So you have a great a business idea or busy side hustle and you’re wondering if it’s time to invest in professional branding. This is an exciting time! Investing in professional branding is a big step (and let’s be honest—a big expense, too!) Here’s 4 signs for how to know your business is ready to brand.
You’ve been dreaming of having a business for longer than you can remember. And you’ve got a banging business idea that you’re so excited to make it a reality. Before you rush into anything, hear one important thing: A business idea alone does not make a business. You’ll know your business is ready to brand professionally, when you can fully articulate your business idea with specificity, clarity, and direction. Here’s what that might look like:
❌ “I want to do something in baking.”
✅ “My business is a mobile bake shop that serves donuts and breakfast pastries to local business parks.”
❌ “I want to build apps.”
✅ “I am building an app that helps busy moms find more mom friends in their area.”
The second way you’ll know your business is ready to brand is when you have a clear and solid understanding of the foundation of your business. This is an important step that a lot of people skip. Because—let’s be honest—it’s not the most sexy or fun part of building your business.
Your business foundations includes things like your mission, vision, values, goals, and target market. Which simply means you know what matters to you, what makes your business different, and who you want to serve. When you’re clear on these things, visually communicating these ideas (AKA branding) is the natural next step.
But a quick word of caution: As overwhelming as this step might feel, if you invest in professional branding before you’ve figured these things out, the branding process will feel overwhelming and confusing. And all the joy will be sucked out of the process for both you and your designer. This is because your visual decisions will be based on your own personal tastes (or your family and friends’ tastes), rather than on reaching your specific audience through your specific values. When this happens, decision paralysis often creeps in, the projects stalls, and money is left on the table, because you never intentionally set a direction for your business. When you don’t decide where your business is going and what it stands for, other people will decide for you.
On the other hand, coming into the professional branding process with a solid business foundation will create a fun and effortless experience. And this will be reflected in a brand that you feel so proud and confident to show off.
If you’re reading this and realizing you need to do some more work on your brand foundation, I’ve created a free branding resource to help you think through these important aspects of your business and prepare you to work with a brand designer.
It’s tough to brand a product or service that doesn’t yet exist. So the third sign your business is ready to brand is when you actually have products or service packages in mind with a set price point and clear purchasing process. This might look like a digital course, a line of candles, or a range of services with specific outcomes.
For example, Lindsey Beharry Design Co. specializes in helping small businesses brand their business at various stages. We offer services from mini branding & logo design, to full branding, web design, product design, and more. Each service promises a specific outcome and deliverable and has a specific price point to serve a variety of different clients’ budgets.
Finally, you’ll know you’re ready to brand your business when you’re ready to invest in high quality design services. This means you have a steady income stream and can afford to hire a professional.
Our advice is to invest about 5–10% of your expected annual income in branding services. So if your business is generating $50,000 a year, your branding budget would be between $2,500–$5,000.
You might be thinking, Can’t I get branding much cheaper? The answer is yes you can. However, for the best experience, focus on searching for designers who can help you effectively achieve your goal. You should love their work, trust their experience, and feel as though you positively vibe with their personality and working style. You could end up finding this person under your budget, but finding the cheapest option should not be your main focus if you’re looking to build a brand that uniquely reflects your business and attracts your specific audience.
So how did you do? Hopefully these signs have given you the confidence and assurance to know you’re ready to hire a professional brand designer, so you can reach the right people and make money doing it.
If you’re not there yet, it’s best to wait a little while and work on these four activities, so you can fully commit to branding your business with clarity, confidence, and financial peace.
Need some help planning your business foundations? Check out my free branding resource.
