What is a company profile?
A company profile is essentially a resume for your company that you use to establish your credibility with the market you serve. Your company profile helps potential customers to understand your business as well as to understand your company's approach, unique strengths, and relevant experience. Your company profile demonstrates your company's ability to effectively meet customer needs. Your company profile also helps others who are in contact with you such as lenders, the media, and job candidates to better understand your business.
Who would benefit from having a company profile?
A company profile would benefit any company wanting to establish its credibility including:
* A consulting firm where it's critical for the company to establish the basis for its expertise
* A service provider with a service that can't be evaluated before the sale where the prospect assesses the company's ability to provide the service based on its assessment of the company itself
* A company that lacks a recognized name in the market it serves
How can a company profile be used?
There are many ways to use a company profile such as:
* Including it on your web site as a means of establishing your company's credibility
* Using a print version as a sales tool at trade shows or in mailings to prospects
* Providing it to lenders to help you secure financing
* Adding it to your media kit and including it with press releases to give the media background information about your company
* Using it as a recruiting tool to promote your company to job candidates
What should be included in your company profile?
As a guideline, shoot for a company profile of approximately 250-400 words in length covering each of the following key areas:
Summarize your company's background information
Use the first paragraph of your company profile to summarize your company's background information. Include in this first paragraph the year the business was founded, where the business is located, a top-level description of the products or services your company provides, a top-level description of the clients and industries you serve, and the geography you serve. Also include details about your company's philosophy and approach to serving customers. Finally, be sure to mention achievements that quickly help to establish your company's credibility such as awards, the number of clients you have served, or the size of your business.
Provide more detail on your company's products or services
Use the second paragraph of your company profile to list the products or services your company provides. Use this paragraph to touch on the expertise and experience your company has that enables your to meet customer needs in these areas. You can also use this second paragraph to further define your target customer for the products or services you provide.
Highlight your company's strengths and successes
Use the third paragraph of your company profile to highlight your company's unique strengths as well key successes your company has had. To develop this paragraph, take the time to list the top 3 competitive advantages you feel your company has over businesses in your market space. Weave these competitive advantages into this paragraph of your profile. Next, list the top 3 successes your company has had and incorporate these successes into your company profile.
Include qualifications of your company and your staff
Use the next paragraph of your company profile to demonstrate your company's qualifications by emphasizing areas such as patents, publications, business partnerships and alliances, tools or technologies used to meet customer needs, accreditations, certifications or the educational background of staff members.
Summarize your selling statement
Use the final paragraph of your company profile to provide a 1 or 2 sentence closing selling statement that explains why a client should work with your company.
Close with company contact information
After the final paragraph of your company profile, provide your company's contact information including the mailing address, phone number, fax number, e-mail address, and web site URL.
Whether you use internal resources to create your company profile or work with an outside resource, your business will benefit from having a company profile to establish your company's credibility with prospects, lenders, the media, and job candidates.
Ann Hackett is the founder and President of Quest (http://www.questcareer.com). Quest helps businesses develop effective company profiles. Quest also can help with development of professional bios for business owners, consultants, and key executives. To receive a copy of a Company Profile Checklist to help you develop your company profile, send an e-mail to profile@questcareer.com. Ann can be reached at ahackett@questcareer.com or 952-929-4197.
![]() |
|
![]() |
|
![]() |
|
![]() |
Most business owners get so involved in the work of... Read More
Every business and professional practice MUST be in the public... Read More
I enjoy cleavage as much or even more than the... Read More
Whether it is for is a real estate listing, a... Read More
1. Examine your clientele and define your ideal client. Of... Read More
As you have probably experienced there is a lot of... Read More
You may not realize it, but you already have a... Read More
I went to a networking event the other day where... Read More
One of my favorite quotes is often used to describe... Read More
Here are some questions to get your thoughts and cash... Read More
A colleague who does work for a nonprofit organization contacted... Read More
You've enlisted some of the traditional marketing methods to sell... Read More
Great graphic design looks effortless, but it requires lots of... Read More
Real estate marketing is a lot simpler than most Realtors... Read More
If you're just dipping your toes into the waters of... Read More
1) They don't fully understand it.Perception: Marketing is advertising. Reality:... Read More
It used to be you that if you had a... Read More
Differentiation, niche marketing, and positioning. These and other related business... Read More
The biggest crime in small businesses today goes unnoticed by... Read More
First I want to welcome you to part two of... Read More
Direct mail can be one of the most effective tactics... Read More
1. Create a free ebook directory on a specific topic... Read More
Owning a small business isn't easy, especially if you are... Read More
IntroWant me to tell you something on how you can... Read More
If you want your marketing to be effective, you absolutely... Read More
I opened the registered letter and was shocked. My best... Read More
One of the things that makes the Internet fun is... Read More
Yesterday I received a phone call from an acquaintance that... Read More
We could learn a thing or two from pro sports.Baseball... Read More
Generation X"--the 40 million or so people born between 1965... Read More
So, you want to know what your competitors are up... Read More
Your local Chamber of Commerce.Now before you stop reading, I... Read More
Without doubt, understanding what a customer's wants and needs are... Read More
With the arrival of Spring, I decided to get outside... Read More
If you're looking to drive more targeted traffic to your... Read More
The steps to creating an effective marketing plan begin with... Read More
Marketing expert and author, Geoffrey Moore, has a useful fill-in-the-blank... Read More
For most businesses, making a sale is all important. However,... Read More
You may have heard the term Marketing Mix used in... Read More
There isn't a day that goes by that I don't... Read More
This article is meant to be a brief review and... Read More
Have you ever walked into a store or business and... Read More
Web Presence gives your business a distince edge over your... Read More
Apart from being the fastest, easiest, and most profitable strategy... Read More
It takes money to make money is an adage we... Read More
With the advent of spring, trade shows begin to blossom.... Read More
Some years ago, a prominent Australian hi-tech company... Read More
Targeting high potential markets with a direct mail marketing campaign... Read More
What is the most valuable asset your company owns? Inventory?... Read More
"We don't have any competition. We're a truly a one-of-a-kind... Read More
My wife likes to shop at the local Safeway. Is... Read More
The term business marketing strategy might sound like it is... Read More
The other day I received an e-mail from an internet... Read More
There's no such thing as a captive audience--any of us... Read More
Loyalty marketing has been around for as long as retailing... Read More
Most of the service providers I've worked for or with... Read More
If you are considering entering a new target market, with... Read More
Many professional copywriters estimate that the headline contributes to 80%... Read More
Unless you've been living under an Internet rock, you've probably... Read More
In today' s marketplace, the pressure for immediate bottom-line results... Read More
I vaguely remember a particular story from my childhood. It... Read More
The internet of course brings a huge arena of marketing... Read More
We all know the importance of marketing to increase sales... Read More
One of the most essential things to successful networking is... Read More
GETTING INTO MARKETING MOMENTUM: The 5 Power Principles for Getting... Read More
Lost & Found for the 21st CenturyHere in the 21st... Read More
Marketing |