| How your customers and potential customers | | | | Design a logo or hire a professional graphic designer to |
| perceive your business is an essential key to your | | | | create a logo for you. A logo is also an essential |
| success. Creating a successful brand, which includes | | | | component of building a successful image and brand. |
| your business image, is one of the most important | | | | To be successful, your logo must be simple and |
| things you will do as a business owner. | | | | memorable (think the Nike swoosh). A successful logo |
| Creating a successful image and brand can be a | | | | will also be easy to reproduce; after all, you'll want to |
| costly endeavor. However, there are several simple | | | | include your logo on all of your marketing materials, |
| ways you can create a strong image and brand for | | | | including letterhead, brochures, your Web site, and |
| relatively inexpensive, including: | | | | even t-shirts. |
| Identify your target market | | | | Know and communicate your message |
| If you haven't already done so, identify your target | | | | Your brand is essentially the message you want to |
| market. Who are your prospective customers? To | | | | convey to the world. Ensure that your message is |
| identify your target market, consider their age range, | | | | constantly reinforced in all of your marketing materials, |
| education level, financial status, and geographical | | | | from brochures to letterhead. Consistently reinforcing |
| location. | | | | your message is essential to building your brand. |
| Choose your business name wisely | | | | Be cohesive |
| Your business name will play a huge role in the | | | | For it to be successful, your brand must be cohesive. |
| branding of your business, so make sure you choose | | | | That means that every aspect of your business from |
| your business name wisely. Your business name | | | | the message on the voicemail to your marketing |
| should be easy to remember, easy to pronounce, and | | | | campaign must relay the same message. |
| should reflect the purpose of your business. | | | | Create a public relations campaign |
| Create a catchy slogan | | | | Share your story with your prospective customers by |
| While a business name is generally permanent, slogans | | | | implementing an aggressive public relations campaign. |
| don't have to be permanent. A strong slogan will help | | | | Send out relevant press releases, announcing new |
| customers and prospective customers remember | | | | products or services, to local media, and prepare a |
| your business. | | | | media kit that will be available for interested members |
| To create a catchy slogan, start by making a list that | | | | of the media. A public relations campaign is an ideal |
| describes your business. Your list might include such | | | | way to gain media attention for your business and to |
| words as superior customer service and the lowest | | | | solidify your brand in the marketplace. |
| prices guaranteed. Once you've created a list of | | | | Keep track of the results |
| words that describe your business, sit down and write | | | | You must know if your branding and image is working |
| phrases that encompass your business's purpose, | | | | and whether it's resonating with your customers. Ask |
| using those words. | | | | your customers for their feedback to determine |
| Keep in mind that slogans should be short, easy to | | | | whether your image and brand need tweaking or |
| spell, and memorable. | | | | whether you've hit the mark. |
| Design a logo | | | | |