How to grow your business brand

I was on my way to Kitale last week for the Sanitary Bank campaign, and I met my long lost friend who accompanied us on the trip. I love our friendship and even though we frequently talk on phone, it had been a year since we last met.

They say surround yourself with like-minded people, but I mostly say surround yourself with people who challenge you.

Have you ever met a person and after only 20 minutes you are deep into a conversation that you feel needed to be recorded for the world since it had so much insight?

We dived into one with my friend. This one specifically was how we solve the problems; what should we pick from the solutions that we are being fed by the world?

Experience is the best teacher. Scenario: If a teacher comes to class and writes a maths formulae on the board, the class will understand it only when given the problem and how to apply it.

The key here is application, for each maths problem has a formula to solve. The moral of algebra and mathematics is ‘how do I apply’.

Left, right and centre we have an outburst of information where everyone is giving their ‘business opinion’ - I included - but then what do you need and what is considered junk?

I recently did an article on this same platform, and I gave a review of how I have managed to make business decisions over the years.

As much as I have a panel of experienced individuals that I consult with, the last decision is entirely mine based on what I have gathered and mostly my instincts.

One of the aspects of the conversation with my friend was how most entrepreneurs fail because they have the right information but their application is wrong. So they end up closing down by their second year, or even in their initial year.

So what might be the ultimate solution? Some few notes that we highlighted:

Tackling weakness

Most classes that we go to or lessons that we get from the world mainly focus on your strength. How we looked at this is that whenever we hear of big brands that failed it’s because they had a weakness and they did not follow it up.

There are big global brands that have been phased out by small brands that noticed the loophole and made adjustments. The beauty of the current consumption generation is that as long as the brand offers a solution, no matter how small, they will jump on it.

We are living in a world where democratic business opportunities are available.

When Facebook started, the founders were operating from a school dorm; now it’s one of the most used social media platforms in the world.

They created a solution to social meetings, interactions and informative material sharing. So love your strength, but also address your weakness.

The next phase

When is the right time to jump? You need to know when to move to the next staircase. Over the years, I have always done research on what my business would look like in the second phase.

The growth curve is an essential part of an entrepreneur. There are moments you will feel stuck, but a minimal sign of growth will give you the push to your next challenge.

I am a strong believer of innovation, and innovation comes from what exists. Situations change on a daily basis and innovators are working day and night to make sure that there are new ways of functioning.

I will mention my music brand, King Kaka. When I initially started it was Rabbit Kaka Sungura, and with time I saw there was a need to rebrand.

And don’t get it wrong: before you rebrand or head to the next step of growth, make sure it adds value. So that the consumer is intrigued and feels that the product he or she loves is growing. No one wants regular, it’s a competitive world.

King Kaka came with business values that have been a major pillar in the fan who grew up with King Kaka.

But King Kaka was born from the Kaka Sungura, he sparked the business from T-shirt selling to clever ways of launching his mixtapes in the streets.

Now he is suited up and he judges business shows and writes articles, gives motivational speeches, is champion of society and performs. More important, he is for the welfare of the fans.

His fan base has grown, so has his businesses. Anyway... my friend is calling, we shall touch base next week. All the best.

The writer is an entrepreneur and award-winning artiste.