March 28, 2011
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Boris Fowler
I am a big believer in the wise words sung in the great musical Gypsy:
“I’m electrifying, and I ain’t even trying
I never have to sweat to get paid
'Cause if you got a gimmick
Gypsy girl, you got it made!”
The singer in question knew that having a gimmick, or in other words, being original, meant that she would be remembered. And that is as important in small business as it is in show business; only in small business it’s called having a brand.
Yes, I know, branding is still something most small business people think is for big business. But think again. There are nearly 30 million small businesses in this country. That's a lot of competition, and that’s the problem. By having a memorable, unique brand, you are creating a hook that people can use to remember you by.
Think about it: Great businesses, big and small alike, are memorable. Their brand evokes an immediate reaction, feeling or belief. What do you think of when you think of McDonald’s? Probably cheap, fast food. That’s a fine, memorable brand. What about Mercedes? Maybe you think ‘expensive luxury car.’ That’s a good brand, too. For Mercedes Benz, the value of such a brand is multi-fold, not the least of which is that it enables the company to charge a heck of a lot of money for a car.
Having a memorable brand is equally, if not more important, for you. Your business is both smaller and has more competition than Mercedes or McDonald's. Your brand is how your can stand out.
Want to read more on branding? Check these out:
Here are two ways to create that great small business brand:
1. Consider your business name: Now, if you have a longstanding business and a business name that has generated considerable goodwill over the years, you already have a fine name.
But if not, know this: The name of your business is the single most important tool you have for creating a unique brand and a memorable business. It is the first, and sometimes only, thing people hear about your business.
A great name tells people exactly what the business is, or is otherwise memorable. You could:
- Mention benefits in the name: Baja Fresh or Jiffy Lube, for instance
- Have a rhyming name: Clean Gene’s Carpet Care
- Use alliteration: Frank’s Franks (a hotdog place)
- Be unique: Amazon.com, MrAllBiz.com
By naming (or renaming) your business, you go a long way to creating that special small business brand.
2. Have a great logo and tagline: Similarly, a logo and tagline used in all of your marketing and advertising is a super way to get people to know what it is you are about and help them remember it.
What motel chain will “leave the light on for you”? Motel 6, of course. What is “the ultimate driving machine”? Yep, BMW. And who says, “If I do my job right, yours just got easier?” Why, me of course. Those taglines explain the feeling—the brand —these businesses want to evoke.
Similarly, a logo is a graphic way to get people to associate whatever it is you want them to associate with your business. Again, McDonald's is illustrative—the golden arches are also french fries.
So you go a long way to creating that memorable brand simply by creating a logo and tagline that tell people what benefits they get if they choose your business, and then using them again, and again.
Do that, and, as the last line in the song goes, “You too can be a star!”
Check your balance, review recent transactions and pay your bill on the go.
Boris Fowler 1 year 2 months and 1 days ago
This is why so many businesses today fail. They are not memorable, and to most people, any effort they make to market is just another advertisement to them. There is no value, there is nothing to keep people coming back or interested in what they are offering.