Build Your Identity As The First Step To Entrepreneurship

We all have an identity known as branding. We want to be unique and set apart from everyone else. We want people to remember us as an individual in relationships and our work. It is essential to building your identity as the first step to entrepreneurship. You have to set yourself apart from the world.

I am a nurse. Everyone thinks all nurses are the same. Each nurse has their identity as a particular type of nurse such as an Emergency Room nurse or Intensive Care Unit nurse or Operating Room nurse. We are setting ourselves apart as individuals. However, a nurse goes further to personalize their identity and brand themselves with their skills. Each one of us becomes very good at particular things in our field, such as starting IV’s or intubating a patient or soothing the angry patient. When we become good in a certain area, then our co-workers seek us out when they need this type of assistance.

So, you see it doesn’t matter what you do you will build an identity and brand yourself in your profession and Win your personal life. What does it mean to build your identity as the first step to entrepreneurship? Precisely what is an entrepreneur? These two words entrepreneur and identity branding may be foreign to you so we will explore each one for a better understanding of who you are in the business world.

Entrepreneur

According to Dictionary.com 

an entrepreneur is a person who organizes and manages any enterprise, especially a business, usually with considerable initiative and risk.

In plain English, an Entrepreneur is someone who dreams and believes in an idea and forms a business around it. It can be a risk to put themselves out to the world, but this person is willing to risk all to develop a passion.

Here are three quotes from well-known entrepreneurs:

“Don’t worry about being successful but work toward being significant and the success will naturally follow.” Oprah Winfrey

“All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.” Walt Disney

“An entrepreneur tends to bite off a little more than he can chew hoping he’ll quickly learn how to chew it.” Roy Ash

Building your identity

Now that we have a good understanding of what an entrepreneur is let’s move onto how to build Your Identity As The First Step To Entrepreneurship and why is it essential.

We established earlier that you have already built a unique identity in your personal life. You are a distinct individual set apart from anyone else. Now you will need to develop an identity or brand for your business. What are your passion and dream? What problems do you want to help the world solve?

Let’s take a look at and learn from 2 iconic companies; Nike and Amazon.

Nike

The Positioning statement of Nike is “For serious athletes, Nike gives confidence that provides the perfect shoe for every sport.”
Founders Phil Knight and Bill Bowerman took their passion and built an identity as the solution to the problem for serious athletes. They wanted to provide confidence for anyone in sports by providing the perfect shoe.

The identity or branding Phil and Bill gave their business years ago is still in force today. People who buy Nike shoes believe these shoes will solve all of their problems as an athlete. Nike has set an excellent example of how you can Build Your Identity As The First Step To Entrepreneurship.

Amazon

Amazon’s position statement is: “Our vision is to be earth’s most customer-centric company; to build a place where people can come to find and discover anything they might want to buy online.”

Founder Jeff Bezos became an entrepreneur who wanted to serve the customer. Customer service was first and foremost the most important thing to Jeff Bezos. So, he built an identity for himself as a customer-centric company. People who go to Amazon trust that they are getting excellent customer service.

Jeff didn’t just become an entrepreneur he built his passion and identified his business with his passion for serving his customers.

Here are three quotes we can emulate from Jeff Bezos.

“Make sure you are focused on something you are passionate about.” Jeff Bezos

“You can’t follow the fashion when starting a business.” Jeff Bezos

“Pick something that you think is interesting that has real customer value and then stay there and let the wave catch you.” Jeff Bezos

Nike’s identity or brand is a solution to a footwear problem. Amazon’s identity or brand is a business that offers a solution to excellent customer care and service. Both entrepreneurs identified themselves with their business and set it apart from the world but in different ways. Branding can evolve around any part of your business such as a product or distribution or the price or the design. It is imperative that you solve a problem. Your business must begin with your identity using the solution to identify or brand your company.

Critical point

Choose a passion and brand it with a solution. I want to make this part clearer. Learning how to Build Your Identity As The First Step To Entrepreneurship is one of the most critical components. The problem you solve and how you choose to do it will follow, but if you don’t have a clear vision for your company, you will lose sight of why you started it. You want to build a brand identity people will trust and remember, and you want it to be a part of your passion and heart.

Give your identity and your personality to your business. You have many attributes. To mention a few: you are a socialite, or you like solitude, or you are kind, or you are a problem solver, or you love to help others. Take one of your attributes and use them to identify your company.

Examples

Here is another example from Jeff Bezos. He wants to give excellent customer service. That is a part of his personality of integrity, wanting to help others with kindness. The people he serves are vital to him, and he wanted to give a piece of himself to them.

I want to help people build on their life. This statement is a bit broad but let’s say I start a company about dog care and products. I would want to put my identity as the first step to entrepreneurship into my company. I wish to convey my passion for pet lovers. Their dog is a part of their family, and I want them to know I care. I want to identify my business as one that wants to help by giving you the best care for a member of your family.

If I started a business selling crockpots and I had the same passion of “I want to help people build on their life” I would want to build an identity around that. My brand identity would be to support family love and help moms/dads spend more time together with their kiddos.

Summary

I think you may have an idea of what I am getting at here. Find a passion, what are the problems with this passion and how can you help the community to solve this problem? Who are you and how can you put an identity or brand on your business? Begin with a reliable solution for your customers by building a vision that supports your personality. Give your character to your brand and Build Your Identity As The First Step To Entrepreneurship. Focus your business around this identity.

1. Find a passion something you love and want to tell the world
2. What problems can you solve for your clients regarding your desire
3. What is the solution
4. Give your passion a part of your personality and identity
5. Set your business apart from any other entrepreneur
6. Stick to the plan build your identity as the first step to entrepreneurship

So you are now branded, and your company has a personality. Help the world see how you can help them with a problem and give them a solution. Moreover, with the personal identity, you have given to your business the public knows you care about them. You will build their trust and commitment.

Now go out there and start your business with passion from your heart with a bit of your personality to help the world and earn financial stability for yourself.