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The official definition: The process of taking an existing brand and reworking the brand into something different and better than before. The process by which a product or service developed with one brand, company or product line affiliation is marketed or distributed with a different identity.

We all get an itch to redesign our website…to improve our print materials…or to change our logo. But, it’s not always a good idea to do so–especially not in dramatic fashion. Why? If you’ve had the same look for many years, and have a stable customer base, it can be alarming to those customers when they see a major change.

When is the absolute optimal time to re-brand? When you’re brand/identity was never really defined in the first place; or when your brand/identity needs updating for the current market. For many long established companies, this is the case.

One major re-branding swing that I remember was in the late 90’s when some auto companies decided that their logos were outdated. Although Oldsmobile is gone now, I remember it very clearly, because I bought one around the time the re-branding took place.

Pretty dramatically different–and much more modern (more modern being the key).

Web 2.0 and Re-branding

Now is a good time to consider re-branding, if it’s been a while since your website/logo was designed. Using a fresh new look, and moving your business into the “Web 2.0” revolution will give your customers and visitors the impression of a “fresh” “hip” company.

Don’t Forget…

There are some important things to remember when you redesign your website to fit your new brand/identity. With a good business image consultant and marketing team, these things will go very smoothly.

•RESEARCH Determine exactly what you feel requires you to re-brand. If it’s because your current brand or identity doesn’t appeal to the market you want to reach, research what’s appealing to that market and put those elements into place within your new brand.

• PLAN Take the time to plan out the workings of your site…from navigation (put yourself in the user’s shoes), to researching better keywords. Web 2.0 is not only about the “look”, it’s also about simplicity and ease of use. It’s about guiding your visitors to do exactly what you want them to do while at your site.

Understand that your traffic patterns and business in general will likely slow for a time once your new brand/identity is in place. Be ready for that change…whether it’s an income or time management issue.

Planning ahead will save you frustration in the end.

• REDIRECT Be sure to set up 301 redirects from any pages that were ranked in your old site, especially if you completely rewrite your content, or change from html to php or asp.

• MARKET Your marketing plan will need an overhaul when you re-brand, especially if your target market has changed. Make sure your advertising in the right places to reach the right market.

Don’t’ forget your current customers! Be sure to ease them into your new brand through good communication…they will be your most valuable asset during this process. In today’s online world the best forms of communication can often be Social Media outlets such as Facebook and Twitter. Part of your budget should go towards creating a Facebook page and Twitter page for your new brand.

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If you don’t have a clean, crisp logo (or other graphics) for the cover, now is when you invest your time and energy into getting them. A brochure should look as professional as possible! Inside your brochure you are selling yourself so, don’t spend too much time on features….spend more time on the benefits of those features. Remind people why they want to do business with your company! Make sure to include your website address, so they can learn even more about your business through further investigation. Keep in mind that your brochure is a tool, a way to get potential customers/clients to visit your website and learn more about you and your products or services…and to eventually purchase them. Thus, your brochure should not just be a carbon copy of parts of your website; the content should be fresh and unique.

Remember to keep your information organized, and use headlines with bold text to lead into new topics. Write everything down on a legal pad first, in order to organize it, and check grammar. Ask colleagues to critique your work before you go to print. A well organized, nicely written, and clean brochure, can be one of your most valuable tools in selling your business!

Professional printing of your brochure is obviously the optimal way to go. However, you can still present a professional image when you print them yourself – there are some great paper resources out there, that offer pre-designed brochure paper–perfect for anyone trying to save some money on ink and graphics. One of the best is: Paper Direct.

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Before you start your retail business, you need to decide on two things…what you’re going to sell and a business name.

If you have created a unique product, then the “What Do I Sell?” question is already answered. If you dont’ have your own product(s) how do you decide what to sell? Studies show that businesses are more successful when the owner has a passion for their product. Think about what you love to do..your hobbies. Is there a product or group of products that compliments or includes those hobbies? Consider these things when making your decision. You’ll be more successful if you feel a passion for the product you sell.

The name of your business comes next…along with a logo design, the name is most important and designing your logo will be easier once you’ve gone through the steps mentioned in this article. Think about what your business will offer, and what kind of first impression you want to give. Write down ANY words that come to mind when you think about your new business….the name you choose will come from those words. Use nouns and adjectives, use words that have caught YOUR attention when you’re shopping. Use these words to help you decide. I’ve even advised people to use a thesaurus and look up the words they’ve written down…to come up with even more words that have the same meaning. When you know that you’ll have an online store, it’s even helpful to use words in your name that people will type into their searches for your product.

Next important thing…..VERY important thing…..write a business plan. It can be simple to start, that’s fine….but the important thing that this does is it puts your goals and ideas down on paper so you can refine them, and LOOK at them! I didn’t do this when I started, and I regretted it TERRIBLY. You don’t have to write a plan that’s suitable to present to banks, or anything like that (at first), just something to organize your thoughts! Your business plan should include a Marketing Plan. If you don’t sit down and think about how you’ll advertise and market your business, you won’t succeed.

Remember that it’s easier to add products than it is to take away….so start with a small inventory of favorite items (use colleagues, friends, and relatives to determine what those are…they won’t mind) and then add products as you go. After you have an established website for your products, you can create polls for new items…to see what’s most desirable.

Once your logo design is complete, start by designing business cards and then some flyers or brochures to pass out, you might even want to consider a printed catalog at some point, especially if you plan to market offline.

To recap…

First step:
Decide on a name

Second step:
Business Plan with a Marketing Plan
(download free templates for each by clicking on the links above)

Third step:
Decide on initial product offerings

Fourth step:
Design your logo

Now it’s time to find a small business advisor in your area. This can be done by calling or visiting S.C.O.R.E. (www.score.org) Your initial call to the advisor should include these questions:

1) Do I need to file a Certificate of Assumed Name for my business name?
2) This is what I will be doing, DO I NEED A BUSINESS LICENSE to do that? If so, what are the fees?
3) Who do I contact to get registered to collect sales tax, and be considered a reseller? How do I go about collecting sales tax?
4) Will you help me with the entire process of starting my business? If not, who can?

Once you’ve spoken with an advisor, what’s the next step? Sit down and write out the goals you’d like to achieve in your first year of business. Once you have this list, separate it out—one to a page. On each page, list the steps you’ll need to take to reach that specific goal. Being organized, and thinking things through is the key to a successful start—and if you ever need financing for your business, it will be very impressive to a loan officer that you have put so much thought into your business.

A WEBSITE

Now you’ve put enough into your business planning to be able to sit down with a designer and create your website. It helps to have a Design Worksheet/Questionnaire. And don’t forget to consider color space and your target market!

MARKETING

What’s a TARGET MARKET? It’s the people who would be most likely to buy your products. If you sell make-up and skin care, your target market is women. If you sell toys, your target market is Moms. Give your target market some real thought….yours may not be what you think….or you may have a wider market than you think! Did you know that marketing candles as an easy way to keep a home smelling fresh suddenly adds single men to your market?

One of the first things you’ll find helpful in the online world is becoming a member of social media groups, internet forums, and small business message boards where others in your business go to discuss business. These can be invaluable to a new business owner for learning the ropes. Don’t be afraid to jump in and ask all of your questions….most of the people on these boards are there for the same reason you are, and may have already gotten past your dilemma…so they’ll be able to help you!

Need a product or service to get your business off the ground? Never forget the old stand-by—Bartering!! Bartering has become even more popular with small businesses than ever. It’s a wonderful way to get the things your business needs (business cards, stationery, catalogs, fliers, etc.) in exchange for your own products!! If you have something to offer, put it out there. Businesses like to have “give-aways” or contests to boost their recognition, so if you have gift baskets, candy, or any items that make good gifts….offer to trade them for whatever you may need.

Consider having a “give-away” yourself. You can print up a flyer and put it in your catalogs that you hand out around town….something simple like-“Purchase $25 or more and get a free candle snuffer”. This will encourage higher purchases.

Don’t forget that there are many people that procrastinate when it comes to gifts!! A couple of days before ANY holiday, you can make up some simple gift bags or baskets (have several on hand), and go out to car dealerships, auto shops, sporting goods stores, doctors offices, etc. and show your gifts…..people can buy them on the spot, and many times…will!! Make sure you have gifts in all price ranges with you!

Start a “gift reminder service”. Have a place on your web site where people can sign up for a reminder service-this can easily be done with special scripts for your website code. When you send out their reminder, put your web site URL at the bottom! The easiest place to go, once they’re reminded, will be the link to your site!

There are some very inexpensive ways to advertise your business on the internet. If you have a website, set up a matching Facebook and Twitter account…and USE them to talk about your business and your industry. Add a blog to your website, and blog about your products and their benefits. Many online newsletters have inexpensive ads available, and if the newsletter subscribers are your “Target Market” it will be worth your while. Purchase “one-way” links to your website from reputable sites that cater to your clientele, be sure to research online with the search engines such as Google and Yahoo to make sure you aren’t breaking any of their rules.

Finally, never stop thinking of new ways to market. Trade shows, home parties, flyers, and blogging are just a few. Using social media sites, blogs, and forums (on the internet)-tailored to your specific market-is a great way to keep your spirits up, and your ideas fresh!

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