In the real world, businesses progressively build their competitive advantage and brand while balancing competing priorities. Here are some tips from Maria Anderson to help you grow a profitable brand. (Scroll down to download our e-guide.)

If your business is in a new category (industry) such as a sustainable product or service, your branding needs to raise awareness of the benefits of the category first. Until people understand why they need the category, they will not consider any product or service in this category.

Your website can help you to attract new customers and strengthen relationships with existing ones. 

But did you know that you can use it to measure and optimise all of your marketing - so you can achieve more using the same or less resources?

Building your online presence is a never-ending journey not a destination - so here are 9 steps to help you get started on building a website and creating a successful online marketing strategy!

1) There's no way to avoid rising energy costs

Electricity bills are going to increase 10% - 15% year-over-year for the next few years.   With Australia's perpetual
increase in energy usage, fossil fuels becoming more limited, the need to reduce greenhouse gases and the requirement for new power stations to meet peak demand, there's just no getting around it.

What can you do?

• switch off your computers at night
• use natural light whenever possible
• turn off fridges over extended holiday periods and long weekends.