So you’ve decided to start your own small business? Well give yourself a huge congratulatory pat on the back.
Many people wish to start their own business, and may day dream about it whilst they are sat at the desk of the office job they hate, but few ever take that step to actually doing what they dream of doing.
So, you know what you want to do, but how do you make yourself stand out from all the other small businesses out there? Well, you need to be unique, and create a recognisable brand.
Let’s have a look at how you can do that.
What Does ‘Having A Brand’ Really Mean?
A brand is what makes you recognisable, and what singles you out from all the other similar businesses out there.
This can be done by having a logo that stands out, and a slogan or tagline, but it is more than this.
But, having a brand is more than this, it is how people see or perceive your business.
Take yourself, for example, you will have a brand, whether you realise it or not. How you appear to other people is your brand. So, your looks are part of your personal ‘brand’, your face is how people recognise it – this would be like the logo of your business. Your beliefs and personality traits are like the logo and tagline of your business. Then your unique way of communicating is individual to you, this would be like the different fonts and colours and shapes used for your business.
All of this adds up to your overall personality or ‘brand’, and so this is what you want to apply to your business. As soon as your business is seen somewhere, people should be able to recognise it and associate certain things with it.
How Do You Build A Brand?
When building a brand, it is very important to decide on how you want your business to appear, and who it is targeted at.
Once you know these things, it is very important to be consistent. Consistency is key, and this is the way that you customers will get to know your business, and associate it with the product you are selling.
It is also important to get your brand out there, so start putting your logo on everything to do with your business, like invoices, website, your product. There are many companies that will provide labels for a local business for you to attach to your product, so that your logo is taken home when someone buys from you.
Again, be consistent, and your brand will start to develop.
Research, Research, Research
One of the most important things you can do when starting a business, and a brand is to know your audience.
When developing your product, you will usually have a target audience in mind. Research this audience well, so you know how to market to them.
It is all very well saying that you have a product that anybody and everybody will want, but that is casting your net too wide. If your product is aimed at everyone, it will not really reach anyone. Initially, aim at your target audience, to start getting sales from that section, and they will get to know your brand.
It’s also important to research your nearest competitors, once you know them inside out, you can do things differently so you can stand out from the crowd.
Naming Your Brand
Once you know what you want to sell, and who you are aiming it for, it’s time to decide on a name.
This is a huge decision, so it’s best to take some time, and again research, before deciding on it. You want to ensure it’s unique, and impactful, but equally be careful not to choose a name that could be a double entendre (unless that’s what you’re aiming for!).
The name you choose will determine your website address, and your social media presence, and it will to some extent shape your logo, so be sure on what you choose.
You can then think about having a slogan, which is a nice touch to add to business cards or websites. There are many free websites out there to help you with slogan ideas.
Designing A Logo
There are many websites that will aid you in logo design for a small fee. However, it is often worth approaching a graphic designer to help you with your logo design.
A designer can talk to you about what you need, and work with you to create a design. This is an industry they know well, and can tell you what will work, and what won’t.
Your logo should be provided to you as a high quality image, so you can print it, and put it on a website or social media page without it pixelating.
Along with your logo, you should also choose which colours and fonts you will be using, as this will also add to making your brand recognisable.
It’s important to know your target audience for this step, as it will determine it to some extent, for example, if you are aiming your product at children, you will want a fun, colourful logo and font, however if you are advertising towards a profession such as vets, you will want something more professional, and animal themed.
Brand Everything
As we touched on above, once you have your brand sorted, brand everything. Once your brand is seen everywhere, people will start to recognise you.
Brand your correspondence, your website, social media, business cards, free pens and keyrings to give away with purchases.
You can get labels to attach to products, stickers to put on packaging, even branded tissue paper to wrap your products in.
Stay consistent, and get your brand out there. But, as your business grows, your target audience might change, so it’s absolutely fine to evolve your brand, just go by everything we’ve talked about in this article, and soon everyone will know your brand!
