Sometimes when running a business, and if you’re anything like me, you’ll find yourself working in your business (as opposed to on your business) the majority of the time.  However I was asked a few interesting questions the other day which made me think about how I perceive my business (as well as providing an insight into how other people perceive it).  This also allowed me to think about how I’d like my business to develop moving forward.  I found it a useful exercise and therefore I wanted to share it with you.  Firstly ask yourself these questions….

“If your business was a car, which car would it be?”

“If your business was a supermarket, which supermarket would it be?”

and finally….

“If you business was an airline, which airline would it be?”

Now you may be wondering why these questions are relevant.  However if we take the ‘car’ question as an example we can see that different car brands have different associations, values and represent different things.  As an example think about what you believe ‘Mercedes’ represents compared to either ‘Range Rover’, ‘Kia’ or ‘Volvo’.

So, if your business was a car brand (or supermarket or airline)….what would it be?  Are these values reflected in your website, or in your marketing material, or in the way you provide your service and communicate to your clients?  Is it reflected in the individuals employed within your business?

As mentioned I found the exercise really useful.  So, I’d be interested in your response when you try this exercise with your own business.  As ever please share your thoughts with me, either below in the comments section or on Twitter (@ChrisDaems).  I look forward to hearing from you.