What do your customers know about you?

Is it that you sell X product and that your website is located at example-domain.co.za?

Well, that’s not enough to build a brand identity that resonates with buyers and establishes your brand as the right choice. Creating a compelling company profile will help your customers understand your company beyond the basics.

Ultimately, your company profile is what intrigues a new visitor to check out your products or services in more detail, and nudge potential customers into choosing your business over competitors.

What is a company profile?

A company profile is an introduction to your business that details what you sell, how you were founded, what your mission is, how you manufacture or source your products, and why you serve customers.

Your company profile should give buyers an additional reason to do business with you. A company profile is an introduction to your business that aims to tell an audience about your products or services.

However, a company profile shouldn't just tell your audience what you sell — it should also tell them why you sell it. It often includes a compelling story about how the company began, as well as the company's vision and values.

Why is it important to have a Company Profile for your startup/small business

It’s quite easy to skip over company profiles and simply write a cut-and-dry “about” page that doesn’t tell much about you. Company profiles go a step beyond the standard “about” page by sharing how your company got started down to where it is today — and why you continue to serve customers.

Here are some of the reasons why having a company profile is important:

A company profile will differentiate your brand.

A company profile will naturally describe what makes your company unique. It will automatically differentiate your brand because no other company has the exact same founding story and reason for existing that you do. Your history and values are integral parts of a brand positioning strategy, and a company profile is the one place where you can mention these pieces of information without it feeling extraneous or out-of-place.

A company profile may justify a higher price point.

If you go into detail about your production values or ethically sourced materials, you may be able to justify a higher price point for your products and services.

A company profile will build your reputation.

What do you want to be known for? As the company that started as a small family-owned shop but then grew into a billion-dollar enterprise?

As the company that places sustainability and ethics at the forefront of its efforts? You can build your reputation through marketing, service, and sales campaigns, but it all begins with the company profile. Who you are, where you come from, and why you exist will create the groundwork needed for fostering a positive reputation.

The importance of creating a company profile can’t be overstated, but if you’re not sure how to write one, don’t fret — below, we go over what you should include in your profile.

What should be included in a company profile?

A company profile should include your business name, your founder’s name, your products and services, the year you were founded, and the reason your company was founded. After establishing your history, include your mission, vision, and values.

The goal of your profile is to show why you’re a superior supplier or vendor compared to your competitors. Your company profile shouldn’t be a regurgitation of your “about us” page — though your company profile can certainly be part of your “about us” page.

The truth is, a company profile is less about what you do than about why you do it and how you got started doing it.

Here’s a handy list of things you should include in your company profile:

• Your business name
• The year you were founded
• Your founder’s name
• Your original business name, if you had one
• The original reason your business was founded (or the former vision or mission for the company)
• How that reason, mission, or vision changed over the years
• A description of your products and services
• Your current mission and vision statement
• Your motto or slogan
• Your company values

In your company profile, you should strive to describe how you solve for customers’ pain, what problems you seek to solve, and why you’re different from the competition.

Those three pieces of information should be infused into every section of your company profile, as opposed to having dedicated sections.

How to Write a Company Profile

Focus on a high-level overview of your company. At the beginning of your company profile, include important information such as your company name, your business's physical location, a website URL, contact information, and an established date.

Consider adding a timeline or synopsis of your company's history, including information regarding expansion or growth.

Aim to express your company's values or mission in your company profile, rather than just your products or services.

A user won't care about what you're selling until they believe in your brand.

Include any awards or recognition you've received, and highlight what makes your company different from your competitors. Depending on your audience, you might choose to include graphics, visuals, or video.

Add statistics to back up your claims.

Company name

Established date

Physical address per location

Contact information

About Us / Our Story / Our Beginning

Here, you'll want to include a brief introduction to your company, including where, when, and by whom the company was founded, the company's mission statement, and/or the company's vision and purpose.

In this section, you don't necessarily want to include products or services — instead, focus on your bigger meaning, and how you stand out from competitors. Tell your story in a compelling way.

If you want to add your company history in a more compact way, consider adding a company timeline.

Our Mission / Values

Here, you'll want to say what your company stands for on a larger scale. What is your ultimate goal, and what do you hope your products or services will give people?

Our Team

Provide a picture or brief paragraph describing your team — you might focus on leadership, or provide an explanation of your company's culture. Ultimately, this section should help users understand how your employees can uniquely serve them.

Our Product / Services

Describe a high-level overview of what your product is, and how you hope it will positively impact the user's life. You can link to a Product page if necessary, so keep this section relatively general.

Start Building Your Company Profile Today

There are a few elements that can contribute to a stellar company profile, and by adhering to this guide, you can build one quickly and effectively.