The fundamental rule of good business card design is to be certain that it accurately reflects your brand and company image. Your business card doesn’t just communicate your contact information. It also sends an instant message about your business and is a direct representation of your brand. It must match the look and feel of your logo design, and it should be unique to your business.
It seems that many small businesses are good at pursuing a relationship with customers, but they aren’t as active at nurturing it. That’s too bad. First, nurturing a relationship allows you to reinforce your brand and increase brand loyalty. This, in turn, helps you weather the storms of increasing competition. (Your competitor may drop its price, but your customers will remain loyal to you.) Second, small businesses, due to their size and flexibility, are in a better position than large ones to leverage customer relationships. When it comes to this aspect of brand-building, small businesses actually enjoy a “leg-up” over large competitors.
Many entrepreneurs assume branding is expensive. But reinforcing your brand, and thus increasing customer loyalty, doesn’t need to cost a lot.
If you’re like millions of other small businesses, creating a professional visual brand image is key to your success. After all, your image — as seen on your business cards, marketing materials, packaging and website — is the first and sometimes only chance you have to introduce your company to potential customers. If your customers like what they see, you’re one big step closer to getting their business.
Starting a new business isn’t easy, but startups are flourishing. One of the biggest obstacles that startup founders face is finding the funds they need to be successful and grow their business. When starting a new business, building a brand reputation takes time. This is where personal branding comes into play. If your startup is looking to connect with investors and potential customers, personal branding can’t be ignored.
I once had an entrepreneurial client who requested an ad campaign for his new business. After much research and competitive analysis, we recommended that his brand colors should be a compelling shade of green. He immediately rejected the idea because, he said, “I hate green.” That same week the founder of another small business saw the designs we had prepared for the other client. The second company’s founder insisted we use the green to brand his company because, he said, “I love that color!”
A critical rule of branding tells us that brand perception should never trump brand reality. In other words, if a consumer perceives that your brand will deliver more than it actually delivers when that consumer makes a purchase and experiences it, then that consumer will not be happy. And unhappy customers who pay for products that don’t meet their expectations based on their brand perceptions don’t keep their dissatisfaction to themselves. Instead, they tell everyone about their negative experiences with that brand which can lead to disastrous effects for a business.
It is a common misconception that if you’re not casting a wide net with your marketing, you’re leaving money on the table. Actually, the opposite can be true. It’s more expensive and usually less profitable to sell a range of products to a wide audience. Furthermore, if your product or service is too similar to a competitor’s, price will always be an issue. When price is your only point of comparison, it’s tough to build a successful brand – especially if you are a small business. Niche branding is a great way to avoid these issues. But how do you find the right niche?