Q. How much should i spend on my business branding?

A. There is no simple answer. But branding should be considered in more holistic terms than just a logo — it is your reputation, and therefore priceless.

You might think a company’s brand is predominantly visual — logo, corporate colour scheme etc. Brands are more often auditory. Think about how often you talk about a specific business and immediately your opinions and experiences come to mind.

Many businesses forget to ask: how does personal brand affect my company brand? For the majority of small and medium-sized businesses the two are inextricably linked. How you or your staff come across to customers and stakeholders will massively impact how they perceive your business. Jeff Bezos of Amazon described personal brand as “what people say about you when you are not in the room”, showing that brands are auditory. The truth is that it is almost impossible for a company brand to outperform the personal brands of its people. These can though, be affected by social media activity, advertising, testimonials and other media helping to create positive preconceptions. A good first impression then needs creating when dealing with customers for the first time and then continually needs managing and refining.

Spend as much money as you can afford on your brand to create the right impression, but spend as much time as you can ensuring that the personal brands of your people enhances that impression.

See ethicalbusinessmentoring.co.uk or ring 07496 833803