Representation is everything when you’re trying to appeal to your audience, and there are so many ways a business impacts those around it. You have to be careful that there’s no negativity surrounding your business, and that can be from the core values of your business to the way employees act while wearing a company uniform.
It’s not just about developing the relationship with your customers, either, it’s about potential partnerships that can come out of good business practices. A company with a poor reputation is going to have a hard time finding promising partners, and you’ll find the greater your representation – the easier it will be for your business to grow and thrive.
Keep things professional
One vital thing you manage to maintain is how you act in front of employees, customers, and potential partners. Your professionalism needs to be recognized by others if your business is going to be trusted, and everyone wants to know that the business they’re supporting has a respectable owner. This can be done in several ways, whether it’s company uniform, maintaining formalities, or even just how you act when in the public eye.
While it might feel restrictive to have to act a certain way due to being a business owner, it’s part in parcel with gaining the trust of others. Your business is directly tied to you as an individual, and everyone knows that your values are going to carry into the business. If you’re often seen acting unprofessional, rude, or involved in controversies – it could negatively impact your business.
Looks are everything
It would help your business if you made it easier for your audience to identify you when you see you. Your branding, uniform, and even equipment can help uphold the appearance of your business. For example, if you have a company car, making sure the car matches your business’ standards can help to represent your business in a positive light. You can do this with personalised number plates if you want to give it that extra flare. Of course, if you’re going to have these company cars – remember that the drivers are also going to be representing the business while behind the wheel.
The same goes for what you decide to do in your free time. There’s nothing wrong with kicking back and taking part in your favorite hobbies, but you need to remember that others see you as the person behind the business. It’s up to you to uphold that image and portray yourself as someone that can be trusted. Of course, this depends entirely on your target audience, and not everyone is going to receive you and your interests the same way.
Branding
Your brand plays a key part in representing your business, and it needs to be designed to inspire confidence in your customers. It’s often the first thing people think about when your business’ name is mentioned, and it can be from your packaging to your logo, to your slogan. All of these things need to reinforce the idea of a great business. A well-designed logo can help with this, and it shouldn’t be something you’ve hastily put together. Clever design can go a long way, and your business may struggle to get the right representation without it. If you want to go into a company with a solid brand already, then why not look into Franchise Local?
Employee activity
Oftentimes it can be hard to ensure your business is only receiving positive representation since employees will sometimes be representatives. While you may hope employees will carry themselves properly, everyone is prone to mistakes, and the more people representing your business – the greater the risk. It’s not uncommon for businesses to face controversies following the acts of certain employees, so being sure to properly communicate the values of your business with your team is highly important.
Even on social media, some employees may proudly display their role at your company on their profile – but as a result of this, they’re going to be representing your company. If anything goes wrong or they’re involved in online controversy, you may be forced to act; costing you an employee, time, and money. While you may not be able to separate yourself from your business, your employees can; so it might be a great idea to make that clear.
Picking partnerships
It’s not just those who work for your business that represents it, though, and the partnerships you pick will also play a role in your representation. You want your business to be a name your audience can trust, so partnering with controversial individuals or companies can put you at risk. This is often referred to as a brand risk, and businesses may find themselves often turning down collaborations to prevent damaging their image.
Instead, you want to partner with businesses with similar values at their core, with great representation and PR. By doing this, you avoid your own controversies, and customers will know that they can continue to trust you. Partnering with a business with practices or values contradictory to yours will likely upset your customers or shareholders.
Consistent communication
The message you’re putting out to your audience can help to grow your business, especially if you make the core values of your company known. However, once you’ve been clear about this, you need to make sure you’re consistent with it. Going from one opinion to the other, just to leverage sales and public opinion is going to say a lot about your brand, and it’s no way to represent your business.
Communication between you and your audience should be as clear and concise as possible so as not to leave people confused about where your business stands. Running your own business and being your own boss can be great, but ultimately the success of your business depends on what others think of you and your product – so if you’re not communicating and acting in a way that’s beneficial to your business, growth is going to be slow. Try making regular announcements via social media, and being sure to respond to customers as often as possible.
