The Single Greatest Gift From Creating a Brand-Positioning Statement Small-business owners and entrepreneurs should not be fooled into thinking positioning is only for the big brands.

By Jim Joseph

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For weeks now, we've been building a classic positioning statement for brands. While certainly easy to follow, it's a step-by-step process that can truly be game changing for brands.

When most small-business owners hear the word "positioning," they may think "big brands." They'll shake their heads and lament that they don't have the resources to do big-brand marketing.

Related: 4 Things Remarkable Startups Have In Common

Nothing could be further from the truth, and it's actually quite the opposite.

If any business should write a brand positioning, it should be a small business or an entrepreneur. It doesn't cost a dime to write one, and it could save hours of time and boatloads of resources.

For one simple reason: focus.

Focus is a small-business owner's best friend, and a well-crafted brand positioning can bring greater focus than ever before. It forces multiple decisions based on what will best build your brand.

No one knows your business better, so simply put pen to paper and add some clarity to your activities.

Related: Crafting a Mission Statement That You'll Remember

You have to decide who is the best target customer, the definitive business to compete with, what the business can best bring to the marketplace and how to connect emotionally to customers.

These are all huge decisions that are forced into becoming priorities when formulating a brand positioning, and forced to become a pathway to decision-making once set into motion.

It's a gift of prioritization that no other document can give a small-business owner.

No brand has the luxury of being indecisive, but truthfully bigger brands have a little more wiggle room than smaller businesses. So it's vitally important to not only develop a brand positioning, but to use it as a way to bring focus to the business.

You can't afford to make mistakes, and you can't really afford to experiment either. You may only get one shot at success, so operate wisely.

Focus is the most important attribute of any small business.

The brand-positioning statement can finally give you the clarity you need to move your business forward.

Related: Tis the Season to Be Savvy: 6 Ways to Optimize Brand Marketing

Jim Joseph

Marketing Master - Author - Blogger - Dad

Jim Joseph is a commentator on the marketing industry. He is Global President of the marketing communications agency BCW, author of The Experience Effect series and an adjunct instructor at New York University.

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