Image Projection

by Fred F. Richards, Jr.

The Company Image

Each entrepreneur upon starting a business often neglects an important element in the company's survival and future success. Certainly the industry in which the new venture competes will dictate to a great extent the type of customers, vendors, and employees, the company will have. However, the startup entrepreneur unless he is operating on OPM (Other People's Money) or is one of those rare Silver Spoon types will face many decisions in the initial stage of getting the doors open that will determine the future success.

There are several critical components to the image projection process.

The most important are the quality of the people and the soundness of the business proposal. Without either, the venture is seriously compromised.

The location of the startup's facility will have a significant bearing on not only revenues but being able to attract employees. Locating a facility in Ely, Minnesota to supply Sushi to restaurants throughout the Midwest would not seem the wisest location choice. Moving Boeing's headquarters to Chicago rather than Dallas so that the Chairman could berth his yacht a few minutes from his new office and so his wife can move back home is also somewhat unwise despite the tax abatements given by eager politicians.

Button down shirts, conservative suits and ties, and black wingtip shoes clearly identified IBM as a class act for years and set the company above their competitors in many customers minds. The corporate culture will reflect either favorably or unfavorably upon your bankers, vendors, employees, and most important of all your customer base.

However, startup companies today have a host of choices that will enable them to project a larger company image. Executive suites, telephone answering systems, outsourcing companies, etc., can provide that edge to enable a one person company to look like 50 or 1000 employees.

Several years ago, we were doing due diligence on two companies for an investment bank. Both companies were competing for the same market niche. In making our evaluation, we needed to visit the company facilities. The first company had located 1,500 sq. ft in a run-down commercial neighborhood and the area looked like a war zone. Management defended the location on the basis that money was tight and they were pinching pennies. The second company had located 2,000 sq. ft. in a shopping center with considerable parking and foot traffic. Guess which one got the $5 million venture funding when the hubcaps were stolen from the investigators car in the seedy neighborhood.

Neatness, accuracy, appearance, location and the corporate culture are all defining characteristics for a company. The main point I want to make is to blend into the community which you serve and project your corporate image in a manner that clearly sets you apart from the competition and enables customers and others to immediately trust your company.

The Personal Image

In most business settings, cleanliness and neatness count along with a certain style of dress depending upon the environment. Recently, at a seminar I gave at a well-known university, the professor in charge had pointed out his top student as sitting in the front row listening attentively and occasionally asking informed questions. After the seminar, the individual approached one of the speakers and asked how she could obtain a second interview at his major consulting firm. I thought his reply was right on.

"Purple hair is a problem, get rid of the rings in your nose, lips, and eyebrows. And that tattoo that covers your left shoulder and top of your left breast is also a major problem. I don't know of many companies who would give you a second interview but I am sorry that you have screwed up your chances."

Unfortunately, the young woman retorted, "Well no need to get uppity!" She thereupon left the room and the other gentlemen said, "I sure hope we don't get sued over what I just said!"

Here is a case of an apparently bright person forgetting that business is often about relationships and the perception thereof. As the old saying goes,

"IF IT TALKS LIKE A DUCK, WALKS LIKE A DUCK, AND QUACKS LIKE A DUCK . . . PERHAPS, IT IS A DUCK!

Unfortunately, if you want to soar with the Eagles, you don't want to go to the Duck Pond!

Fred Richards

Last updated - November 14, 2008