Small-Time Businesses Think Branding is Expensive, 5 Reasons Why It’s Wrong

by Syed Qassim | Feb 18, 2020 | Branding, Business

Small-time businesses and start-up entrepreneurs who have less knowledge about branding think it’s expensive and that they only settle to what they can do at the moment to upscale the business. For several years of experience working in corporate design and advertising, I’ve helped a lot of clients running small-time startup businesses. While for some it’s true that branding is expensive, I will tell you why it’s wrong.

Reason #1:
Branding is not what you know it is

One of the few reasons why small-time entrepreneurs don’t give a shot to get branding for their business is because they don’t have enough knowledge of what is it all about and how it works. This is why it’s important to know and understand it’s basic fundamentals and how it impacts your business.

Now let’s define what is branding in its simplest form. Branding is a marketing practice that gives your business a unique identity. It’s the physical face and body of your business. To understand more, it’s the name, color, symbol, and all the elements that represent your business.

That’s the very basic definition of branding. There is much more to it but I will be explaining it in the other post. For now, let’s focus on the basic understanding so it can help you shape your business and eventually identify the best decision whether to hire someone do the branding for you or do it yourself. 

Reason #2:
Branding is not just about your logo

You have learned the simplest definition which I’ve mentioned above. But many people think that branding is about creating the best logo design and choosing the perfect color. For many, hiring someone to create a logo for them is a hard task. No.

Branding is everything you do that reflects your business – physical products, emotional impact on consumers, visual identity and so much more. It’s even the culture you’ve created in the workplace. All these can be for FREE or at a minimum cost. How?

A successful business is not about how beautiful is your logo. But it’s about how you tell your story. You have probably read a lot of success stories of businesses that boomed from scratch. And usually, those businesses have no straight-forward ideas of branding when it started. Neither has set goals nor hired a logo designer.

So, if you’re thinking that branding is expensive because hiring a designer is – you’re wrong. You can create your own logo without needing to pay someone. Your business will depend on how you tell your story to your customers.

Reason #3:
Branding is not just for big-time business ONLY

When people hear “branding,” they automatically conclude it’s only for big businesses. Again, it’s wrong.

As I’ve said earlier, it’s about how you positioned your brand. It’s about how you tell your story. You don’t have to hire an expert to tell your story for you to sell your products. The best person to hire for your business is yourself. Because you know your business more than anyone else. You know your story more than anybody else. And hiring yourself is not expensive at all and you have all the power to explore and maximize your potential how you can improve yourself and your business.

Reason #4:
Branding experts are not hard to find

So, you have figured out that you can’t do the branding for your business and have decided to hire someone for help. Because you think these people are experts and have spent years perfecting the craft they are expensive. Again, it’s wrong.

Experts are not hard to find if you reach out and connect with them. There are hundreds of people around you who can help you achieve your goals. Where to find these people – who are not expensive and have to create an impact on your brand?

If you don’t know someone from your family or friend, it’s easy to find someone especially today that everything is online. Sites like Upwork, Freelancer, or Linkedin have thousands of expert freelancers who can help you at a minimum cost.

Here are Acabo CC, we are helping entrepreneurs grow. If you are having difficulty in finding the right one to help you craft your brand, let us know. Our services are tailored to every business owner who wants to achieve something and create an impact on the community. Here’s a deal, your budget is not a real concern here. It’s about how strong are you to pursue your business and eventually grow.

Reason #5:
Branding changes from time to time

Ok, because you think that branding changes as the time goes by, you’re bothered to spend again the next time once your brand needs retouch. Let’s be clear here. If you’re worried about your brand will be fading its sense in the long run then making a revamp is expensive, it’s wrong. Bear this in mind, once you have established a strong character of your brand in the first place, it’s hard to eliminate in the minds of your consumers.

Strong brands create a strong culture. And when there is culture, your brand blends in mutually. It has nothing to do with money, but culture does.

See how powerful branding can do to your business?

Again, it’s not about how much you spend on your logo. It’s about how you tell your story and how you build your own culture within your business. Building your brand culture is easy as long as you have your mindset for what you look forward to in the future. Which is why it’s important  to outline your goals upon settling yourself in any type of business.

To recap, before you conclude that branding is expensive, please know that:

• You should learn what is branding and how it impacts your business.
• Branding is not just about a beautiful logo and amazing packaging. It’s about your story.
• Branding is for all and not just for rich businessmen.
• Experts are not hard to find. Learn to connect and socialize in online platforms and pitch your budget.
• Branding changes over time but it doesn’t mean you need to spend much for a retouch.