As a small business owner, your personal brand and your business brand are tightly interwoven. If you let your personal brand stagnate, it will reflect on your business.
This is why it is very important for entrepreneurs to invest in themselves and their personal brand. Ironically, many business owners feel that it is counter-intuitive to invest in themselves. Many of them feel like they should sacrifice their own well-being for their business, so they put everything they have into their work and dismiss self-care as something that is self-indulgent, frivolous or secondary.
Nothing could be further from the truth. As an entrepreneur, you need to fight this belief. Investing in yourself is not only healthy, but it will help build your personal brand and your business.
Here are some ways to invest in yourself — and your personal brand — that will directly influence your business (and life) for the better:
Invest in your appearance
Looks aren’t everything, but in business they play a key part in making that all-important first impression.
Invest in an appropriate business wardrobe so that you look the part of a confident, reliable business owner. Also, make sure you get regular haircuts, manicures, skincare, and all the little things that keep you looking vibrant, alert and well-groomed.
If anything, investing in your physical appearance will raise your confidence levels, and that alone will improve your personal brand and business brand.
Invest in your network
We all need connection. Your network is your net worth.
While clients are an integral part of your network (for obvious reasons), remember that your professional network extends even further than your client base. The people in your network sphere will refer business to you, mentor and advise you, be there for personal support, and provide services that will help your business grow.
Invest time and money into going to networking events. Take the trouble to do one-on-one coffee meetings. Make the effort to engage and stay in touch with your network with regular emails, calls, and on social media.
In business, WHO you know is often more important than WHAT you know.
Invest in your mind
Personal growth is a part of business. If you don’t grow as a person, your business won’t grow either.
You wouldn’t think twice about upgrading equipment or investing in supplies for your business. However, when was the last time you invested in your most valuable business resource – your mind?
In what areas can you use some improvement? Do you need to work on your presentation skills? Update your industry knowledge? Keep on top of trends? Learn to be a better leader?
Look into seminars, webinars, podcasts, classes, blogs and conferences that can teach you something. Make time every day to read books about business or personal development. Reading 25 pages a day adds up to 3 or 4 books a month (that’s about 50 books a year)!
Invest in your health
Your body is the engine behind your personal brand and your business.
Maintain this engine as best as you can by getting enough exercise, eating a proper diet, and getting enough rest. Make sure your stress is managed too: seek out yoga, meditation, psychotherapy, or whatever works for you. Take breaks!
A healthy body and mind will allow you to have more energy and focus to run your business.
If you brand yourself as someone who has the discipline and self-respect to take care of yourself at a high level, you will notice that others will treat you with more respect.
Sometimes, investing in your personal brand can feel like you’re “splurging” on yourself. Just remember that being good to yourself is good for your personal brand and your business brand.
Need help with your personal brand or business brand? Call Kim Speed at Purple Moon Creative today!
