Do Small Business Owners Need A Personal Brand?

USE PERSONAL BRANDING TO POSITION YOURSELF AND THE BUSINESS

There are some advantages to having a solid personal brand as a small business owner which include:

• Establishing Credibility

• Building Trust

• Increasing Visibility

I will briefly explain the importance of each.

Establishing Credibility

When it comes to establishing credibility, personal branding provides the framework from which you can position yourself as a thought-leader in your industry through blogging (wink), social media and other public speaking opportunities. When you can showcase what you know in a way that only you can, you are creating a very unique asset for the future of your business and brand.

Building Trust

All while you are establishing your credibility, you are also able to build trust with your audience. Assuming that you are coming to the marketplace as your authentic self (which we encourage all Intentional Professionals to do), you are also bringing with you your values, personality and philosophies that make you...you. This will make it easier for you to connect to your audience and more specifically those that deeply connect with those things about you. Social media creators tend to do well with this and followers seem to agree. Honestly, I think Tiktok creators have been able to capture this better than on most other platforms. I must confess that I have actually done much less of that kind of connection this time around but realize that I cannot put it off any longer. Look for more from me on this in the coming weeks.

Increasing Visibility

Depending on how you are wired this may sound like a dream or a nightmare. Some business owners never want to be visible. I find this curious especially for those who name the business after themselves. I had to have the conversation often with my SBDC clients as to why they were nowhere to be found on their website or why they felt uncomfortable showing themselves on social media. For an extrovert with a lot of introvert tendencies, I understand but at some point, something has to give. You may not need to do Tiktok dance video challenges or vlogs on YouTube but some kind of personal reveal, even in a short format is better than static words on a post or website. Toss your stock photos and show yourself. Because when a prospect can connect with you, you've won half of the battle to gaining a new client.

Use Personal Branding to Grow the Business and Yourself

After all of that connection and visibility, opportunities are bound to emerge for you and your business. It can have two results:

• Attracting Talent

• Creating Business Opportunities

Attracting Talent

So, after you have conquered your fears and hang-ups about being seen, you can also expect to also attract people who want to help you grow your business. Students seeking intern opportunities may feel drawn to your business through your personal brand. Other job seekers may resonate with the work that your business does or the values that you share. Even if you are not quite ready to hire, you never know when you may need a temporary contractor or part-time help as things ramp up. You may also use those opportunities to mentor others or help them find opportunities working with your colleagues. Your brand can evolve from just a business owner to a community resource or trusted referral partner as well.

Creating Business Opportunities

And lastly, building a solid personal brand can create many other opportunities for business in the forms of growth, partnerships, collaborations and possibly new ventures that aren't even on your radar. These opportunities can come in the form of a podcast, keynote speaking engagements, writing for publications, local television features, etc. Through the process you may discover new talents and re-discover old ones that simply build on the foundation of the current business or become the foundation for a new one. There are so many possibilities but they all start in the early stages. The decision to blog daily or weekly may not be for any purpose but to share and educate in the beginning but that's where some book deals emerge from.

The main message here is to find ways to allow yourself to be who you are authentically so that your audience, people or tribe can find you. If you do this consistently, over time you will see the results. I have made this commitment to myself when I talked about My Innovation Dilemma. I refuse to stop before this happens because it means that I have given up too soon.

Sincerely,

-M