|
|
| Information |
|
|
Don't Get Caught In the Trap: The BIG Difference Between Personal and Business Branding
When you're all alone in the privacy of your home office, surrounded by your computer, your phone and your business idea, have you ever asked yourself, "Where's the line between me in my business and the business in me"? With hundreds of thousands of home-based businesses starting every year, and few ever flourishing, the topic of branding has become hot, hot, hot. And thanks to experts touting the need for a personal brand in sole proprietor businesses the confusion is growing. It's no wonder. Business... personal... personal... business-- what IS the big difference any way? Last week, I was guiding a client (a service-based sole practioner) through the same step-by-step process that I take every company (sole practioner, entrepreneur or a business of any size) through to develop their brand and I noticed that as we got deeper and deeper into the process, she was having more and more trouble coming up with answers. The very answers that would separate her from other people engaged the same exact business and distinctly establish her brand. In the middle of working on the most important step in the branding process-- the brand statement--I asked her the simple question, "Why does she do business she does?" she burst into tears. Halfway into the box of Kleenex she finally, revealed the most amazing answer as to why she was in her chosen field in the first place. Honestly, I think she stunned herself. We both sat silent for over a minute in awe of the power she had tapped into with her discovery. (Don't let anyone fool you, this is from where the true power of branding comes.) Then doubt reared its ugly head and like a butterfly emerging from a new cocoon, a series of questions poured out of her: "Is this my business or is it me?" "Is why I do what I do really that important?" "Why is it so hard for me to stand in the power of my business and really make something of it?" You get the picture? You may even be standing in a similar picture, even wrestling with the same questions yourself. Bless you if you're not. Let's look at the difference between 'your business' and 'you the person' and see if we can clear up this question once and for all. A business: (be it Niketown or Bob's Shoe Bonanza)Delivers a product or service to fulfill a customer need.You:Deliver a product or service to fulfill a customer need. A business:Establishes a certain value that a customer can rely on from every contact with their product or service.You:Establish a certain value that a customer can rely on from every contact with your product or service. (If not, get on it immediately!) A business:Communicates consistently to reach the customers that have a need for their product or service.You:Communicate consistently to reach the customers that have a need for your product or service. (If not, what are you waiting for?) A business:Enjoys a financial reward equal to the amount of customers that it serves, AND a personal reward for the creator/C.E.O.You:Enjoy a financial reward equal to the amount of customers that you serve AND YOU get to experience the personal reward yourself. If you look at just these four basic, bottom-line points, the difference between a business and you as a sole business owner is... nothing; unless you count the added bonus of you getting a financial AND personal reward. At the start of every single business, throughout history, there has never been a separation between the person starting it and the business itself. If you asked any business figure-head today, Bill Gates of Microsoft, or Jeff Bezos of Amazon.com, or if they took over a company like Meg Whitman for Ebay, or Carly Fiorina for Hewlett-Packard, they would tell you that there is no difference in who 'they are' and what 'they bring' to their business. Why? Because there's no room for a difference. It's the alignment that makes it possible to reach the highest of the heights. It's challenging enough to make any business succeed. It's tough enough to make any business reside in the mind of a customer. Why would you remove the very power of 'you' in every shape and form from your business?! Why not every day do the thing that moves you the most? You are the only thing that sets your business apart-- you just need a process of tapping into your power, connecting it to your business, and a systematic way of communicating it to your customers over and over and over again. When developing your amazing business as a brand, throw the doors wide open. Create it as you would if you were reaching millions. You can always decide exactly how many millions later. Thinking of your brand as just a 'personal' one will do the opposite. Keep it small. If you work for yourself, be it your own business, network marketing, or even an agent/broker condition under a corporate umbrella, you are the CEO of your business. Every CEO brings themselves personally to their business. The great ones bring every thing they are to their creation, every moment. The majority of our lives are spent doing what we call work. As an entrepreneur or business owner, you have the wonderful opportunity to make it more. Make it your creation. Think of yourself as the Creator of an Entrepreneur Organization. When you wake up tomorrow, instead of saying to yourself, "I'm going to work" say "I'm going to create." And the operative word is I'm. The true power of really making something in your business will come from investing in it the most valuable commodity you have-- you. There is no separation on the road to big business success: just because you're personally on it. True big business success comes to those who know, it's not just business-- it's personal too. Written by Kim Castle, the Co-founder of BrandU? - the home of only step-by-step process for developing your business as a brand from the inside out! To get information on upcoming BrandU one-day workshops: http://www.whybrandu.com/Public/events/workshop/index.cfm?semID=13 Get your Why You?!(sm) monthly ezine for easy-to-read tips and informative insights on branding. To subscribe: http://www.whybrandu.com/ "BrandU? - Big Business Success No Matter Your Size"
Latest News:Site: Yahoo! News Search Results for news [News] 5 O'Clock Shadow News you can't leave work without: Asamoah makes a deal News of record News of record reports for Chelan and Douglas counties Newport News police seek help on thefts from cars NEWPORT NEWS A rash of summer-night car break-ins and vandalism has police asking the public for help, and warning them to lock their vehicles. Newport News hit with rash of car break-ins NEWPORT NEWS -- Police are asking for help in solving a large number of car break-ins and vandalism cases in Newport News. According to police, 134 cases were reported in the area between J. Clyde Morris Blvd. and Oyster Point Road since June 1. Most of the incidents were between J. Clyde Morris and Middle Ground Blvd. and happened during the early evening hours. Police say many thefts happened ... NEWS ALERTS: Sign up to get breaking news on your mobile phone Get breaking local news as it happens. Enter your phone number: Standard Messaging Rates or other charges apply. To Opt-out text STOP to 4INFO (44636). For more information text HELP to 4INFO (44636). Contact your carrier for more details. Powered by 4INFO. Newport News police search for suspects in string of car thefts Newport News detectives are seeking assistance from the Community, in solving a large number of cases involving damage to, and larcenies from, cars. Newport News police seek information regarding larcenies and property damage NEWPORT NEWS -- Police are investigating 134 cases of damage to cars and larcenies from cars that occurred between June 1 and July 25, according to police. News in brief Here are a selection of brief news items from this week?s paper edition, and possibly a few news briefs that didn?t make it in the paper. Newport News townhouse damaged by fire NEWPORT NEWS A townhouse in the 1000 block of Willow Green Drive was damaged by fire this morning, fire officials said. One of the residents had minor burns to his hand, a Fire Department news release says. An off-duty city firefighter/medic helped evacuate the adjoining homes. News of the Past who has deep genealogical roots to Winston County, provides news from past editions of the Winston County Journal. The Winston County Board of Supervisors posted a notice of the new "Dog Law" which was passed in the July term. Site: news - Google News Arizona News Round Up - San Francisco Chronicle (blog)
MORE RESOURCES: Site: Yahoo! News Search Results for branding Branding children as witches 'is criminal' A CHILDREN'S charity has repeated a call to criminalise the branding of children as witches or as being possessed by evil spirits. Branding Bergado By all indications, it would seem that 14-year-old El Segundo resident Allysha Bergado is a typical teenager who loves to skateboard. @Twitter Users #Fail as Branding Automatons Just about everything people say on Twitter is public, offering marketers a rare chance to listen in on what folks are saying about their brands, and to trumpet their messages to the masses. But Twitter users fail spectacularly when it comes to disseminating branding messages to each other. Tenner & Associates, Inc. to Head Up Business Development & Branding for Charity Wins Events and Entertainment, Inc ... Tenner & Associates, Inc. has been named to direct business development and branding for Charity Wins Events and Entertainment, Inc. , the provider of a dynamic new platform designed to create video-interactive entertainment events and affinity-based casual gaming for charity fundraising or non-profits. Capitol Communicator Signs ZilYen as Branding Sponsor FALLS CHURCH, Va.----Capitol Communicator has finalized an agreement for branding and marketing communications agency ZilYen to become an exclusive sponsor of the online publication?s branding-focused content. Convergys taps branding, social media to get talent pool Convergys Corp., the largest contact center in the Philippines with over 20,000 employees, is using branding and social networking as a strategy to get talent pool that has become quite competitive in recent years. Branding becomes a family affair Cattle branding in Saskatchewan has been a family tradition for years. Scott and Jenna Campbell had about 30 people help brand their spring calves on Thursday. How brand and labelling impact purchasing decisions Branding and labelling have the most impact on consumers? buying decisions, followed by blind tasting, concludes a study that used wine tasting as a model to determine the relative influence of different cues on purchasing intent. Christian teacher settles Ohio arm-branding case An Ohio family has settled a lawsuit against a middle school teacher who was accused of burning the image of crosses on students' arms. Red Thinking Hits the Ground Running With Two Industry Awards Northern Virginia branding and marketing firm lights up the business stage with two industry award recognitions. Site: branding - Google News Branding Boehner - Politico (blog)
|
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
How Will Your Visitors Remember You And Your Business? Brand Yourself From The Crowd... Big and Yellow 'M' reminds you McDonalds.. Id Buy That: Getting A Brand Mindset Feel that? The crisp tingle in the air? It's fall. Fall ushers in the promise of eating, seeing, and getting. Differentiate and Dominate Quite often small business owners will ask me to reveal the most powerful marketing strategy I have seen. I can say without hesitation that the most powerful marketing strategy has little to do with advertising, direct mail, web sites, referrals or blogs. Business Case Study Automotive Detailing Franchise Company How do automotive detailing companies start? What makes them work and how do they grow? How do they choose which services they will offer? This is an interesting case study about a test market of a franchise company in the cleaning business and how they went about setting up Auto Detailing Shops. It maybe of interest to your business study and research; I am familiar with this story because it is one of the companies that I founded. Notable News - The Branding Myth How many times have you heard of seen advertising for a graphic design company that states that they do branding?If you think branding is a logo, letterhead, or web design with all the same look, and colours, then it's true.. Managing the Corporate Brand - a Reputation Perspective Adored, respected and coveted by customers and organisations alike, corporate brands represent one of the most fascinating phenomena of the business environment in the 21st century. Their importance is unquestionable. Brand Positioning - Brand Image That cross-trainer you're wearing -- one look at the distinctive swoosh on the side tells everyone who's got you branded. That coffee travel mug you're carrying -- ah, you're a Starbucks woman! Your T-shirt with the distinctive Champion "C" on the sleeve, the blue jeans with the prominent Levi's rivets, the watch with the hey-this-certifies-I-made-it icon on the face, your fountain pen with the maker's symbol crafted into the end . Choosing the Right Color Palette Color is a highly personal experience - everyone has favorite colors, and other colors that they absolutely don't like. So, how do you determine which colors that will work for your business identity, and that will send the right message to?We have developed several methods and approaches for determining successful color palettes. Value Proposition Writing - Brand Identity Guru Your Value Proposition, or as I usually call it, your Core Marketing Message, is still misunderstood by most professionals. It's not just a tagline, sound bite or even an "Audio Logo. Brand Your Consulting Brilliance Today's competitive marketplace for consulting services is no longer responsive to the marketing strategies that worked in the past. The services you provide should speak volumes about your consulting business. Go Ask Alice One of fiction's finest marketing minds, The Cheshire Cat,once told Alice in Wonderland something all business ownersand marketers should remember:"If you don't care where you are going, it doesn't make adifference which path you take."For businesses bent upon success, it does matter which pathyou take. Brand Awareness - Brand Identity About once a month a few of us at the office get together during lunch for what has become known as a SWAP meeting. We share thoughts, stories and sometimes play Pictionary. Brand Equity Building - Measuring Brand Value Measuring brand equity allows a company to establish a baseline and track changes in its brand equity over time. If a company consistently works to improve the strength of its brands, it must trace progress, or risk "flying blind. Brand Identity Guru - Is Your Brand Vital? The world is not waiting for you?or your product or service. Or your firm. Brand Extension; Going from Consumer to Commercial As more and more home pressure washers are sold at leading retailers such as Wal-Mart, Sears, Home Depot, Cosco, etc. We are seeing companies offer products in brand line extension to service this niche. Internet Branding Having been in the franchising business all my life and understanding how hard it is to build a brand, I have probably read every other popular book on the subject. Some are good and most are excellent, as each one helps give you ideas on setting the stage for your brand marketing objectives. Why Should I do Business With You? It's the question that is on the minds of all our customers regardless of what products or services we are offering. Potential customers want to know what makes you so different and why should they do business with you as opposed to one of your competitor's. The Very Basics of Design Design is a very subjective thing, therefore, if you ask me how to come up with a first class design for your marketing collateral or publishing mediums, it would be very unfair for me or anyone else to tell you what is a good design and what is a bad design. But there are certain elements and principles that we should look for in a design to determine whether the design and layout of the material will be able to carry the message across effectively to the readers and your potential market. Extreme Makeover - Small Business Edition Have you ever watched one of those home makeover shows? You know the scenario. The homeowners have decorated or remodeled their house all by themselves. Importance of Business Branding Branding is very important to a business, whether it is an online or offline business. Your brand will be the first impression the public has of your business and could very well be the most important one.
|
| Home | Site Map | Resource Links |
