As a consultant to women in professional and service businesses, one of my primary objectives is to explore your greatest asset--YOU--because therein lies one of the big keys to your success.
This exploratory process reveals hidden assets (I call "gems") that can be used in your branding, marketing, product offering, bio, presentations, writing-and more! Your gems create uniqueness and contribute to your competitive advantage.
YOU are your company's greatest asset. Optimizing your tangible assets (like degrees, certifications) and intangible assets (like personality, style, and experiences) can set you apart from the competition and contribute to your business' success.
Assets that enhance your business and your brand include your:
• Personality
• Knowledge
• Life experiences
• Industry expertise
• Philosophy or believes
• Skills
• Style
• Accent
• Talents
• Passions
• Degrees
• Certifications
• Creativity
• Spirituality
• Wisdom
• Intuition
• Opinion
• Sex Appeal
• You're a woman
• How you relate to people
• How you think
Get creative, look at trends, think out of the box to leverage your assets. For instance, think of...
• Creativity not just in the artistic sense, but in how you solve problems, provide solutions or see opportunities where others don't.
• Relationships not just as external, but internal such as spiritual connections and how this manifests itself in your business or with your clients.
• Sex appeal as an opportunity to spice up what may typically be considered a bland market.
• Leverage being a woman owned business. Many companies are now encouraged or required to hire minority and women-owned businesses.
Own them, flaunt them! Owning your gems can set you apart from the competition. Identifying and leveraging these gems can also make the difference between charging middle market prices, or premium prices.
Essentially, how you manage and leverage these assets to grow your business is as critical as how you manage your financials.
These gems are part of your competitive advantage. Not taking time to identify them can make the difference between simply owning a business or owning a business that is extraordinary.
Margaret Prusan is the founder of Illumin, a highly collaborative consultancy for women business owners. With over 20 years of experience working with corporate and non-profit industry leaders, Margaret helps entrepreneurs and small business owners tap into the knowledge, creativity and best practices of some of the world's leading organizations. Her unique, bottom-line approach empowers her clients to think big, act big, and achieve remarkable results. Check out www.Illumin.biz or contact Margaret at Margaret@Illumin.bi
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