Your Personal Brand and a Chamber of Commerce Brochure

During our monthly Chamber of Commerce meeting last month I volunteered to create a brochure highlighting the benefits of joining the chamber.  The board plans to translate the brochure into Spanish and then distribute both the English and Spanish versions to the local businesses in our downtown. Funny how something as straightforward as a Chamber of Commerce brochure can parallel your personal brand and help with your job search planning. I’ve listed the major brochure headings and where you can use similar headings to create your brand.

Mission Statement:  A businesses mission statement describes why a company exists.  It’s a short portrayal of why they are in business.  This can be used to describe your personal brand. What drives you? What can you do to improve business?

Membership: For the purposes of a Chamber of Commerce, this statement identifies the types of organizations eligible for membership.  For you, it’s identifying the types of businesses or audiences that you would enjoy working for.  List them, research them, and look for members in LinkedIn or other professional sites.

Benefits:  The benefits of joining a Chamber include contributing to the vitality and growth of a town. In perspective to a job search, how can you contribute to the growth and vitality of an organization? What are your strengths, what are your marketable accomplishments, how can you contribute to the success of an organization?

The value of networking cannot be underestimated for either a shop owner or a job seeker. The ability to communicate the benefits of a/your business, services or abilities is vital! 

Try jotting these concepts down. Once you put it all together; your mission, membership or audience, and benefits you’ll be better able to visualize and then speak to your specific brand.  This, in turn, will increase your networking confidence.