Why Your Business Needs a Brand Vision Board

Most edupreneurs are visionaries and go into business because they noticed a problem in their industry and created a unique solution. And you're no different. When you decided to start a business the last thing on your mind was designing a logo, finding the right fonts, and choosing complementary colors.

You simply wanted to help people, not fumble around with the creative stuff.

You're a do-it-yourself type of gal. So when you launched your business it was no sweat off your back to hop on Canva and create everything from scratch. Everything from your social media graphics to your opt-in freebies.

But now your business is growing. You're serving more clients. And you're starting to realize you want a more cohesive look and feel to your brand.

After a few Google searches you quickly realize you're wayyyy in over your head! Now you have more questions than before you jumped down the branding rabbit hole: "what's the difference between a brand and a visual identity?", "what is an audience persona?", and "do I really have to analyze my so-called competitors?".

Well, these are all valid questions. And you've only just begun the journey, Alice.

Simply put, branding is the identity, the story, and/or the message a company portrays that causes it to stand out from its "competition". And branding is a very important part of your entrepreneurial endeavors, so it's worth either figuring it out (do it tú mismo) or outsourcing to a specialist (do it contigo).

When you have a solid brand identity your message is clear on who you serve and how you do it. Having an aligned brand could mean the difference between attracting clients you conform to or attracting clients who totally get you.

People invest and spend their money with businesses that have a clear message.

Imagine...

It's a beautifully-golden Monday afternoon in Spring. You just got off the phone with the coordinator of a regional education-entrepreneur conference and have been invited to be a speaker! You're absolutely stoked because (low key) you've had your eye on this conference for the past couple months. But since you never heard anything from them after submitting your speaker proposal, you kinda forgot all about it. Which also means you didn't exactly prepare... an outfit!

No need to panic. Yeah the conference is on Friday, but you stay cool as a cucumber, hop on Pinterest for some ensemble inspo, compile a list of items you want (and need), and head over to Amazon to gladly give them your money. Within 2 days your entire outfit -- from staples to accessories to backups -- arrives at your front door. You try everything on, decide what's a keeper, and send the duds back to Amazon. Easy peasy lemon squeezy.

Two days later, you attend the conference with confidence -- and style -- and when it's your time to present, you absolutely nail it!

We've all been there. You know... having some last minute something-or-another to prepare for. And we probably didn't have the energy, or desire, to giddy up to the local strip mall shops and browse their shelves. We probably didn't even have an actual physical representation (like a magazine) of an ensemble we wanted to replicate.

But thanks to Pinterest and Amazon, and their spot-on branding, we know exactly where to go to get exactly what we want and need.

This is why having a clear message is so important.

If it wasn't clear that Amazon could deliver your order that exact same day (depending on what you buy) you'd probably end up driving up to your neighborhood Target to find everything on your list. And if Pinterest never came along and positioned themselves as the go-to for visual inspiration, you'd probably end up driving back to Target to browse the latest issue of InStyle.

Fortunately we live in a digital world. Almost everything is easily accessible. Including your new brand identity.

There are a gajillion resources online that can tell you more about brand identity and how to create one. And there are even fewer specialists who can support you with integrating an effective strategy and creative direction. That leaves you doing a lot of heavy lifting on your own... in the beginning.

Once you recognize you want the visuals and identity of your brand to match the vision you have for your brand, you just have to decide if you want to continue to do it yourself or get a helping hand.

As a project manager, I recommend doing as much as you can yourself first. That way when you hire a freelancer you will have a clearer understanding of what you're looking for, how the specialist can help bring your vision into fruition, and get the results you've been pining for.

And one very easy and free way to start clarifying your brand identity (without doing all the heavy thinking -- i.e. determining your brand's voice and tone, your unique value proposition, and the list goes on and on...) is to create a Brand Vision Board using good ole Pinterest. You can also use Canva Vision Boards. It really just depends on your aesthetic preferences and the way your brain prefers to see images displayed.

As you create your Brand Vision Board you can get inspiration for the various elements you want to pull into your brand by visiting sites like Dafont, Canva, PicMonkey. etc. for fonts, Freepik, Nappy, Unsplash, etc. for images, and Creative Market and Envato for elements and textures and fonts too.

Then start browsing and allowing your creativity to run wild!

Before this process, I also recommend getting more clarity about your brand's mission and values. This will help you know what type of mood you want to evoke with your Brand Vision Board.

If you have an early childhood-centered business you probably want to steer clear of a gothic feel, even if black is one of your favorite colors. This is where understanding your brand's mission and values can be key.

Creating a Brand Vision Board can seem intimidating at first, especially if you don't think you're creative, but you will probably end up enjoying the process. And will most certainly fall in love with your visual brand once you've done this step.

Here's a free video (no email required) to show you how to get started with creating a Brand Vision Board (for the do-it-yourself ladies). And when you're ready to streamline the plethora of ideas swirling in your head, that's when you know it's time to hire help (done-with-you gals).

Either way, having a clear brand message is simply good business, connects you with your ideal clients, and can be as easy as starting with a free vision board.

Ready to gain clarity and cohesion around your brand's identity?

But how do you know your next hire can get the job done?

DOWNLOAD this resource ? Make Your Next Hire Your Best Hire ? to get started!

Jessica Daniel is a digitally-nomadic, world-schooling mama from the Midwest, currently exploring the Middle East. Her company,Teacher's Helper??, provides remote project management and business operations to Teacherpreneurs and Edupreneurs, helping them launch, grow, and scale their businesses and increase their revenue. Jessica is an Early Childhood Educator by trade and holds a certification in Project Management, allowing her to be the strategic partner Edupreneurs trust.