Lots of small business consultants talk a lot about technical means to an end, for example, using specific kinds of tech tools or other strategies to compile a list of possible investors for a small business – but some of today’s business leaders are looking in a somewhat new direction, considering how in many cases, it’s the outlook, personality and drive of an entrepreneur that makes business happen, rather than a methodical, technical approach to fund-raising.

A recent article on Entrepreneur.com illustrates this principle rather well. The article talks about people called “connectors” and how they function. The basic point is [...]

Ronald McDonald Houses, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Not On Our Watch, and the list goes on. Why do businesses and media personalities attach themselves to charities? While the optimist would say that they are genuinely concerned, and the pessimist would point out that if they donated 4% of their profit/income, they could end the problem themselves, the truth may lie somewhere in between.
The benefits of connecting your company to a worthy cause through public displays, fundraising events, and strategic advertising are immense. While many entrepreneurs think the only things a charity does is save you some taxes at the [...]

Coca-Cola regularly updates the designs on its trademark red cans, from summer and holiday designs to promotions for the local theme park.  But it was still big news when they announced that they will be donning their cans in white for a campaign to raise $3 million for the Word Wildlife Fund (WWF) Arctic Home campaign.  Unlike other global brands who recently got blasted by consumers for changing a well-known logo (remember Gap’s failed attempt to update its logo?), Coca-Cola used a design change for a short-term fundraising campaign that got consumers interested in their product and a cause that [...]

 
Legalized medical marijuana has been around for over 15 years in the state of California but has recently gone under attack. Growers and sellers have been raided and lawsuits are pending for stiffer laws. It would seem that the industry is making a huge profit on the highly regulated substance. These raids and lawsuits, as well as using 3rd party growers to cut costs, are all bad news for the industry. Medical marijuana distributors don’t have the best public image in the world and this certainly will do them no favors. Public image is a small businesses greatest asset as [...]