Many logos are simply graphics that are designed with little to no thought about how the logo becomes a brand.  There are many things to take into consideration when branding a small business because your brand is your identity to your customers.  However, does it make a difference in the marketing of your products or services?

In the case of Nike for example, the “brand” was already in place before a clever marketer made a slogan which will forever be connected with that swoop.  The phrase “Just Do It” in many minds is interchangeable with the “brand” itself.  So, did the swoop help sell shoes?  The answer is no, the brand in itself identifies the product on the shelf.  If a person is already looking for Nike shoes they will be able to pick them out.

There is no branding substitute for a good product and great service.  Nick Rice who writes for SBB had the following to say:

The design of your logo really doesn’t matter. Would you choose MSN as your search engine over Google because of their logo? No, having a nice professional logo is great, but it very rarely increases sales. I’m all for a professional logo, but don’t think you need to spend a fortune on it. It’s more important to include your logo on every piece of communication. Put it on business cards, letterhead, envelopes, invoices, yellow page ads, building signage, newsletters etc..

Stand for something. People latch on to something they can understand and appreciate. If you’re trying to be everything to everybody, chances are you’ll attract no one. If you think it’s too controversial to choose a niche, remember the power of being seen as an expert. Experts are not good at everything, they’re awesome at one thing. This allows you to better position yourself and charge more for your services. People seek out experts, not generalists

So, while it may not be a substitute for a great product, your brand may be the difference when you already stand out as a company.  Keep in mind that the Logo you choose will be identified with your company indefinitely.  Like a tattoo, make sure its something will be proud of and that you can live with.  While some companies have successfully done it, changing a logo years after you are established can be tough and risky.  It takes a sizeable effort to re-brand your company.

When you become self employed there are things that you will need to handle that before were handled by your employer, health insurance being one of them.  In the corporate world, typically Human Resources handles the paperwork, provides information on how the plans worked and the coverage and you could call them if you had any questions.  Now that you’re self employed, you are the one who will be in charge of handling that aspect of your business. When you begin to research different policies, it is vital that you do your homework and don’t sign up for the first policy you find. Most importantly, ask questions, you will find that there is a lot of confusion out there that comes along with health insurance. To help you get started, below are some types of insurance that may best fit your situation.

Major Medical

This is the type of insurance that you may have had when you were with an employer.  It covers a wide variety of medical treatments, prescriptions, and hospital stays.  This plan is flexible as well by choosing the deductibles and amounts that suit you best.

Point of Service

Point of Service insurance or POS for short is where the patient chooses a primary physician and would have all care done with that physician.  If you should have to see another doctor for a service that your primary physician doesn’t handle you would need to have them refer you or it may not be covered.

Limited Benefits Plans

This type of insurance covers only certain types of care this is so that you can keep your costs low but still have some types of coverage.  These plans differ by state in the amounts and coverage’s that are minimally required. 

Hospital Only Plans

This plan is exactly like its name implies, it only covers if you are hospitalized.  This plan would only be a good idea if you had the means to cover expenses for regular checkups or lab work that is done out patient.

These are just a couple of examples of the types of insurances that are out there for the self employed.  Start with checking out the plans that may be available through your car or home insurance or check and see if the group or organization you belong to offers benefits, you may be surprised.

 Set Goals

I don’t know how many times I’ve read or heard the phrase “set goals for yourself”.  Most people shrug it off, but if you are going to run a business you can’t afford to.  One of the most important things you will do is set goals for your business.  Start simple, goal number one should be your start date.  Sounds easy and it may be, but keep setting goals and they will get harder and harder to reach, the satisfaction and profits will be well worth the effort.

 A System

One major thing small business owners forget to do or get so busy they forget they did it, is implement a system.  Many small business owners, even big business owners don’t have a business or accounting degree.  What they have is determination and that’s great, but if that determination doesn’t have a goal or a road to follow on the pursuit of that goal, then it’s wasted.  Get a system in place, stick to it and keep track of what you’ve accomplished.  If you’ve set the goals this is the map of how to reach them.

 Partner with a non-profit

Locate a local non profit in your area, for example find your local Breast Cancer awareness group and ask what kind of events they have going on in your area.  Depending on your business you could increase sales by offering up a pledge for certain items sold, this not only raises money for the cause it also gets more people through the door.  It’s never a bad thing to be socially conscious or donate to a cause.

 Press Releases

Send a press release to your local newspaper about special events, business news or anything exciting you have planned.  Starting with a grand opening or even a re-grand opening, don’t stop there, keep going with employees of the month, anniversaries, sales or new products.  Your community won’t know what you’re up to unless you tell them.

Website

The internet has put small businesses on the map, saved many from ruin and it can help you too.  Create a dynamic and informative website, put your products online, hit the free advertising sites and springboard into the world wide web.  Get on Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin and the dozens more networking sites out there.  With the potential to reach millions versus hundreds, creating a website is a no-brainer.