Starting a business is an exciting process that requires specific attention to building your brand for guaranteed success. Find out what your short term goals should be and how to achieve them.

Everyone knows that it’s a tough market out there and no one can afford to be behind the times when it comes to building a solid structure and a consistent brand.

I have over 10 years of experience in helping companies find branding solutions and achieve success through their projected image. This is a guide for any person who is interested in developing a business or re-vamping your companies image.

This should be one of the more creative and exciting tasks involved in getting your business off and running. However, this can also be an expensive, time consuming and frustrating time if you are not familiar with the ins and out’s of basic marketing.

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I work with people every day who have dumped way too much money into mediocre branding and have to back track with damage control to repair what has been done. That’s where I come in.

This guide is simplex, easy to read and understand and will allow you to gain control of your image before someone takes the control away from you.

Trademark your Company Name

This is the absolute first step you must take! If you fail to do this, you have the potential of investing a lot of cash into something that will eventually cause you twice as much in attorneys fees! It is imperative that you protect yourself from infringing on someone else’s trademark or leaving yourself open for someone else to capitalize on your hard work.

Visit The United States Patent and Trademark Website and simply enter the business name you are thinking of branding. This will bring up any trademarks that may be exact matches or similar to what you have entered. If the mark is “Live” then you are out of luck and its back to the drawing board. If the mark is “dead” you are able to apply for that mark.

Many people will hire an attorney to file their trademarks for them, for those of you who are computer savvy and don’t have the overhead to do this, you can certainly file the mark on your own via the web. I have done it myself many times and it is no more difficult then filing your own taxes.

This is the perfect time to visit Godaddy to purchase your domain names, this is another way to protect yourself and prepare for future plans. It’s inexpensive and easy to do to. Do not pay for hosting plans or any other services at this time. (Continue reading for more information on websites)

Once you have submitted your application you may begin using that name and are free to move on to the next steps!

Design a Logo

Do not underestimate this step! This logo will ideally be with you for years to come, it will become a visually recognizable statement to the public and will be the face of your company!

Photo Credit

Some basic Do’s and Don’t’s on Logos:

  • Do NOT design your own logo from clipart via the web or Microsoft Word. You want people to take you seriously, to see and understand that you have invested time and thought into your logo. Taking the easy and/or cheap road on this will be a huge mistake that will get you laughed out before you even get your foot in the door.
  • Do put plenty of time into conceptualizing your logo. What you want it to say and how you want it to make people feel. Get input from people, people who are not emotionally connected to you as they will think anything you do is worthy of praise!
  • Do make sure your logo is versatile. You want to make sure that your logo will work on any application. Signage,letterhead, business cards, menus, pens etc.
  • Do NOT let a marketing company or design firm railroad you financially. Do your homework, call around, get pricing and be specific. You can and will easily pay upwards of a thousand dollars to have a design firm create a logo for you because they know how much use you will get out of it and you better believe they will milk you for every penny that they believe it’s worth.
  • Do check out web classifieds like CraigsList for local talent. I guarantee you will find a super talented kid, fresh out of design school who is hungry for work and money. Going this route will do a few things for you. You will feel like you are both benefiting from the arrangement, you won’t be charged an arm and a leg and you will be building a relationship with someone who will without doubt be there to help you in the future with other projects.
  • Definitely DO copyright your logo at the same site you registered your trademark.

Establish your “Look and Feel”

The logo is the main component in establishing your look and feel but is by no means the only element.  Depending on what type of business you are branding you will want to keep in mind any other products that will carry your logo.

This can mean the color scheme of your offices, website, menu’s and other promotional materials.

Consistency is the most important part of branding! You do not want to appear sloppy and indecisive! Keep that in mind when making decisions. Ask yourself “Does this work with how I want to be seen?”

Research other companies and see how they have established their look and feel. Make a mental check list of the stylistic attributes you would like to include in your own project as well as things you do not want.

Again, do not try to do things that are outside of your expertise. If you aren’t great at conceptualizing don’t do it. The money you will spend to have it done correctly is minimal in comparison to it’s return.

Build a Website

It’s time for a website! At this stage in the game you should have a fairly strong grip on your intent and your “look and feel”.

A website (if you do not already know) is such an important marketing tool but only if it’s designed as such and maintained. Advertising has gone digital, plain and simple. Print and audio/video marketing is only generating a very small slice in the revenue pie so be very selective when making advertising decisions.

Again, do your research.

Things to consider when deciding to have a website built:

  • Do you fully intend on maintaining and updating your website?
  • What features would you like to include on your site? Dream big because the potential is infinite.
  • How interactive would you like your site to be?
  • Websites just like logos are super expensive, especially if you want a unique site that is interactive and foreword. Do your homework! Call local art schools and post an add looking for a web designer and you will have fifty recent graduates knocking down your door! This is the best way to get exactly what you want for reasonable money while giving some kid a ton of experience.
  • This is the time to go to Godaddy and purchase a web hosting plan, your web designer can tell you what type of package you will need to service your site. I do not recommend having a web design company or firm host your site on their private servers. This means you will have to pay them to make simplex changes to the site, you will be reliant on them and more importantly: Should your working relationship with them dissolve, you may NOT have access to your website files! Caution on that one.

The above tips and tricks are little gems that I have found throughout the years and can be of great help to you in your new venture. When money is an issue we can always take the grass roots approach and I find this to be a much more rewarding stance. It will allow you to be an active participant in the image of your company and gain control of your project.

Tip: Never underestimate your consumers ability to dismiss you based on your branding choices! There are always alternatives and your goal should be to make sure that you project a lasting impression!

There are many more steps you can take and will encounter on your journey to building your brand and this is the first installment of many! Start slow, think it out, do your homework and you are bound for greatness!