“Your hustle is working… but where is the brand?”
Let’s talk about something a lot of African entrepreneurs don’t want to hear you can be successful and still be shaky. I’m talking about that business of yours that’s bringing in money, but if someone asks what your brand is about, you freeze like a bus conductor when change runs out.
You’ve got the grind. You’ve got the customers. You’re making money. But here’s the truth:
You’ve built a business that brings in cash but has no identity, no systems, and no defence. Like a mansion with no title deed impressive, but risky.
Hustle First, Brand Never
Across the continent, we’re champions of “emergency entrepreneurship.” You start a business because the job didn’t come. You sell clothes because your cousin brought a bale from overseas. You start baking because your friend said your cakes slap.
And it works!
So you think, “If it ain’t broken, why fix it?”
But here’s the issue:
That hustle? It’s not a brand.
That money? It’s not a moat.
That customer? They’re loyal to the price not the business.
Would Your Business Survive If You Took a Break?
Let’s be honest.
If you disappeared for a month, would your business still run?
- Do your customers know your business, or do they just know you?
- Do you have systems, or do things only move when you’re shouting?
- Can someone else run it, or are you the manager, HR, marketing team and janitor?
A real brand is more than a logo with a crown and a motivational slogan.
It’s a voice, a promise, a feeling.
“I’m Making Money!” But At What Cost?
Let’s talk about defensibility. That’s a fancy way of saying, how easy is it for someone to copy what you’re doing?
If you’re:
- Buying and reselling products without exclusive access,
- Running a one-man logistics hustle with no tracking system,
- Selling things online based on trends and viral content…
Then you’re one cheaper competitor, one viral post, or one supplier change away from being irrelevant.
Signs You’re Ignoring the Brand (and It’s Already Hurting You)
- No logo, no website, no socials just a number and emojis.
- You have no brand message, just a daily post saying “New Stock!”
- All sales depend on you personally convincing people.
- Your customers don’t remember your business name only your phone number.
- Your business can’t be explained in one sentence.
So, What’s the Fix?
1. Build the Brand, Not Just the Bank Account
Give your business a proper name, a clear message, and a personality. Be known for something. You’re not just selling you’re telling a story.
2. Create Systems That Work Without You
Train someone. Document processes. Automate. You can’t grow if everything relies on you not falling sick or taking a break.
3. Think Defensibility
What makes you hard to replace? Your customer service? Your supply chain? Your community? Build assets that competitors can’t steal.
“But I Don’t Have Money for Branding!”
You didn’t have money to start either but you started.
Branding isn’t about flashy websites or billboards in the sky. It’s about clarity and consistency. Who are you? What do you stand for? Why should people remember you?
Even that woman selling tomatoes on the roadside has a brand. People say, “I’m buying from the lady with the umbrella and the sweet ones.” That’s branding even without a logo.
The Hustle Must Grow Up
Making money is good.
Making meaning is better.
You can’t scale a business with no systems. You can’t defend a hustle with no identity.
Eventually, the market will ask, “Who are you?”
And if your business can’t answer, someone else will do it better.
So the next time you’re counting profits, ask yourself:
“Is this a business, or just a temporary hustle with Wi-Fi?”
