When 3 years ago I decided to set up my company, I chose to have an online business, for several reasons:
– You can work wherever you want (now it’s spring time over here, and I’m looking forward to taking my computer to a coffee shop by the beach!)
– You don’t need to spend hours communting to go to work
– You can work in your pyjamas and nobody will ever know
– You have the largest market at your fingertips: the Internet opens the door to the entire world
– You don’t need to invest a large amount of money to set up and run your business!
Morevover, there is something else I personally love about working online: you connect with so many different people from different parts of the world, each one having his/her own special experience and UNIQUE way of doing business.
I intentionally highlighted the word “unique” because it is your UNIQUENESS the ingredient that makes you stand out from everybody else and your Personal Brand successful.
What is Personal Branding ?
To put it simply, it is a priceless individual resource: it means building your business around YOU rather than around your products or services.
This is a new concept I really like because it enables you to set up a business that will exist for a lifetime if you want: if the brand is the person, it means that if you decide that you no longer want to sell software or gifts and you wish to sell special food for allergic people, or you want to diversify your business, your clients will continue to follow you because it is the Brand “You” they trust.
Moreover, personal branding means that you can add your personal and UNIQUE touch to your business that will always and definitely make you stand apart from any competitor in your niche market.
(Image Source: http://www.businesslearningsolutions.es/en)
You become the focus of your business success! And this is exactly what fashion designers have always been doing: Valentino, Chanel, Versace, etc, have created a style, a personal brand around themselves. All their creations show the UNIQUE style of the person who created them. A Valentino dress stands out amongst thousand other dresses. Versace creations have a unique character.
The Personal Branding concept has now become a new way of doing business, both online and offline.
So how do you build your personal brand? How can you make your business, products and services UNIQUE?
Let’s start with what I believe are the basics of personal branding.
- First and foremost, do something you are passionate about because your passion, your unique way of living your passion will shine through everything you do.
- Have a vision. Your vision is the reason why you do what you do. It is the soul of your personal brand that reminds you of where you are going, what you are doing to get there and why you are doing it (your WHERE, WHAT and WHY).
- Write your blog – your central hub – in a personal way and speak about you, your own experience, your successes and your failures. Publish video, interviews, podcasts, chat with and listen to your Twitter and Facebook followers. Speak about your vision. I know it’s scary because you feel you’re too old, too young, too bizarre, too shy to do that. I know that because I’ve been there too. But when you decide to go for it and show your true self, your UNIQUE Personal Brand will shine and you will feel in perfect alignment with your WHY.
Why is Personal Branding so important for businesses? Well, it’s simple: because YOU are unique, there’s no one else like you in the world. Your knowledge, your experience, your talent, your skills, your passion/s, your interests are only yours. And your audience, your customers, want to know about YOU, they want to create a relationship with YOU, not with a company that is elusive and distant. Your customers care about YOU and your UNIQUENESS.
What is your UNIQUE VALUE that you express through your PERSONAL BRAND?
Leave your comments below, you know I love to hear your feedback and your experiences and ideas!
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To your prosperity and success
