When to Shift Focus and Invest in Branding
For those of you who built your business from the ground up, we want to first say congratulations. That’s hard to do. Many business owners start off without investing in a creative agency. They invest a lot of sweat equity and figure it all out. The focus is all on the product or service you’re offering, and branding takes the back-burner.
Fast forward to now, and things are running smoothly. You have a little bit of money coming in, and there are fewer bumps in the road than there used to be.
This is the time to invest in your brand.
Here’s why:
- Your brand can become a partner to help you do some of the heavy lifting and continue to make business easier and easier for you.
- A creative agency will help you attract business, explain your process, help the sales cycle, and give people confidence in your company.
- Investing in creating a compelling and cohesive brand will ease your burden as a business owner a little bit.
When to Brand: AT THE START
If you can start off with a strong, cohesive brand from the beginning, that’s the best way to go. As we mentioned, a strong brand will really help you take some of the burden off, attract customers, help you convey your value proposition, close sales, and guide your team as they serve your customers. We definitely think the beginning is the best possible time to nail down a great creative agency. However, not everybody has the funds or the wherewithal to be able to work on their brand from the start, and that’s okay, too.
When to Brand: NEW OWNERSHIP / YOUNGER GENERATION TAKES OVER
When a company is under new ownership, whether it’s a younger generation taking over or not, the transition time is an amazing opportunity to examine every aspect of the brand that you do have. Break it apart, see how it aligns with your position in the market and how you want to be perceived. Then, strategically build it back up to convey the proper message through both visuals and verbiage.
When to Brand: WHEN YOU'RE PLATEAUING
When you feel like you’ve done all you can do for your business and you’ve hit a wall, working on your brand will allow you to catapult to the next level. A creative agency can refresh your business and breath new life into it. A new and improved brand will attract new clients and work to reconnect with existing clients. It will also energize your staff.
When to Brand: WHEN YOU'RE MAKING MONEY
This might sound counter-intuitive, but when you’re making money and not struggling for cash flow, the process of branding or rebranding goes much more smoothly. When business is booming, you’re not desperate for the brand to save you from imminent bankruptcy. Plus, you have the money to do it right. You also have the time. Oftentimes, when you’re in a great place financially with your business, you don’t need to rush along the branding process. You can spend the time to position yourself properly and align all communication and visuals with that position. We have another blog about why we recommend rebranding when you’re making money. Read more of our advice on how to make the most of your financial position for the benefit of your brand.