For entrepreneurs, personal brand and your business brand are often one in the same.  Even if you have numerous employees, the owner still sets the tone of the business and is usually engaged with the client during the sales process or at implementation.

If you are an entrepreneur and haven't considered your personal brand and its impact on your business brand, it's time to get started.
Why Your Personal Brand is so Important to Your Business Brand

Dealing with a Human

In my previous business I had over 30 employees, but it was my name on the website, my name on the marketing collateral, and my name at the end of each email.  While I may not have been delivering the service, my name signified that the buck stopped with me. 

Whether someone was thrilled with our business or hopping mad, usually I was the one who would ultimately respond to the customer for better or worse.

What this meant is that when people met me or talked to me on the phone, they seemed to already "know" me.  Small business is a human business. Like it or not, as the owner your customers will often see you as one in the same.

Reputation is Everything

As the face of your business, your reputation and that of your business are interchangeable. If you bring baggage to your start-up, expect to address those issues. Make sure when you hire, you do so slowly, because your employees actions may reflect back on you and that of the business as a whole.

You also set the tone of your business, and customers know this.  How you treat your employees will often reflect how they treat the customer. Even if you have worked hard to develop a great company brand, if your actions don't match what you are saying, your brand development efforts will be for naught.

Having Something To Hold Onto

Most entrepreneurs have a nomadic personality,  starting ventures, building businesses, and ultimately selling those businesses. Your personal brand can not only affect the sale of your current business, but the opportunities that lay ahead.

Plus, if your current venture business brand goes south, your still have your personal brand to propel you forward.

How to, and not to, use your personal brand to impact your business brand...

Being Social

Your personal social media presence can be a great way to start promoting your business.  However, I do suggest keeping your personal and business sites separate.

LinkedIn is one site where the personal brand can really help people connect with your business brand.

Remember: Even if your personal site is not used for your business site, the opinion people have of your public persona will reflect on your business.  People will view your personal posts which will reflect back on your business.  Keep your dating life, politics and religion quiet. Do not post emotionally charged topics that will isolate your customers or employees. No business can afford to immediately alienate half of their prospective customers.  

Public Relations

As a "Subject Matter Expert" your thought leadership content,  speaking engagements, books, and  PR can reflect positively on your business.  Use these personal brand opportunities to also reflect positively on your business.

Your Behavior

As the face of a company what you do good or bad is likely to make it back to your customers.  Donating money to a charity, saving someone from downing, getting a DWI... all of the things you do, good or bad, reflects on your business.  And as I tell my kids "The internet never forgets." You don't want a quick Google search to be the difference between signing a new client or not. Choose your public behaviors wisely.

How many times do we read a blog and say "I already knew that."  Yes, this all seems self explanatory, however every day I see a business owner forget how their personal brand is impacting their business.

Your personal brand can do some great things for your business. But, you can also isolate your employees, anger your customers and damage your business if you don't keep in mind that your personal brand and your business brand are inextricably tied together.

Do you need help developing your business brand or your personal brand?  Marketing Eye Dallas is your brand specialist.  Learn more about brand building.

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