Reilly Newman | A business needs structure to survive. It also needs freedom to thrive.
By being in business, you have submitted to a specific industry. Whether that industry is retail, hospitality, alcohol, food, service, etc., your industry serves a market. This is the only reason you can even start your business — because there is a foundational market demanding what you offer.
Since your business can only be brought to life because there is an industry, it has a category by which it abides. There are expectations, rules, processes, licenses, needs, standards, and parameters that make the industry possible. Imagine these parameters as the foundation for the building of your business. A building can only stand when it has a proper foundation. It is necessary and functional to ensure the building will stand and serve its purpose in the moment – and in the future.
The foundation determines the layout of a home just as your industry determines the given basics of your business. The standard foundation of a home will give you a basic and standard floorplan and ceiling height; usually this equates to a simple box. While more custom, remodeled homes with interesting layouts, cool rooflines, etc. are not standard. It’s a deliberate decision to work with their existing foundation, but remodel by moving walls, changing the layout and floorplan, a different wall color, new flooring, or raising the ceiling. Although the foundation may be standard, the appeal of the home has been increased drastically through customizations.
When interior designers and architects use creativity to remodel a home, they explore creative ideas for the interior flow, visual aesthetics, and roofline. They play with ideas of high ceilings and special angles that draw the eye up and open the space. Within the parameters of the foundation, they let their creativity customize the home to make it uniquely appealing for both form and function. This overall increases the value of the home and enjoyment of its environment.
The approach to your business is very much the same.
You have the foundation of your business which is standard by default due to the declared industry.
Brand allows you to start dreaming up creative ideas to customize your “home.” Those high ceilings will help you stand out or an interesting all-glass wall will catch the eye. Like an interior designer, the brand encourages creative thinking to help the business stand out from the standardization of the selected industry. It helps the business break free and thrive.
The caveat to this creative expression is that like any remodel, it will be an investment to complete it. There is risk because any time you deviate from the common, you may encounter some challenges. Diverging from the status quo and default will be extra work for you, but ultimately benefit you. Any time you break free of the predictable comfort you will become uncomfortable. But when done right and deliberately, this customization of your “home” will raise the ceiling your industry placed on you. It will liberate your business to stand out and reach its full potential.
Don’t let the standards and comfort of your industry keep your business trapped. Unlock true potential and profits by letting brand remodel your business. Your business depends on the foundation to survive. Your business depends on the brand to thrive.
