Developing a company style

The second aspect of company focus is the development of a company style or corporate culture; you should give serious consideration to your company’s style as you develop your business plan. By creating a consistent style that permeates every aspect of your enterprise, from the design of your stationery to personnel policies, you give your customers and employees a sense of trust in your company.

Imagine two different restaurants on the street, both with basically the same business mission: providing good, fast food, priced at only a few dollars a meal.

The first restaurant is a national burger chain. Its style is characterized by consistency, cleanliness, and impersonal friendliness. A strong corporate image is important, which is reinforced through the restaurant’s decor, the food’s packaging, and the employees’ uniforms. The meals are prepared by standardized routines, and every customer is given the same greeting.

The second restaurant is a diner. Management characterizes its corporate culture as that of a friendly neighbor. To help make sure that employees know customers’ names and food preferences, management aims to retain employees for many years. A bulletin board features notices of local events. This restaurant’s target market is the neighborhood regulars who know they will feel at home there.

With a strong company style, each restaurant clearly distinguishes itself from its competitors and gives its target customers a clear understanding of what to expect.

Every business, even a nonretail company, needs to consider its style as it relates to the company’s overall mission, and then infuse that style into virtually all aspects of its undertakings.

Don’t forget to add the new words and expressions to your own vocabulary!