I read this interesting post recently about the difference between building your name and branding your business. It looked at Chris Brogan (who’s arguably more recognizable for his personal brand than for his company) and Jason Falls (who is perhaps better known via his company, Social Media Explorer, than as a brand personality).

Of course both guys, like most savvy small business owners, are branding both.

What resonated in this post was this paragraph:

Another very real concern is that things and names change.  Social Media Explorer might be the right name at the right time, but if things continue to evolve, it will be far easier for Chris Brogan to pivot. Proving that you are a person of ideas and that you have the ability to execute is far more important than having a catchy brand that people can remember.  It also lets you reinvent yourself as the world changes around you.

You see, this happened to me.

My first company name, Policy Writing and Reporting Services, was both accidental (it was the title page for my first brochure) and very descriptive of what I did. But then I expanded my services, and it was too limiting. So I re-branded to capture two elements: the broader scope of communications services and the fact that people trusted me–knowledge, capabilities, expertise, reputation.

Is your brand working for you or limiting opportunities for your business to grow?

Photo by Ray Phua (Flickr).