The Importance of Being Me

In the past week, my company was granted its first WBE Certification, through WBENC.  This provides Illuminate with a national certification as a Women Business Enterprise.  It is the achievement of a goal of mine when I decided to head out on my own and start a consulting business.  It highlights the importance of being me.

I have written previously on the different types of disadvantaged group certifications available to companies. While many owners may not qualify for any given one, I do believe we all need to be true to ourselves and highlight those elements of ourselves and our business which emphasizes the importance of being ‘me’, the business owner.  

First, ask yourself some hard questions about yourself and your business.  Make sure your strengths are highlighted and people, especially potential clients, see a correlation between your brand and you. The more synergy and personal passion your brand evokes, the more potential clients will see your firm as the real deal, an extension of your passion.  They will not need to be sold on your dedication, your expertise, your experience, your ability to satisfy their need for your product or service.  

One option to assist you may be the use of Personality Tests.  They can often point you in the direction of your strengths and help you understand your weaknesses so you can adequately assess them.  The one I took early on in my Banking Career was the Myers-Briggs Personality Indicator.  Its result still rings true for my style and ability to address and cope with challenges, situations, and other personality types.  There are many others available such as DISC.  Do yourself and your career a favor and research the various options and see if there is one that can help you navigate your business as its leader.  

Being tried and true to yourself is an important approach to running your business. But never forget you can always learn more, both about yourself, and your leadership style.  If you do not qualify for a disadvantaged certification or your business would not benefit from one you can qualify for, there are many other ways to differentiate yourself to appeal to your client target market. 

While I relish this early accomplishment for my recently formed firm, I continue to ensure my brand reflects my passion, both in colors and promotional items, causes to sponsor, and projects that I can succeed at and use as a foundation to move forward.  We each bring unique qualities to our positions, identify those, capitalize on those, and help them tell your story. 

Never underestimate the importance of being Me!