Today, we ask the question: how important is branding for small business?

But, first a quote:

"True good fortune is what you make for yourself. Good fortune: good character, good intentions, good actions." by Marcus Aurelius

Marcus Aurelius lived from 121 AD to 180 AD. He was one of the last good emperors of Rome - and even more than that - he was a had many great ideas which he set forth in his book ‘meditations’.

Now what did Marcus Aurelius know about branding and small business - and how is anything he said relevant today?

Let’s read the quote again:
"True good fortune is what you make for yourself. Good fortune: good character, good intentions, good actions."

Here Marcus Aurelius is expressing the idea that genuinely ‘good fortune’ - that is - the good luck, the good circumstances, the good outcomes - are all ultimately created by you, yourself. It is all up to you.

You are in the driver seat. You make it happen.

Similarly - in ’small business’ - it’s up to you to make it happen.

As a small business owner you have to build every part of your business by hand, often from the ground up. The ideas, the marketing, the products, the services, the location, the everythihing.

Your small business is a hand -built, highly crafted machine.

And the heart of your small business is your brand.

Whoa - what’s that?

Your brand? How could your brand be heart of your small business? Aren’t brands just for big business.

NO. WAY.

Brands are not just for big buisness.

If you are in small business, whether you realize it or not - in all your dealings you are sending out messages to others.

Now that message - that’s your brand.

Understand your brand is way more that your logo.

Your brand starts in your mind. Your brand is your vision, your story, your purpose, your message and your unique reason for doing what you do.

Think of your brand as the big picture story - where you are the story teller.

Now back to Marcus Aurelius. Let’s put the word ‘brand’ in there - and see if it makes sense.

Instead of :
True good fortune is what you make for yourself. Good fortune: good character, good intentions, good actions.

We could say:
A truly good brand is made firstly for yourself and then for others. Your brand’s fortune or the success of your brand - is built upon your brand's character, your brand's intentions or goals; and your brand’s action - action being the real world steps that you take to share your message, build your profile and grow your revenue.

In a very real and measurable way, your brand is your business.

So - some examples:

You are a personal trainer. What is your brand? What’s your unique message?

It’s not just the personal training services that you offer. Lot’s of people can help other people get fit. But why are you different? What is your story? Maybe it’s your enthusiasm, your energy, perhaps you especially like to train older people, or do you bring special knowledge of a particular sport to your training - etc - all of those things. They are part of the messages that you send to your customers and prospects.

Another example, you run a small fresh juice shop. Why are your juices best? Do you offer unusual juice combos, is your juice cold pressed, is your service fast yet friendly?

Whatever your small business, the important thing is to understand what it is that you bring to your small business.

The next step is to consider how people can learn more about you and your business - in an immediate, authentic and professional way.

This drive to share, to help and to tell your story - this is your brand.

First impressions count.

Your logo, your company colours, your presentation, your attitude, your attentiveness to others - are all important here. The best approach is to keep it simple, keep it real and always try to see things from your customers point of view. Forget about your competition. Don't be like the others. Just be you. You are your point of difference.

Here are 5 key takeways - to help you remember why branding is so important for small business.

1. Branding tells a story

It is said that a logo is the visible face of the brand.
Yes - having a great logo design is important - and your logo must work from a ‘design’ point of view and there is a lot to consider there; colours, styling, fonts and so on.
Yet it is the ideas behind the design, that are always the most important.
A well designed logo may look very nice.
But a logo with a story to tell, makes all the difference in the world. It makes it come alive with meaning and takes everything to the next level.

2. Branding builds trust

Just like people prefer to chat to people they already know - they prefer to work with brands and small businesses they already know.
As more people learn about your brand - you will start to build a customer base who will tell their friends about you.
Your message will spread.
Sharing you brand story - that is, the authentic story behind your small business - really helps here.

All the elements that go into making up your brand - are story telling ‘tools’. Your website, your blog, the reasons behind the colours on your business card, the design and style of your logo.

Above all, you are seeking to establish trust in the hearts of your customers.

3. Great branding = Great Marketing

Remember, marketing is not complicated.
It is simply about getting your message heard - an remembered - by the people who matter most - your customers.
Your goal is to be ‘top of mind’ when they are ready to purchase your product or services.
Think low cost with marketing. Simple things that you can do right now to help people learn about you - that aren't going to break the bank.
I always prefer to use the word ‘education’ instead of 'marketing'.
The best marketing always has ‘grass roots’ approach to the mix - think simple, keep it real and try to help your customers.
This might be a simple flyer that explains a special offer - or a well designed business card that features a listing of your key products on the reverse side.

4. Branding builds ‘good fortune’

Just returning to Marcus Aurelius for a moment. ‘Good Fortune’ here means business success. Effective branding builds good fortune in many ways : increasing sales, building industry recognition, inspiring employees, growing profits.

Again, a well branded small business is characterised by a unity and consistency of approach - across the board, all touch points.

From staff training, to client liaison, to customer acquisition to future expansion - all actions go back to the brand and reasons behind that brand.

5. Branding connects people

People love stories. The brands that get remembered are the ones whose stories get heard and remembered.
All great brands - from small business to big business - have this in common.
Branding connects the dots between people and the businesses they engage with.

And so we return to our original question:
How important is branding for small business?

The answer is very, very important. But it is the story you tell.
Your brand begins with you. Tell it well.

As Marcus Aurelius said over 2000 years ago: ‘True good fortune is what you make for yourself.’
I think he would have told a great brand story. And what is Ancient Rome - if nothing but a story well told?