Happy National Small Business Week to you!
This is a very special week to us because we, like so many of you, are a small business. We may be small, but we are mighty. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, small businesses create two out of every three new net jobs. And 67 percent of all job growth between 2009 and 2015 were created by small businesses. That’s pretty awesome!
This week, we want to help all of our small business friends and fellow entrepreneurs to build better brands. We put together our list of the top 5 building blocks every small business brand needs. Each day, we will release one of the new building blocks. Plus, at the end of the week, our newsletter subscribers will receive a free gift to further help them on their marketing journey. (Not a subscriber? There’s still time!)
Without further delay, let’s jump right in. The first building block we’ll discuss is…the logo.
Building Block #1 – Logos
A logo serves as a visual connection between your company and your potential and current customers. It is how people recognize you and find you out of the crowd. So, you want a logo that stands out but remains each for people to connect with. This almost always means simple is best.
We’ve seen many people try to do too much with their logos: shadows and outlines mixed with a myriad of fonts and graphics. But if you think about it, the most recognizable logos have been SIMPLE, CLEAN and UNIQUE. Apple and Nike are two great examples of a clean, simple logo. How easy are both of those logos to spot out of a crowd?
You also want a logo that can transfer to different mediums. Can it be embroidered? Can it be converted to one color? As you do business with other entities, you will find that you need your logo to be fluid. By having different formats of your logo, you can ensure that you are ready to roll when you need to print your logo in magazines and on banners, T-shirts and mugs. Plus, it’ll be easy to use in digital marketing like your website, email campaigns and banner ads.
Now that you know the basics, take a look at your logo. Does it hit these marks? If not, that’s okay. Don’t panic. Instead, consider revamping your logo to become more simple and unique, yet still keep the brand that you’ve developed over time. As you evolve as a business owner, your logo should evolve with you. An experienced graphic designer can refresh your logo and keep your personality along with it so nothing is lost.
Tomorrow we will tackle building block #2. Stay tuned!
