Creating an Image for Your Business

By Barry Thomsen

What’s Your Reputation?
How is your business perceived by your target market? Are you known for having the highest quality products or services, the lowest prices, fastest delivery, best customer service, etc.? Or are you just another business trying to break through the clutter of the hundreds of other business who are vying for your customers? Do you communicate a compelling reason why a certain group of customers should buy from you? If not, you’re just waiting for another business to come along and steal your customers. To succeed in the long term you need to distinguish your business from all your competitors by establishing a clear, memorable image.

All the prosperous big companies today (of all which started small, by the way) are known by the image they project and have built up over time. For example, Starbucks is known for quality, Wal-Mart for low prices, McDonalds for fast service and Xerox for innovation. What is your business known for? Are you just the neighborhood store or office that provides adequate products at reasonable prices? If so, wake up--that’s not good enough anymore. You need to stand out from your competitors--and not only by price. Price is the second, third or even last consideration, unless there’s nothing else to entice customers. When companies can’t provide more, they always fall back to using low prices.

Price Isn’t Everything
Nordstrom has a sale only once or twice a year to clear out older merchandise. Other department stores seem to have some type of sale going on constantly, requiring their spending mega-bucks for advertising and promotion. But if you go to a Nordstrom store on a weekend, you’ll see just as many shoppers there as you will at their competitors’ stores. How can that be? Something else is drawing people there. Whether it’s the quality, service, their nicely designed shopping bags or just the image of the store, it works for them.

How many people buy jewelry at Tiffanys just to get the box? There’s nothing wrong with having constant sales if that’s the image you want. But if you stop the sales, business will likely slow down considerably.

Why do so many people go to convenience stores? You know it’s not for the prices. It’s for the quick service and easy parking. You don’t see many convenience stores in big shopping malls because there’s no need for their convenience and the parking is terrible.

I’m using these big, well-known stores as examples because everyone can relate to them. But the same principles hold true in smaller markets. It doesn’t matter your selling area is four square miles or nation-wide. You can stand out from your competitors and be known for what you do best. But if you actively promote your business’s specific value no one will know why you’re special. Your image and reputation should be as visible as your products and services.

It’s unlikely that you can be the best creative artist and also offer the lowest price. But if you use stock clip art and provide overnight service, that’s a different market. Both are in the same general market but target different needs, and can each be very successful. But if you jump back and forth without a defined image, you won’t be known and remembered for either. Customer will remember the image of your business long after an individual sales transaction.

Action Steps
While you’re having your morning coffee tomorrow morning, before another challenging day at your business, think about your image. What are you known for in your target market? Are you really known for anything? Is there a reason why your customers would recommend your products/services to others? Do you ask your customers what they really like or dislike about your business? Do you listen intently when they tell you? And do you use those answers in making future decisions for your business? If you can’t answer yes to all these questions, you have some homework to do. And if you don’t do your homework, you’ll be just another small business struggling to grow and survive in the jungle out there. Look around—those enterprises are everywhere, just getting by.

You don’t have to be content with mediocrity; you can rise above. Building a positive, memorable image doesn’t happen overnight, but if you start today, you’re one day closer to your goal. The first and most difficult step is to decide what you want your image to be. But once you make that decision, stick with it; don’t keep changing it. Second, create a list of all the things necessary to create that image. Keep adding to your list as new ideas present themselves. Research big companies in different industries that project the image you want. Add these things to your list. And third, find ways to turn the items on your list into reality. Start with the easiest and keep focused until your target market is aware of your image. The process will never truly end, because you’ll always be able to come up with new ways to bolster your image.

It’s all up to you. Start tomorrow over that first cup of coffee. There’s nothing wrong with asking for a little help from your associates or an outside firm, but you must make the final decision – and stick with it.

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Author Bio: Barry Thomsen is publisher/editor of the Small Business Idea-Letter and Small Business Advisor. To receive a free copy of the Idea-Letter, contact him at idealetter@aol.com or via www.idealetter.com.