Yesterday a German researchers found that those sports teams who wear red tops, jackets or clothing score 10 per cent more in any competition than if they were in another colour. But why?  Well, experts believe that red could make individuals and teams feel more confident as well as being perceived by others as more aggressive and dominant.  Mostly being Chelsea fans at Promotr, we're fans of blue, but there is little disputing Arsenal, Manchester United and Liverpool have been pretty successful in the past and as reported in the Telegraph, even England's victorious World Cup team in 1966, led by Bobby Moore wore red, instead of their usual white, and have not won a World Cup or European Championship since.

It's the same for business and what your potential customers perceive through your branding and marketing materials. But it's your company so ultimately, the colour reflects on you and should be something you are happy with.  Here are a few things to think about.  

'But all environmental companies have green'  — colours are not industry specific necessarily but some may be better suited for some services/products than others. You should aim to pick a color that will represent your brand’s personality best as it's not necessarily about what you do, but who you are.  Is your company energy important to you - then yellow is a more energetic colour that also makes you think of the outside.  On the other hand, there are colours certain industries should avoid.  If you in the restaurant trade it is worth noting that blue and black suppress appetites whereas our topical red makes food more appealing and influences people to eat more.

'Our printer says we should have one color' - long gone are the days of just single colour printing.  Some brands like Google and Windows go with several colors to represent variety.  Just try to choose one's that actually go well together and don't strain your eyes.  The most legible of all color combinations are black on yellow and green on white followed by red on white so it is no surprise that you find these on traffic lights and signs.

'We've changed our minds' - setting a new brand is not something to be done lightly and certainly not abandoned lightly either. If you are not sure about the colour anymore then you probably did not choose well int he first place, but beware, changing your brand, often or quickly will hinder building your brand and confuse existing customers.

You may have seen the MI6 disaster this week.  The new head of MI6, Sir John Sawers, is at the centre of a security breach after his wife published family holiday photographs and other personal details on the Facebook website.  A classic example of not using social media wisely.  As a small business using social media can be a quick win for boosting and maintaining business.  Sites such as Facebook and Twitter mean you can display everything from photos, videos, discussion forums, personal and professional profiles and links to other online materials or news. And these can all promote your company and your brand.   But be careful not to get it wrong, here are a few simple rules to help:

• Make sure your social media is still targeting your audience - some social media sites are geared toward teens and young adults, while others cater to business professionals 
• Consider your demographics and tailor your marketing messages to appeal to different demographics, the same as your would for your traditional marketing materials
• Think about mixing business and pleasure - anyone can be found online these days, make sure you have made a decision about what you are happy being online
• And finally, be professional at all times - it can be easy to get sucked into the less formal arena of social media

It can be difficult to look at the economy with a 'the glass in half full' attitude and even the most optimistic of us can feel it's all doom and gloom for small businesses marketing themselves at the moment. But things look like they are on the upturn in recession-hit Britain.  I think small businesses are one of this country’s little-known success stories. The Happy Small Business Report we collated shows the positive impact they have right across the country. Small businesses make up a substantial proportion of the UK economy and they can play a major role in steering us all back to better times. And acting positively in a recession is the key to surviving - and even thriving – through the recession. Did you know that most small firms not only expect to make a profit but are looking to grow their businesses and invest in training staff in 2009?