There are many things for entrepreneurs to consider when creating a new business. Establishing your brand should be high on the list of priorities. Quality branding will help you relay who you are and what you do. It allows you to develop relationships with your audience, and stand out from the competition. Careful thought and strategy can help to ensure your branding is on point with how you want to position your business. Here are my top branding tips for new businesses.

Create A Business Plan

Much like a blueprint is the guide for building a strong home, a business plan is a roadmap to developing a thriving business. It also shapes your brand. When you think of a business plan you might picture a long document that has pages filled with pie charts analyses. But your plan can be simple while being effective. The most helpful pieces of information your plan could include are:

• A brief executive summary
• A description of your business
• A listing of your products and/or services
• A quick glance at the current marketplace
• Your overall sales and marketing strategies
• An overview of your team
• Your finances – now and what you’ve projected for the future

These sections can be as brief or as fleshed out as you would like. Putting thought toward these areas will help you to ensure you are consistent in your efforts across all aspects of your business and that your branding is in line with your overall plans. 

Define Your Mission

Defining your business mission and vision helps you to articulate your purpose, establish your goals, identify who your ideal audience is, and provides the groundwork for how you ultimately plan to get your business to a place of success. Together, the mission and vision you put together for your business will help when you’re developing your brand.

Your mission statement should be a short description of your purpose and what you have to offer, why your business matters, and who you hope to serve. Your vision is accompanied by your mission, explaining what you want to see your business become in the big picture and what you want to achieve along the way. If you’d like somewhere to start, I have a Business Vision Guide to help you work through your thoughts and ideas and strategically plan your business vision.

Know Your Audience

Knowing your audience plays a critical part in developing your brand, and figuring out who you want to serve should be at the heart of your branding efforts. Understanding your audience will inform brand elements ranging from your fonts and colors to how you use social media and where you communicate online. 

When identifying your target audience, think about who will use your business or benefit from it. What do they need, what do they want, and what do they care about? It’s important to really work to have a clear understanding of who your audience. This way, your branding efforts can align with who you are targeting.

Check out my blog post about how to define your ideal audience. 

Get Inspiration

We’re lucky to live in a day and age where sources of inspiration are plentiful and right at our fingertips. Performing a quick Google search and browsing sites like Pinterest will provide you with new ideas and fresh concepts. Pay attention to the brands that show up in your own daily life as a consumer and customer. Think about what draws you to them. 

Collect as much inspiration as you can and take note of how different design elements resonate with you, specifically fonts, graphics, and colors. As you’re browsing, include your competition in your searches so that you can make sure your brand stands out from the crowd.

Check out my brand Pinterest board where I have curated high-quality brand designs. 

Invest in Professional Branding 

Professional branding should be considered an investment because when it’s done thoughtfully and strategically. It can result in significant returns throughout the life of your business. Quality branding will allow you to attract and engage with the right customers. You can budget more efficiently for your marketing and advertising spending, and gain recognition. Additionally, you can build on your business’ perceived value. The sooner you establish a professional brand, the sooner you will feel confident to market your business. I am here to help you do just that! See my branding packages here. 

The branding you choose will influence many aspects of your new business and will play a significant role in its success for years to come. Creating your brand is an important process that deserves significant thought and planning, and these tips for new businesses will help you get started.