You’re only a small business, you’re self employed, your desk is the kitchen table. So why on earth would you bother with brand guidelines? That’s just for big, corporate companies, isn’t it? Little old you doesn’t need fancy brand style guide.
Well, for a start, don’t knock your small business (Steve Jobs started in his parents garage). But more importantly, you have a brand whether you know it or not.
Your logo is the visual identity of your business, it’s how your customer recognises you. Your brand is how your customer feels about your business, and this encompasses every thing you do in print and online. So whether you’re bothered about branding or not, your customer is out there seeing and reading everything you put out there and forming an opinion.
Now, it’s starting to look more important. Good, because I’m going to help you put together some simple guidelines which you can refer to regularly (and update if you need to) and these will be the foundation of every contact you have with your customers, and your potential customers. They will help you create consistency making you more recognisable to your customers and help you stand out from your competitors. Continue reading “Why does my small business need a brand style guide?”
