I have a woo-woo entrepreneur friend that would love to hire someone to do her website, but at the moment she cannot afford to do so. Though she’s not trained in website design, she makes it work. Recently she decided to change platforms and totally started from scratch on a new website.

Let me tell you, she was not amused with her accomplishments. Why? Website design is not remotely related to her current business platform. Out of necessity, she has taught herself how to manage WordPress and this new platform. Not only is this the farthest thing from her mind, but it took her a couple weeks to set up the site on a drag and drop platform. Bottom line, she was utterly exhausted.

She asked me as a comparison how long it took for me to set up a website for my clients. I carefully explained that though I have a lot of experience setting up websites, I pointed out that having a website design is just one piece in the bigger picture of a business brand. Without the branding, it would take me double or triple the amount of time to set up!

Anyone with enough tenacity to tackle their way through all the ins and outs of a website builder can set up a website, especially with the innovations in drag and drop platforms. But the bigger question to ask is...

We've all been there. Not 100% sure what looks or feels right with an image or we cannot make up our mind on which logo to go with for our transformational business brand.

It's very tempting to reach out on social media and ask your followers or go to your closest friends and family for advice. Not that your followers, friends, and family don’t mean well, but are they really your ideal clientele?

Have you ever given in to that temptation and asked your Facebook followers or friends to help you pick your tagline or logo?

Back in the day, branding consisted of a business name with a custom sign and possibly a logo. The purpose was simple: to let potential customers know what goods or services you had to offer. There wasn't much competition and there wasn't much need for more than one of the same type business in a particular town.

Originality sells

Times sure have changed! There are so many choices out there and it can get a bit tedious when deciding who to work with or purchase from. In order to stand out from all the woo-woo providers, it is imperative that you distinguish yourself and your business. No matter what niche or industry you're in, that can be a challenge. That's where branding comes in.

So you got your best friend’s brother's granddaughter - who is in college studying to be a designer - to create your logo because it’s free.
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You think, “Wow, this is a win-win! I need a logo for my business AND I’m helping this young lady out. Plus my best friend is so happy that I’m giving her brother’s granddaughter practice for the real world.”

Or you went to Fiverr and hired someone to do a quick and cheap logo for $5. That’s a great deal, right?

Wrong! In actuality, you’re cutting your nose off to spite your face.

It’s popular to come up with a business name when you are starting out on the road to entrepreneurship. But nowadays there’s a new debate on whether you should use a personal name for your business or create a business name.

When deciding between the two, there’s bound to be a little anxiety. What should you do for YOUR business?

Don’t worry, I am going to break it down for you so you can decide...