So you have a unique idea for a business venture that you just know will be successful. You’ve thought of everything: where you’ll be located, whom you’ll hire, how you’ll sell and it all comes down to the name. What will your new venture be called? Unfortunately, that’s where so many entrepreneurs miss the mark.

Inc.com offers 6 tips that can help you navigate the daunting task of naming your start-up. Follow these steps and you’ll be well on your way to a successful name that will serve your business through years of growth.

Watch out for sound-alikes. Sometimes trying to be cute and clever can end up confusing potential customers that cannot find your business because of the spelling. Inc.com uses “Phaser” as an example as customers may search for “Fazer” or “Faser” after hearing your business name.

Wait for the light bulb moment. It most likely took you more than a day to come up with your business plan. Why should the name of the company take less time? Brainstorm with business partners, friends and family or enlist the help of marketing professionals <insert shameless plug here>.

Let your name tell a story. While it’s not critical, it creates an image that is personal and memorable with your target customer. Just be careful that your attempt to tell a story doesn’t leave your start-up with a sentence instead of a name.

Make it personal. It is your venture after all. Give it a name that means something to you. If you find it meaningful, your customers are more likely to as well. Don’t forget, your business needs a personality, too!

Don’t be too practical. Just because you are making widgets doesn’t mean you have to have widget in your name. If there are 50 other widget makers in town, try choosing a name that defines why you are the best. Differentiating yourself from the competition is key. Create some interest.

Make sure you love it. You will plaster your company name and logo everywhere: business cards, website, social media, print materials, sponsorship banners, advertisements and quite possibly vehicles and t-shirts. You will say it every time you answer the phone, introduce yourself at a networking event or give a sales presentation. In short, it will be everywhere. You better love it!

To read the full article on Inc.com, click here.

With everything that goes into creating a clever advertising campaign, sometimes it is difficult to remember all of the details that may affect how an ad will come across to consumers. The primary focus is to create a well-designed campaign that strategically relays a brand’s marketing message. However, an ad’s placement can also have a major impact on the campaign’s overall message and the end consumer’s reaction. The campaign may have a solid concept and creative direction driving the imagery and messaging, but unfortunate ad placement can foil the intended message.

After identifying the target and creating a campaign concept with messaging and imagery for various applications, the work is not over. We typically trust publications to place advertisements in appropriate places, but that is not always the case. While it is always important to maintain consistent branding and messaging, first and foremost we have to determine who is our audience and what is our platform. Once we can answer those questions, then we can begin to conceptualize design and create copy that is in line with our campaign and branding. Even though misplaced ads do cause you to do a double take, I doubt any client would be happy spending advertising dollars to draw attention that way.

In today’s technological age, an online presence is the lifeline to your business. What is the most important aspect of a website, you might ask? The domain name, of course! The domain name is the first thing a customer could potentially associate with your business, so it must be intuitive to your brand. In fact, Guy Fieri, a Food Network star, learned a hard lesson when he didn’t immediately secure a domain name for his new restaurant.

An NYC-based programmer had a little fun with Fieri and snagged the domain name GuysAmericanKitchenandBar.com, the entire name of the star’s new line of restaurants. The website features a similar user interface and an outrageous parody menu, closely following the original menu available at GuysAmerican.com. Descriptions of the spoof menu items would put a customer into a confused but hysterical state.

If you want to create a branded and well-respected website, make sure you secure all possible domain names. Have you had a similar experience with an impersonating domain name?

Click here to read the original article.

Clients who have already visited the space have had nothing but positive things to say about the move. “Your office is SO much easier to get to now,” is the most common, along with, “This is definitely very Green Line.”

The Green Line team is very excited about the new office space and everything that comes along with it. Read on to hear about the benefits of the move straight from GLM team members.

Click here to read about our team members.

“ It Represents Our Growth”

MH: This new space is both an investment and a celebration of the growth of Green Line Marketing. We have experienced tremendous growth in the past three years, thanks to our incredible clients and team. While we are committed to Green Line’s continued growth, I also view this space as a realization of a dream turned into reality.

RC: We finally have some room to breathe and grow!

LG: Green Line has grown so much in the past year, and the new office both represents and accommodates that. It’s been great to see the growth of this business and even more amazing to be a part of it. I feel like I’m growing in my role as Green Line grows as a company.

“It’s Just…Us”

MH: The new space allows us to create a true collaborative environment, which is vital in a thriving marketing environment. It’s also a reflection of our business style and business philosophy: clean, transparent, and efficient.

RC: I love that we are in a space that reflects who we are. From the green accent walls to the contemporary furniture, I feel we are at home here.

LG: We’re always preaching open communication to our clients, and the layout of this space gives us the ability to practice what we preach with internal collaboration. Plus, the first thing you notice when you walk through the door is the green wall…very Green Line.

NC: Collaboration is king! I’m most excited about moving into a space that is conducive to our agency’s concentration on collaboration. Open workspaces allow all of our team members to interact organically throughout the day and spend less time in time-consuming meetings.

SS: My favorite thing about the new office is the workroom. We now have a devoted space just for creative development and internal critique.

“It’s Great for Clients”

MH: We have our own conference room – no more scheduling around other tenants! And better parking. It’s the little things, right?

RC: Being in a location that is convenient for clients is a huge plus.

NC: No parking garage needed. Our new office is much more accessible for both team members and clients.

ET: Having a custom space for Green Line gives an additional level of professionalism for our clients and us as a company. And easier parking!

“We Can Really Be Our (Type-A) Selves”

RC: I now feel like there is a dedicated space for everything. No more paper plates and napkins in the corner of an office. Files are all in one place. Office supplies are tucked neatly in organized cabinets. I’m huge on organization, so this puts my mind at ease!

LG: There is finally room and storage for everything. The move gave us a chance to reorganize and start fresh with a new, clean and contemporary workspace.

NC: The brown-bag lunch effect – Moving from a space with no private break area to an office with a full room devoted to the lunch break is a huge deal! Not only does it promote healthy eating by encouraging us to bring our lunch, it also allows team members to step away from their desks.

The new Green Line Marketing Group office is located at 5170 Sanderlin Avenue, Suite 204 Memphis, TN 38117.

Cicada 
307 South Lamar
Oxford, MS 38655
662.281.0541

 Click here to watch the video from Choose901.

By Sarah Baker

Green Line Marketing Group has outgrown its East Memphis office space due to its expanded staff and client roster.

The boutique agency has signed a 2,000-square-foot lease in Racquet Club Plaza, where it will relocate from its three 350-square-foot executive suites in Clark Tower by the end of the month.

Started in March 2009, Green Line Marketing specializes in boosting the presence of local small businesses. Services include advertising and public relations, graphic and Web design, social and email marketing, and photography and event planning.

Chief operating officer Rachel Carpenter said Green Line has added two new employees and is now doubling its office footprint.

“The size is obviously the first thing just because we’re busting at the seams,” Carpenter said. “But we wanted to have a space that reflected who we are as a company. We’re getting a lot of tenant improvements by moving into Racquet Club Plaza and are able to design the space and make it our own. It is going to be very cool and very different I think than what else is out there.”

Carpenter said the new scheme, designed by the Green Line employees, is “very fresh, light and contemporary,” with modern chrome and white furniture. Each room in Green Line’s new office will have a lime green accent wall – the firm’s brand color. B&B Specialty Contractors is the general contractor on the job.

Frazier Baker of Colliers International Memphis represented Green Line in lease negotiations. The landlord of Racquet Club Plaza is Thomas “Tee” Shipmon, president of Wingfinance Realty.

As an increasingly technological society, platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Linked In provide us the opportunity fulfill our inherent need for social interaction with one click of the mouse.  Without ever leaving our desk, we’ve just added a new connection to our already inflated network of “friends.”  A wave of accomplishment comes over us…Johnny Social from Burbank, CA wants to be a part of our network!  Our technological footprint is expanding…so why aren’t our career prospects?

Shane Atchison’s recent article explores the difference in Linked In connections and traditional professional networks.  Atchison cautions us to re-think the importance we place on the number of connections we have.  Instead we should shift our focus to the effectiveness of those relationships in reaching our ultimate career goals.  It’s the same rule that many of us apply to our daily business activities; quality over quantity.

As is true in traditional networking situations, you get out of your network what you put into it.  Atchison’s article suggests applying a strategic, organized approach to your social media network in order to reap the most benefits.

Make a plan- What is the goal of your social networking?  Are you looking to make a career change soon and need a foot in the door?  Or maybe you’re hoping to collaborate with colleague and thus need to build a network within your chosen field? Once you’ve got this nailed down, separate your connections based on the need they fulfill. You’ll end up with a much more manageable group of connections that warrant your time and attention.

Communicate one-on-one- We can all click a “like” button or repost an interesting article to our feed but you’ll need to take your social communications one step further to accomplish your goals.  Direct messaging can be a way to start a mutually beneficial conversation without all the noise of a newsfeed.  Atchison suggests sending a note of congratulations when someone in your network gets a promotion.

Make your connections more than professional- It can be difficult to bridge the gap between Linked In connections and personal connections.  However, if you are bold enough to invite your connections to an upcoming face-to-face network event (or organize one yourself, for that matter) the payback will be substantial.  Atchison’s article reminds us that friends in the right places not only hire you for a job that fits your skills, but instead find and create opportunities custom-made for you.

Don’t just connect with people, connect people- It is human nature to be a bit selfish at times.  When it comes to building your professional network, though, helping others is paramount.  The purpose of networking is to create a web, or net, if you will, of people who are actively working to help each other reach their goals.

Stay persistent- If you’re in sales, you eat and breathe persistence.  For others of you, it may take some time to incorporate this last one.  It’s a difficult thing to not feel discouraged when a connection doesn’t respond immediately to a direct message.  Keep in mind, networking is work and as we said…you get out of it what you put in!

Click here to read the original article.