Building Your Small Business Brand

Often small business owners hear of the importance of “building your personal brand,” yet many wonder as a busy business owner just exactly how to create a “business brand,” while still finding the time to run your business.

It is true that most business owners are required to wear more than one hat in their daily activities. As an owner you are likely responsible for managing your staff, managing your revenue and expenses, working within your business, and making sure your product or service quality levels are what they should be to earn repeat business. That’s a tall order for any one person to fill, so then how can you make time to add building your personal brand to that sort of schedule?

Defining your small business brand:

The only way to ensure that you incorporate the defined brand you want for your business is to make sure that in each of the above roles you integrate your branding message.  If you don’t know precisely what your brand message is, then you need to look at your core offering, and what differentiates your business from your competitors’ and the advantage of patronizing your small business.

If you happen to be one of those individuals who shy’s away from the spotlight, then you’ll need to examine just how important the success of your small business is. In the age of digital marketing, whether you predominately promote your business online or offline, you need to incorporate your business’ value proposition in all of your marketing material.

Branding is all about defining your personal brand for your small business, what can you say that can be easily recalled by customers? Again this is about communicating what a customer will gain by using your business over your competitor in one short phrase. By defining your value proposition you are then in a position to take your brand both on and offline. A great example of this can be a way your customers can reach you, like a tag line in a commercial. Take a toll free vanity number, for instance: “Rely on Lee to get you results, call 1-800-CALL-LEE.”

Beefing up your business brand should be at the top of every small business owner’s mind, along with all the other tasks that need to be accomplished on a daily basis. However, you can use this mind frame to your benefit. While you are looking for the quickest way to get things done, so are your customers. No customer wants to feel pushed over, rushed, or like a business owner doesn’t have time for them, but rather they are looking for quick information, data, and a connection to do business. Does your brand offer this?

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