Integrity is everything
Entrepreneurs who choose to become their brands are a little like celebrities. With the slightest crack in their PR veneer, the knives can come out for them, with disastrous consequences for their businesses.
Associating your name and image with your brand builds an extra layer of accountability for your business which is a double-edged sword. It builds trust and investment in your business, but it also sets you up for a fall if the masses see the slightest break in your integrity.
Dishonest behaviour of any sort will be extra crippling to your business’ reputation and could potentially lead to the failure of any other business you attempt to set up in your name.
If you’re going to take this step, everything you do, every transaction you make and every word you write needs to be beyond reproach. This goes not only for you but for your employees which brings us to…
You need to keep an extra close eye on your employees
Your employees are, in the eyes of customers, clients and leads, the face of your brand as much as you are. They need to be cognizant of that. Any lazy, rude or inappropriate behaviour that they exhibit throughout the course of their jobs is a slight not only on your business but on you personally. Needless to say, recruiting the right people is of paramount importance as is regular training and orientation.
With the right safeguards in place, personal branding can help your business stand out from the crowd and be a beacon of good practice in an increasingly impersonal business landscape.
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