Get All Access for $5/mo

Your Brand Is Not Too Good For That You should be selling your brand everywhere. After all, that's where the customers are.

By Greg Shugar Edited by Dan Bova

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Shutterstock

Before you read any further, please take a moment to remind yourself, Mr./Ms. Small Business Owner, that you are not Apple. You are not Louis Vuitton. You are not Tiffany.

OK, now that we got that out of the way, I am going to tell you something that you need to hear. It may sting a little but it's true.

Your brand is too good for no one.

Trust me, I needed to hear these words at one point too. I've been where you've been. I get it. You're the hot new brand in your industry. Your social media posts are cool. You're the Warby Parker of...whatever the hell it is you do.

And because of all that, you would never, EVER sell on Amazon or at some discount department store, right?

Wrong.

Related: Why the Second Time Isn't So Easy Either

Gone are the days of "Our brand is too good for that." If you're in business to make money, then go make some money.

Most new businesses don't have the luxury (or cash) to build a 10-year branding campaign that sets them apart from everyone else. And there's a good chance that, even if you do, your product is not better than everyone else's.

Besides, customers also don't consider themselves too good for any store or website. These days, everyone shops everywhere. Wealthy people often shop at Target and they browse Amazon looking for the best deals. So why would you miss an opportunity to put your brand in front of them?

It's time to look yourself in the mirror and realize that you're an entrepreneur, you're a small business and you need to stop talking about whom you aspire to be. Instead, recognize who you really are, accept it and then go out there and start hustling your brand.

Because no one's too good to make money.

Related: Get Your Product Figured Out First

Greg Shugar

Co-Founder of Thread Experiment

Greg Shugar is Co-Founder of Thread Experiment, the world’s first brand of home bedding dedicated to men. Greg originally founded The Tie Bar and grew it into a $20 million business before a private-equity firm acquired the brand. Greg is now CEO of Shugar Consulting, which specializes in helping new retail brands emerge in the ecommerce and wholesale space. He also regularly speaks on topics related to entrepreneurship and teaches an Entrepreneurship Bootcamp course at Florida Atlantic University. Prior to launching Thread Experiment and The Tie Bar, Shugar was a practicing attorney in Chicago for eight miserable years.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Editor's Pick

Living

Get Easy Access to Fun Summaries of Non-fiction Bestsellers with This $60 Subscription

Headway lets users gain key ideas and insights from best-selling works of non-fiction.

Business News

Wells Fargo Reportedly Fired More Than a Dozen Employees for Faking Keyboard Activity

The bank told Bloomberg that it "does not tolerate unethical behavior."

Business Ideas

63 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2024

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2024.

Business News

'We Pulled Off An SEO Heist': Entrepreneur Stole 3.6 Million Pageviews From Competitors — And Your Business Could Be Next.

This has huge implications for businesses that rely on Google's organic traffic for revenue.

Innovation

The Key to Real Innovation Is Cross-Pollination — Here Are 10 Ways to Implement It in Your Business

Transform your business with this unique approach to sparking innovation.