Small Business: Big Name

Corporate image . . . and why it matters

Local hair salons, auto shops, bakeries, realtors, pet stores, cafes, tax accountants – even doctor and dentist offices – all have unique public images -- whether they want them or not! Every business, large or small, sends out signals about themselves.

When a company name comes up in conversation, an image pops into people’s minds. Everything associated with that company morphs into a mental picture. What do you see in your mind’s eye, for example, when you hear the words McDonalds, Fifth-Third or Steelcase? Welcoming Golden Arches? A leading lender or a beautiful ball park? A chic, modern style of desk or chair? These corporations work hard to create a positive portrait for you.

People perceive an entire enterprise through various messages a company sends out to the community. Whether it’s your storefront appearance, your website, your ads, brochures or business cards, each part of your company paints a picture of your business. The better the picture, the more likely customers are to come into your store, visit your office, or use your services. A good image sells!

Cutting-Edge? or Cut-Throat?

Up-to-Date? or Behind-the-Times?

What ‘image’ does your company project?

Many small businesses cripple themselves, keep themselves in a rut and fail to build their customer base by failing to focus on their images.

“We’re too small for corporate image. That’s for huge enterprises,” sole proprietors claim. Many entrepreneurs go about their daily business never asking themselves: “What kind of image does my company portray to people – especially those who aren’t customers yet?”

Some small or family-operated businesses believe that image doesn’t matter. “It’s our products and services that count,” they say. They claim they’re too busy serving customers to care about an image . . . until sales start to slump. Things change when the competition gets ahead. Clients or customers with more than one choice, go with their gut instinct – which comes from the pictures they’ve formed in their heads.

Call it image, corporate identity, reputation, or any name, it means that you provide mental pictures that determine how your company is perceived by people. Good public perception is vital for business. Your reputation is built on what people hear and see about your enterprise. A company is never too small to create and maintain a positive image with the public.

What goes into your company image?

Your mission, vision and goals, along with your marketing and advertising strategies, all figure into your public image. Your image is projected in the way your place of business looks from the outside, along with the messages you send from the inside. Before anyone steps into your shop or your store, they already have judged the quality of your operation. They have sized up your business through your:

• Website and social media content

• Email, phone or letter responses

• Sales pitches, advertising and promotions

• Mailings, fliers, postcards, posters and pictures

• Business cards, brochures, signs or billboards

Every platform you use – whether print material, TV, radio, internet or public appearance -- projects your image to the public. Each item you print, post, or pass out positions your business positively or negatively. Large or small, you need to portray your business in the best possible way. Just a few image mistakes that interfere with a small company’s success include:

• Poorly designed websites

• Unprofessional-looking stationery and envelopes

• Spelling or grammar errors in advertising content

• Blurry, old-fashioned or amateurish photos or graphics

• No logo, or logo with strange or hard-to-decipher design

• Inconsistent use of logos, color, type fonts, style or messages

• Inconsistent business information in directories and promotional pieces

If you’re one of those small business owners who haven’t put much thought into your image, we can help. We will professionally assess your public image and make recommendations to improve it. Contact Carlos Valladares at Corporate Image Services (CIS): carlosv@wearecis.com

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service@wearecis.com Office: 616-347-6300 6501 Balsam Drive

Toll- Free: 1-877-247-6350 Hudsonville, MI 49426

For permission to reprint this article: Contact Blog Writer | Business Consultant Susan K. Maciak at service@wearecis.com

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