You may ask yourself, what does an accountant know about branding?   and the answer is not much – that is not how my left brain works…

As in many areas, I thirst for knowledge and remain a student with a continuing quest for knowledge.   The internet, Reddit and yes, books can be great sources of inspiration and learning.

Why brand?  As this pandemic winds down, one of the most significant constraints to growth is people and a meaningful branding strategy can help in attracting and retaining employees.  I think this may be for two reasons

  1. the current entrants into the workforce are seeking meaning in their work and are willing to switch jobs quickly to find an employer which has values which align with them
  2. by sheer numbers, the graying population has more people leaving the workforce than entering it. Demographics is a wave that marches onwards.

So try a couple of ways to think about your business brand:

a. Branding – identifying the “why” for your business and consistently communicating that rationale across all components of the business, both internally and externally.  Often businesses believe that branding is the advertising and outward facing side of a business.  The deeper part of branding is the day to day actions and decisions demonstrated by the leadership of a company and these can resonate for much longer.

b. Benefits
– clarity of purpose and values
– creates a common language
– facilitates communication‎ within the business and with all stakeholders
– improves longevity of the business
– eases buy-in of the newer and incoming workforce
– consistency of demonstrable values throughout the enterprise

I encourage you to consider how you are defining the brand for your family enterprise and business. If you have already done so; well done.

Next is how are you communicating this brand message? Can that messaging be improved and how?

Learn, think, apply!