- How to define your small business brand
- For those who are planning a business
- Steps to help your business grow, get your team to understand your vision and mission, and increase your customer loyalty
When starting your own company, you need to ask yourself, “What business am I really in?” Countless business owners have gone broke simply because they never answered that question. Clearly defining your business or your purpose will give a true sense of direction as your venture develops and help you realize success.
In defining your purpose, you should identify why your company exists in the first place. This can include highlighting the problems you seek to address, or how you can offer products or services that improve upon what’s already on the market. Your unique value proposition helps differentiate your company from competitors, identifying qualities such as faster speed, better convenience, or cheaper price.
Once you’ve considered these factors, you can incorporate them into your company’s mission statement. This statement offers a concise summary of what your business hopes to achieve, including how you hope to serve your customers, what goals you’d like to accomplish, and your company’s values.
Your company’s core values include how you aim to treat your customers as well as your employees. For example, you might define your company as trying to offer the fastest delivery to customers as well as fostering an innovative workplace for your staff. Core values can also include commitments to the community where your business is located.
Determine your target audience, including any niche audiences you’re hoping to appeal to. This process can help you identify your customers’ needs and how you can address them.
Defining your company goes hand-in-hand with branding efforts. Branding helps customers associate your business or its products with a particular visual image, message, and reputation, creating a clear perception of the overall company. Your brand identity also incorporates factors such as your voice and personality.
Your branding should align with your company values and purpose. Your imaging, messaging, and other factors should also be consistent across multiple marketing platforms.
