Branding your small business, a checklist

There is a lot to come before logo design, web development and colour palette curation when making decisions for your brand. The foundation of your brand or business relies on a few key aspects to ensure you present coherently and aesthetically strong.

Before diving into branding design, there are a few key things to think about before developing a successful foundation:

·      Mission Statement

·      Vision Statement

·      Brand Values

·      Target Audience

·      Brand Messaging

Let’s dive deeper into those concepts, and I’ll apply them to The Sparkk to give you an example.

Mission & Vision Statement

Having a clear mission for your business or brand is vital before getting started. Being specific here, rather than vague, can help with making decisions down the track, and it also keeps you feeling confident about what you’re creating.

Example: The Sparkk exists to support small business owners and start-ups to ignite their passion. It is a space created to inspire and to provide you with the tools you need to achieve your own success with confidence and clarity.

Brand Values

Without having values for your business, there are no defining principles to guide you. It’s important here to define what matters to you and more specifically, what drives you. I always try to insert a definition beside my values to make it more meaningful to me. These values act as your “brand bible” for making decisions and moving forward.

Example: I developed The Sparkk brand vaues based off my mission statement, I’ve included a few below: 

1)    Inspire: To inspire small business owners to reach their full potential

2)    Creativity: To create every day and share my gifts with the world

3)    Passion: To love what I do and have a hunger for helping other people

4)    Wonder: Create solutions for people and their businesses to inspire

Target Audience

This is simple – who do you want your business/brand to reach? It’s important to define your target market, where are they, what do they value, how do they receive information? These insights are vital to the progression of your brand, especially in making choices on branding.

Example: At The Sparkk, my ideal customer is a small business owner, or an entrepreneur with a start-business spirit. They are passionate about building a life on their own terms and creating a business that means something to them. They are doing great things in business, but appreciate passionate input, votes of confidence and helpful resources to get them there.

Brand Messaging

Once you have all of the above elements laid out, it should feel fairly easy to craft your messaging. Your message can take the form of an elevator pitch, a tagline or a webpage title; but what is most important is that it speaks to your audience in your brands voice.

Example: My “Instagram bio” acts as my best brand message and it is: “Adding a little spakr to all things small biz through thoughtful design and heart-led coaching”

And there you go! You’re ready to tackle your branding! If you still have a question about branding your small business, or what it takes to create an awesome brand – contact me or comment below with your ideas.