It Is All In How You Package It- Part 3

If you were going to put your own business out of business, how might you do it? If you were going to disrupt your entire industry, where would you start? Not worried about such things? You should be. If you are not thinking about these things, you can rest assured your competitor is.

In my long career, I have heard many a good reason for starting a business. Getting a paycheck is one of the lesser ones. I wish more entrepreneurs knew that the inspiration of ‘bringing home a paycheck’ will never sustain any business in the cold, cruel world of capitalism. It is survival of the fittest, and survival only for those who have prepared themselves for this harsh and unpredictable climate. It is the fortunate few who prepare with the right supplies. The journey is not about you and your survival. Survival is secondary. Necessary, yes, but secondary. The journey is about your customer. 

Last week, I had the privilege of having lunch with a gal who has been an inspiration to me for a long, long time. She is a great client and a model business woman. I complimented her, once again, for being one of the most prepared entrepreneurs I have ever had the privilege of serving. When she first came in for a visit, she had a rock-solid business plan in hand. It would be two full years before she opened her doors. This is ready. As a graphic designer who develops visual identities, this kind of preparation thrills my soul, because it greatly increases the chances of survival–and she has gone far beyond mere survival. During our lunch, she mentioned that her startup mentors gave her the heads up that it could be five years before she would pull a living wage from the operations of her company. At the time, she did not believe them. She was pretty sure this statistic could not apply to her after taking such pains for careful preparation. But it did happen exactly as they predicted. And this was after doing most everything right.

I have seen many hopeful start-ups spiral down to their demise more times than I care to count. This number includes many entities that I was certain had more than enough funding to start. Such statistics drive me to deliver, to shout the value of Brand, and help my clients rethink their approach to marketing. Oh how I wish the national averages of small business demise would be enough to frighten the unprepared. Alas, it only motivates a few to take action.

I am pleased to say that my model client still knows the value of Brand today, and everything that a Brand entails. She knew from the start that she needed to define her purpose, her vision, and her mission. She deliberately chose who she could serve best, and then packaged up her whole business to attract them. She knew that defining her Brand from the start would make every business decision easier. She knew it would provide the springboard to create an amazing customer experience and to communicate her message with clarity. It was these decisions that enabled me to create graphics that would visually support her message. Working together, we created context. Context created relevance. Relevance built connection. And connection grew sales. And sales? Well. What does living a lifelong dream look like? You need only to see her smile.

Many start-ups skip Branding. They imagine that they will have an opportunity to brand later when the budget is available–that is, if there is a later. Your Brand is your foundation. You cannot skip your foundation and expect to build anything. Not only do startup entrepreneurs need branding to begin marketing, they need branding to qualify in the running against the established competitors. (How do you think they got to be the bigger company in the first place?)

Now, here is the good news! All of these foundational things are available to the thinking entrepreneur. Sure, it takes brainpower and time, but you need not have a marketing degree to do it. Your small business is strengthened in direct proportion to the time you spend thinking about it. It is possible to define your purpose, your mission, your vision, and your future. It is possible to define your ideal customer. If you listen to your customer, it is possible to deliver your message in their language. It is possible to engage them and to tell your story in a relevant way. It is possible to figure out what your competitors are up to so you can do it better. This kind of thinking helps you to package your business like an invitation–an invitation to any potential customer to find out more.

It is all in the way you package it.

Do you need help developing your Brand? We can help you step up your startup. We can help you refresh a tired brand to capture new sales potential. We have been helping our clients think like marketers since 1988. Need this kind of help? Ready to be challenged? Feel free to contact us. 

 __________________________________________________________________

Why do we at etc!graphics inc, a graphic design company, care about your business strategies? Because no matter the talent of your designer, your business graphics will never make more sense than the clarity of your vision. The clearer your vision, the more lucid your marketing will be, and the better connection you will make with your customer. We want to help you find the gold in your business. Join us all this month as we share ways to help your small business sustain and grow in a crowded marketplace. Etc!Graphics is devoted to helping you, the small business owner, think like a marketer. 

You can read more articles like this, by visiting Thincblog here.