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Standing Out in the Crowd

By STEVE STRAUSS, AOL SMALL BUSINESS
Posted: 2009-11-10 18:22:57
Steve Strauss
Steve Strauss
Q: Steve -- I own a florist shop and have a really hard time getting noticed -- sticking out from the crowd. How do I fix that?

Ally

A: Last year my wife and I discovered this great little fishing village on the Pacific coast of Mexico. So while the kids were at camp during that summer, we stole away for a few days. It was warm and wonderful, and every morning we would go to this one little café for breakfast.

Now, why was that? There were no shortage of restaurants and taquerias we could have gone to.

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    The reason was that the restaurant had, aside from great huevos rancheros, free wifi. And moreover, throughout town they had posters and signs telling everyone that they were the only place in town to offer free wifi.

    That was their brand, and it made them quite popular.

    That, I suggest, is what you must do too if you want to succeed in your small business, especially in this economy. Look, there is no shortage of competition out there; we all know that. Whether it is the store across the street of the consultant across the ocean, in this 24/7, interconnected e-conomy, if you want to succeed, you have to stand out.

    You have to have a unique, identifiable small business brand.

    What do I mean by that? Think about businesses that are memorable -- say, Apple or Harley Davidson or Walmart. You remember them because, yes, they offer a cool or cheap or otherwise desired product, but equally, they have a brand, a personality, a reputation. Apple is the hip computer, Wal-Mart is the low price leader, Harley is the outlaw motorcycle.

    That is the idea. If you want to compete, if you want to stand out from the crowd, you simply must create a unique, identifiable brand for your business. Your brand is your reputation, and your reputation precedes you.

    Ask yourself this: What do people think about when they think about your business? Do you give them a hook to hang their hat on? Great businesses, big and small alike, do.

    Consider the dentist here in my town who brands himself “the sedation dentist.” He is on TV, on the radio, on bus benches -- everywhere. The interesting thing though is that all dentists offer sedation dentistry these days, but this dentist knew that if he wanted to be noticeable, he needed, not only a brand, but one that people would be interested in patronizing. As a result, here where I live, if anyone is nervous about going to the dentist, you can bet he is the guy they think of.

    The other great thing about creating a memorable brand is that you are not forced to compete on price any longer. Brands have perceived value. When you have a brand, people are willing to pay more. Aren’t you?

    So here is what to do: Think about what it is you do and offer and consider what is unique and special about it. Make sure it is something that people would want. You could be, for instance:

    - The divorce lawyer for women only, or
    - The pharmacy that offers free delivery, or
    - The green auto repair shop

    Once you hit on a brand angle, then the secret is to get the word out and reinforce it with everything you do. Have a logo that exemplifies it. Have a catch phrase that promotes it. Put it on your website, street signs, business cards, stationary, email, and in all of your ads. Make sure that everything you do reinforces that brand -- from how the phone is answered to how your invoices look.

    And by the way, don’t be afraid if you think you might turn some people off. If you do, congratulations! Great brands attract some people and repel others. Starbucks is not for everyone, neither is Nordstrom’s.

    But the good news is that the people you do attract should become quite loyal. In fact, who knows, I bet they will begin to shop from you regularly, even if you don’t offer huevos rancheros!

    ------------
    Steven D. Strauss is one of the country's leading small business experts. The senior USATODAY.com small business columnist, his latest book is the Small Business Bible. A lawyer, author, and public speaker, Steve speaks around the world about small business and entrepreneurship, including a recent visit to the United Nations. He has been on CNN, MSNBC, ABC, and The O'Reilly Factor among many others, and his business column, Ask an Expert, appears weekly at USATODAY.com. If you would like Steve to speak to your group, help your business grow, or if you would like to sign up for his free newsletter, "Small Business Success Secrets!" please visit his website -- www.MrAllBiz.com.

    Want to be part of this column? Ask Steve a question at AOL@MrAllBiz.com. You can follow him on Twitter @SteveStrauss.

    2009-11-10 18:11:37
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    edgemastermobile 08:21:31 PM Nov 15 2009

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    The social media has done a pretty good job for me. I get on everything I can find and OK it has given me some virus' is the doing but now if you google our name,Edgemaster Mobile Sharpening you will find about a hundred mentions of our brand. Our web site www.edgmeasterfranchising.com has more than doubled its hits since I started this thing and knife sharpening has increased. The other thing you should do is get your holiday knives sharpened right away so you will look like a pro at the table. We have a proprietary machine that takes very little metal off so the knife life is extended over grinding on a wheel or stone. Check it out and see if your brand doesn't show more notice. Thanks Jon

    customlawnil 03:28:59 PM Nov 15 2009

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    Just keep your fly open .....that should work wonders.

    gposner29 10:09:52 AM Nov 15 2009

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    Dye your hair orange. Get tatoos all over the place. Pierce all visible parts of your anatomy. Let your pants drop below your underwear. Then wonder why no one will hire you?

    legalactionllc 08:56:06 AM Nov 15 2009

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    Earn Extra Money for the holidays. Just check out this craigslist ad at http://newlondon.craigslist.org/biz/1463333041.html

    legalactionllc 08:55:11 AM Nov 15 2009

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    Earn extra money, save your home, save your car, extra money for the holidays. Just check out this craigslist ad at http://newlondon.craigslist.org/biz/1463333041.html Don't doubt this ad. Its as real as it comes.

    sultan22ca 11:43:09 PM Nov 11 2009

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    pretty good advice....I think I'll apply this simple formula to my new business!

    menncar 08:27:26 PM Nov 11 2009

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    This article starts saying:"The reason was that the restaurant had, aside from great huevos rancheros, free wifi."So, the ending should have said:"In fact, who knows, I bet they will begin to shop from you regularly, even if you don’t offer free wifi."and not huevos rancheros--that part was irrelevant!

    menncar 08:25:48 PM Nov 11 2009

    Report This!

    This article starts saying:"The reason was that the restaurant had, aside from great huevos rancheros, free wifi."So, the ending should have said:"In fact, who knows, I bet they will begin to shop from you regularly, even if you don’t offer free wifi."and not huevos rancheros--that part was irrelevant!

    fantasymaster010 02:43:18 PM Nov 11 2009

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    I like this article about standing out of the crowd. Just need some basic marketing research.

    anthropview 09:54:13 AM Nov 11 2009

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    so am i wrong or is tampa wedding out of control a case of "you can take the you-know-what" out of the ghetto but ya just can't take the ghetto out of the you know whats??hahahahahahdid you read about that? unfuckingbelieveable!!!

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