Congratulations on making the bold decision to start your own business. There is a lot to do during the start-up stage with some tasks being more important than others. In the world of marketing and business development today there is one term that will keep coming up as you work to grow a business: branding.
What is Branding?
Branding is a word used to refer to your ability to create a reputation and sense of uniformity around your business activities. Having a logo on all your business documents, for example, is a really good example of branding your documents. Branding allows client or customer to look at something and know almost immediately that it comes from your business. When done the right way branding can create a general reputation or emotion around your business. When you hear the word “Apple” as it relates to electronics, for example, you immediately think a set of thoughts around your experience with the company. The impression a business leaves in the mind of consumers is the ultimate type of branding.
What is your Brand?
When you are working to create your brand there are many things you want to consider. Your logo should be modern and unique to reflect the qualities of your business, your website should be functional before you formally launch, and your business documents should be professionally marked and organized. Something most entrepreneurs overlook, however, is that when you are starting a business your brand is largely comprised of you. Clients and customers of a new business don’t just look at the products and services you offer. Rather, they look at you as the entrepreneur to determine the qualities of the business. That means that when you are starting a business you should brand yourself as much as you brand the name of your business.
Branding Yourself
Now is not the time to hold back. Do you have a special skill or interest that impacts how you do business? Show it off and create a brand that appreciates that quality. You want to make yourself stand out as well. You want to make sure that you have a unique set of skills and education. This might mean that you need to get an MBA online. That’s a great way to appeal to clients and customers who also take advantage of online education. Whatever it is about you that made you start your business should come out and become a part of your business persona. Building a business brand around yourself as the face of the business will make sure your brand stands out from others, it will keep you interested in your business as it grows, and it will attract like-minded team members down the road.
Starting a business can be difficult and the overwhelming number of tools that center around branding can be overwhelming. If you remember that as an entrepreneur you are your brand then you can establish a business that is ready for success.
