As an entrepreneur, your personal brand is just as
important–if not more important–as your company’s brand.
When beginning a new business venture, it may be easy to
focus on your company’s brand and completely forget your own. But the days of
an invisible founder are long gone. We’ve now entered a time where a highly
visible CEO is the norm, as well as a unique opportunity for growth and
success.
When your sales leads, team members, and marketing materials
are largely garnered from how people feel about you personally–it’s easy to see
how your personal brand can make or break your business. Developing and
maintaining your identity should be first priority, with your company’s brand
following suit.
Here are seven tips to get on the right track to building an
exceptional brand as an entrepreneur
1. Build your brand with a direction in mind. As an
entrepreneur, your personal brand is tied directly to the business or
businesses you’ve built. Developing a strong personal brand means positioning
yourself in the direction you would–and your business–would like to go. When
developing your brand, it’s important to highlight the key attributes and
values which you hold close, but don’t forget to let your brand embrace those
aspects you hope to attain in the future–like innovation or expert status.
2. Find your niche and dominate. Fitting in isn’t acceptable
when it comes to your personal brand. Brand success is often related to the
unique aspect which sets you apart from the rest. Defining and projecting what
makes your personal brand different will help you stand out from the crowd. If
you can’t find a category to stand out in, create your own and dominate it.
Your business brand will soon follow.
