When we speak of branding most of the time people try to relate it to big business house, however, the fact is that every business needs to establish their brand in order to survive the competition. This is nothing new; experts and management gurus had been preaching the same sermon for years now but what they have not told is why you need to brand your small business? How is branding going to help you to establish your business? How can you establish your brand without spending a fortune on it?
You might be having a very small business but would you like your client to perceive your business as a small time entrepreneurial effort? Definitely not, and your business cards, letterheads and other marketing collaterals does just that. They create an impression to your clients that you are an established business house of considerable strength and not just a mom-n-pop shop.
While you have read till this much, you might have started to plan to get a few home printed business cards or visit the website where you saw the preformatted business cards being sold for peanuts. Beware! The quality of your business card is an indication of the status of your business and your clients are intelligent enough to understand the difference between a standard designed perforated business card and a professionally designed business card printed on good quality card stock.
Most of us, including you, would prefer to consider the stability of a company before making a purchase decision. Once you have established your brand with a professionally designed logo, business card and other marketing efforts it becomes much easier for you to build your credibility among the customers.
Getting a professionally designed custom logo is one of the very important elements of branding a business. A logo is not just a symbol or a piece of graphics; it is actually your corporate identity. A properly designed logo can leave long lasting impression on your clients and will never let your business slip out of their minds. It also makes your business easily recognizable. Just think, wherever you see the Golden M of McDonald's do you really need to think twice, what company is that referring to? A good logo should ideally exude the nature and attitude of the business.
Once you have got a logo for yourself it becomes easier for you to establish your brand. You can use that logo in your business cards, letterheads and other accessories. Don't you think it is going to make a difference if the pack that you use to deliver your products to your customer has the logo of your company on it? And if you are using a reusable pack, your customer might just use the same pack to pass on some other goods to one of his friends- what happens then? Yes! Your logo gets noticed by one other person, you add one more name to the list of your potential customers. You are on your way to establish your own brand.
Similarly with business cards, as they get passed on from one person to the other, more and more people knows about your business and the potential customer base increases.
Having a business card or professionally designed logo also shows your commitment towards your business.
A short, easy to remember punch line is another useful tool for branding. Getting a tag line printed on your business cards or your business stationery makes it easier for people to understand the nature of your business. Ideally, your tag line should not only say about what you do but also speak about your USP.
Having said all that, the ultimate question that most of the small business people would have is, how much does it cost to get all these things done? I'd say, "not much". Money is always a problem for most of the small businesses (that's why they are small, otherwise most of us would like to open a Microsoft and be as rich as Bill Gates) but if you know where to look for, you really don't need to spend a fortune to get a professionally designed logo or a business card. There are loads of websites that offer them really cheap and some even allow you to decide the price that you want to pay. (Check out this twin sites, http://www.mycorporatelogo.com and http://www.mycorporatelogo.com ).
So, if you think you are tired of being a "small business" and its time to grow up, take the first step; establish your brand!
Ray Smith is a marketing expert with years of experience in different industries and specialized knowledge on branding and internet marketing. http://www.mycorporatelogo.com
http://www.mycorporatelogo.com
If you plan to upgrade your workshop into an Authorized... Read More
In today's economic climate, the first priority for the small... Read More
Technical writing services are employed to explain the details of... Read More
Seems as though there are a lot of business closings... Read More
Mobile carwashing is hard work, it is tough on the... Read More
If you own a mobile service or home based franchise... Read More
Running a small business requires many skills. However, to do... Read More
Small businesses need Public Relations, possibly more than large corporations,... Read More
It behooves every professional mobile auto detailer to stay up... Read More
Every business starts with an idea or a dream. To... Read More
Grow your Professional Organizer business by branching out into related... Read More
How do marine type businesses start? Have you ever thought... Read More
It is imperative to have your business legally prepared. How... Read More
Often smart entrepreneurs look for out of the way businesses,... Read More
When small businesses fail, the wreckage is often assigned to... Read More
A Brilliant Marketing Idea... sounds great but what is it?... Read More
We all know how glorious those first warm days of... Read More
The employer / employee relations environment has been constantly evolving... Read More
The story is told of a tiger chasing some goats... Read More
It seems so long ago that I started my first... Read More
When a person knows and knows not that he knows.... Read More
When do annoyances in a relationship become too much to... Read More
What kinds of things effect mobile service businesses P and... Read More
I meet and talk to hundreds and hundreds of business... Read More
The key to organizational focus and helping those who need... Read More
quick home cleaning Northbrook ..One of the primary concerns all small businesses have is... Read More
An observation while returning home from a seminar: Getting away... Read More
Microfiber cleaning towels have been around for about ten years... Read More
My 16 year-old daughter said, "Gee Dad! You look just... Read More
The way you manage your money is one of the... Read More
Administrative and clerical tasks are the bane of every industry.... Read More
Starting and growing a small business can be a daunting... Read More
Have you ever heard the phrase, 'PREPONDERANCE OF PROOF'?I recently... Read More
Boston itself covers 50 square miles of concrete and traffic,... Read More
Ok, you have successfully accomplished your dream of being the... Read More
It's just like a marriageTo expect a bank manager or... Read More
I've got good news and bad news. The good news... Read More
Franchising is the fastest way to build small businesses, provide... Read More
Every home business has the same problem of how to... Read More
There is a rather famous true story called "Acres of... Read More
Why would you use an event pass?Event passes are often... Read More
What unspoken message are you sending your clients and customers?... Read More
Every employee would like to earn as high a salary... Read More
When deciding to host a fundraiser for your company or... Read More
If you're an entrepreneur responsible for your own small business... Read More
It is essential that you fully understand how the fuel... Read More
Approximately 200,000 new businesses are started each year. More people... Read More
With the massive explosion of start-ups and home businesses developing,... Read More
Most of us remember going to at least one garage... Read More
As a practitioner and student of Small Business Marketing, I... Read More
Small Business |