresses that potential misstep as well:

What does NOT work in changing a culture? Some group decides what the new culture should be. It turns a list of values over to the communications or HR departments with the order that they tell people what the new culture is. They cascade the message down the hierarchy, and little to nothing changes.

But you do want things to change. So remember this gem of information from Erika Andersen, author of Growing Great Employees:

People will change their behavior only if they see the new behavior as easy, rewarding and normal.

As social creatures, humans have a strong drive to be a part of the group. Normalize the new behaviors you seek by modeling them yourself. Find the influencers in your business and encourage them to promote the new behaviors as well.

Make it easy for your employees to implement the changes you want to see by removing barriers to success. This, again, will require that you listen to your employees to know what those barriers are.

The “rewarding” factor is already built in – most employees prefer to work in a positive, supportive work environment. Your job is to help your employees see how the changes you’re proposing will deliver on that promise.

Also, be prepared to part ways with any employees who will not support your new and improved corporate culture. One bad apple, as the saying goes, spoils the whole bunch. All employees should be given ample opportunity to adjust. But, people who work proactively to undermine your cultural improvement efforts are a threat to your success and will be happier elsewhere.

All employees should be given ample opportunity to adjust. But, people who work proactively to undermine your cultural improvement efforts are a threat to your success and will find a better culture fit elsewhere.

You can see a real-life example of this just recently. Google has made it their cultural mission to increase and embrace diversity among their employees. A young engineer took issue with Google’s diversity efforts and wrote (and shared) a 10-page diatribe criticizing Google’s diversity policies and questioning women’s fitness to work in the tech industry.

Google’s CEO, Sundar Pichai explained that while the company welcomed open exchange of ideas, the memo had created a hostile work environment for many employees – a direct threat to the company’s mission of creating a safe culture welcoming of diversity. As a result, the memo’s author was fired.

Be willing to protect your new culture. If there are a few casualties along the way, it’s a price worth paying.

Step Five: Reflect and Adapt

Give your new policies and practices time to take root. Change takes time.

But, don’t expect to get everything perfect right away. After a few months, take stock of where you are. What has changed? What hasn’t?

Meet with those influencers that you enlisted to help with your implementation. Reflect with them on how things have gone. Different perspectives can offer useful insight.

Assess your progress and adapt your efforts as needed. Keep the lines of communication open. Be willing to keep asking the questions that matter and change tactics where appropriate.

Cultural change is a big undertaking; but well worth the effort. Perseverance will lead you to success.

Want to learn to become a stronger leader, maximize productivity and help your business grow? Check out our latest ebook by crowdSPRING founder and CEO Ross Kimbarovsky titled STAND OUT: An Entrepreneur’s Guide to Starting, Growing, and Managing a Successful Business.

When perusing our galleries here on crowdSPRING, we see some amazing work submitted in the projects. Today, we recognize a gem submitted in this clothing project:

The challenge of this project was to create an awesome T-shirt design for the 2017 Comic Con in New York City. It’s a huge pop culture event and they were looking for designs that would interest a crowd that is known for their love of video games, comic books, science fiction, superhero movies and more.

Let us start the slow clap for welikerock. Check out more great work on welikerock’s profile page.

Nicely done, welikerock, and we like YOU!

Photo by NASA/Aubrey Gemignani

On Monday, a total solar eclipse made its way across America. Millions of Americans watched the spectacle, reporting feelings of awe, wonder, and joy. It brought feelings of amazement in the grand vastness of our universe, and for a few minutes, the rest of the literal and figurative day disappeared.

Countless photographers took their shot (ha) at capturing the eclipse, but of course, NASA took some of the most incredible photos. Here are some of their best photos, giving us truly spectacular views at a once in a lifetime event.

Now, we hope you enjoy another great set of links and articles that we shared with you over the past week on our crowdSPRING Twitter account (and on Ross’s Twitter account). We regularly share our favorite posts on entrepreneurship, small business, marketing, logo design, web design, startups, leadership, social media, marketing, economics and other interesting stuff! Enjoy!

The post-mortem: how small businesses and startups can learn from their mistakes https://t.co/4NHuiExl3j

— crowdSPRING (@crowdSPRING) August 23, 2017

How to Revive a Toxic Work Culture in 5 Steps | @crowdSPRING Blog – https://t.co/OmO5vxr9Dm pic.twitter.com/0AgqYOCXFf

— crowdSPRING (@crowdSPRING) August 24, 2017

We're just getting started … 15 Applications of Artificial Intelligence in Marketing – https://t.co/5uJbAOg5AB

— Use Curio (@UseCurio) August 18, 2017

21 Ways To Market Your Small Business On A Shoestring Budget – https://t.co/LgwkQADvoa | #SmallBusiness #Marketing pic.twitter.com/e7l5W9FBrn

— crowdSPRING (@crowdSPRING) August 21, 2017

[PROUD TO BE FEATURED] UK Experts Weigh in on Top #DigitalMarketing Trends for 2017 (via @crowdSPRING) >>> https://t.co/sBp8mbp3rk pic.twitter.com/h4Y7DXIsZ1

— Sam Hurley (@Sam___Hurley) August 24, 2017

Good look at Artificial Intelligence and content marketing – https://t.co/Je4Cgjhrl0

— Use Curio (@UseCurio) August 18, 2017

Another good look at the way marketers are using Artificial Intelligence, from @hubspot – https://t.co/tvvuyc9Tgh

— Use Curio (@UseCurio) August 17, 2017

Interesting insight on Artificial Intelligence & bias … Why we desperately need women to design AI – https://t.co/uNlkW99FpV

— Use Curio (@UseCurio) August 23, 2017

Good way to think about products … I hate MVPs. So do your customers. Make it SLC instead | by @asmartbear – https://t.co/OizVEcXfGX pic.twitter.com/n67DBF9t8P

— Ross Kimbarovsky (@rosskimbarovsky) August 23, 2017

10 Important Web Design Best Practices and Tips for Small Business Websites https://t.co/Sj67L9wmtG via @crowdspring #webdesign #blogger

— Kim George (@YourChicGeek81) August 23, 2017

big, elaborate branding is out. why a 'minimalist' logo can do wonders for your #smallbiz. (via @crowdSPRING) https://t.co/mD9mv57zZn

— joe tacosik (@joebobtaco) August 23, 2017

5 Dental Logos That Will Brighten Your Smile | @crowdSPRING Blog – https://t.co/HlohsHCZLD pic.twitter.com/KfcqdHHypm

— crowdSPRING (@crowdSPRING) August 23, 2017

Design can be an incredibly powerful tool when you understand how psychology influence’s people’s behavior. Science has proven that people respond differently to shapes, colors, patterns, and other design elements.

The good news is that you don’t need a degree in psychology to leverage good design practices in your own business or when you’re creating designs for someone else. You can apply basic psychological principles when formulating your next logo design, website design, print design or any other design project.

We took a close look at five psychological theories that can help you improve the effectiveness of the designs you use to market and grow your business.

Mental Models

The next time you walk up to a swinging door, take another, close look. What kind of door is it? How does it open? Do you think you should push or pull to open it?

The system your brain uses to figure out what to do is called a mental model. It’s the way you think something could work.

Your brain is continuously taking in information about the world and making sense of what it perceives. In the case of the door, our brain assesses many elements, including:

• Whether the door uses a bar or push/pull plates,
• What text labels are present,
• Our previous experience using doors like this one, and
• If we’ve never used one, maybe the memory of seeing someone else use one

Once we have this information in mind, we apply our mental model of how doors should work based on what we’ve learned to (hopefully correctly) try and open it.

Mental models are a powerful design tool because they leverage existing knowledge to help people make decisions about how to use something. Apple used mental models extensively when they introduced the iPhone in 2007. They relied on people’s mental models of real objects like phone books, telephones, and clocks to make the iPhone’s revolutionary interface more intuitive. It’s one reason why the early iPhone interfaces looked just like the non-digital objects they were seeking to replace. For example, the “phone book” had a visual look that reminded you of a phone book.

What happens when someone’s mental model doesn’t match how something ends up working? In the case of our door, we {BANG} push when we should have pulled or vice versa.  There is a mental model mismatch between how we think something should work and how it actually works. This mismatch can be highly frustrating, and if your products or designs suffer from a mental model mismatch, it could mean the difference between an engaged customer and one who does business with your competitor.

Doors that frustrate expectations of how they should work are often called “Norman doors.” The Norman referenced here is seminal designer Don Norman, who wrote about doors, phones, and the design of everything things in his book called, appropriately enough, The Design of Everyday Things.

Vox and the excellent design podcast 99% Invisible looked at bad door design in this entertaining video, which also features an interview with Don Norman:

Correctly used, mental models can reduce errors, lower the learning curve, and make using a new product or app a more pleasant experience. Make sure when you design something you match the correct mental model with how it works. Your customers may not notice it when everything works as they think it should, but they definitely will when it doesn’t.

Gestalt Principles

The word gestalt may be German for shape, but it’s also connected with a fundamental set of principles that are critical to the effectiveness of design. When we look at the world, our minds strive to make sense of what we see. The Gestalt Principles describe the different ways that our minds perceive that order. One of its core concepts is they describe when and how our minds see different visual elements as being part of a greater whole. As such, they have become invaluable tools for designers.

There are ten primary Gestalt principles:

1. Simplicity

Simplicity refers to the idea that the first time we see something, our minds try to see it in its simplest form.

In the above image, simplicity means we immediately see the head of the person rather than the tiny individual photos, which happen to be the heads of Chinese people.

2. Figure-ground

Figure-ground describes how our minds try to find what part of an image is the figure (or subject) and which part is the ground (or background).

In the image to the right, what you see as the figure and as the ground depends on how your mind perceives it. For some, the hand is the figure, and the shape of a woman’s face and body are the ground.

When used in design, figure-ground can be a handy tool to create visual tension, excitement, and interest. In the example on the right and slightly above this paragraph, notice how your mind flips which is the figure and which is the ground depending on whether you’re looking at the woman or the man’s face.

3. Proximity

The Gestalt principle of proximity says that we perceive objects that are close to each other as being part of a group. This principle is used throughout design and is a powerful way to help create visual order.

There are countless examples of proximity at work in design, from icons that have labels to e-commerce sites with products placed close to their prices.

In the example above, the Facebook home page uses proximity to divide the layout into two sections – why you should sign up, and then the sign-up form itself. The “why” section uses proximity to visually connect the reason (“see photos and updates”) with its icon.

4. Similarity

The principle of similarity is just as it sounds: objects that are similar are seen together as a group. The abovve example, from CNN.com, shows this principle in action. Notice how the headlines to the left and the images with headlines in the middle look like two separate groups. This separation is both because of proximity but more importantly because they look similar.

5. Common fate

Common fate may sound like something dire, but it refers to how we perceive items in motion. Things moving in the same direction appear to belong to the same group. A good example of this is watching how flocks of birds fly together. The birds flying in the same direction look like they are in the same group, and ones flying in a different direction do not.

6. Symmetry

When we look at something, our minds crave examples of symmetry. Symmetry creates a sense of harmony and order which are things we naturally desire. In general, we have a bias towards symmetrical things. We find people with symmetrical faces and bodies more beautiful. The same bias exists in design. Symmetrical designs feel more harmonious and easier to take in.

7. Continuity

Continuity is all about alignment and direction. We see items that are arranged in a line to continue beyond where the items end. This is one of the most important principles of design. By placing items in a row, designers can coax the viewer’s eye along the row and beyond, which is a powerful way to draw attention. The viewer’s eye continues in the same direction until it sees another object.

A simple example is a line with an arrow at the end.  Our eyes follow the line beyond where the arrow ends until they get to the circle.

8. Closure

Closure is a fun principle because it plays with the idea that our minds want to complete what we see. Many logos use this principle to create dynamic imagery out of very little. When you look at the shapes to the right you probably don’t see six objects at first, but a ball instead.

A famous example of closure in effect is the FedEx logo, which uses the space between the E and the X to create an arrow. Once you’ve had it pointed out (pardon the pun), you can never un-see it.

Closure is effective because it uses the viewer’s mind to fill in the gaps, which often makes the design more striking and memorable.

9. Common region

Common region is the principle that items located within the same area are perceived to be together. We’ve seen many previous examples that use common region to help visually group related items, such as the Facebook homepage, CNN headlines, and the photo of birds flying in formation.

Common region is very similar to the principle of proximity except it can be applied to larger groups of items.

10. Element connectedness

Element connectedness states that items connected by a visual element (such as a box or line) are considered to be a group. Navigation sections are a good example of this in effect – many navigation areas use a box or set of lines to separate the navigation from the rest of the layout visually.

The Psychology of Color

As we wrote previously:

In a widely-cited study called “The Impact of Color on Marketing,” research found that people make a subconscious judgment about products within the first 90 seconds of seeing it. The majority of these people evaluate these products on color alone: almost 85% of consumers cite color as the main reason they buy a particular product, and 80% believe color increases brand recognition.

We associate colors with specific feelings or ideas, and designers have to be careful to use colors in keeping with how they register emotionally.

Here’s the basic rundown:

Red: a powerful color that harnesses intensity, power, and action. Red demands your attention and increases your heart rate, and encourages people to take risks. When designers use red, they use it with the understanding that it makes a hard hitting impact – its fiery hue won’t soothe customers.

Yellow: associated with vigor and lively enthusiasm, yellow has been shown to encourage mental activity and can even generate muscle energy. Designs that use yellow aim to grab your attention and ramp up your energy levels.

Blue: a calming hue shown to be so powerful an association that it can lower blood pressure. It soothes and reassures, engendering trust, security, order, and tranquility. If your design features a lot of blue, the psychology behind it is betting on you feeling secure in the reliable, trustworthy color choice.

Purple: a color both commanding and opulent, lavish while maintaining its regal narrative. It is also evocative of the fantastic, suggesting wisdom, creativity, and imagination.

Orange: this exuberant color is vibrant, and its energy suits companies interested in appealing to a loud, strong business niche.

Green: associated with well-being, growth, and nature, green is a popular choice when dealing with environmental issues, natural or organic product companies, and banks.

Black: a color that is timeless and sophisticated. When people see black, they feel they are indulging in an exclusive, high-end experience. It’s also a powerful way to elicit feelings of careful consideration and authority because black is a sober, dignified color.

The Psychology of Shapes

As with color, people associate different shapes with varying emotions and qualities. Our subconscious matches specific characteristics with certain shapes, making it necessary to choose the right shape/association for your business.

Shapes help to define or reinforce our perception of the brand. When you’re choosing a shape for your logo, you want to consider the feelings different shapes elicit. Circles often are associated with friendship, collaboration, and idealistic visions. Squares and other line based shapes can emphasize the impression that a company has structure, balance, and stability.

Circles imply positivity and relationships. Round logos convey a sense of community, unity, and perfection.

Designs that feature curves suggest motion, pleasure, and rhythm. These logos are used to emphasize a company’s ability to satisfy consumer’s need for gratification.

When you see squares used in a design, it imbues it with a sense of stability, strength, and professionalism. The sharp edges and well-defined outline of a square promote an efficiency and sense of security in the brand employing it.

Triangle designs suggest power, purpose, and energy. The sharp lines and peaks convey aspiration and prestige to viewers, and companies that use triangles capitalize on that to elicit these qualities in consumers’ responses.

The Von Restorff Effect

Wikipedia defines the Von Restorfff Effect as “the “isolation effect”. “When multiple homogeneous stimuli are presented, the stimulus that differs from the rest is more likely to be remembered.”

In other words, to be remembered you have to stand out.

This effect can make a particular area of an advertisement or logo stand out, drawing viewers to look at that spot. Color, shape, and position further emphasize this focus point by creating a juxtaposition between design features.

Any time you break a design “habit,” you create an element of surprise and contrast that increases the memorability of that particular design feature.

Creating a memorable design isn’t as hard as you think. If your small business wants to refresh your design, or if you need a brand new one, look no further than crowdSPRING. We have the world’s best creative team. Our team of hundreds of thousands of designers can help you use great tips like these to get you a design that is psychologically proven to work for your business.

If you’re ready to create a quality professional logo for your business that helps your business stand out from the competition, consider enlisting the help of over 200,000 creatives to give you great options. It’s easy, fast, starts at just $299 and your satisfaction is 100% guaranteed – post a logo design project today to get started.

There are few statements as widespread in business as “Here’s my card.” Business cards have been a part of any entrepreneur’s self-promotion toolkit for a long time. How long? The Chinese handed out calling cards in the 15th century to let people know they planned to visit. The French in the 17th century swapped cards as a way of introduction, and this spread to the British and eventually America soon after.

Business cards have been a part of any entrepreneur’s self-promotion toolkit for a long time. Hundreds of years ago, the Chinese handed out calling cards (in the 15th century) to let people know they planned to visit. The French in the 17th century swapped cards as a way of introduction, and this spread to the British and eventually America.

The exchanging of cards is one of the most ubiquitous traditions in the business world. This institution endures even in a world dominated by e-signatures and digital address books. You can chalk up their longevity to many reasons, but one of the biggest is that exchanging information digitally still feels impersonal and cold. Business cards are tangible reminders of your business (and the fact that you have to be there to hand them out) and can’t be beaten for memorability.

You can chalk up the longevity of business cards to many reasons, but one of the biggest is that exchanging information digitally continues to feel impersonal and cold. Business cards are tangible reminders of your business (and the fact that you have to be there to hand them out) and can’t be beaten for memorability.

Business cards are also a cheap and effective way to ensure people have accurate contact information . More importantly, they serve as a physical reminder that you met someone. That can become a trigger for reflection and often leads to more business or a renewed connection.

But before you rush down to your local print shop to get a box of five hundred, here are some essential tips to make sure you get the best results.

Hire a professional

When you hand your card to someone, you give them a proxy for you and your company. That small piece of card stock is not just a way to hand someone your contact information. It’s a reminder of who you are, and what your company represents. If you don’t have the skills to create them yourself, make sure your card captures the essence of your brand: hire a professional. Designers on crowdspring have created many business card designs for entrepreneurs and small businesses.

Business cards are the first layer of a company’s brand.  A skilled designer ideally creates your cards as well as the rest of your branding collateral (letterhead, brochures, etc.). This creates consistency and boosts your organization’s professionalism.

Keep it simple

Ultimately, your card should have accurate, easy-to-read contact information. If people can’t find that quickly and easily, your cards have failed. Make sure your business cards have the most essential information and keep the design elements minimal.

Many people scan business cards they’ve received (often with an app on their phone like Adobe’s free Scan). If the design is complicated or cluttered, scanned cards may not be legible.

Choose your information wisely

Standard business cards are just 3.5 by 2 inches. That’s not a lot of space to work with, and you want to make your cards as easy to read as possible.

What information should there be? Must-haves include your name, company logo, your role or position, and the best way to contact you. Whether that’s via email, social media, chat, or the good old telephone, you should have a preferred method.

If you have extra space, you can add other ways to reach you, a headshot, or some other info, but try and keep whatever you choose brief. Don’t offer too many contact options, even if you’re a member of every social network on the planet.

When in doubt, stick with the standard

You may be tempted to make cards with unusual sizes or shapes. Unless you can find a compelling reason to use something different, stick with the standards.

Most wallets are designed for regular card sizes, and ones with different dimensions or shapes can end up more frustrating than they’re worth (and end up in the circular file cabinet – aka the trash).

Think long and hard about what colors you choose for your card. Your brand’s primary colors may not translate to a card’s small size. Also, as we already mentioned, scanning cards is problematic if they’re not a light color. Make sure your card is optimized for readability.

Use the space well

To go two-sided, or to not go two-sided? Careful planning of how you use your card’s limited space is necessary.

Your card is a fundamental part of your brand, so it should be clean and well-structured. Two-sided cards might work well for your brand, or it may be better to stick to one side only. In general, when in doubt err on the side of simplicity.

Choose your paper carefully

Flimsy cards are like limp handshakes: they feel terrible in your hand and leave a poor first impression. The quality of the paper you choose reflects on your business or products. If you’ve picked fragile paper or have printed them on cheap card stock, you may make people feel like they’re dealing with an unreliable or low-quality company.

The type of paper you choose is also important. Glossy paper is usually hard to write on, and people often write notes or other information on the cards they give our or receive. Mitchel Freidman, the associate dean of Presidio Graduate School, recommends writing on cards as a way of remembering the person you just met:

When you meet a person at a business event, get their business card. Perhaps even write a note or two on the reverse side of the card to capture the key points of your conversation while they’re still fresh in your mind. The bottom line here is to have a physical record of contacts you make so you can follow up as appropriate in conjunction with your broader job search/career development efforts.

This type of in-the-moment note-taking becomes much harder if your card is printed on both sides on glossy paper. This may not be important to you, but it’s one more thing to consider when choosing paper.

Think of other uses for your card

Once you have your information planned out, it’s fun to try and think of interesting ways to make your card more useful to the recipient. Your card is a physical object, and as such, it can potentially have some interesting extra features.

A landscaping company could print their cards on small envelopes that contain seeds. A bike repair shop might have a card that doubles as a multi tool. A brewery’s card could include a bottle opener.

Some more strategic ideas include adding promo codes or other coupons to your cards. Companies that book a lot of appointments might hand clients business cards that have the date and time written on the back. Or if it makes sense, create custom cards that include a free sample of your product.

Cards with added functionality may not work for all companies, and their added cost could make them a non-starter. The added delight and brand recall that specially designed cards can have, however, may be worth the expense.

Many companies have tried to create “business card killer” apps, but the tenacity of these little low-tech bits of cardboard endures. The Economist credited this persistence to cards being a fundamental part of doing business that has grown even more important as our lives become more “connected”:

That business cards are thriving in a digital age is a forceful reminder that there is much about business that is timeless. Take, for instance, the eternal and inescapable question of whether you can trust someone. A good deal of business life will always be about building social bonds… And the more that machines take over the quantitative stuff the more human beings will have to focus on the touchy-feely.

Your card can be the first volley in a long and fruitful relationship. It serves as a stand in for you and your business and can be a powerful initial contact point for your brand. Invest a little time to make sure yours is attractive, accurate, and on brand, so that handing someone your card is the first step in creating the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

Does your business need new business cards? Engage with crowdSPRING’s community of over 200,000 designers who can work with you to move your company’s business card design to the next level for as little as $299.

No matter how successful you are or how good you are at what you do, there’s always room for improvement.

Sometimes an outside perspective is exactly what you need. Businesses coaches offer precious experience and tested strategies to help take your skills – and your business – to the next level.

There are a number of reasons why you may want to seek out a business coach.

As a business evolves and grows, you need to build new strategies and tactics to thrive. If you’re too busy, or too close to your business, you may not be able to make the adjustments needed for your business to grow. People often refer to this as working in the business versus working on the business.

Business coach and entrepreneur Scott Hallman (more on him below) shares his own cautionary tale in an interview with Mindvalley Insights:

We began to lose money. See, I made the mistake of thinking that I had succeeded at this level here – I don’t need to make any structural changes to now take my business to the next level. And we had to scramble. We had to scramble to keep our reputation. I had to literally stop our growth… it was a humbling experience…

Business coaching delivers the perspective you need to determine how your business needs to change in order to successfully evolve; and, the guidance to successfully implement those changes.

Do you struggle with accountability and follow through?  As business guru Brian Tracy once observed,

You have to put in many, many, many tiny efforts that nobody sees or appreciates before you achieve anything worthwhile.

Accountability and self-discipline are vital to your business’s success. Business coaches provide that extra accountability you may need. Entrepreneur’s Jeff Boss writes:

A coach serves as an accountability partner who challenges you to strategize and develop your goals while aligning your efforts toward achieving them.

Finally, you may be struggling to achieve real, measurable results.

Intentions are great, but in business the bottom line is king. Good business coaching provides tried, actionable strategies that will deliver increased profits.

If you’re not ready to pull the trigger and hire a business coach today, we’ve got you covered. We’ve curated a list of 7 exceptional small business coaches sharing some of their best advice.

1) Brad Sugars

Image courtesy of ActionCoach

Brad Sugars is one of the top names in business coaching today. He started his journey as an entrepreneur by running a few small businesses while he was still attending university. In his twenties – already an in-demand speaker and business consultant, Brad founded Action International (now called ActionCOACH) in an effort to bridge the gap “between knowledge and implementation”.

Brad hired and trained business coaches to share his knowledge and strategies with a wider audience. Eventually, his coaches were in such high demand that Brad was forced to evolve his business, yet again. Brad franchised ActionCOACH; which now operates in 54 countries, coaching more than 15,000 businesses per week.

So what can you learn from the ActionCOACH? In his book Billionaire in Training Sugars asserts,

The smartest people in the world hire people smarter than themselves.

Brad Sugars clearly believes that hiring smart people can infuse new life into your business – after all, his entire empire is built around that premise. Hiring a business coach can certainly be a wise choice. But, his advice applies to more than just coaches or consultants.

Entrepreneurs who staff their business with people smarter than themselves ensure that their company has the best chance for survival. If you want to be the smartest person in the room, check your ego at the door and ask yourself why. Smarter employees are valuable resources providing a wealth of knowledge that will help your business thrive.

2) Tammy Adams

Image courtesy of Local Small Business Coach

Tammy Adams, host of the Local Small Business Coach Podcast started her career working for a Fortune 500 company. But, she always knew that her true passion was for helping others improve their careers.  Today Tammy specializes in working with and training local small businesses.

Her goal is to help every small business owner make at least $100,000 a year in profit. Tammy recommends that to reach that goal one must first look inward:

Local small business owners are losing money left and right due to poor or weak processes in their business. It is critical that you take a look at your processes and fix the broken ones.

You’ve probably heard the expression “Don’t put lipstick on a pig, it wastes your time and annoys the pig.” The same is true of trying to grow a business with new endeavors without first taking the time to repair the parts that aren’t working.

Before you can take your business to the next level, you have to master the one you’re on. Take a good hard look at what’s working and what isn’t. Then fix the stuff that’s broken.

3) Barry Moltz

Author and entrepreneur Barry Moltz,  is a 20-year small business veteran and a member of the Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame.

Moltz is a former professor of entrepreneurship, a nationally renowned speaker on small business and a successful coach who “gets small businesses unstuck.”

Moltz advocates not being afraid to get your feet wet when starting and running a business:

Only Experience Teaches You: You can’t learn skiing by watching videos. They might help but you still need to find a place with snow, put your skis on, and thrust yourself down the mountain.

It’s easy to become paralyzed by what we don’t know – or by the desire to be perfect – before we move forward. But Moltz reminds us that experience is an essential part of the process.  That means you’ll have to learn on the job – an impossible task if you never get started at all.

So, be willing to take the risk. Don’t wait for perfection – you’ll never get there. And, as a wise muppet once said, “Do or do not. There is no try.”

4) Lanna Hill

Image courtesy of Behind the Brands

Lanna Hill is the founder and director of One Small Step Business Coaching. One Small Step provides one-on-one coaching services and workshops for small business owners. One year after launching One Small Step in 2015 Hill was nominated for the 2016 national AusMumpreneur Awards. Her business continues to grow, having just recently launched a series of e-courses for small businesses.

During an interview on the Australian podcast Mums With Hustle, Hill shares a valuable tool for prioritizing business opportunities:

I have a pretty easy question… When you get an opportunity or when something’s come your way; firstly, is it income-producing? Or, is it getting you closer to your goals?

It can be tempting to chase every white rabbit you meet down the rabbit hole in the hopes of finding a wondrous opportunity. But, with precious little time, money and resources, it’s important for small businesses to focus on the opportunities that will truly provide a return on investment.

Screening every potential deal through Hill’s easy 2-question filter provides a quick and easy way to analyze an opportunity’s merit so that you can prioritize what matters and move on.

5) Scott Hallman

Image courtesy of Mindvalley Insights

There’s a good chance that you’ve never heard of Scott Hallman. But, you should have. Jay Conrad Levinson of Guerilla Marketing shares,

Scott is the ultimate expert at profit optimization. I’ve written 31 books and he has made me feel like a failure because I have not addressed the simple, duplicable profit strategies that he teaches.

Scott Hallman is the founder of two Inc. 500 companies and a nationally recognized business trainer. He once built an IT consulting company to a value of $85M in under two years. Scott Hallman doesn’t mess around.

Hallman shares the central tenet of his strategies in an interview with Mindvalley Insights:

The fastest way to grow a business is to focus on ‘how can I improve on those steps of the things we’re already doing?’

Every business has profit-driving processes in place that generate revenue. Scott recommends making those processes as cost-efficient and profit-rich as possible. He goes on to explain that the money you save on those essentials becomes the profit you use to reinvest and grow your business.

6) Melinda Emerson

Image courtesy of Centric TV

Melinda Emerson, the “SmallBizLady,” is the founder and president of Quintessence Group – a successful marketing consulting firm in Philadelphia with an impressive list of Fortune 500 clients. She is also the host of the weekly discussion #Smallbizchat, Twitter’s longest-running small business live chat.

In 2012, Melinda created the Melinda F. Emerson Foundation for Small Business Success. The organization’s goal is to share and provide resources to teach the Become Your Own Boss business curriculum Melinda has cultivated in her years of training and mentoring small business owners.

In an interview in the series “Wells Fargo Works for Small Business” Melinda shares,

…the most valuable thing in your business is your customer base. You must always have ways to communicate with them: through emails, newsletters, text messages. Focus your energy on keeping customers, and less so on chasing new ones.

Melinda, like Scott Hallman and Tammy Adams, believes that you will be well-served by looking inward at what your business already has (and does) to find growth. Optimizing your current customer interactions and building stronger relationships will ensure that you maintain the customers you already have. The valuable word-of-mouth advertising you’ll generate by prioritizing your current customers is a growth path all its own.

7) Jay Abraham

Image courtesy of The Shark Group

Jay Abraham has “spent his entire career solving problems and fixing businesses.” Founder of the Abraham Group, he is known for his business insights and the profits they create. Renowned life coach and entrepreneur Tony Robbins has hailed him as “the foremost strategist for small and large companies in the world” and “the true marketing master.”

You can find many quotes by and interviews with Jay Abraham. But, our favorite piece of advice he’s shared is this:

Sell the benefit, not your company or the product. People buy results, not features.

In business and in life it’s always good to remember that it’s not about you. Show your customers what you can do for them and you’ll earn their buy-in. Focus on the benefit your product or service offers – once that point is made your customers can learn about the features themselves.

Let’s recap the great advice these business coaches have shared:

• Surround yourself with people who are smarter than you.
• Repair the processes in your business that just aren’t serving you.
• Stop stalling and just do it – experience is the only true way to learn.
• Only pursue business opportunities that are income-producing or that move you closer to your goals.
• Improve the profit-drivers you already have in place to maximize cost-efficiency and increase profit.
• Focus on serving the customers you have to the best of your ability. New customers will follow.
• Show your audience how your product or service will benefit them. 

You may be ready to take the plunge and hire a business coach to guide your company to its next great milestone. Or you may not. But, these icons of the business coaching community have given you plenty to do to get a jumpstart on your own.

Hungry for more great advice to help your small business grow? Check out our latest ebook by crowdSPRING founder and CEO Ross Kimbarovsky titled STAND OUT: An Entrepreneur’s Guide to Starting, Growing, and Managing a Successful Business.

For hundreds of years, people have been worried that technology will replace people.

Yet at every step, technology has also helped to create jobs.

Today, with the increasing promise and prominence of Artificial Intelligence (AI), people are worried that computer intelligence will replace human intelligence.

The Economist thoughtfully reassures us that while AI will unquestionably take over certain jobs, the use of AI will demand specific job creation.

Domo Arigato, Mr. Roboto! (Sorry – I couldn’t resist).

Now, we hope you enjoy another great set of links and articles that we shared with you over the past week on our crowdSPRING Twitter account (and on Ross’s Twitter account). We regularly share our favorite posts on entrepreneurship, small business, marketing, logo design, web design, startups, leadership, social media, marketing, economics and other interesting stuff! Enjoy!

7 exceptional #SmallBusiness coaches sharing some of their best advice – https://t.co/EXCWO6e8Lb pic.twitter.com/obksvz8vzn

— crowdspring (@crowdSPRING) September 7, 2017

7 Things You Need To Know To Create an Effective Business Card – https://t.co/EQP8RqY0uX pic.twitter.com/UYoaEkkIvN

— Ross Kimbarovsky (@rosskimbarovsky) September 5, 2017

Digital Nomad Tools to Empower Your Location Independent Lifestyle – https://t.co/53bDabwbPU

— crowdspring (@crowdSPRING) September 6, 2017

10 Tips to Create a Memorable Tagline for Your #Business via @crowdSPRING https://t.co/r6QigzDG8N pic.twitter.com/fejFlheONO

— Rachel Thompson (@BadRedheadMedia) September 6, 2017

Good insight … Navigating The Make-Or-Break Years As You Create Hockey Stick Growth https://t.co/3uA4ou8tV3

— Ross Kimbarovsky (@rosskimbarovsky) August 27, 2017

Which of the 4 types of entrepreneurs are you? – https://t.co/qmQpbaJNXK

— crowdspring (@crowdSPRING) September 6, 2017

Supercharge Your #SmallBusiness Marketing: How to Market to the Social Media Generation https://t.co/lGpdeFSENe #SOMARK pic.twitter.com/TeMWUq5FrF

— So-Mark Consulting (@JimSoMark) August 30, 2017

How Science Can Improve Your Marketing https://t.co/OP3PN5XYf9

— crowdspring (@crowdSPRING) September 7, 2017

How New Clothing Lines Can Craft a Seamless Branding Strategyhttps://t.co/M2Y1wgCm6n featuring @crowdSPRING

— Caylin White (@cbcinked) August 30, 2017

The Psychology of Design: Why Your Business Must Understand How Design Influences Customer Behavior – https://t.co/xJlyxIs0Xq pic.twitter.com/JHY3v8XwFf

— Ross Kimbarovsky (@rosskimbarovsky) August 28, 2017

Interesting insight on Artificial Intelligence & bias … Why we desperately need women to design AI – https://t.co/uNlkW99FpV

— Use Curio (@UseCurio) August 23, 2017

Brain on the left: Normal

Brain on the right: Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy… like what you get from boxing. Or football. pic.twitter.com/89dXWIY4Aj

— Bryan William Jones (@BWJones) August 27, 2017

Mention artificial intelligence (AI) to someone, and they’ll probably think of things like sentient robots or murderous computers. (“I’m afraid I can’t do that, Dave.”)

You have to look no further than the phone in your pocket or the credit card in your wallet to know the truth: AI is no longer just a science fiction plot device; it’s everywhere, and super useful for your business.

What is AI? At its most basic, AI is the ability for computers and machines to show real intelligence. It’s a computer’s ability to understand your request and work out the best action or answer from all of the available information.

Another term often used alongside AI is “machine learning” (ML). ML is a type of AI that many companies use right now to great effect.

Your wish is my command

AI is everywhere.

Your smartphone uses AI to understand voice commands. Siri, Google Assistant, and Microsoft’s Cortana all use AI to understand what you’re telling them to do.

Much of what you see on big store websites like Amazon or Target rely on machine learning to predict what you might like and what you’ll buy. And banks often use AI alongside human review to figure out if a transaction is fraudulent.

AI and machine learning are not just for large companies. Small businesses can add machine learning to their repertoire of tools to help make better decisions. For example, business owners can take existing customer data and apply machine learning to find patterns and trends that used to be impossible to uncover.

If you work in marketing or sales, machine learning can be used to track how your customers interact with your brand across multiple social networks, all in real time. It can make collecting and making sense of vast amounts of information like sales data or customer profiles much easier. AI saves you time to concentrate on more meaningful work, such as finding ways to use the information these systems uncover.

There are a growing number of services and products that focus on making AI and machine learning more accessible for small businesses. Here are a few of them.

Salesforce Einstein

Salesforce recently launched their AI platform, called “Einstein.” It is a suite of products that makes machine learning and deep computation available to everyone. By incorporating AI throughout their products, Salesforce aims to streamline work processes and make customer interactions more frictionless.

Einstein enables you to become an AI-first company so you can get smarter and more predictive about your customers.

You can find out more information about Saleforce Einstein (and take a short primer on what IA is from its product website.

Chatbots

We’ve already looked extensively at chatbots, but no discussion about AI is complete without another mention of these helpful word-based companions.

AI fuels chatbots.

Chatbots often use natural language processing in combination with machine learning to respond accurately to a customer’s requests. They can understand the meaning behind a user’s words and react accordingly. They can remember answers and make the experience more personalized. This provides a higher level of service.

Chatbots can be deceptively simple interfaces into deep wells of data. They can use previous conversations with customers to respond more effectively to current requests.

Companies can integrate chatbots in many different areas of their business. Customer service chatbots can take some of the load off of service teams by answering common requests and providing high-level information. You can use a chatbot to book a flight, pay bills, or find out if it’s going to rain.

If you’re interested in creating your own chatbot, you don’t necessarily need a computer science degree or a team of developers. You can use services like Botsify and Chatfuel to create Facebook Messenger bots without code. For more variety, Motion.ai, Dexter, and Flow XO can create bots that run on multiple services.

Amazon AI

Amazon bet big on web services, and the gamble seems to be paying off. Available in addition to many of Amazon’s better-known web services is their AI platform, which allows businesses to add deep machine learning without needing to invest in their own infrastructure. It’s not a simple plug-and-play system, but Amazon AI provides the tools necessary to reduce the price of admission.

One of the first tools launched as part of this new platform is Amazon Rekognition. Amazon describes it as:

A service that makes it easy to add image analysis to your applications… You can detect objects, scenes, faces, recognize celebrities, and identify inappropriate content in images. You can also search and compare faces.

Other tools available right now are Amazon Lex and Amazon Polly. Lex uses the same technology that powers Amazon’s Alexa to provide automatic speech recognition and natural language understanding. Developers can use this API to create powerful chatbots without having to create their own speech and language systems.

Polly is the opposite of Lex: instead of listening, it gives applications the ability to speak. It turns text into “lifelike speech.” Apps that understand the spoken word and talk back to users? The possibilities are endless.

At your service

Some AI-based services automate portions of the customer service workflow. Others help make your audience and your staff more productive. Here are just a few examples:

• Gluru integrates AI with your knowledge base to help customers find answers quickly and easily.
• Crystal uses machine learning and your contact list to provide personality reports on the people you email. They claim you can communicate more efficiently by writing emails that better fit the recipient’s personality.
• Conversica is an AI-based assistant that automates parts of a sales person’s workflow to increase sales opportunities and conversions.
• Digital Genius uses AI to help customer service teams “analyze incoming messages, predict meta-data, route cases,” and “provides agents with accurate suggestions and automates responses.”

AI and machine learning services have quickly become more widespread and available as computing costs have plummeted.

The old notion that AI requires huge labs filled with expensive super computers has been replaced with cloud-based SAAS that cost a fraction of what it used to. The fact that the biggest tech players are investing large sums of money into their own AI efforts has boosted awareness and made AI more prevalent and accessible than ever.

Even as recently as a couple of years ago, talking to your phone or a digital home assistant felt awkward and profoundly nerdy. Now we have multi-million dollar ads featuring the Rock talking to Siri. Apple, Google, and Amazon are pushing hard for machine learning and voice-based AI tech in your home. AI may once have been a bleeding edge technology, but now it’s used in many new and useful ways.

Looking for more ways to help boost your business? Check out our latest ebook by crowdSPRING founder and CEO Ross Kimbarovsky titled STAND OUT: An Entrepreneur’s Guide to Starting, Growing, and Managing a Successful Business.

Your online presence is vitally important to your business and your brand.

If your website doesn’t sell your company’s products or services effectively, you’ll find it impossible to compete in an increasingly crowded, and noisy world.

According to the Search Engine Optimization blog Mr. SEO,

…if you are in business, you should also know that 93% of all buying decisions start with an online search.

And, today’s consumers are more tech-savvy and discerning than ever before. If your website isn’t well-designed, quick-to-load, and easy-to-navigate, you’re sabotaging your brand’s valuable online presence.

A 2016 article in Fortune revealed that for the first time, consumers were making more purchases online than in stores. 51% of purchases were made online in 2016 – a significant jump from 48% the year before. And the trend is accelerating.

With so much to gain, your website should be working for you, not against. The stakes are too high to risk losing business due to weak website design or poor user experience. So don’t leave it to chance.

Check out our list of 7  trackable factors that will tell you if and when it’s time for a website redesign.

1. Your Website Is Non-Responsive

Millions of consumers are searching the web for businesses on their smartphones, tablets, and smart TVs every day. If your website is non-responsive, you’re making a bad impression on those consumers.

And, here’s why: websites designed to be viewed on a computer screen are designed to look good on a computer screen. Makes sense, right? But, your smartphone is a different shape and is smaller (at least for a few more years) than your laptop.

If your website can’t adapt to the various screen shapes and sizes consumers are using to view it, it’s going to look bad and be harder to navigate on mobile screens. We wrote about this earlier this year in our post about Small Business Web & App Design: Five Common UX Mistakes to Avoid (see mistake #5).

Responsive design exists to solve that challenge. Tyler Horvath of Tyton Media explains:

Responsive web design is an approach to creating a website that allows it to work on any device; whether it’s a mobile phone, tablet, TV or a laptop… Responsive web design uses HTML, CSS and sometimes Javascript to move, shrink, grow, hide and show elements based on the users’ device.

A responsive website is easier to read on any device, making it more likely that a viewer will actually read and remain on your site. More than that, as of April of 2015, Google has included responsive design in their SEO algorithm. Sites with responsive designs rank higher than their non-responsive brethren.

Every day your website remains non-responsive, you’re losing customers. Time to upgrade to a responsive website.

2. Your Web Site Has a Low Search Engine Ranking

I’m not going to say that all people are lazy, but I do believe that most people prefer things to be easy.

No one wants to scroll through 10 pages of search engine results to find the information they’re seeking. Heck! I don’t want to scroll through more than 2 pages.

So how do you ensure that customers will actually find your website? You’ll need to claim some real estate in Google’s coveted top Search Engine rankings.

High search engine rankings indicate that your website will appear at the top of Google’s search results – making your business easier to find online. The easier your website is to find, the more traffic your site will see. The more traffic your site sees, the more leads you’ll collect and sales you’ll generate.

SEO Blog Mr. SEO explains:

The most important reason why you want to get first page rankings is that you want to be visible to everyone that will need your product/service.

In fact, the top 5 URL’s listed on a Search Engine’s Results Page (SERP) get 75% of the clicks! So, if your site is buried on page 19 of Google’s search results, it’s time to consider making some changes. Here’s a great infographic from WebpageFX with lots of great info about how you can improve your SE rankings.

3. Your Website Still Uses Flash

Once upon a digital time, Flash technology revolutionized web design by allowing designers to incorporate animated content into their designs. Since then, the development of HTML5 has made Flash obsolete. But, it’s not only that there’s a cool new kid in town – Flash actually works against your site in two important ways.

First off, marketers take heed – Flash is bad for your SEO. Sam Allcock of the British online marketing firm Custard points out:

As it turns out, it’s a major annoyance for marketers as well. Flash not only lowers the usability of most websites – it also significantly reduces the amount of content that’s visible to Google’s indexing bots, lowering search engine visibility.

This means that Flash may be contributing to your low search engine rankings.

Secondly, Flash is becoming less user-friendly every day. Custard’s article “Why Flash is Bad for SEO” goes on to share,

Flash is massively inaccessible. Flash elements can’t be scaled using the plus and minus keys on most keyboards. There’s also no ability to copy and paste content, no back button and no way to identify clickable links.

And, if all of that weren’t inconvenient enough, Flash loads more slowly, suffers more security issues and many browsers don’t even support it anymore. Microsoft, Google, Firefox, and Apple have all pulled the plug (or are about to) on Flash.

If your website is Flash-heavy you’re running out of time. Update your new website asap.

One way to check: load your website on an apple device: iPhones and iPads don’t support flash.

4. Your Website Suffers From Slow Load Times

There are few (no?) resources more valuable than time. So, it should come as no surprise that the more time a consumer has to spend waiting for your website to load, the less happy they are. In fact, a Kissmetrics Infographic shows that by the time your website hits 4 seconds of loading time, you’ve already lost 25% of your potential viewers.

For those that do stick around, slow loading times have already decreased their satisfaction with their online experience. In other words, you’ve either lost customers or made a poor first impression – either way you look at it, that’s not good.

But, slow page speeds don’t only impact user experience. They also impact your search engine ranking. Kinsta’s A Beginner’s Guide to Website Speed Optimization reveals:

Website performance subsequently impacts search engine rankings developed under proprietary and undisclosed algorithms, incorporating key factors including page speed, user experience, website responsiveness and a whole lot of other website performance metrics.

So, the slower your website loads, the less likely consumers are to even find it.

Slow load times can be a killer for your online presence. So, take the time to check on how you’re doing. Resources like WebPageTest.org and GTmetrix will analyze your website’s performance for free. If your website is taking too long to load, it may be time for a new website.

5. Your Bounce Rate is High

Bounce rate. It almost sounds fun. But if your website’s bounce rate is high, it’s no laughing matter.

Google defines a bounce as a “single-page session on your site.” and goes on to explain that a bounce rate is:

…the percentage of all sessions on your site in which users viewed only a single page and triggered only a single request to the Analytics server.

In other words, the bounce rate indicates how many people took one look at your website and got the heck out of Dodge. Probably straight to your nearest competitor.

If your website is a blog – where viewers are only really expected to interact with the first page – then a high bounce rate is no problem. But, if you have a website with multiple pages that leads consumers to share contact info or make sales, then a high bounce rate is cause for alarm.

Sam Kusinitz, writing for inbound marketing mecca HubSpot, explains:

If visitors bounce, it suggests they either didn’t find what they were looking for, or the page wasn’t user-friendly.

Unfortunately, a high bounce rate is significant, since it indicates that your website visitors aren’t looking for more content on your site, clicking on your calls-to-action, or converting into contacts.

A high bounce rate is a great indicator that the consumers visiting your page don’t like what they see. You should know what the average bounce rate is for your industry. If you’re not sure, check out this handy infographic from Kissmetrics. If your bounce rate is higher than average, consider making some real changes to your website.

6. Your Business Has Evolved Beyond Your Website

In our digital age, your website may very well be the first impression your business gets to make. It should be an accurate representation.

First impressions are often lasting. And, if you’ve made changes to your business, you’ve made those choices because you thought they were changes for the better (one would hope). Your website should embrace those changes to provide the most positive and accurate introduction possible.

If you’ve recently changed your marketing message, added or removed products or services, or (especially) rebranded, you need to update your website. We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again – consistent branding is key.

Making consistent branding choices increases brand recognition, helps establish a strong market position and grows sales through increased perceived value.

Consumers should be able to meet the same brand identity no matter where they seek your business out. It provides a sense of familiarity, which leads to comfort, which leads to confidence.

And, if your website doesn’t reflect your most recent products and services, how can your potential customers learn about the stuff you want them to buy? An out-of-date or incomplete website is just bad business.

Wael Shamsedin writes in his LinkedIn article Why Having a Bad Website Can Hurt Your Business:

 …people today expect businesses to be as involved online as they are. If your website is lacking, this could be a direct reflection on how consumers view your company.

Make a good impression. Build confidence in your business. Gather more leads and make more sales.

How?

Update your website!

7. Your Website’s Aesthetics are Stale

Image courtesy of Imgur

An up-to-date website gives consumers confidence that your business is alive and kicking. We can’t shake hands or have a face-to-face conversation with a website. So we need to reassure our web audience with up-to-date information and web design that says, “There are real, live people on the other side!”

As important as the information on your website is the web design itself. Web design is constantly evolving – and what was popular yesterday is passe today. And, consumers don’t have to be design experts to recognize stale, dated web design.

Sheer exposure has made web users armchair experts. As of June 2016 the internet penetration rate in North America was 89%.  A 2015 study from the Pew Research Center revealed that:

Overall, 73% of Americans go online on a daily basis. Along with the 21% who go online almost constantly, 42% go online several times a day and 10% go online about once a day.

If your website hearkens back to the internet’s Hampster Dance Era, you are undermining your website’s credibility. 75% of internet users admit to making credibility judgments based on a business’s website design, according to research from Stanford.

We all know by now to avoid Comic Sans and trailing cursors; and, that text-only pages are just not going to cut it. But you need to set the bar higher than that. Newer web design sins include scrolling carousels of images or offers, generic web templates, and dense one-page design. And, the list inevitably grows every day.

Technology races forward faster than we can keep track. “New” may as well be synonymous with “good.” By association, websites that look old or out-dated, look bad. If your website is more than 3 years old, it may need a serious facelift.

If your website suffers from one of these issues, it may be okay for a while. But, if your website is suffering from more than one of the challenges we’ve discussed here it’s time to get serious about planning your new website.

Not a web designer? Crowdspring can help. Whether you opt for a crowd-sourced website design project where lots of designers pitch ideas and compete or a one-on-one project where you work with just one designer, there’s an option that’s right for you.

However, you choose to do it, if your website isn’t serving your business as it should, it’s time to update.

Is it time to update your current website? Or maybe it’s time to start over from scratch? Over 206,000 talented creatives from 195 countries work on crowdspring. They’re waiting to help you with your next project.

Packaging used to be inconvenient, hard to open, and uninspiring.  Much packaging still is.

But smart companies have found that exceptional packaging can create brand value and a phenomenal customer experience.

Packaging design is having its moment. You don’t have to look further than the unbelievable number of YouTube channels dedicated to the unboxing of products to see how far packaging has come. You can now spend hours watching someone free a bevy of toys, electronics, or even food and makeup from the bonds of artistic prison.

The pragmatism of blister packs and frustration-free packaging still have a place. Still, for those companies that ship a packaged good, a customer’s first experience with that product is critical. It’s the first touch-point between you and your customers.

If you’re not investing in packaging design, you’re missing out on a powerful branding opportunity.

As with anything designed, the “look and feel” of packages also goes through the ebbs and flows of trends. To help you stay current, we’ve identified seven important trends that you should understand today.

Minimalism

Simplicity never goes out of style. Streamlined, elegant, and visually simple, the minimalism trend feels timeless and fresh all at once.

Businesses of all kinds can incorporate a minimalist look into their package design. It’s a very appealing style because it has artistic merit without overwhelming or isolating the viewer. Many companies are adopting this trend for their package design, and one of the great aspects of this trend is that there is more than one way to achieve it.

Bold typography against stark white, a splash of color against a clean background, a basic arrangement of simple shapes; all of these are just a few of the ways elegance and clarity are expressed in minimalist package design.

by Sucre

by Branding

Go bold

There are plenty of things that go into a well-designed package, but one of the most important is color.Colors evoke emotions and impact a consumer’s buying decisions.

In fact, marketers know that color is one of the most important choices you can make when it comes to packaging design. Recent trends have designers putting colors to work for their products in innovative, inspiring ways. It may seem like an artistic decision, but the primary color you choose for your design has a significant psychological impact on how people perceive it.

Recent trends have designers putting colors to work for their products in innovative, inspiring ways. It may seem like an artistic decision, but the primary color you choose for your design has a significant psychological impact on how people perceive it.

Make sure you pick a color that represents your brand’s personality and don’t be afraid to go bold. You’ll be sure to stand out!

by Monsterdesign

By reka

Handwriting and handmade

Designers are artists. Their sense of artistry often extends to their handwriting, or their ability to make handmade products look incredibly appealing.

Incorporating text that looks handwritten or has a homemade effect has an emotional appeal for many consumers. This warmth can remind you of your grandma’s pasta sauce, crafted with love, and enjoyed at a family dinner. Some handwriting packs a different kind of punch – like the kind you used to enjoy back in college.

Handwriting is a powerful way to connect consumer nostalgia with your product. If there’s any sure way to grab your customers by the heartstrings, it’s by reaching into the emotional landscape that handwriting invokes.

by TypeDesign

by fresca

Texture

Choose a repeating series of patterns to add texture and a dynamic, compelling effect to your packaging design. While it might seem counterintuitive, the repetitive design element adds a gorgeous and striking impact to your packaging, making it irresistible to pick up and hold.

Capitalizing on a visual theme that repeats itself is an excellent way to firmly emphasize the personality and visual identity of your brand. Your pattern might be feminine and delicate, or bold and imaginative. It might even be made entirely of repeating text.

Whatever the case may be, you’ll be sending a strong message to your consumers about who you are and what they can expect from your product. It’s a memorable, impactful way to package your product!

by irmaK

by glamaz0n

Cutouts

Show them the goods! A good way to creatively showcase your product is by actually showcasing it within your package. A package design trend that has a huge impact, cutouts or die cuts are a great way to show your consumer that your product is appealing and that you’re not afraid to show it off.

Some cutouts might encourage a little hands-on interaction, and others might be a clever way of enhancing the design of your product. No matter how you cut it, this trend is sure to make any customer stop and take a closer peek through the windows you’ve built.

by tonyart

by vassjozsef

Eco-friendly

Eco-friendly, locally sourced, biodegradable. The green trend is everywhere, and packaging design is no exception.

We love this trend because the designs you see are usually fresh and earth-inspired. The tactile pleasure of recycled paper products add to the feel-good experience, and the aesthetic involved always reinforces the idea that you’re helping the environment.

Designers and brands are working together to use more renewable resources and keep their materials recyclable. It’s becoming a huge consumer trend to seek out businesses that integrate eco-friendly design into their products.

Beyond its critical impact on the environment, the eco-friendly trend saves money for consumers and companies alike. It’s an all-around winning solution for your package design needs!

by OwenRoe

by aniram

Whimsy

Use bright colors, fantastic illustrations and fun visuals that engage your customer’s inner child (or real child, in some cases).

Take consumers on a trip filled with whimsy by adorning your packaging with fun, playful design. Don’t be afraid to use grown-up ideas illustrated in unexpected ways – the surprise and delight that follows will be a memorable experience for sure.

Hand-drawn logos and illustrations paired with bold color choices will make your package graphics pop. Grab your consumers attention with this engaging, lively style choice.

by kimsawyer

by anapekic

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We hope these trends give you some inspiration for your own packaging design ideas. Remember, great design should always incorporate authenticity and meaning and should reflect your brand. Trends come and go, but your values and personality are here to stay. The best designs are the ones that reflect those values and personality.

If you need help figuring out how to build your brand’s unique voice into beautiful, impactful package design, look no further than crowdspring. AWe have some skilled designers who know how to get you a design your customers will love.

Want to get your package design ready to ship? Crowdspring has a team of over 206,000 designers that have helped thousands of businesses with package design, logo design,  illustrations, and more. Our outstanding customer service team is available to guide you through the whole process.