Why Your Business Brand Shouldnt Be An Exact Mirror Image Of You

"Mirror, Mirror on the wall... Who's The Fairest AMONG 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's 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 if 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 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 appealing to customers-unless they've worked with you before or know you socially. The fact that it's you running your business probably won't mean much to the common new customer.

Customers and prospects tend to be more worried about their needs, their businesses, and their situations than they're about how good you're. What they would like to know is how you are 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 one t here 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 utilize.

A brand should also make your organization seem more "businesslike"- and that means credible, dependable, and customer-focused. A business brand will let you position your organization as helpful, concerned about clients, and with the capacity of delivering.

Finally, website lets you discuss and present your business as another entity-instead of constantly talking about your, you can talk about your business. In other words, a brand really helps to take the spotlight off the entrepreneur and present the business a personality of its own. This allows you to do a little more "crowing" about your business, without seeming as if you are bragging about yourself.

Keys to separating your organization brand from you.

1. Think about what size you want your business to eventually be. If you are likely to stay a one-person business, in that case your business's brand often will be closer to your own personality than if you are planning to grow your business and eventually hire employees. If you're planning to hire people, be certain that your employees can 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 right direction for your brand and also help you create sure your brand will stand out. Look at the things they talk about and how they discuss their businesses.

See which business's materials and brands you're most drawn to and the lessons or suggestions you can 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 donate to your brand.

3. Figure out which of your personality traits are most effective to your business. The easiest way to do this is 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 take into account the factors that differentiate you from your competition. You also desire to focus on factors that produce you appealing to individuals you want to hire you.

This is usually a pretty tall order, but try out your brand on your own target audience and see what resonates with them before "carving it into stone"-which, in the case of 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 your next networking event. At the minimum, call up a few of your best clients and run your opinions by them.

4. Consider creating a logo because the face of one's business. If you use an image of yourself as the primary graphic for your 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 best message to send.

If you keep these 4 steps at heart and create a brand that leaves you and your vanity out of the picture, your business won't run into as a wicked witch. Instead, check here 'll develop a brand that will make your business "the fairest one of all" to your best clients and help you live happily ever after.

Erin Ferree is a brand identity designer who creates big visibility for smaller businesses. Because the owner of elf design, Erin is passionate about helping her clients stick out before their competition and attract more clients. Her "Define Your Difference Branding Workbook" will assist you to with your brand definition - the most important step in the company logo process.