5 Business Identity and Branding Basics when starting your small business

First off, I’m no expert.  No swanky business school, no business degree,  nada. Everything I know has been learned through experience, blood, sweat and tears by starting, GROWing and selling  my products online.   My business is less than 2 years old and I have sold on numerous platforms…Ebay, Etsy, Amazon and daily deal sites.  On Etsy alone I have 5000+ sales and 1000+ 5 star reviews at the time of this post.  

At almost two years into this venture here is my advice to others who are thinking of starting a business or for those people who are in the early phases of growth in their endeavor.   How do you want your business to be conceived by your customers and how will you convey that to your customers?  Here are 5 critical considerations to getting your business off to a good start, appealing to your desired customer base and laying the foundation for growth.

1. Your Identity:  Who are you and what does your business name convey to your customers?  

You need to choose a great name.  I have been blessed with 3 amazing children.  With each pregnancy we have poured over possible names for our kids.  It was hard!  We created lists of names we liked, read name idea books, tried it out with our last names and the list goes on.  Naming your business is also very important.  It should describe who you are and be memorable .

Before you get to set on a given name you should check on a few things…..

• Google it?  Google versions of your name?  Google it spelled incorrectly?  What shows up in the search results?  
• Is mygreatbusinessname.com available?  Is mygreatbusinessname.net available?  If you plan on having an online presence, this is key.  You can look these things up here:
• Is your business name trademarked?  You can look this up here: If your brand grows, having to change your name after you have created a business following could be detrimental.
• Check the social media availability of your name.  If you plan to have a presence on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram, Periscope, Google+ it is important to have consistency and uniformity in your social media handles so your followers know who you are.
• What platform do you plan to sell on….Etsy, Ebay?  Can your business name be your shop name on these platforms too?  Consistency is key!

My story– When I started my business I didn’t have crystal ball insight into what exactly I wanted to do with my business and where it would go.  I was interested in home décor, kids toys, kids clothing and party supplies.   I have sold tutus, party supplies, jewelry and makeup items.   All pretty broad categories, but mostly purchased by women.  My taste is a mix of fun and playful, but also traditional, so I wanted to choose a name that was feminine and whimsical in nature.  Since I was experimenting I purposely chose a name that did not limit the future direction of my business.  I gave my sisters a short list of possibilities and we voted over pedicures for Twigs and Twirls!  Whew, what a relief to not have it all figured out from day one.

2. Your Brand:  Branding is about the identity you create to fine tune the perception of your company and your product or services.   What flavor are you?  What memory will you evoke in the minds of those at the moment of encounter regardless if a purchase is made?  Are you a budget brand, luxury or middle of the road with accessible items for everyone?  A good creative exercise to nail down your brand identity is to start with a clean white sheet of paper.  Begin filling it with the adjectives that describe your business.  

My story:   You don’t need to have this all figured out right out of the gate, I certainly didn’t and still don’t.  But I know the direction I’m headed and I’m trying to keep everything in synch to help me get there.  Importantly, when something is not working or is unaligned with my branding I fix it.

3. Your Logo:  What graphic will represent you and what tagline will describe what you offer your customers.

My story– Don’t spend a ton!  I’ve been astonished at how much start up cash is spent on a crazy logo.  Focus on a great product and great customer service.  My advice, go with something affordable.  New businesses have a handful of initial expenses and a logo is not one to go overboard on.  Chances are you will want or need to tweak it within your first two years when you have a better idea of your brand and ideal customer.  I found a U.S. graphic designer on etsy who did my logo for me and I spent about $50.  Here she is, right here! I received my logo in a variety of formats…color, black and white, different file formats and sizes.  A great initial, yet reasonable investment.  You also don’t even have to pay someone.  These days you don’t need to be a graphic designer to really come up with some great work that rivals the professionals.  So this is a great option for new businesses too.  Check out these free resources: PicMonkey (a favorite of mine) and Canva.

4. Marketing Material/packaging/and other visual impressions: i.e. colors, fonts, etc.  Ultimately you should work towards creating a brand board for your business.  This site has more information,  a  simple explanation and great example.  Your brand board will inform are your customer communication.  Your social media presence, your marketing material, etc.  You can check out mine right here.                                            

Want to get started?  Head here for great color palette inspiration at  Design Seed.

My story– Go affordable, notice  a trend here?  Ultimately no one is going to buy your stuff or hire you just because you have great business cards.  I bought my first box of business card on VistaPrint, a budget and basic site.   I uploaded my logo, spent $10 and was done.  I don’t LOVE them, but they work- and business cards (generally) are not that important- hey I’m still on my first box!  I don’t even include a business card with each order.  Why?  Business cards are boring, they go straight in my trash can.  I do something different, but more on that another time.  Packaging and shipping material is also part of your branding.   If you have a higher dollar item presentation should be an even larger consideration.  Side note; you should be buying this stuff at WHOLESALE, not retail.  I buy most of my shipping supplies through Uline.

5. Your Message:  Your message includes your tagline, perhaps a business mission, story or promise to your customers.  Not every business needs each component just mentioned.  But every successful business conveys a message to their customer, what will yours be?  Everyone loves a great story….are your items handmade with a craft taught to you by your grandmother?  Are your products organic, gluten-free because of your own family’s food sensitivities?  Do you donate a portion of your profits to a cause meaningful to you?  Tell your audience!    But with one caution….don’t be a snob and make your message just about you.  Your message must be crafted in a way that conveys how your uniqueness benefits the customer.  Ultimately you have a business because you have customers, seek to meet their needs first!  We all take pride in our business tell your story in such a way that it is still customer centric.

My story-  Honestly, I’m still working on my messaging.  I hope my blog will allow me to share more of my story.  My tag line “Making everyday a celebration” perfectly conveys my company’s mission.  Allowing you to celebrate with joy everyday-bringing you special moments and memories with our quality, on-trend, accessible and ADOREable party supplies.  We have what you need, whether you are buying decor for your black tie nuptials or having cookies and milk with the kids while they tell you about their day at school, making everyday a celebration!   

Having these five items dialed in from the beginning will give your business a competitive edge and will help your business be on the road to success!  Good Luck!