Brand equity...

I have a good feeling about 08. Sitting here in the sun, a world away from chilly London. There is something wonderfully fresh about the early days of January, contemplating the good stuff that 07 delivered... to be carried forward - and letting go of that which no longer serves us.

And it seems that I am not the only one. My client last week is in the process of untangling a business partnership and going it alone. We talked about the equity in the partnership's brand and like a reality check, it was soon clear that the principals - the two partners were it. No use selling a brand where the principals are it, for the prospect of being tied in for a few years is too dull to contemplate.

Entrepreneurs are interesting creatures. Especially when they aim to grow their business by increasing their personal brand value rather than growing their team, products/services or markets. So the logic is that they are the brand. Afterall, that is what they are selling... their expertise, knowledge, experience. The company name should reflect this, it should contain their name rather than some smart catchphrase. They are the brand equity.