"Mirror, Mirror on the wall... Who's The Fairest One Of All?" The wicked witch uses this line to ask her magic mirror about her beauty, and again and again, the mirror always says, "Why, you're, of course!" Then, one day, the mirror answers "There is one fairer than you-and her skin is white as snow." This simple truth sends the witch on a rampage. She disguises herself, poisons poor Snow White, and puts her right into a magical coma.This tale of jealousy and deception cautions children everywhere that nothing good can come of vanity. But in the event that you ask the average small business owner what differentiates their business from the competition, one of the first answers you'll hear is "Why, I really do. I'm the best at this in the land!"-or some variation on that refrain.Vanity is not the "fairest one of all."Vanity, even though backed by your organization acumen or experience, is never pretty. And it's not universally attractive to customers-unless they've worked with you during the past or know you socially. The fact that it's you running your business will most likely not mean much to the common new customer.Customers and prospects are more worried about their needs, their businesses, and their situations than they are about how good you are. What they would like to know is how you're going to help them. And when you're a one-person business, they're likely to be more concerned about the fact that you're the only person there rather than being thrilled about your experience.And this is in which a brand steps in.Your business brand's job would be to take your one-person business and ensure it is seem established and stable-rather than fly-by-night and risky to work with.A brand also needs to make your business seem more "businesslike"- and that means credible, dependable, and customer-focused. A small business brand will help you position your business as helpful, worried about clients, and capable of delivering.Finally, a brand lets you discuss and present your organization as another entity-instead of constantly talking about your, you can talk about your business. In other words, a brand helps to take the spotlight off the entrepreneur and give the business a personality of its own. This allows one to do a bit more "crowing" about your business, without seeming just like you are bragging about yourself.Keys to separating your business brand from you.1. Think about how big you want your business to eventually be. If you're likely to stay a one-person business, in that case your business's brand often will be closer to your personal personality than if you're planning to grow your organization and finally hire employees. If you are planning to hire people, make sure that your employees should be able to demonstrate the brand characteristics you select.2. Look at other businesses in your industry and how they present their brands. This can help point you in the proper direction for your brand and also help you create sure your brand will stick out. Look at the things they talk about and how they talk about their businesses.See which business's materials and brands you're most attracted to and the lessons or suggestions it is possible to pull from their materials and repurpose on your own. Just don't copy them exactly, or your brand won't be unique. Look at the pictures they use and what they describe their businesses with-both elements contribute to your brand.3. Figure out which of your personality traits are most valuable to your business. The easiest method to do this would be to think about your target audience and the reassurance it requires to go from being interested in doing business with one to making the commitment.A few of these traits are likely to be those expected of any business worth working with-fair pricing, good service, and the list continues on and on. Which means you also need to think about the factors that differentiate you from your own competition. You also desire to focus on factors that produce you appealing to individuals you intend to hire you.This can be a pretty tall order, but try your brand on your own market and see what resonates using them before "carving it into stone"-which, regarding your brand, means before you print any marketing materials. Test your ideas out with temporary materials or by incorporating them into an elevator pitch at the next networking event. At least, call up a few of your very best clients and run your opinions by them.4. Consider developing a logo as the face of one's business. If you use an image of yourself as the primary graphic for the business, it suggests you're always likely to take personal care of most client accounts-which is not a message you should send if you're likely to grow your business or hire subcontractors or assistants. Utilizing a photo also brings in the vanity aspect again. "Look at me, I'm here to accomplish business with you." may not be the very best message to send.If you keep these 4 steps in mind and develop a brand that leaves you and your vanity out of your picture, your business won't run into as a wicked witch. Instead, you'll create a brand that will make your business "the fairest one of all" to your best clients and assist you to live happily ever after.Erin Ferree is a brand identity designer who creates big visibility for smaller businesses. As the owner of elf design, Erin is passionate about helping her clients stick out in front of their competition and attract more clients. Her "Define Your Difference Branding Workbook" will let you with your brand definition - the most important step in the logo design process.