I know many of you heard me talk about brand building many times; it’s what I do, what I live for, what I believe!
Building a strong brand, a brand that allows small business owners to charge what they are worth can seem unrealistic to some. However, if you focus on these 5 simple points it will help you build a foundation for a strong brand. So let’s dig in.
1. Your Identity– How do people recognize you and your business? Your identity is more than just your logo; it’s the face of your company. It’s everything from your logo to your signage to your marketing pieces to how your location looks and your website. It’s truly the most important thing you have. Your identity is how you look, and your brand is how people feel about you. If you change your face, people will not recognize you and will not determine what you stand for. As a small business, you need to commit to building a strong brand, and that starts with your identity.
2. You Can’t Please Everyone– Everyone has heard the saying “you can’t win them all” this is true in business too, even though I hate losing! If you try to please everyone, you will fade away into nothing. You can’t offer low-priced, speedy, customized, complete, high-end, and everything else in between.
3. Your Reputation– If your reputation, personal or professional, is questionable, you risk losing trust and loyalty of your customers. As a boutique business owner, you must always do the right thing. It means that you pay attention to each detail of your offering, your identity, your attitude, your relationship with the community, and the outcome of every transaction. Your personal reputation plays a huge role in developing and increasing your brand. Always focus on your reputation. Your reputation is even more important because you are your brand.
4. Your Consistency– Your consistency as a small business has to be like that of a close friend—trustworthy and reliable—because you have fewer impressions with them. Do you offer something people can’t find somewhere else? Or do you offer such personalized service that all your customers feel more like friends? This consistency is a primary factor in your brand—your customers know exactly what special things they can expect from you and your business. The point is, without brand consistency, you won’t get customer consistency.
5. Your Gush-Worthiness– Do people talk about you and your business? No I am not talking about a promotional stunt that gets people gossiping. I am talking about the astonishing things you do day after day. For example, a boutique baby shop might have walls decorated with hand-prints of each of its little customers in different colors. These simple things give customers a reason to talk about your business—they feel like they become part of it, that your business truly cares about them on a personal level.
To get more tips on pricing, marketing and branding a small business that can charge what you’re worth, download a free chapter of my New York Times Best Selling book, Worth Every Penny: Build a Business that Thrills Your Clients and Still Charge What You’re Worth at https://photographybusinessinstitute.com/our-book/