The Soul of Business Part One
The Soul of Business Part One
The Guiding Light of Business — Branding
[NOTE: Some words in this article may have been disguised to avoid triggering sp*m filters.]
Soul and business. Business and ... soul. You don’t often see these two words in the same sentence — especially over the last "make-it-until-you-drop-I don’t care who’s in my way” 60 years.
If you have "it", you understand the concept without skipping a beat.
If you’re looking for "it”, you feel a longing with every step you take in your business — even if it’s just the unspoken tug of unknowing.
If the concept of soul and business in the same breath incites you to... uncomfortable levels... well... that’s a whole different article.
To understand the concept of the soul of business, you have to consider what soul means. The challenge is — it has a different meaning for each individual. The context is flexible. It’s in the beholder.
This is also where the fun and the power of business is... IF you know how to tap into it.
Soul Defining
Defining the meaning of soul is like defining the concept of reality — you make it up. The real power resides in your meaning of soul, its application to your business and your unwavering command of that power.
The dictionary defines soul as:
the complex of human attributes that manifests as consciousness, thought, feeling, and will,
somebody’s emotional and moral nature,
the deepest and truest nature of a people or a nation,
what gives somebody or something a distinctive character
These definitions come close, but lack that mysterious unspoken essence of something that is far bigger. It’s that space that you fill up with... experience.
If you apply this unspoken power to business, both large and small, you will arrive at the very core of what makes a business tick — from why it was created to why it continues to exist.
Unfortunately, the problem is most small entrepreneurial business owners focus their initial business efforts "outside" of their business, on marketing, on sales, on... proof.
Then, if they are able to hold on enough to stay in the game, layer after external layer begins to form which solidify with tactical approaches to continue to market, to sell, to prove.
Eventually, this outer layer becomes heavy and can cause a business to implode if the core of the business isn’t established and maintained. Or it could lose its way altogether if the wrong kind of funding is thrown it’s way.
Remembering the Future™
Over the past eighty years the way business is done has come full circle from the days of yore when you brought your soap from the general store, which was at the front of the grocers house, through the industrial revolution of mass production and distribution, to the return of the human to human connection — through the internet.
Unfortunately the way business has been communicated hasn’t kept up with this change.
The old industrial model of advertising, of "sell the sizzle", or as I refer to it , "chasing the flash", is no longer enough for people.
Consumers have the power of choice and they can feel if there’s "something" behind the flash or... not.
Brand communication, including marketing and advertising, is on the cusp to a whole new way of consumer communication. A communication that has behind it a greater reason — beyond the mo*ney for product exchange. A communication that is fueled by the soul of a business.
The New Biz Buzz Word
If you polled a hundred people 25-55 about what they were missing in their lives and you were able to drill down to the core of their answer they would say, in one form or another, an authentic connection.
Even large brands, like Starbucks, Nike and even Apple, are starting to toss around words like real and authentic.
Howard Schultz, the CEO and mastermind behind Starbucks, one of the most successful and often admired brands today, says, "Our rapid growth has led to the watering down of the Starbucks experience. Our company’s soul is dripping away."
In The New Marketing Marketing Manifesto, author John Grant notes, "Authenticity is the benchmark against which all brands are n*ow judged."
The dictionary defines authentic as:
genuine and original,
shown to be true and trustworthy
not a copy, real
Where does this realness reside? In that mysterious space of the soul.
Your Guiding Light Through the Unknown
As a business owner you no longer have to be at the mercy of the unspoken unknown of what is at the core of your business.
Taking your business idea through a process to define that soul shines a guiding light on everything your business is to be and every step you take to make it so.
This process is creating a brand. Branding, when done right, gives you and your business the soul of your business. Once it’s in place, it never burns out.
For the past several years, I’ve been saying there’s a global return to the soul. It’s never been so true in business today.
As a small business entrepreneur you actually have the edge over b*ig brands on the authentic playing field. You haven’t lost your business soul yet. Then again... you may have not yet connected to it.
The exciting thing is, the process to connect to the soul of your business is now at your fingertips. But first you have to put down the tactics.
You can always pick them back up... later.
This article is part of a continuing series exploring the Soul of Business. Stay tuned for more.
© Castle Montone, Limited
The Soul of Business Part One - To learn more about this author, visit Kim Castle's Website.
Like this article? Share it with your friends
The Soul of Business™: Part One
The Guiding Light of Business — Branding
[NOTE: Some words in this article may have been disguised to avoid triggering sp*m filters.]
Soul and business. Business and ... soul. You don’t often see these two words in the same sentence — especially over the last "make-it-until-you-drop-I don’t care who’s in my way” 60 years.
If you have "it", you understand the concept without skipping a beat.
If you’re looking for "it”, you feel a longing with every step you take in your business — even if it’s just the unspoken tug of unknowing.
If the concept of soul and business in the same breath incites you to... uncomfortable levels... well... that’s a whole different article.
To understand the concept of the soul of business, you have to consider what soul means. The challenge is — it has a different meaning for each individual. The context is flexible. It’s in the beholder.
This is also where the fun and the power of business is... IF you know how to tap into it.
Soul Defining
Defining the meaning of soul is like defining the concept of reality — you make it up. The real power resides in your meaning of soul, its application to your business and your unwavering command of that power.
The dictionary defines soul as:
the complex of human attributes that manifests as consciousness, thought, feeling, and will,
somebody’s emotional and moral nature,
the deepest and truest nature of a people or a nation,
what gives somebody or something a distinctive character
These definitions come close, but lack that mysterious unspoken essence of something that is far bigger. It’s that space that you fill up with... experience.
If you apply this unspoken power to business, both large and small, you will arrive at the very core of what makes a business tick — from why it was created to why it continues to exist.
Unfortunately, the problem is most small entrepreneurial business owners focus their initial business efforts "outside" of their business, on marketing, on sales, on... proof.
Then, if they are able to hold on enough to stay in the game, layer after external layer begins to form which solidify with tactical approaches to continue to market, to sell, to prove.
Eventually, this outer layer becomes heavy and can cause a business to implode if the core of the business isn’t established and maintained. Or it could lose its way altogether if the wrong kind of funding is thrown it’s way.
Remembering the Future™
Over the past eighty years the way business is done has come full circle from the days of yore when you brought your soap from the general store, which was at the front of the grocers house, through the industrial revolution of mass production and distribution, to the return of the human to human connection — through the internet.
Unfortunately the way business has been communicated hasn’t kept up with this change.
The old industrial model of advertising, of "sell the sizzle", or as I refer to it , "chasing the flash", is no longer enough for people.
Consumers have the power of choice and they can feel if there’s "something" behind the flash or... not.
Brand communication, including marketing and advertising, is on the cusp to a whole new way of consumer communication. A communication that has behind it a greater reason — beyond the mo*ney for product exchange. A communication that is fueled by the soul of a business.
The New Biz Buzz Word
If you polled a hundred people 25-55 about what they were missing in their lives and you were able to drill down to the core of their answer they would say, in one form or another, an authentic connection.
Even large brands, like Starbucks, Nike and even Apple, are starting to toss around words like real and authentic.
Howard Schultz, the CEO and mastermind behind Starbucks, one of the most successful and often admired brands today, says, "Our rapid growth has led to the watering down of the Starbucks experience. Our company’s soul is dripping away."
In The New Marketing Marketing Manifesto, author John Grant notes, "Authenticity is the benchmark against which all brands are n*ow judged."
The dictionary defines authentic as:
genuine and original,
shown to be true and trustworthy
not a copy, real
Where does this realness reside? In that mysterious space of the soul.
Your Guiding Light Through the Unknown
As a business owner you no longer have to be at the mercy of the unspoken unknown of what is at the core of your business.
Taking your business idea through a process to define that soul shines a guiding light on everything your business is to be and every step you take to make it so.
This process is creating a brand. Branding, when done right, gives you and your business the soul of your business. Once it’s in place, it never burns out.
For the past several years, I’ve been saying there’s a global return to the soul. It’s never been so true in business today.
As a small business entrepreneur you actually have the edge over b*ig brands on the authentic playing field. You haven’t lost your business soul yet. Then again... you may have not yet connected to it.
The exciting thing is, the process to connect to the soul of your business is now at your fingertips. But first you have to put down the tactics.
You can always pick them back up... later.
This article is part of a continuing series exploring the Soul of Business. Stay tuned for more.
© Castle Montone, Limited
The Soul of Business Part One - To learn more about this author, visit Kim Castle's Website.
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David BarrDavid Barr is the President of Venture Opportunities, Inc. David has been a professional business broker/intermediary since 1980 focusing on General Business Brokerage and Mergers and Acquisitions representing client transaction value from $400,000 to $20,000,000. Mr. Barr has handled the sale of over four hundred and fifty companies. David earned a university degree from the State University of New York majoring in economics and business. David holds the Mergers and Acquisition Master Intermediary and the Certified Business Intermediary designations from the International Business Brokers Association. He is also a Senior Business Analyst and a Texas licensed Real Estate Agent. For more information about David and Venture Opportunities, visit www.bizdealmaker.com. - Visit David Barr's Website |
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Anne BarrAnne Barr has over 26 years experience in sales and marketing, six years as a franchisee. She has assisted over 367 business owners and purchasers to achieve their goals in career change, transition and exit strategy. She holds the designation of Certified Franchise Executive from the International Franchise Association, Certified Business Intermediary from the International Business Brokers Association and Board Certified Broker from the Texas Association of Business Brokers. Anne is active in professional organizations, networking groups and volunteers for non-profit entities. As owner/operator of four successful businesses, Anne has proven people skills and enjoys helping clients find the right "fit" in business ownership. Visit www.FranchiseOpportunitySpecialist.com for more information about me and my company. - Visit Anne Barr's Website |
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Kim CastleWith nearly two decades in the advertising and design business, with clients like Domino's Pizza, General Motors, Direct TV, Pedigree, Wolfgang Puck, Higher Octave Music, Hollywood Celebrity Products, Disney, and Paramount, as well as thousands of entrepreneurs around the world define, structure, communicate, and position their business for greater profits, BrandU(R) co-creators Kim Castle and W. Vito Montone discovered that entrepreneurs could experience the same power that big brands command for a fraction of the cost with the world's only process-based results-drive Integral approach to business creation. BrandU(R) is helping entrepreneurs grow with the power of extreme clarity from idea...to brand...to market(TM) and helping one million entrepreneurs become successful and whole so that they can make a difference in the world. Are you one of them? If you want to experience clarity all the way to the bank(TM), get started now at http://www.brandu.com. - Visit Kim Castle's Website |
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Jeff FosterWebBizIdeas.com is a Minneapolis website design company founded to help people start an internet business by providing them with website, business, and internet resources that help foster the growth of successful online businesses and develop innovative Internet business ideas. We specialize in internet consulting & internet marketing. - Visit Jeff Foster's Website |
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David AchesonDavid Acheson is the founder of DCJA Consultancy. DCJA Consultancy is a management consultancy business specialising in B2B sales consultancy. They offer bespoke and packaged sales consultancy including Sales Optimisation Review, Interim Sales Management, Sales & Marketing Review, 1:1 Sales & Management Staff Analysis, Management Training, Solution Sales Training, Creation of New Pay Plan, KPI's, run Customer Feedback Campaigns, assist with Recruitment, Coaching, Appraisals and set up Strategic Marketing Campaigns. David spent his early career in accountancy and then moved into sales in 1982, working in Office Equipment, IT, Advertising, Training, Outsourcing and Consultancy. He has held many Senior Positions in SMBs and Global Organisations including Head of Sales Operations & Head of Business Development. His knowledge, skills and great experience of the Sales Industry has led to David making keynote speeches and running educational sessions to key businesses through organisations including The Chamber of Commerce and Business Link. - Visit David Acheson's Website |
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Leanne Hoagland-SmithAre your sales where you want them to be? Will you be one of the few who achieves sales or business success or one of the many who have failed to change? Are you tired of being told you are like everyone else? Then you may find my first book on sales of interest. Be the Red Jacket in the Sea of Gray Suits, The Keys to Unlocking Sales available at Amazon or at http://www.processspecialist.com/red-jacket.htm. This book is a reflection of my no-nonsense approach to improving sales to overall business results. If you are truly committed to making sustainable changes, then I can help you secure a positive return on your investment because I focus on executable solutions not telling you the problems you already know you have. From training to corporate (group) coaching to executive one on one coaching, my approach is to assess, create awareness, build a goal driven action plan and then execute. The bottom line question is "Not do you or your employees know it, but do you or they want to do it?" Please call for a free strategy session at 219.759.5601. - Visit Leanne Hoagland-Smith's Website |
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Cheryl MatthynssensCheryl is a life skills coach, licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor and a 20 year entrepreneur. Cheryl's dedication to achieving a life of balance led to her expanding her teaching from the simple managing of life's daily challenges to adding financial well being as well. A direct marketer with DrinkACT, she is gaining ground in the online community with her concepts of making sure business owners, entreprenuers and employees have well rounded life styles. She opened up a small affiliate site - The Balance Guide- to help others find resources for mental and emotional well being. Visit Cheryl's blog to see more of the diversity beyond business she has began offering online at www.thebalanceguide.blogspot.com - Visit Cheryl Matthynssens's Website |
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