When to Invest in a Professional Brand Identity

Creating a great brand is an important step for any business, big or small. But for a small business that is trying to get noticed in a sea of sameness, having a professionally created brand can make the difference between success and failure.

So, how do you know when it’s time to step up your brand identity? When should you let go of that logo that your friend’s niece made for you when you launched your business, and invest in some real design help? When should you take your brand to the next level?

Here are some key indicators that will let you know it’s time to take your brand to the next level: 

Team of more than Two

When you’ve got just a handful of employees, it’s pretty easy to maintain control over your brand and the image that you project to the world. But as you grow from that small handful to many, maintaining control over your brand becomes much more difficult, and it’s easy to start communicating inconsistent marketing messages. One of your employees decides to use large, serif fonts in their letterheads, and another is in love with the color purple which he decides to use in his e-signature—much to your surprise.

Expanding to more locations

Another common situation is when you’re expanding to more than one location, which many small businesses do as they grow. When you’ve got multiple locations, your new outposts need clear guidelines for how to create signage, window decals, employee uniforms or dress codes, business cards, and any other customer-facing messaging. Your brand needs to be consistent in every one of your locations.

Looking for investors

And the same goes for when you’re looking for investors. Investors want to put their money into companies that have a strong brand image and that look like they’ll be around for the long haul—not just next year. The more professional your branding, the more put together your business looks, and the more attractive it will be to investors.

Growing customer base

Finally, your customers want to know that they’re buying from a company that they can count on day in and day out. They want to buy from companies that are solid and consistent in the products and services they provide. People trust brands they recognize and that know what they stand for. Inconsistent branding will confuse your customers and make them more likely to run to competitors that projects a stronger brand image.

While there are a lot of things you can spend your money on, taking your brand to the next level will pay you back many times over. When it comes to stepping up your brand identity, the investment you make now will pay for itself many times over in the years to come.

Want to learn more about building your brand? Check out our blog post Brand Your Business To Stand Out From the Crowd

This article was originally published on the Advantages blog.?