How do you start a business? This is the classic question that stops people from chasing their dreams and starting their business. It doesn’t take much to create a brand — the hard work comes after. We are going to think about the first step to starting a business and the four things you should do to develop your idea and get your business started.
1. Decide what your business is and pick a name.
When someone asks what you want to do for your business, don’t get caught up in the logistics but rather just think about what it is. Are you a photographer, writer, graphic designer, or marketer? Think about what your doing first and then go from there. This might seem obvious, but some want to do a million things under one umbrella. Pick one word that describes your business.
Picking a name can be scary, but usually you will know what you want. What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think about choosing a name? That is probably what you want to use. When I come up with names, I will always go to the first one I think of because I know it is what I secretly wanted.
2. What kind of logo do you want?
Think about what you imagine your business will be. Is it bright, fun, engaging, people-oriented? Then think about how you can incorporate those things into your logo. Referring back to step 1, take what your business is and put it in your logo. Are you a photographer? Include a camera. Are you a crafter? Put a cute card like our client Stampin’ Create did.
After you think about what you want, get your logo created and don’t you dare go to Canva to create your logo. Think about someone you might know who is starting their own graphic design or art business. For the Blossom logo, I contacted someone I knew who was into painting. Little did I know that she was growing her own marketing portfolio. The reason I say to do this is because if you create a basic logo on a free site, the chances are that more than one other person will have the same logo. Be unique and prevent changes in the future.
3. Create a style guide.
A style guide includes the fonts, colors, logo, images, and shapes that you will use on your website, marketing materials, business cards, and so much more. Included in this is also your wording. What phrases and keywords do you want used for your company? The reason you want to have all of this is consistency. You want people to know what your brand is.
4. Put all of it together and grow!
Now that you know what your brand is, it’s time to grow! Use your branding to create a website, social media pages, and other marketing materials. Tell people who you are and what you do. Don’t be afraid to show your new idea and share with the world what you do!
Not sure where to start with all of this branding and online marketing? We’d love to help! At Blossom, we have served a number of small businesses and entrepreneurs to take their dream and turn it into reality. Contact us today to see how we can help you Blossom.
Blossom Marketing is based out of Washington D.C.
Blossom specializes in social media services, email marketing, SEO, social media ads, and much more. Please reach out to us at info@blossomdigital.com for more information.
