The super effective tool that most small businesses are failing to use.
The last lunar new year ushered in another year of the dragon. An auspicious time characterized by ambition and wisdom. In other words, this is a perfect year to elevate.
Perhaps, for some of you, this starts with reclaiming a word or two. Ambition is an easy example. It has a pretty bad reputation — it evokes images of cold, ruthless monsters climbing over everyone in their path. This is a perversion of something I believe to be inherent to existing.
We make plans, we strive, we dream. I want you to have ambition. But I want to make sure it comes from inside you. That it’s from the purest part of yourself.
That it’s your definition, not one the world gave you.
Be ambitious. Do things well. Take pride in your work. Cultivating your own work, running a business, being an entrepreneur — all these things take a lot of planting and tending. You plant seeds and nurture them, knowing that results are down the line.
But just like there are seasons of quiet diligence, there are also seasons of big action. That’s what the dragon year is all about. Is this one of those years for you?
Maybe to you elevating means hiring for the first time. Or expanding your work in some way. Adding something new you’ve been planning for a while. Maybe it just means sharpening everything up, increasing quality and experience.
One of the most tactical tools for helping you navigate this journey is having your brand squared away. Knowing who are and who you serve. How your brand looks and sounds. These are the foundations of consistency.
So ask yourself, do you have a brand guideline handbook?
It’s not enough to just know these things in your head. You need to have them down on paper and organized. What’s your brand promise? Could everyone who works for you say it?
These are important questions to ask yourself. And having these brand guidelines is something that all the really big businesses do. But despite the fact that it’s both attainable and powerful, so many small businesses fail to put it to work for themselves.
Having these sort of clear brand guidelines helps you hire better. It means a better fit and less turnover. It helps you navigate new opportunities. You get better results when you hire any creative or marketing services. Ultimately, it helps you avoid wasting your time.
Not all action leads to progress. You can spend a ton of money and energy without it getting you where you want to go.
Setting and following brand guidelines is one of the best ways to avoid the kind of action that doesn’t lead to progress. It helps you get clear and keeps you focused. And it’s why we teach brand strategy. It’s often overlooked in favor of marketing and logos.
But brand strategy is the key to making everything else you do easier and more effective.