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For many, the light at the end of the tunnel is upon us! For anyone who does not have AT&T as their cell phone provider and has clamored for an iPhone, the wait is over.

Starting February 10, the iPhone 4 will be available through Verizon Wireless, as Apple ends its exclusive deal that has been in place since 2007 with AT&T to offer the popular smartphone.

Apple will unveil some new features in the Verizon iPhone, such as a faster network and a mini Wi-Fi hotspot, which can connect up to five nearby devices.

The phone will be available to qualified Verizon customers on the Web a week early, then the main public will have access to the iPhone on the February 10^th dropdate.

What do you think: Smart move on AT&T’s part, or poor choice in losing brand leverage?
Verizon customers: Are you getting in line?

The English writer John Doanne wrote that “no man is an island” and that his well-being depended upon the well-being of others.

While parts of 2010 had me wishing I were on a tropical island, alone with my thoughts and a cool drink, my business was able to thrive because I continued developing mutually-beneficial relationships with professionals in the home, building, and marketing industries.

We are all part of this eco-system together, and even competitors can benefit from each others’ success. Here are some of my tips for developing your business in 2011:

• Join or renew your membership to professional organizations. Even the most established business leader can learn new ideas from newsletters and make new contacts at seminars and other events.
• Congratulate colleagues, potential business prospects, and friends on their success. If you run into a competitor you know, congratulate them as well. Recognizing the accomplishments of others results in goodwill, potential referrals, and a more positive environment.
• Pick up the phone. Social media is a terrific tool, but catching up over the phone indicates that you took the time to make a personal connection.
• Gain market share by implementing a focused marketing strategy. Communicate to your target audience when and where they are most receptive. Hire a marketing firm, if only for short-term projects.
• Ask questions to friends and colleagues in related industries. When people feel valued, they reveal valuable information.
• Donate your time, services, or materials to a non-profit you believe in. Ask for recognition in their printed materials; non-profits are accustomed to this request.
• Try to have fun. You never know what opportunities may arise from a drink or a chat with a colleague.

Starbucks revealed its new logo last week, removing the words “Starbucks” and “coffee” from its iconic green and black mermaid logo.  Is there something to be said for logos that can stand on their own? With this move, Starbucks is saying that its green mermaid symbol is distinguished enough by consumers that they will recognize the coffee giant without the company name.

This isn’t uncommon for companies to trust their brand identity solely on a logo.  Pepsi dropped the name from its logo during a recent logo redesign. And both Apple and Nike allow their symbols to speak for themselves.  Apple’s silver apple and Nike’s swoosh stand on their own as symbols of their respective company’s products, brand promise, and altogether corporation identity.

However, I can’t talk about logo changes without the recent Gap logo debacle going unmentioned.  The clothing store’s logo was drastically changed from its traditional navy blue logo to a more modern and updated logo. Gap executives possibly wanted to modernize their logo, but the new design was not well-received.  Immense complaints from consumers about their distaste for the new logo filled Gap’s Facebook and Twitter sites.  Within days, the new logo was out, and the old logo was back in.

Why did Gap’s logo redesign fail? Simple psychology says that people aren’t big on change, and the new Gap logo was not only poorly-made (some would argue), but it was vastly different from the old logo and may have been too much for the public to handle.  Starbucks’ new logo, which will go into effect in March to celebrate the company’s 40^th anniversary, still has the same green coloring as the old logo and the same mermaid image.  Aesthetically, the design changes are minor, and therefore could be slight enough that the public will be satisfied with the modifications.

Logo redesign worked for Pepsi and failed for Gap; will the Starbucks mermaid be recognizable enough without the company name? They’re definitely counting on it.