I hope branding isn’t becoming cliché for you, because it remains one of the best ways of ensuring your slice of the buying public’s purse. Think about it this way: In one of my entrepreneurial ventures I made glass beads and sold them at trade shows across the country. I loved it. At one trade show I did exceptionally well, causing the manager to restrict me from other shows they offered. “You make too much money, and the other vendors can’t compete with you.” At first I was stunned, and then realized that at any given city, only a certain amount of money wandered into the show. The show owner’s livelihood depended upon a number of vendors, and if they couldn’t earn a living, neither could he. I found different venues and all turned out fine…until China flooded the market with cheap beads.

Through that experience I learned a valuable lesson. There is a certain amount of money up for grabs in our community, and everyone wants part of it. How do you ensure your success? Through branding.

Your brand is much more than your logo or sign of yourpresence. It is the reputation your business carries, the trust our communityhas in you. Build that trust.

Your business targets an ideal audience. Know that audiencewell. What are their needs? Their expectations? What are the buzzwords luringthem into your establishment? Know your audience.

Your business makes a promise every time a customer makes apurchase. It may be implied, it may be worded as a return policy, but realizeyour brand relies on keeping that promise. What do shoppers expect from you?How do they communicate their concerns? Does a complaint begin and end with thehapless clerk at the register? Are complaints shrugged off or taken to heart? Isa dissatisfied customer wooed into a continuing courtship with your business? Keepyour word.

Leading business consultant RobertHalf offers excellent suggestions on the basics of being the business thatdraws flies like honey. Entrepreneurdiscusses basics on personal branding. Their messages become a manual for 2020success. Brand or be forgotten.

Your branding may need to be spruced up, and here are someideas:

• Review your tagline. That elevator message needsto be your definition luring in new shoppers, welcoming old ones.
• Nudge your targeted audience. Come up with a newway to pique the interest of the people most inclined to do business with you.
• Spruce up your social presence. If you don’thave someone dedicated to broadening your online presence, contract with a VAor blogger to help you out. Social media morphs on a regular basis, and youneed more than a lackadaisical approach to attracting new business.

Your business must evolve to survive. The old adage of survivalof the fittest applies to more than the evolution of species. It means youmust remain on the cutting edge. Your approach to branding defines the healthof your business and your future within the community. Brand yourself well.