Mine is PINK.
I’ve always loved pink because I think it’s Fabulous, Fun and Feminine, like me.
I chose pink as the colour for my website and branding, because I thought it would be a great way of expressing my personality. Imagine my surprise when someone told me that I wouldn’t be taken seriously within construction, specifically because of the colours of my branding and website.
I wonder if the same comments would have been made if I had chosen black or grey or blue instead?
Why are there so many negative connotations associated with the colour pink, especially when it comes to being used in business?
I decided that I would investigate why the pink colouring on my website had led to this person feeling such a strong opinion about it, that they felt compelled to comment.
A quick Google search told me that the colour pink is most closely associated with the following words:- Friendship, Love, Passion, Kindness, Nurturance, and Approachability.
Are these really such terrible traits for a business to be built on?
I think not, in fact, these qualities have definitely helped me to establish and maintain a highly successful business.
LET ME EXPLAIN.
I’ll start with friendship.
I started NH Business Gateway over eight years ago. One of my first UK client’s that started out on my business journey with me, is still my client today. We have implicit trust in each other and we know exactly how each other likes to work. We’re open and honest, and we class each other as good work friends. That’s the way I work, I build lasting relationships with my clients to ensure we create measurable results.
Building friendships with my clients has allowed me to recommend solutions to them that would not have worked, had we not had such a strong relationship.
NEXT UP IS LOVE
I love my business, I have watched it grow into the success that it is today. I’ve been through all the highs and the lows too. I’ve stuck with it when I felt like giving up, and now I’m reaping the rewards.
Every day I am able to do a job that I love. I am passionate about communication and as a team we’re able to use our skills in this area to benefit our clients.
I believe my website reflects the love and passion that I have for my work.
ON TO KINDNESS NOW
My clients are at the heart of everything that we do. I love seeing them do well and every day I set out with the intention of assisting them in achieving their goals. I go out of my way to ensure that I can help my clients be as successful as possible, and I genuinely care about each and every one of them. Putting my clients first is what makes them come back time and time again. They know that they can count on me.
My clients trust me with nurturing their customer relationships. I use my skill set to strategically target a specific audience and then effectively communicate with them to turn potential leads into new business opportunities. I pride myself on the fact that none of these leads go on to cancel appointments at the last minute, all thanks to my consultative (and nurturing) approach.
FINALLY, APPROACHABILITY
Personally. I don’t think that you can be successful in business unless you are approachable. My clients know that as the Founder of this business, I am only ever one phone call away. They can come to me and know that they can be totally honest about any problems they are encountering, I then work closely with them to find solutions. If clients didn’t feel able to approach me they would take their business elsewhere. Approachability is key to maintaining a strong provider/client relationship.
My website is my shop window and I think it’s important that it reflects my personality and my business values. My choice of pink emphasises these perfectly.
Some people choose to associate these qualities with weakness. Apparently, these aren’t the traits people respect, especially in business.
I don’t agree.
Can you really expect to be successful in business if you don’t love what you do, you aren’t approachable or kind, and you don’t nurture strong relationships with your client base?
As a woman who works in a male dominated industry, I believe that more businesses exhibiting these qualities would only be a good thing.
We’re defined by colours before we’re even born
Pink for a girl and blue for a boy.
We’re conditioned to believe that pink, because of its association with femininity, is weak and unbusinesslike.
Femininity is not a sign of weakness. In fact, I see my typically feminine traits as my strengths.
Anyway, what did the same search tell me about what springs to mind when we think of the colour blue: – Loyalty, Honesty, Trust, Responsibility, Calm and Commitment.
Despite pink being my favourite colour, when it comes to business I am still all of these things too.
Let’s break the gender bias.
Let’s allow our websites to feature the colours that reflect our personalities.
Let’s celebrate pink. 💕