You Know It’s Time for a Rebrand When...

Your customers don’t recognise who you are anymore.
Pull out your business card right now. Compare that to the last direct mail piece you sent. Now take a look at your signage. Are they all sending a consistent message? Would your customers understand what your company does if they encountered your marketing? If the answer is “no” to these questions, it’s probably time to consider a rebrand of your business.
Rebranding can be a scary process. It could take a lot of time, cause confusion with your customers and cost you some money to make the transition. But it may be worth it if you’re not delivering the right message to the right audience to get more business. Before you take the leap, consider these rebranding tips.

It’s not me. Or is it?

Many people think that their brand consists of a logo, some signage and a business card. While these elements are key in indentifying who you are, the brand goes well beyond a look. Your brand is your customers’ perception of your company, what their expectations and experiences have been in their interactions with you. Your brand is also the promises you make and deliver on everyday. Before you start making cosmetic changes, make sure you take a holistic approach to how you do business.

Get over yourself.

While it’s your brand, it’s not about you. It’s about your customers. Take a top-down approach and analyze your entire business, and who you want to be. Talk with the type of customers you want to attract and find out what they know about you and what they need from you. Look at what your competition is doing and differentiate, don’t copy.

Plan. Plan. Plan.

The rebranding process takes time and “flipping the switch” on a new brand could cause some issues. Make a transition plan and get key stakeholders involved such as customers and prospects. You have to get your employees behind the process and get them excited about their new image and, possibly, new attitude.

Finally, don’t cling onto your history, but make sure you take the good things you’re doing and keep them so your customers can still get a sense of familiarity. This will keep the customers you want coming back to do business with you.

Where we can we will!

Even if that does mean stopping late tonight to get jobs out of the door.

Printing in a hurry? Give us a call on 01225 442000!

Improve Your Communication Skills and Influence Others

All we’ve wanted to do since we’ve been a baby is make a connection with another human. If you thought it was hard when all you could do was babble, it can still be a challenge as an adult. It doesn’t matter what career path you’re on, your communication skills will be tested. Those skills may just determine whether you move up or stay put. Here are a few tips to improve your communication skills.

Listen Up. You may think that communication means you should do all the talking. But the key is in listening. Save your judgment until the other person has been heard. You don’t have to be ready to respond right away. Stephen Covey says, “seek first to understand.” Pause and listen without thinking what you’re going to say next. Repeat what they’ve said to ensure you have understanding.

You’re a Ventriloquist. You constantly give and receive wordless signals in your body language. Your facial expressions, posture, gestures and eye contact are often saying more than your verbals. Give your attention to the person with good eye contact. Show that you’re listening with good nonverbal gestures, such as an occasional head nod or uncrossed arms. Think about your nonverbal cues as you’re speaking.

Stay Present. If you’re not ready for the conversation because of other distractions, it will only cause problems. Ask to defer the conversation so you can both be emotionally available. Then, understand why you’re trying to communicate in the first place. There’s no need to bring up the past as it does nothing but confuse the issue at hand. If you’re having a difficult conversation, focus on “I Statements” that remove any accusatory tone.

Communication is often to blame for many issues. Be the one that makes a difference and practice good communication skills. Accept responsibility for poor communication, apologise and now the real communication can begin.

Thank you for the feedback!

We always like to make life a little easier here at Minuteman Press. So following the phone call we have just taken it was mentioned that our opening could not be found easily on our website, they are currently two clicks from the home page to find them.

We have therefore made it easier by adding these details to our home page.

Our opening hours are 9am to 5.30pm Monday to Friday.

Of course ou can request a estimate or place a print order anytime day or night through our website www.minutemanbath.co.uk

We are feeling the love.

Minuteman Press Bath are the most loved printer in the UK as voted by local people on The Best of!

Check out what our customers have to say here.

Google Places Puts Your Business on the Map

First there was Google Maps that gave you a birds-eye view of the world. But that wasn’t good enough, so Google gave us Google Street that allowed us to place the little yellow figure on designated streets to see a 360 degree view of the area. Now you can add valuable information about your business while prospects are standing right in front of your virtual door step. Everyone should set up this free listing for their business. Here are some helpful tips for Google Places.

Get your place in Google Places.
The first thing you need to do is set up a Google Places account for your business. This free directory displays your business phone number, website, operating hours and additional photos directly in Google Street view. Now customers get essential information without leaving the map. To set up your Google Places account, visit http://www.google.com/places.

Offer a reward.
Create a promotion that is specific to your Google Places entry. If you’re the type of business that uses coupons, here’s an opportunity to distribute one at no cost to you. From your entry you can drive people to your website for additional interactions with your business. With this information you can find out exactly how many visitors have come to your website through Google Places.

Support is key.
Customers can rate their experience with you in Google Places, and the difference between a four star and a five star business can be a deal breaker for some searchers. If customers have a great experience with your business they’ll share it. Conversely a bad review is just as likely to seep out onto the web. So give your customers the service and experience you want shared with the world. Don’t be afraid to encourage customers to write a review.

Check out Minuteman Press Bath on Google Places!

Your business card is your first impression...

...so be sure to get it right first time.

If you have a good business running full time and it is flourishing every moment then surely you will need business cards for various reasons pertaining to your business. They are a good source of advertisement and you can get business card printing done at very low rates almost anywhere. Nevertheless, it is better to get business card printing done by the best in this business. Professionally, if you want your business cards to promote your business well then it is better to deal with a person than a website.

Avoiding Traps:

There are several common mistakes that people make while getting business cards printed. Some of them use sub standard materials - wrong paper or wrong ink – remember these cards are a showcase to your actual business. Hence, you must design them so that they are appealing and at the same time a good advertising source too. So, get professionals to design your business cards.

Avoid creating cryptic cards. Just getting your business name and e-mail address or phone number printed on the card not enough. Clearly define what your business all about so that people get a good idea about your business. Unless people are impressed they won’t become your clients.

Sometimes it happens we try cramming as much information as possible in a small card. This is a bad move. It is a bad idea to get your business card over crowded. This will ward off any prospective client and won’t help in any way.

Incorporating Unique Elements:

Creating a good business card involves the incorporation of unique ideas. It should be eye catching and should give your message in short and effective manner. It is also very important to have proper colour contrasts so that the card is easy to read for one and all.

Reasons not to Print Online:

It is best to get your business card printing done by a business with a personal touch, with someone who will look at your design and advise on the best colours, stock and finish. One of the reasons is that with this method you can easily avoid all the common issues that will arise. Moreover, they will have good and experienced professional who will provide the best solution according to your requirements. It also saves a lot of time that would have been spent if you had to keep running all around to buy stuff you require.

If you want to get the best business cards printed to advertise or expand your business then you can get it done only with the help of companies like Minuteman Press.