Small business brand success

Your brand may well be your most valuable asset. It deserves your attention, consideration, and protection.

Think of how you started your business: The passion. The drive. The sleepless nights. The excitement. The questions. The tireless pursuit.

As a small business owner, that same passion that built your business is the passion that should be evident in your brand.

The three elements that are so important in beginning and growing a business are the same elements that contribute to sustaining the strength of your brand.That passion that made you want to do what you do is at the heart of your business and your brand. Whatever reason you decided to start, run, own, or buy it…drives it. Your brand comes from the heart of you, so it speaks to those you most want to do business with. When your passion drives your brand, the energy is palpable and magnetic, attracting your tribe. Your heart is the first and most important piece to building a business and a brand.Forging ahead is sometimes the best way to begin but it may not be the best way to take you where you want to go. Neglecting to strategize your brand (or running a business without a plan) is a little like driving through unknown terrain without GPS to guide you. Thinking and planning beforehand gives you a roadmap and helps you commit. Commitment is usually the first and the most important part of dedication to the thing—whatever the thing is. It is what keeps you on the road when the proverbial shit is hitting the fan. Getting your head in the game provides focus and direction. It gives you a home base you can return to again and again when you need to re-center, adjust, or launch something new.Habits are born of repetitive actions. And actions without repetition never become behaviors, which is what you need for sustainable success—in your brand and your business. It stands to reason, then, that action is necessary to spur the desired behavior of your customers, clients, and team members. I believe it was Jack Canfield who said, “nothing happens without action” and it’s true. You can yearn and dream (using your heart), and you can think and overthink (using your head) but if you don’t act on that dream and that commitment, nothing will happen.Your heart and your head determine your business and brand direction. If you do the work, behaviors begin to change, and you will see the results.

Your brand helps you communicate each of these three elements to your customers and your team. It helps them understand who you are and what you stand for. It provides a platform for you to introduce yourself in-person, promote yourself externally, and educate your team internally so everyone who experiences your brand gets to know you, like you, and trust you.

If you treat your customers better than they expect and the service experience is just as consistent and strong as the brand you promote to the outside world, then you have built something sustainable. If you started your business with your heart and your head is still in the game, you can create the habits to carry you through.

The businesses that do are the businesses that succeed.

Blaze on!

Jeffri-LynnP.S. Download our 360º Brand Engagement Infographic for useful information and statistics.Get the full, high-resolution version of our 360º Brand Engagement Infographic by filling out the form below – we’ll send a direct link to your inbox.[contact-form-7 id=”610″][contact-form-7 id=”4″]