New Year’s resolutions are often doomed to fail. We set big lofty goals for the year, but have a hard time reaching them because they are so grandiose.

Regardless of the time of year, setting goals can help you accomplish the objectives you want to achieve. Creating a plan to achieve those goals will help you successfully achieving whatever personal or business goals you set for yourself.

Here are a few pointers to improve your chances for success.

1. Write it down – the act of writing down your goals solidifies them into tangible objectives. In addition, creating a written plan helps you think through the process of how to achieve your objectives in more detail.
2. Take baby steps – break down a big goal into smaller goals; what you learn from reaching the smaller goal will help as you tackle the larger one.
3. Make it a habit – if reaching your goal requires a change in behavior, the key to success is to create a new habit. It takes 3 weeks for an activity to become a habit, so stick with it until the behavior is part of your routine.
4. Visualize it – visualization is a common method used by elite athletes. Picture what success looks like and visualize the path required to get there.

Remember, not every road to success is linear. Accept deviations, but get back on track as soon as you can.

A company’s name is important. It should explain what the company does and set the tone for the type of company it is. The name will create an expectation in the customer, not only regarding what products or services it offers, but also the attitude or personality of the company and its employees. Your name is the first opportunity to connect with your customers; all other marketing builds on the name to create your brand.

A name, including how it is spelled, will transmit meaning to potential customers, regardless of your intentions. For example, a high-end jewelry store will need a very different name than a costume jewelry shop in the local mall. Consider the expectations “Carter’s Custom Collections” sets when compared with “Kandi’s Krazy Kreations”.

For companies that operate in international markets, a good understanding of the local language, customs and traditions is important to help you communicate what your company does through its name. Two classic examples, one successful and one not, illustrate the importance of this include Kodak and the Chevy Nova.

When choosing a name for his company, George Eastman settled on the name Kodak. It was a simple word, easy to remember and easy to pronounce in almost every language. Even before dominating the US market, Eastman had set his sights on going international.

The other classic example is the Chevy Nova. A big seller for Chevrolet in the 1970s, it was a failure when exported to Spanish speaking countries. Why? “No va” in Spanish means “no go”, not the impression you want to make when you are selling a car.

Another consideration when choosing a name for your business is to think about not only what you do now but what you hope to do in the future. Having the foresight to see how “Barker Dog Treats” might develop into “Pet Care Central” in the future will save you considerable time, effort and expense.

One last recommendation… regardless of what you choose to name your company, it is important to get another opinion. Don’t just ask your friends and family what they think; ask some perfect strangers – ideally ones that fit your target market – what the name means to them. Remember to listen to them; they could be potential customers.

Welcome to the Real World Marketing blog. We are a boutique marketing agency that works with small businesses and non-profits to develop strategies and action plans to connect and engage with their key audiences.

Our goal is to help these unique organizations:

• develop communications and marketing strategies that target the right audience,
• create and execute action plans to connect and engage with those audiences, and
• monitor the results of those activities and look for ways to improve and repeat them.

The website is still a work in progress, but here on the blog you will find articles on the areas we focus on: strategy, communications and results.

In the meantime, feel free to connect with us for more information.