When does a brand become bigger than a person?

It’s an age-old question for any SME, but at what point do you become self-sufficient without YOU being the reason people do business with you?

When you have a small business, personality sells and becomes one of the biggest trigger decisions to buy. As Jay Abraham said (Author of ‘The Sticking Point Solution’), “you have to honestly want to provide your client with the best future through your problem solving.” Whether the reason to have a business was for personal wealth, self-fulfilment or more time with loved ones, the nirvana was for the business to stand on its own two feet and recognition for what the brand represented, rather than you as an individual.

The step comes when you have a team around you that represents all those facets that you wanted to portray, such as integrity, humility and trust. If your team are recognised as making a connection with the world around you and championing the reason you set up your business, then the factors for customers to buy from you instead of the competition becomes the key reason. It’s a case of getting into the real world. Customers love dealing with real people who care deeply about their hopes, dreams and visions.

This then moves to the next stage where your brand is seen as having ownership of your field of expertise. If you establish yourself this way, customers will get better results, prospects will have a higher regard for your products and your reputation will be extended by your market.

The long-term goal for any SME business owner is that your brand is infinitely more important than any one person. Obviously it takes time, but when your brand strives for greatness – not greatness in yourself, you’ve made that step.