The Adventures of Lee The SME Owner - 25.
Chapter 25 - Building a Brand Beyond The Owner
As Lee prepared to take the next steps toward transitioning out of his role, one thing became clear: the business needed a strong identity that wasn’t just tied to him. For decades, people had bought from Lee—the man they trusted, the face they knew. But with Lee planning to step back, that personal connection wouldn’t be enough to carry the business forward. The focus had to shift to the business itself, its values, and what it stood for.
John had seen this situation many times before and was quick to point out the risk. “When an owner steps out, it can unsettle everyone—customers, suppliers, even the team. If they see the business as ‘Lee’s Business,’ rather than a standalone entity, it can lead to doubt, and that can destroy value quickly.”
The solution was to build a brand that would carry the business forward—one that would resonate with people even after Lee had stepped back. And for that, John turned to RegenerationHQ’s brand and communications specialist, Courtney.
The Branding Process with Courtney
Lee met with Courtney at the RegenerationHQ offices. At first, he wasn’t entirely convinced about the idea of branding. After all, wasn’t branding for big corporations with flashy logos and huge marketing budgets? But Courtney quickly set him straight.
“Branding isn’t just about logos and colours,” she explained. “It’s about telling a compelling story. It’s about communicating who you are and what you stand for so that people—whether they’re customers, suppliers, or your own team—feel connected to the business. It’s especially important when you’re stepping back because the brand needs to carry the weight that your personal reputation has held for so long.”
Courtney laid out the plan, starting with a deep dive into what made Lee’s business unique.
Establishing the Core Story
Courtney guided Lee through a series of exercises to uncover the core of the business—the things that made it different from competitors, the values it stood for, and the promise it made to customers.
“What we need,” Courtney said, “is a story. Something that resonates with people and sticks in their minds. Something that, when people hear it, they immediately understand what you do and why you’re the best at it.”
Through these discussions, the essence of Lee’s business began to take shape. It wasn’t just about selling products—it was about reliability, quality, and the expertise that came with decades of experience. Lee’s business wasn’t flashy, but it was trusted, and it delivered every time.
Courtney helped turn that into a brand message: “We deliver quality you can count on, built from experience and trust.”
This simple but powerful statement would become the foundation of the business’s new identity, communicating the company’s core values without needing Lee to be the face of it.
Creating the Elevator Pitch
One of the key outcomes of the branding process was the development of a concise and impactful elevator pitch. Courtney knew that the sales team needed a way to communicate the company’s value quickly and clearly when meeting new customers. With Lee stepping back, they couldn’t rely on people knowing who he was anymore. They needed a way to sell the business on its own merits.
The elevator pitch they developed was clear and straightforward: “At [Business Name], we provide high-quality, reliable [products/services] built on decades of expertise. Our products are designed to help your business run smoothly and efficiently, so you can focus on what matters most.”
This pitch highlighted the company’s long-standing reputation for quality and reliability, while positioning the brand as a partner to its clients’ success.
The Branding Elements
With the story and pitch in place, Courtney worked with Lee to develop the key elements of the brand:
Logo and Visual Identity: While the brand was about much more than just the logo, Courtney knew that a strong visual identity would help solidify the company’s place in the market. They worked with a designer to create a clean, professional logo that reflected the company’s values of trust, reliability, and quality. The colours and fonts were chosen to convey stability and professionalism.
Website and Marketing Materials: The new brand story and visual identity would be integrated into the revamped website, brochures, and other marketing materials that Tracey had already begun working on. This consistent branding across all touchpoints would help reinforce the company’s message and ensure that customers saw the business, not just Lee, as the go-to provider.
Customer Experience: Courtney emphasized that branding wasn’t just about what the company said—it was about what it did. From the way the phone was answered to the follow-up on orders, every interaction needed to reflect the values of reliability and trust. This consistent experience would help build confidence in the brand, especially as Lee started stepping back.
The Impact of Branding
As Lee worked through the branding process with Courtney, he began to see the importance of it all. He had been sceptical at first, thinking it was unnecessary for an SME like his. But as Courtney had explained, this wasn’t about making the business look bigger than it was—it was about ensuring that it could stand on its own, without relying on his personal presence.
“This is about securing the future,” Courtney had said. “When you’re ready to exit, you want customers and suppliers to stay because they trust the business, not just you. That’s what a strong brand does—it makes the business bigger than any one person.”
Lee left the meeting with a sense of confidence. The branding exercise had given him the tools he needed to ensure a smooth transition as he gradually stepped back. The business now had a compelling story, a clear identity, and a message that could carry it forward, even when Lee was no longer at the helm.
It was a big step in the right direction. And with the new brand in place, Lee knew his business was ready for whatever came next.