(This is another of our posts from one of our readers seeking advice. Please feel free to submit questions that you would like help with.)

Ian Brodie, a smart man and rainmaking expert, sent in the following question:

I'm currently puzzling over the question of whether to focus on building a personal brand (my name) or a company brand. I know a couple of local associates who are in a similar position too.

When I first set up my practice a year or so ago I selected a "corporate" name for the business. At that stage I (perhaps lacking in confidence in my own reputation) wanted to give the impression of being an established business rather than just a "one man band".

However, over the last year it's become clear that no matter what the name of the business, my clients are hiring me personally - not a company.

With that in mind, I am now wondering whether it would be better to rebrand the business under my own name. That would make it easier for clients to remember and find me (by searching for my name rather than having to remember the name of the company) and also to refer me to others.

Over the long term, I also intend to publish a number of articles, and perhaps a book. This would obviously be under my name rather than under a company name.

A lot of the people I admire in consulting run their businesses under their own name: Yourself, David Maister, Andrew Sobel, etc. Others, however, have a company brand: Charlie Green as Trusted Advisor Associates; Suzanne Lowe as Expertise Marketing.

So the choice doesn't seem obvious to me. At the moment I'm tending towards rebranding under my name. There would be a degree of administrative pain involved initially, but I guess better to go through that now than in 5 years time.

Any guidance?