Creating a Foundational Identity

One of the most important things for any business, particularly as it starts to scale and grow, is to forge a solid foundational culture and united mindset that can be relied on throughout the lifespan of the organization. As a company or team grows, new challenges arise, new skillsets are required, more eyes are focused in on the operation, deadlines get larger and more crucial to hit. The one element that can ensure prosperity is a strong, integral, and foundational identity; a set of principles that re-enforce not just the team, but the product or service being provided to the world.

Companies, organizations or groups that want to withstand the test of time must be able to answer the simple questions of who they are, and what do they provide, succinctly, confidently and directly. For that to be, they need to have strong founding principles firmly in place and abided by.

Creating an identity starts at the beginning, with the founder(s). They first must ask themselves, at the outset of starting a business: Who are they? What makes their brand/organization different? What do they represent? and What are they trying to eventually accomplish?

These questions need to be answered definitively and once that is accomplished the answers need to be adhered to throughout the life of the company, as it brings on new talent, investors, and releases new products, those core principles are to be continually followed.

The biggest thing in business is branding, and there are two types, internal and external.

Internal is the people working for you, your culture, mission and your creative identity as well. A team of individuals, no matter how talented or personally motivated, will not grow and create, as a cohesive unit if there are no core principles to follow or build off of. Nothing can be more counter-productive than working for someone or an organization with no guidelines or direction, the result is wasted talent, ideas and capital. Principals come from the foundation, and a consistent foundation is a solid one, which once laid down, the sky’s the limit for what can be built on top of it. Form an internal brand, live by it, make it what you are about, and your team will make it who they are.

This topic also falls into the category of leadership, a coach or commander with no sound, concise or confident directives, may not only result in the failure of a mission or objective, but a lack of a motivated team. Imagine being on a road trip and the driver constantly keeps switching course, stopping, unsure and wavering, you’re in for not just a delayed arrival but a stressful and unnerving journey.

The same concept translates as well to external branding. Even large and successful companies can fall into this trap as well. By not staying true to what or who they are or not adhering to their core principles in brand and identity, can totally alienate a customer base, put a company on the back foot vs competing organizations and cause a large negative impact. And let’s say something like that would occur, how can a business recover if there is nothing to fall back on? When worse comes to worse, where can an organization retreat to if they have no base camp? They stay wandering desperately with no direction until everything folds. All the more reason to have a solid foundation, in times of trial or a fight sticking to your guns is the best way out.

If you own a small business or are an entrepreneur planning on starting one, take a step back and ask yourself those questions, Who are you? What makes you unique? What do you represent and What are you looking to accomplish? Answer those queries, in doing so the foundation is being laid out. Take time, plan it and stick to it, that builds confidence, empowers a vision and will attract talent and investment. People want to work for, and back someone, or in this case, an organization, that is sure of itself. One can only remain steadfast if they stand on solid ground.

For personalized guidance for your business on this topic and others contact us.

- Vincent Calace

Founder & CEO Venture Business Development