I wrote recently about integrating story into LinkedIn and similar profiles, and the same notion applies to the About Us page for your business (or About Me if you’re a solopreneur).

Barbra Sundquist lists four questions that the About Us/Me story should answer for readers/prospective customers:

1. Who are you?
2. What is your expertise?
3. How can that expertise how can it address customer needs?
4. How can customers contact you?

Sundquist also sells templates (at $50 a pop) for such stories (bios), but I’d suggest that unless you are really stuck for how to get started, templates may stifle your ability to creatively tell your story.

A better approach for many will be looking at examples of profiles and About Us/Me pages that tell stories well. I like the one offered by Tim Berry, founder of Palo Alto Software and other ventures, which also incorporates Berry’s business philosophy. Here’s an excerpt:

I’ve seen startups and small business from multiple views. I’ve had the good years and bad years. My wife and I had three mortgages and $65,000 of credit card debt at one very low point, which we survived, but I really don’t recommend. I’ve landed investment from a Palo Alto venture capital firm and bought them back. I’ve consulted with venture capitalists on software startups, essentially kicking tires. I’ve consulted with startups on bringing in venture capital, and angel investors, and business loans, and friends and family.

For nice examples that skew more toward “About Us” than “About Me,” I like the short profiles of Etsy shops at Etsy Profiles. These are nicely concise, and some are more storied than others, but all truly humanize the proprietors of these shops. Here’s a sample:

à la mode was created as an outlet for a lifetime of pent up creative energy. While the business began in 2005, I have been designing, creating, crafting, and dreaming of it as far back as I can remember. I studied architecture and interior design in school. After working for an architect for 2 years, I headed to the non profit world and spent my next 10 years in marketing, pr, and fund raising. à la mode allows me to meld my creative nature and work experiences.