Finding a Unique Business Identity

Last Monday I wrote about my unique vision for my business. No organisation sets up without a purpose and so they all have a story. That story is important because it shows the world how what you are doing is unique.

Many voluntary organisations have mission statements, aims and objectives. These are lovingly presented on their website but the sad fact is, however worthy they may be, they are without exception deadly dull. Do you read them?  Maybe on occasions you want to engage with the organisation but for most people a story that explains why you exist and offer what you offer is far more effective.  Many organisations need help finding their unique business identity!

It can be helpful to ask:

What is utterly unique about my business?

I find this question helpful insofar as it sets the scene but it is not easy to answer. The Circuit Questionnaire offers a few additional questions that may help you think it through in greater depth. Here they are with indented answers for my business from a few months ago, followed by further comments:

What can no competitor ever claim?

Unique combination of experience in community economic development, strategic management, non-directive consultancy and online campaigning and marketing.

I’m aware of the financial constraints many small organisations and businesses experience and my approach helps them set up systems at a modest cost, integrating the work of volunteers and staff.

Complete the statement, “I am the only… that…”

I am the only web consultancy that supports the local economy, specialising in supporting voluntary organisations and small businesses online.

As far as I am aware I am the only community development worker who works online, offering an online service and helping groups and businesses integrate their real life and online campaigns.

When I started my offer was website design. It soon became clear many potential clients do not need a website. They want to run a campaign and a website may be part of that. Their campaign and its outcomes is what they want.  They need the support of a development worker who can help them integrate online with their offline work.

In what ways are you in a category of one?

I have the time to develop an online resource to promote localised economy, so building community with those who are working towards real transformation.

This answer focuses on my why. I offer a community development service because my vision is for the particular  types of community I want to see. Ideally my clients will be among those people who see value in my vision.

Is there a particular phrase that you could OWN?

“Community Development Online”;

“Thriving Marketplace in Every Neighbourhood”

I used the first on my old website and I don’t think it appears on my new site. It does actually say a lot in three words and maybe I should find a way to reintroduce it! The second appears on the home page as the main heading.

I decided to kick off my site with my vision, which is on my home page. Visitors are then introduced to my free ebook offer and later encounter my online service.

What would your business look like if you could magnify your brand to the highest degree imaginable?

Online community of communities where the widest possible range of experiences can be pooled. Such a community in time might invest in localised economy experiments, finding practical ways to help particular markets become viable.

I would like to develop this further, as it does not fully express my vision. I’m seeking a means to promote a real change in the way we structure our economy and this will have global implications. I shall write more about this over the coming months.

If you had a massive investment tomorrow, what would you do?

This question is immensely powerful and a bit of a headache. Usually it specifies a sum of money, eg £10 000 000, which is way too much. I would prefer something like £100 000. Does the higher figure help me think big or does it decontextualise my thinking? After all I’m not ever going to have that sort of money to spend.

When people encounter this question they think it is about money. It is about vision. Many organisations allow their cash flow to limit their imagination. They set their budget to what they have in the bank and not to what they want to do. Once you know what to do and how to cost it, you have a target for your fund-raising.

If you can answer this question, you may find elements of your answer are not cash dependent. If you allow available cash to limit your imagination, you can’t be sure it is censoring only those things you think you cannot afford.

Here are my answers from a few months ago:

Purpose of Money

I would use an injection of cash to invest in what I believe in. I’ve included some constraints, which perhaps illustrate how easy it is to allow your thinking to be curtailed by money.

Money exists to enable community, to build relationships. Business people recognise this and the successful ones are great at building relationships. What happens when community organisations apply this approach?

Many local initiatives need financial support but there are dangers, particularly with grant aid.  So, whilst I stand by the principle of local investment, I need to explore this in greater detail. This will help me find the best ways to invest locally and be a resource for clients.

If the barriers to your vision were removed, what would happen?

I would have a team of people with a clear vision about using small-scale funding to achieve big things. We would spread the message and open up an online resource for everyone interested in localised economies.

I’ll stand by that for the present but there’s a lot more to do!