As the owner of a small business, you’re not just the one who signs the paychecks. You’re the face of the company; you’re its primary ambassador to the broader business community and to the public in general.

As such, it’s important to be conscientious about cultivating your own personal brand, in addition to your corporate brand. Simply put, it reflects well on the entire company when you’re perceived as an authority figure within your industry.

One way you can cultivate that authority is by ensuring that your personal LinkedIn page has just the right level of polish. Start with these five guidelines and tips. 

1. Create a summary that tells your story

The summary area of your LinkedIn profile is a good place for you to set yourself apart. Use it to talk in broad strokes about your professional experience, but also to share some details about why you started septic pumping, what you find meaningful about it, and what kind of connections you’re hoping to forge on LinkedIn. In other words, the summary shouldn’t just rehash your resume. Use this key piece of LinkedIn real estate to get a bit more personal.

2. Cultivate your work history

A common misconception is that a good LinkedIn work history section is always fully complete. Actually, you probably don’t want to include every single job you’ve ever had. Instead, focus on the jobs that relate to what you’re doing today — jobs that are “on brand” for your industry.

3. Use keywords

One of the reasons to have a LinkedIn profile is so you can be easily discovered by those who are searching for septic pumpers — so think critically about some of the keywords you want to use in your profile. Ideally, your keywords will include a good balance of industry-specific terms and more commonplace words and phrases.

4. Ask for endorsements

Word-of-mouth buzz is going to be important for the success of your small business, and one way to generate it is to simply ask your best customers, your most devoted partners, and your longest-running vendors and suppliers to leave you some endorsements and recommendations. Don’t be too timid to send that LinkedIn message kindly asking people for their testimonials!

5. Join groups

Finally, make sure you use LinkedIn to showcase your involvement in the onsite wastewater industry. Prove you are an active participant in your field — not just a bystander. The best way to do this is to join some industry-specific groups.

With these tips, you can ensure a LinkedIn profile that speaks to your stature, your focus and your expertise — and that’s something that’s helpful not just for your career, but for the longevity of your business.

---

About the author
Amanda E. Clark is the president and editor-in-chief of Grammar Chic, a full-service professional writing company. She is a published ghostwriter and editor, and she's currently under contract with literary agencies in Malibu, California and Dublin. Since founding Grammar Chic in 2008, Clark, along with her team of skilled professional writers, has offered expertise to clients in the creative, business and academic fields. The company accepts a wide range of projects; often engages in content and social media marketing; and drafts resumes, press releases, web content, marketing materials and ghostwritten creative pieces. Contact Clark at www.grammarchic.net.