Creating a logo, getting a business card are all steps that small business owners are familiar with in creating their company. Some folks seem to think that changing these items everytime they get a new sign or new brochure is a good idea. It is NOT. Period.

Branding is more than a logo and a website. It is keeping the same look, feel and identity on everything that represents your business. Using the same fonts, colours on signage, websites, print materials, and products is a key element to small business success.

Watch what your favorite corporate brand is doing to see this in action. Apple for instance has shiny sleek products and the same look and feel on their website as in their product manuals. Take a page from their book. It does not have to be big or expensive, just CONSISTENT.

If your company uses Arial as it's logo font, then ensure that everytime your logo appears that it is in the correct font. Your customers will have a hard time recognizing you if everytime they see your company materials they are different.

This also holds true on for Social media. Maintaining a consistent brand in Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. is very important. Keep your names for your website and social media as consistent as possible. There are sites to help you with that: with namechk or KnowEm you can find out whether your username is available on most social networks. If it’s not, find a username that could be registered across all social networks.

Instead of using a Gmail email address, why not use a custom email address with your company name as your domain? And instead of hosting your blog at WordPress.com, why not host it on your own domain name? These little details can make a difference in how people perceive your business.

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