Brand has become a bit of a buzzword over the past few years. (And by brand, we’re not talking about your logo…see What is a Brand?). People are starting to realize that whether you own a large corporation or a small business, branding is not just applicable, but crucial to the growth and success of your business.  While the word may be trending, brand is by no means a trend.  Branding has a deeply-rooted history, and while brand processes have evolved over time, the basic principles haven’t changed.  Companies like McDonald’s and Coca-Cola have been practicing these principles for years. Their focus on brand is a major contributor, if not the major contributor to their success.

So why are branding efforts so important for small businesses? Two of the biggest reasons are because small businesses need to get business and keep business!  You need to be appealing to your target audience and set yourself apart from any competition you may have.  Entrepreneurs of small businesses often don’t put a lot of effort into their brand because they either can’t afford to, or don’t know what to do and how to do it.  Ignoring your brand can leave you looking average, boring, in-cohesive, or cause you to blend in with your competition.  These things lead to a negative impact on your bottom line.

Branding elevates you in general, and within your industry.  Uncovering your brand is not an easy task to do on your own.  Business owners often unintentionally have an opinion about their business that does not align with how outsiders views them – whether positive or negative.  Sometimes it’s boasting about “unique” qualities that aren’t all that unique in their industry, or simply not realizing how they come across in certain areas of their personality or outreach.  I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve seen a small business highlight “personal service” as a differentiating factor.  Excellent personal service should always exist, but it should be a given…it’s not that unique.  It is normal for entrepreneurs to be so entrenched in their business that they struggle to accurately evaluate how it comes across in the eyes of the consumer.  This is why investing in the process to uncover your business’ unique personality then bring it to life is so beneficial.  You can read more here about why it’s so important for your business to have a personality.   

Get started today on developing your business’ personality and bringing it to life so that you can increase your success and stand out among your competition!