You ARE Your Business!

These days most of us are doing the majority of our business in a technological bubble. We use emails, telephones, and voice mail to do our communicating….even in many “store” situations.

There are times however, for every business owner, when you’ll represent your business in the public eye. There might even be more of those times than you are aware of, in your day to day routine. I’ve seen some business owners do things, that made me cringe…

Everyday Places

The other day, while standing in line at the Post Office, it occured to me….I had several packages in my arms, all with address labels that had my website URLs on them. There were people in line, both in front and behind, that could easily read those labels. WOW! There’s another opportunity to represent my business as a professional organization! Luckily, I was dressed nicely. I haven’t always been dressed the best when I’m making my daily run, though. It made me realize that there are everyday places where you ARE your business, and how you look impacts a person’s first impression of your business! Now, when I’m getting dressed each day, I think to myself “Will I be doing anything that could affect my business image, today?”. If my answer is yes, I take a little more care in my dress and my hair.

Online Communities

Another often neglected area of behavior, is the message board/forum arena. Many online business people visit such places on a daily basis. Whether doing so to learn from other business owners, or just to pass the time between calls…..you should remember who you are, and what you represent. Even online! Or perhaps, ESPECIALLY online (if the majority of your business is on the internet).

I have never used an “alias” when I’m posting on my favorite message boards. This has it’s pros and it’s cons, I suppose. The pros being, you can do a Google search on my name, and I’m all over the place! The cons being that I cannot post anything too negative out there, for the plain fact that it will come back to me.

I’ve been known to express my feelings on political matters rather passionately. But, I learned many years ago, that any business matters are better left between my clients and me. It’s bad practice to seek advice about your clients online. If your client found you online, they could just as easily find your questions about them (or their actions/practices). You risk not only losing your relationship with that client, but with future clients as well. Why would someone want to do business with you if you openly talk about current clients in a public forum?

Even if you use an alias, it can sometimes be traced back to you….thus, the best action to take is not to post publicly about ANY client….no matter what.

Gossips

Every neighborhood has them…..and let’s face it….at times it can be very tempting to get caught up in the rumor mill. Especially, when it’s all about someone you don’t particularly care for.

The problem you face in such a situation, is the same as the others we’ve discussed. Because you ARE your business, anything and everything you do personally can affect your business.

You may not even do business with any of your neighbors, or with any local patrons…..but Susie knows Sally, and Sally knows John, and John………well, you get the picture. Getting caught up in nasty gossiping, can REALLY come back to you in very bad ways.

YOU ARE YOUR BUSINESS

The best way to make certain that you don’t cause any negative impact upon your business, is to always conduct yourself as though every person you meet could be a client one day. I’m not talking about trying to sell someone, or even mentioning your business to everyone. Just act as though you have this big neon sign permanently attached over your head with your business name flashing brightly above you. It will make a difference in your behavior, believe me!