You started your new business, hooray! Now you need a logo, brand design, and website – right?
Well, maybe.
A brand design is a fantastic thing to have, but if you don’t have clarity on exactly who you serve, how you serve, and why your product or service is important, then you’ve skipped a step.
Companies that skip this step, or don’t put in the research needed to validate their assumptions, risk creating a brand that is out of alignment with who they serve and needing to rework, and even rebrand their business to fix it.
When you read my “about” page, you’ll notice that I tell my audience that I work with business owners who have been in business for a few years and are gaining traction, or those that are clear on who they serve. Business owners who have been in business for a few years have naturally gained clarity in their business by doing the work. Even if they can’t name exactly who they serve, it’s easy to audit their existing client base and tease out the answers with a Brand Questionnaire.
A quick note for business owners who have crystal clear clarity from day one (you’ve either done this before, or you’re a unicorn): if that’s you, no need to wait – go on and get branded!
If what I said above is giving you pause, don’t worry. I’ve got the resources to get you where you need to be. Brand Design is a big expense for a lot of small business owners, and I want to make sure you’re in the best position to make that investment a wise one.
I highly recommend Simon Sinek’s TED Talk: How Great Leaders Inspire Action. This video lays the foundational framework that can change the way you approach business. This is the information that the Nikes and Apples of the world have perfected, and it’s here for you for FREE.
Another great framework to actually help you build your brand story is readily available on Amazon for about twenty dollars, and well worth the cost. Building a Story Brand by Donald Miller uses seven universal elements of powerful stories to teach listeners how to dramatically improve how they connect with customers and grow their business.
And finally, I’m a true believer in a customer-centric approach to branding and marketing. There is no better way to win business than to design your services and products to perfectly address the needs, wants, and desires of your ideal customer. Use my freebie Define Your Ideal Client to build your customer profile, and then validate that profile with a fun little research assignment I’ve included in the freebie.
I believe that by using these three powerful resources you can create the clarity you need to be ready to brand. I wish I had these resources when I first started my business! So, spend some time with this, and then get branding!
If you are someone who is prone to procrastination, then please don’t take this to the other extreme, which is waiting too long to brand! Branding is an important tool that you can leverage to build a thriving business, so as soon as you have clarity on the who, how, and why, it’s time to move to action.
If you were gung-ho to brand and weren’t ready, I hope this post saved you a catastrophe and positioned you to design the right brand.
