“The path to success is to take massive,

determined actions.” ―Tony Robbins

These have been strange times indeed; it’s as though the whole world chose to go crazy all at once. Terrible things have happened that have hurt us, and these occurrences have solidified my strong beliefs in building up marginalized communities by BUILDING the people in marginalized communities. Right now, we are all taking a knee for the cause, but while we’re doing that, I say that we need to mentally & spiritually STAND UP, brothers and sisters. At the rate in which hate crimes and stereotypical biases are happening, we’re going to have really sore knees soon. What we need to do is stand up; stand up to the racists and the racism, and the disrespect, and the violence, and the lies. Don’t stop the protest; I’m not saying we should, but we have been backed into a corner by people who hold on too strongly to their theories about us. What we need to do is build. FOR ALL PEOPLE.

The future needs to be inclusive of people of every gender, every color etc and we are the ones who have to build that future. Why? The math is simple: John may not be a bully, but if John has never been bullied, then he does not understand why the bullied people are so hurt, and how he can change it. We, the marginalized ones, in our myriad of colors and faiths, we are the ones who understand the problem because we have felt it, we are the ones who can change things, not the bystander. For this reason, we cannot just wait for things to change, we need to start building systems, platforms and legacies that respect and reward us for the things that we know how to do, our skills and talents, and not how we look or the things people say we typically do.

I know I hardly say things in such a serious tone, but this is #theActionAge, people. We have to make change.

We have to succeed, for today’s generation and the next. And to succeed, we need to take definite action; purposefully planned out actions. Build a business, but don’t just do it, plan for its success. Establish the brand, but don’t take it lightly; it has to succeed. In the same way that we are famous for our music and out athletics, it’s time for us to also begin to intentionally create opportunities that enable our people to be recognized for our intellectual skills as well; our technology skills, our business skills, our writing skills, our marketing skills, all the above skills. It’s time for us to build, and we have to do it purposefully as a great way to attain wealth, but also as a cultural rebrand to change the bad press.

Little girls should not just choose to be teachers or nurses anymore because they already know how hard it is to get other jobs when you’re colored and female. Our young man should be able to go ahead and plunge into any industry, knowing that there are companies that will review his resume and not mind that his name is Kwame or Ahmed. The future is happening as you read this, take action to define it the way you want. We have waited for really long to have equal opportunities; while we wait and ask for it, let us also act to create it.

In the coming articles, I will share with you how you can build a great business brand and how you can enhance your existing business with technology, the one equalizer. I will also be sharing the things that I’m doing to create equal opportunities for the people who have never had them. The time for talking is over; we’re on to the phase of action.

“The great danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short;

but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark.” – Michelangelo

Here’s the thing; businesses are classified according to number of employees and annual revenue, not capacity, appearance or even location. So many people say, “Oh you know, it’s just a small business” and they use this to justify their refusal to grow. I shake my head! There is no such thing as just a small business; a business is a business, is a business. And if there is anything that you can do to scale up and give your business a facelift, take action.

Here are some mistakes small businesses owners make and justify it with the speech about it being just a small business;

• No representation on digital media

Small business owners make the incredibly terrible mistake of having no digital representation at all, and depending on customers who walk in off the street. This is 2020; first, there is no one walking on the street right now; second, why limit yourself to just your community? The internet has an unbeatable reach that even a sign on the busiest street cannot trump. Digital representation is not just for “big” organizations. Getting your business online costs next to nothing, and you get the opportunity to reach millions of people who want you’re offering.

• Inconsistent brand style

Most think a brand style means brand color but it is much more than that. Much more. Every brand needs to pick a personality; are you bright and uplifting, or somber and focused? People who are this today and that tomorrow don’t have a lot of friends, because we all want to be sure who we’re dealing with. Define your brand style; pick colors that relate who you are yes, but also a font that communicates your message best, a photography style that resonates with your tone. A brand voice for that tone!

Without a defined brand style, businesses get lost in the crowd. Your brand style is unique and says, “This is us”. Every consumer likes to be able to pick out their favorite brand from all the others. This is not something only “big” companies do, every business needs this.

• No website

People should not have to drive to your shop to experience your business. Even if you’re trying to give off a mom and pop vibe, you can do that through a website. With a website, people can walk through your business, feel you out, and make a decision about your business without getting out of bed, and everyone wants to be able to do that. Take who you are in person, and pour it into a website, translate it in simple language, and let your target audience get to meet you. Rather than sitting at the counter, reading a book, and attending to three customers a day, you can take orders online and offline, and achieve the goal of your business.

These issues hold back many businesses and they don’t reach their potential because the owners think small means gingerbread house. There is so much that you can do with your small business, opening yourself up to opportunities and leading your target audience to you. This is #theActionAge, and I’m here to help you take action. Follow the articles in #theActionAge series, and get ready to make moves. Which of the listed mistakes have you been making and what are you going to do about it?

Get Out There

 “Create something people want to share.” John Jantsch

Picture this;

Shop 1:

“Hey! I sell stuff. Come. Buy.”

Shop 2:

“Hi! How are you? How are you finding the weather today? Hotter than you expected, right? I know. You must be having trouble remembering all the things you want to buy. That’s why I never go shopping without a list. It saves me a lot of trouble, and a whole lot of money. Without a list, I could need fruits and cereal but leave the store with canned soup and a puppy!”

Which of these shops are you buying from? Definitely the one with all the conversation, unless of course you’re a robot/alien. Everyone wants to feel seen, and heard. Have you ever bought something you didn’t need because you liked the store or the store owner? One of the biggest mistakes that business owners make is thinking that all you need to do in marketing is marketing. It’s not enough. The most important part of your marketing plan is content. Without it, you’re just wasting money on ads and design. People want to be spoken with, and not just spoken to. Content is conversation, and you need to start having some.

Why do you need content for your business?

Content helps to build trust.

What helps people, helps business. – Leo Burnett

Until you’re saying something to people, you’re still just a business to them. When you start to share content and actually make effort to talk to them, you become a person, or people. The more content you share, the more relatable you become, and the more your target audience trusts you.

Content is the information you create, publish, promote and share with your specific audience. It is the only way that a business can show their target that they care about them. Ok, it’s one of the ways, but it’s very important. Educational content shows them that you know what you’re doing, and engaging content shows that you know them and you would like to hear from them.

The value that you create with content without asking for anything back makes your audience feel that they can trust you with their patronage. The tips, the advice, the inspirational words, the how to’s, the DIY’s, all of these make people feel that they can trust your intentions towards them, and consequently, your product.

Content helps you to capture attention and keep it.

If you’re not saying something, your target audience is not even going to know you’re there. But with content, you are putting out something for them to see. No one walks into a store without a referral or a sample in the window, just because they thought it might be nice. Your business cannot depend on the actions on “chance”.

Creating and publishing good content is like placing samples in the window, it makes people want to come in and take a look. In this case, good content makes your target audience want to click on see more. More importantly, content gives people the sense of a personal connection with you or your business, and it makes them want to come back, even when your product is not-so-great. People want connections, and these emotional connections can move the wallet more than most things can. Of course, this shouldn’t make you sell products that suck.

No matter the kind of business you do, content will help you immensely. Put up quality content on your website, blog, social media and everywhere else, and you will find yourself with loyal customers, the kind that recommends you without being asked to. Create content that teaches and touches; show people that you care about more than just their money, by giving them something they don’t have to pay for. Start now to create relevant content for your business.

What are your problems with content creation? Talk to me about them, and I’ll do my best to help.