Advice for CEOs

Building a distinctive company brand that resonates with the market is important for any business. Middle market companies often aren’t able to afford the services of a brand consultant to help them think through an intricate brand strategy—or a marketing team to “police” internal brand practices. How do entrepreneurs you admire go about defining their brand(s), communicating it to their organization and using it in a meaningful, positive way in the market?

Among the biggest business risks is having your sales concentrated in only a few customers. Lenders, investors and prospective buyers of your company are sure to look hard at this issue. How have you seen well run companies take steps to diversify their customer base?