The Importance of Brand Development for Small Businesses

CIS Agency and Why It Will Always Matter

Local hair salons, auto shops, bakeries, realtors, pet stores, cafes, tax accountants, even doctor and dentist offices – all have unique branding identities - whether they recognize them or not! Every business, large or small, sends signals about itself.

When a company name comes up in conversation, an image pops into people’s minds. Everything associated with that company that morphs into a mental picture is top of mind. What do you see in your mind’s eye, for example, when you hear McDonald's or Herman Miller? Welcoming Golden Arches? A chic, modern style of desk or chair? These corporations work hard to create a positive portrait for you.

People perceive an entire enterprise through various messages a company sends out to the community. Whether it’s your storefront appearance, website, ads, brochures, or business cards, each part of your company paints a picture of your business. The better the picture, the more likely customers will come into your store, visit your office, or use your services. A good image sells!

What ‘image’ does your small business project?

Many small businesses hurt themselves and fail to build their customer base by failing to focus on their brand strengths or weaknesses.

“We’re too small to worry about branding or corporate image. That’s for huge enterprises,” sole proprietors claim. Many entrepreneurs go about their daily business, never asking themselves: “What kind of image does my company portray to people – especially those who aren’t customers yet?”

Some small or family-operated businesses believe the image doesn’t matter. “It’s our products and services that count,” they say. They claim they're too busy serving customers to care about an image until sales start to slump. Things change when the competition gets ahead. Clients or customers with more than one choice go with their gut instinct – from the pictures they’ve formed in their heads.

Call it the image, corporate identity, reputation, or any name; it means you provide mental pictures that determine how people perceive your company. Good public perception is vital for business. Your reputation is built on what people hear and see about your enterprise. A company is never too small to create and maintain a positive image with the public.

What goes into your company image or brand?

Your mission, vision, goals, and marketing and advertising strategies all figure into your public image. Your image is projected in how your place of business looks from the outside and the messages you send from the inside. Before anyone steps into your shop or store, they already judged the quality of your operation. They have sized up your business through your:

• Website and social media content

• Email, phone, or letter responses

• Sales pitches, advertising, and promotions

• Mailings, fliers, postcards, posters, and pictures

• Business cards, brochures, signs, or billboards

Every platform you use – print material, TV, radio, internet, or public appearance – projects your image to the public—each item you print, post, or pass out positions your business positively or negatively. Large or small, you need to portray your business in the best possible way. Just a few image mistakes that interfere with a small company’s success include:

• Poorly designed websites

• Unprofessional-looking stationery and envelopes

• Spelling or grammar errors in advertising content

• Blurry, old-fashioned, or amateurish photos or graphics

• No logo or logo with a strange or hard-to-decipher design

• Inconsistent use of logos, color, type fonts, style, or messages

• The inconsistent business information in directories and promotional pieces

If you’re one of those small business owners who haven’t put much thought into your image, we can help. We will professionally assess your public image and make recommendations to improve it.

Contact CIS Agency

Tel | 616.347.6300 | service@wearecis.com | www.wearecis.com/connect

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