But how mad is that here I am in the hills behind Byron Bay on the laptop and Dave is in some big city in America and together we are collaborating on making a small funky ad which he will work with me to upload into the social media networks and help me drive business to my site!  Completely love the internet community!

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It seems to me that to get the best our of the team you have to give them the best and rewards that are unexpected and fun are really well appreciated.  I really appreciate the extra help these two staff members have given me in the last few months and I think they were both pretty thrilled with the days events.  After all while we had Breakfast on the Gold Coast, we had lunch in Sydney and dinner in Brisbane!

It was a perfect day to see the Opera House and cruise on the harbour.  Sadly I broke my sunglasses and it may be months before we get back.  However we checked out the current uniforms that were being worn and know we are more than easily keeping up with the marketplace for design, competitiveness and quality, infact Complete Uniforms leads the way for customised unique quality sports team uniforms and school wear.

With this in mind and a free day for discussion we swapped some tremendous ideas for business growth and product strategy.  The day infact was not just a rewards day but a substantially important day for creation of new business initiatives. 

My main point from this ‘blog’ is to really let others understand that it is important to recognise staff for their commitment and it is important to have time with staff in a nonwork environment to help develop company strategy.

Reward Staff

Listen to Staff

Complete Uniform Solutions truly believes the most important and valuable asset to its business is the great contributions made daily by the staff.

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Some of the best priced custom jackets are being supplied this year featuring zip in hoodies, great fleece lining, seam sealing for waterproofing, zip pockets and flash extras with piping and contrast colours.  Best of all our factories do an excellent job with the embroidery and printing on these garments and minimal cost.  How many do you have to order!  Not that many our minimum order for custom manufactured sublimated or cut and sew garments for sports teams is just one team!

Obviously the pricing is structured to be better when you do the whole club, so rethink the look of the club this season, have a go with our online designers and send in some of your ideas.  We will complete the designs for you to present to other club members and no worries our delivery schedule is so fast your uniforms and shirts will be ready in 5 weeks!

If you are not sure what you want just email us an enquiry with your club colours and we will redesign a whole look for you. You can use part or all of the products on the design to brand the club and unite the team and supporters.  Image is Everything!

Gentle Giants and Complete Uniform Solutions have welcomed on board two new staff members so that we can better service our clients with fast and efficient purchasing of uniforms.

We offer specific deals to our schools for the purchase of sports team apparel when they already purchase their school uniforms from us at a wholesale arrangement.  Not bad save time and be efficient use our team we’re here for you.

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Those of you that know our company, Gentle Giants Clothing or know it as Gentle Giants Sportswear & Uniforms will be familiar with our recent expansion via the purchase of  Summerland Corporate Uniforms, Lismore.  This has enabled us to now offer two extensive retail showrooms with efficient service, build our client portfolio and it has kept us busy.

It is now 6 months running both businesses.  We have had to create new accounting systems and train staff etc.  All the things that are necessary to keep things running smoothly.  BUt importantly we are now looking at moving to larger premises and rebranding.  So now I need to consider company names, logos and websites. 

Our business names have in the past been what they were when we purchased them.  No changes.  Now five nearly six years on for Gentle Giants, a manufacturer of school uniforms, sports team apparel and surf club clothing we need to get creative. 

Coming up with names was not so hard, finding names and domains that were available has been tricky. I think we are nearly  there so be prepared for the surprise as we relaunch ourselves.

My considerations for name were mainly that it was memorable and directed people to what we do.  We custom manufacture uniforms. We offer unique and complete uniform solutions.  We work with organisations to make sure their staff look good and reflect well on the company.  We work with schools to design develop and deliver quality school uniforms etc etc.

The great rules we have to consider now with our logo design are:

* not to use more than 3 colours

* keep it simple, stupid

* fonts must be easy enough for Grandma to read

* logo must be recognizable

* a unique shape or layout

* ignore what your spouse says

* confirm it is appealing to more than 4 people

* make sure it is recognizable in one colour also

* make sure it is recognizable when resized

* make it look timeless

* consider the places the logo will be used

* a connection with what it represents

* a photo is not a logo

* the logo hould be solid

* the logo  should invoke feelings of confidence

* the logo should be functional

* the logo should be balanced

* avoid bright neon colours

Gosh there is a lot so perhaps to make sure I get the right logo with the best possible artwork I will need input and advice.  Anything I have missed off the list of considerations please let me know.   This logo must present well on my signs and especially on my website.  We have a whole rebuild happening there to reflect our changing business.  

Send me some comments re logo designs so I can get it right.

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The big question that we are concerned with is running a successful small business in a  rural town.  Well it is no different to running a business in any town.

As an entrepreneur you wear many hats, we all know that one.  It’s one of the things that make being an entrepreneur so exciting.  At the same time you are developing your product, you’re ensuring everyone is on task, trouble shooting etc etc.

In all this process don’t forget the marketing, specifically the branding. 

Many business owners think that salesmanship and marketing are enough to succeed in business.  But there is another level to aspire to!  Creating a brand.

Your brand creates your image, and proper branding places you in the marketplace and creates loyalty.

Brands are not just logos or tag lines.  Brands are a statement of who you are, why you are different and why a buyer should purchase from you.  it is important to consistantly communicate your brand.

For this you need a good logo.  Your logo should be memorable.  Think the golden arches.. very memorable.  Your logo should be able to be reproduced as a great print and/or embroidery. 

There are a lot of factors to consider with logo design as part of your branding.  We are just getting started on the topic.  The many different promotional products that you will purchase to display your branding and message means you must get a quality design, quality artwork and presentation. It is critical.

Gentle Giants Sportswear & Uniforms strives to communicate with your company in a strong working partnership that develops and translates your brand and concepts into striking visual designs for products and uniforms.

Ballina Lighthouse JSLC nippers uniforms

There are many great books you can read and websites you can view to help you with understanding the importance of brand recognition and how to create a brand.  One of the sites I have found incredibly helpful is http://www.articlealley.com/article_1719_15.html

On my next blog entry I hope to cover more about branding, staff uniforms, logos, and promotional products. 

Cheers

The team at Gentle Giants – logos’R'us!        

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‘Think global, act local’.. it means so much more.. it means putting your hand up and sponsoring a local sporting team.  Luckily Gentle Giants manufactures and supplies sports team apparel, tshirts, printing and embroidery.  We will often supply these to a team and splash our logo on the items.  It gives us great advertising and it really helps our local community.

I could keep going on this subject but I am far more fascinatedAbout the Giant by a compulsion to master blogging and to get this blog noticed.. I am a blog beginner and wonder if I need to tattoo the blog address on my forehead to get people to notice it!  Some handy advice has come my way by true pro-bloggers and I am about to try it all.  I will update and let you know what works. But if you have any ideas please feel free to share!

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Mouse and money

Running a small business in a country town isn’t really so different from doing it in the city. Sure, there’s less traffic, more cows, less pollution in the air and the free range eggs are a lot fresher. Apart from the lifestyle changes, the way that business operates is pretty much the same whether it’s out of a home office on a farm or the north-facing office in a CBD high rise….especially when the internet is involved.

One of the greatest things about the internet is that it doesn’t matter where you come from or who you are – if you have the right tools you can flourish online. Internet marketing is important as a great resource for customers to locate your business, and for you to build a reputation around your brand. As part of the community of a small town, show that you are involved in local events.

1.)    Directories

The digital descendant of the phone book, directories are banks of contact information listed by location and/or category online. There are directories on the web for every interest, hobby and obsession you can think of. The Nationwide Business Association of Australia is a good place to start, located at http://www.nationwide.com.au/.
TIP: While you are at a directory, take a nosy look at the websites of your competitors to see what their sites are like. If you are in a very small rural area, it’s possible you have no competitors, but it’s worth looking at the sites of people in the same industry regardless of location to see what their methods are for making sales online.

2.)    Tourist Sites

Most towns and cities have a government ‘official’ website. These sites have information for tourists about the area, including activities and local attractions, and also local businesses and services. Gentle Giants is based in Ballina, NSW, and our tourist site is www.discoverballina.com in NSW. Whether your local tourist site is government sponsored or locally funded, the website will be a great resource for you as it’s a sure-fire way of putting your business in front of tourists. If you don’t know what your local ‘official’ tourist site is, you should be able to find it through Google or by contacting your local information centre.

3.)    Build Your Social Network

On the internet that is, not just down at the local pub – though who knows what business opportunities can arise over spending a little time with your neighbours. Making a Facebook page is an easy and free way to build up your brand online and get your business out into the public sphere. To get involved with potential clients, add people from the same location as you as friends (they or someone they know may be in need of your services). You could search within Facebook for people who are interested in the field your business operates in. Go to www.facebook.com for more information.

Communities online act much like that of small towns. It may take a little while to break in, but once you are welcomed in to the community they won’t be able to imagine what life was like without you. Search online for communities that share the same interests as you or who work in the same industry. Participate in discissions in online communities and over time you’ll build up relationships that could lead to business in the future.

4.) Get Your Site Ranked Higher On Google

Google and the other search engines are the online shopping mall of the 21st Century. Everyone comes here to find what they are looking for. The beautiful thing about search engines is that any business – big or small, multinational or operating out of a garage – can potentially appear in the best position for their customers to find them.  Being listed on page ten means not many people will find your business. Appearing on page 1, in the top ten listings for the best phrase to describe your products, can fill your online store with eager customers specifically looking for your stock.

Keywords are one of the keys to getting better visibility on the internet. These are the words and phrases your potential customers are typing into Google when looking for someone who sells your products. Brainstorm some keywords by thinking of terms that describe your business, and identify relevant keywords by trialling some you think would be relevant in search engines. Remember that many people misspell, so give room for common mistake versions of your keywords. Sometimes it doesn’t hurt to slip in a typo every now and then…

For a website that sells floral bouquets via delivery in Western Australia, people would search for ‘flowers WA’. Throughout the text on your website, use the words that describe what your business does. The more you can subtly incorporate these keywords in to your website copy the higher you will rank on search engines. The higher you appear, the more of your customers will see you. Having the keywords as part of the URL of your pages affects how search engines read your site, too.

5.)    Start An Email Newsletter

An email newsletter that gets sent out weekly or monthly can reach thousands of customers with one click. Invite visitors to your site to subscribe by highlighting that the newsletter offers more for free. A strong newsletter can keep your customers coming back again and again.

Living in a small town makes the community environment more important to people’s lifestyle than in the city. In your newsletter, you could include local news and events as well as updates about your business activities, new products and services and special deals. To encourage people to stay on your mailing list, offer special discounts to subscribers like a voucher they can print out or a promotion code that is only available to subscribers.

Online business is about content and relationships. By producing content people want to read, you can build relationships with a wide customer base, wherever they live. Gentle Giants isn’t confined to a small town. We are open to the entire global village and that does me just fine.

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