Brands do not operate in a vacuum – or at least, most brands don’t. If they did, there’d be no need for branding at all. People would recognize the products you produce and sell as entirely unique and innovative, and the brand name that you so painstakingly chose and trademarked would become the default name…

Imagine going out for drinks with someone who spends the entire evening talking about himself. No matter how much he has to offer, if he doesn’t seem interested in learning about you, your life, and your values, it’s unlikely you’ll be interested in spending another evening in his company. It’s easy for an enthusiastic business…

Has the rising cost of gas had a negative impact on your business’ profits? Have you realized with dismay that your market has become overrun (and your profits been dashed) by copycat competitors? Or have you had the bewildering realization that your business is growing faster than you’re able to support it?

When the economy takes a nosedive, you may discover that your wildly popular cafe transforms into a lonely hole in the wall. If your brilliant app gets knocked off the app store’s featured list because fans have moved on to the next best thing, your startup will feel the loss financially. And if your competition…