The Importance of Branding When Starting Your Business

Just get your name out there!  Once people know you have a business, the customers will come.

It’s common when starting a new business to focus on “selling” and “getting the word out.”  Many people will tell you to simply “just get started and worry about the branding later.”   While that philosophy may work for some businesses just starting out, it won’t work for others.

Many small businesses don’t invest in building their brand as they start their business.  After all, many small business owners start out with limited resources (time and money). 

Ignoring the branding in the beginning may make you feel like you’re saving money, but this could actually hurt you in the long run. 

What is branding?   It’s more than just colors and logos.  It is the look and feel of your company – not to you, but to your prospective clients.

Branding isn’t about you.  It’s appealing to your ideal potential customer. 

Does the image you’ve created (or ignored) resonate with your ideal prospects?

The brand you create in the beginning will establish your potential customers’ experience and ultimately how those clients will view your credibility, your business and ultimately – your sales.

Grandma’s cookies is going need a different feel and vibe than the home builder just starting out.

Just because you run your business out of your basement doesn’t mean your branding needs to look that way.

While the swing to support small businesses has certainly increased in the past few years; if your business brand looks unprofessional, or like you threw it together last night – you’ve already set yourself and your business backwards.

That’s a risk you should avoid starting out.  If your business looks “fly by night” you’re likely going to be out of business before you really get started.

Years ago, I needed to put a new roof on my house.  I was stuck in deliberation over whether to use shingles, or put on a metal roof.  I had contractors come out and give me quotes.  Some showed up with quote pad in hand, took measurements, answered questions and got back to me quickly with their quote via email on an official form.  Others showed up with a yellow note pad, never took a measurement and eye-balled everything.  They wrote their phone number on that yellow piece of paper, handed it to me and left.  Guess who didn’t get the job? 

In some businesses, if you can’t “look” the part, you can’t “play” the part.  That initial impression meant everything to me, and I guarantee you for many of your potential customers, it will as well.

Take a look at your competition – as a customer.  Examine their social media, their website, read the Google reviews.  What about their image appeals to you?  Make notes.

Take a look at other businesses, again – as a customer.

You’ll start to recognize what is working for them.  Don’t copy it, but learn from them. 

If you’re starting a business that is going up against long standing businesses, you’ve got to fit in.  However, do not overlook what sets you apart from the competition. 

Ultimately people do business with people.  Your reputation will carry your business if you’re doing right by your customers, but you have to look the part in order to get started. 

Building a solid brand, collateral, social media images can very well be a determining factor if your business even gets off the ground.