The Badass CEO

Photographer: Slidebean | Source: Unsplash Branding Practices That Will Help New Business Owners Grow With Confidence How do you create a brand for your business that resonates with the right market? It starts with understanding exactly what a brand is…and what it isn’t. There are lots of components that matter when you’re making branding decisions, but the one most people first think of–the visual elements, such as an eye-catching logo–isn’t the most important. Branding is about everything that goes into your business that builds customer perception , from your ability to engage and respond professionally with your audience on social media to your ethics where sourcing materials and ingredients are concerned . When your customers see your logo, you want them to associate it with everything they’re looking for in a business. Here’s how to achieve the perfect brand: Figure out who your customer is You can’t sell a product or service to someone without first knowing what they’re looking...

Photographer: KOBU Agency | Source: Unsplash One common link between most CEOs and entrepreneurs is they didn’t get where they are on their own. So as you embark on your career or starting a company, you must surround yourself with role models or mentors to help you along the way. Only 5% of CEOs are females, and only 1.7% of female entrepreneurs ever reach a million dollars in sales. I believe one of the main reasons is because women don’t ask for help and seek mentors. The path to building your own business or climbing the corporate ladder is unknown and difficult, so having someone with experience to guide and advise you is crucial. Many CEOs and founders have mentors (even after huge success) because they look to these mentors for growth and wisdom over time. Where do you find these mentors? You can hire a business coach. You can look at someone who has done what you wanted to do in the same industry or a different one and learn everything about that person. If they are too po...

Photographer: William Iven | Source: Unsplash Have you thought about raising capital for your business, but the process seems daunting? Your instinct is to secure a bank loan, but this may not be an option for you because banks want loans secured by a personal asset. You will need to seek capital from other people or companies. There is a process that every scalable business goes through to raise money, which I will explain here for you. Typically at the beginning of your business journey, a lot, if not most of the funding is coming from you or your loved ones. This initial funding allows you to get the business off the ground, create some marketing materials, and secure sales to show investors. After the Friends and Family Round, which is self-funding and small investments from friends, family, mentors, and a proven track record, you are ready to start a seed round. DEVELOPMENT STAGE Seed Round: A seed round refers to the initial round in which a few investors, typically angel in...

Happy 2021! As we celebrate the start of another year and reflect on the lessons from 2020 we want to move forward with, I think it is a great time to set goals and resolutions for your business that will help it grow and flourish. Resolutions can be quite daunting especially when we go for the typical “save more money” or “eat better”, “lose this/gain that” - instead I recommend creating goals that are specific, have actionable steps attached to them, and most importantly are realistic for the year time frame we set. Business resolutions can cover a wide array of topics from selling an X amount of your products, to expanding into a new industry, all the way to taking the first steps to start your own business - wherever you are in your badass CEO journey I encourage you to face 2021 with confidence, patience, and grit. Here are four goals to put on your list for ways to improve your business that I have found to help me in my own growth. Improve your business’s social media presence ...