How Good Is Your Small Business Brand?

Branding has always enjoyed a certain elusive mystery. Is it a logo, a tag line or a color theme? Is it what you stand for or are known for?

In a word, the answer is, "yes!"

Unfortunately, most small business owners get the cute logo graphic, then quit there, thinking they're "branded."

What they miss is the emotional half of their brand. Think of this as the Yang needed to breathe heart and soul into the Yin of the logo.

Which is why branding must be approached with a softer, feminine mindset (guys, you can do this too so stay with me here, okay?).

There are three key components to a powerful brand. The good news is, they're each easy to piece together into a powerful symbol of who you are and what you're all about.

Emotions Rule!

Your brand is a richly complex combination of key emotions you want to evoke in people, along with the outward symbol of what it stands for.

For example, my brand emotions are passion, action and possibility. I've paid attention to making sure that every program, product or article gives highly practical information combined with the feelings I just listed, which creates a "You can do it!" approach to business.

What Will You Go To The Matt For?

Now, your brand also represents what you are a stand for, no matter what. In my business, I am a stand for making big money, doing what you love, no matter what. Which is why I focus on creating products and programs that help entrepreneurs profit from their brilliance (and why I often kick a little butt when a client is compromising!).

The Fear Of Failure Lurks In This Common Misconception...

Your brand must be clearly focused on a single solution. This is where most small business owners get tripped up, because they "don't want to limit themselves."

The unwillingness to carve out your place in the world is simply a fear of getting serious about yourself and your business. It's a fear of failure that manifests itself by making you think you're limiting yourself in some way if you actually claim your truth about your niche.

Nothing could be farther from the truth. For example, when my Platinum Plus client, Nancy Marmolejo claimed her truth we quickly created her Viva Visibility brand. Since then, she has skyrocketed to success with sold out teleseminars, popular info products, an upcoming book deal and more, all focused on the power of social networking to generate leads for your business.

Likewise, Platinum Plus client Anese Cavanaugh's brand, Dare to Engage, is now netting her high 5-figure corporate coaching contracts, a new line of info products and recognition from Inc 500 companies for her ability to get teams to "play nice together" (which impacts their bottom line).

Sometimes The Work Gets Messy

Great small business brands are an amazingly powerful tool for putting your business in the spotlight. And if you're serious about reaching 6-figures and moving up into even higher numbers then you must be willing to do the sometimes "messy emotional" work of branding your brilliance with more than just a logo! The deeper you dig into what your brand evokes, provokes, and stands for, the greater your opportunity for success!