If you operate a small business or you’re planning to start one, you should definitely take the time to think about your brand. Although your products or services should be the bedrock of your business, unless you can get customers or clients in the door, it’s all for naught. Representing your company well in every applicable marketing facet is essential, and to implement a useful strategy, you have to decide what your business is, what it provides, and who it serves.

Start Brainstorming

Have a brainstorming session to consider what you’re actually offering to your customers. For example, your company might install new front doors for homes in the area, but you’re selling homeowners much more than the doors themselves – you’re offering them the security and aesthetic benefits that new doors can provide. Next, narrow your target audience by asking who you’ll be conducting business with. Although common knowledge might state for you to aim for the widest possible audience, if you’re planning to market your brand heavily on the Internet, you need to delve deeper, perhaps appealing to niche markets.

Naming Your Company

Once you have a clearer idea of your company, you can assemble the components of your brand. Obviously, you want to start with what to call the business. It might sound simple to find a short and sweet name that reflects your company’s goals and culture, but it can take some time and dedication. Most businesses either select a name that is related to the products or services it provides, while others opt for an interesting name that rolls off the tongue. Just remember to keep your brand in mind throughout the selection process.

When you have a good idea in mind, be sure to check for other businesses that might already use the name, as well as those who go by similar names that might confuse your customers.

Developing a Logo

Perhaps the only part of the branding process that is more time consuming than the name selection is the logo development. You want a representation of your company that not only shows the customer who you are in a flash, but that is also scalable, meaning that it will look at home on everything from business cards and letterhead to billboards and Internet ads. To achieve this goal, try to keep your logo as simple as possible, especially when it comes to the graphics and font choices. Although a company mascot might look great on the side of a company vehicle, will it look just as nice scaled down for business cards? Also keep in mind that logos that involve too many colors might be expensive to reproduce, so keep the color scheme to two or three hues at first. Finicky fonts can cause problems too, as they are sometimes difficult to replicate on signs. Keep your logo bold and minimalist, and it’s hard to go wrong.

Test Your Brand

Before you ever try getting the brand off the ground, you need to test the name and logo with other people. Ask them to look at the name and logo and then describe the business it would belong to. The adjectives they use in their descriptions should let you know if your branding efforts are on the right track or if it’s back to the drawing board.

Peg Smith is an experienced writer who has written for a number of notable publications. As a lifestyle expert, Ms. Smith is able to offer advice and insight on a multitude of topics, including those pertaining to business.

Peg Smith is an experienced writer who has written for a number of notable publications. As a lifestyle expert, Ms. Smith is able to offer advice and insight on a multitude of topics, including those pertaining to http://www.inc.com/profile/laser-spine-institute business.

Author Bio: Peg Smith is an experienced writer who has written for a number of notable publications. As a lifestyle expert, Ms. Smith is able to offer advice and insight on a multitude of topics, including those pertaining to business.

Category: Business
Keywords: business, business news, business growth, business advice