Why strong branding is important to your business

Closer Consultancy | Branding Agency | London + Liverpool

You might be asking yourself why we keep talking about branding this week? Well, it completely and totally matters, because not only is it what makes a memorable impression on consumers but it allows your clients to know what to expect from you and your business. It’s your online voice and it’s also how you are perceived without needing to say anything.

It is a way of distinguishing yourself from your competitors and to clarify what it is you offer that makes you the better choice. Your brand is built to be a true representation of who you are as a business, and how you wish to be perceived.

Branding, by definition, is a marketing practice in which a company creates a name, symbol or design that is easily identifiable as belonging to the company. This helps to identify a product and distinguish it from other products and services.

There are many areas that are used to develop a brand including advertising, social media, customer service, promotional merchandise, reputation, and logo. All of these elements work together to create one unique and attention-grabbing professional image.

Why strong branding is so important?

Branding is absolutely critical to a business because of the overall impact it makes on your business. Branding can change how people perceive your brand, it can drive new business and increase brand awareness.

Your brand will get recognised

A professional logo design should be powerful and easily memorable, making an impression at first glance. The logo is the most important element of branding, especially where this factor is concerned, as it is essentially the face of the company.

The most important reason branding is important to a business is because it is how a company gets recognition and becomes known to the consumers.

Your brand will increase your businesses value

Branding is important when trying to generate future business, and a strongly established brand can increase a companies value by giving the company more leverage in the industry. This makes it a more appealing investment opportunity because of it’s firmly established place in the marketplace.

Your brand will generate new customers

Once a brand has been well-established, word of mouth will be the company’s best and most effective advertising technique.

A good brand will have no trouble getting referral business. Strong branding generally means there is a positive impression of the company amongst clients, and they are likely to do business with you because of the familiarity and assumed dependability of using a name they can trust.

Your brand will make customers and employees proud

When an employee works for a strongly branded company and truly believes in what the brand stands for, they will be more satisfied with their work and have a higher level of pride in the job that they do.

Working for a brand that is reputable and held in high regard amongst the public makes working for that company more enjoyable and fulfilling. Having a branded office, which can often help employees feel more satisfied, and with a sense of belonging to the company, can be achieved through using promotional accessories and merchandise.

Your brand will support your social media presence

Social media is another component to branding, and digital strategies will directly reflect the brand and its desired portrayal. Digital marketing and advertising techniques such as the use of social media make it easy to create a cohesive and appealing message that plays well into your branding goals.

Your brand creates trust

Being properly branded gives the impression of being industry experts and makes the public feel as though they can trust your company, the products and services it offers and the way it handles its business.

A professional appearance and well-strategised branding will help the company build trust with consumers, potential clients and customers. People are more likely to do business with a company that has a polished and professional portrayal.

Closer Consultancy offers consultancy services that include complete branding design. We have experience bringing corporate brands to life, across different sectors such as real estate, engineering, and investment. We are a business development consultancy agency in Liverpool and London.

Succeed with business strategy consulting

SUCCEED WITH BUSINESS STRATEGY CONSULTING | Closer Consultancy | London + Liverpool

In our new and evolving Covid-19 world, businesses will have to change the way they think and act. What worked in the past won’t necessarily help you in the future. There’s been a radical seismic shift. Those who quickly adapt to the changes will survive and thrive. Those who naively act as if everything’s the same will be lost.

Business strategy consulting services can help organisations make a fresh start if they’re struggling, chart a course for success if they’re a startup or grow to new heights if they’re doing well and looking to grow intelligently. This type of service has become more important for a number of businesses in the wake of Covid-19 that forced many businesses to cut costs drastically just to stay afloat.

Investing in business advisory consulting may seem counter intuitive for a business trying to keep costs down, but the return on the investment can be substantial and long lasting, and more than worth the initial expenditure in the end. If you own or manage a brand and are looking for new ways to expand and thrive, a consultant may be the best qualified to help you turn things around.

A consultant can help identify key strategies

Organisations of all varieties are looking for new strategies that benefit their bottom line these days. For corporate businesses, there is also the issue of how to keep costs down without negatively impacting the brand name or reputation of the company, or hindering growth.

A business strategy consultancy can help to identify time-tested strategies that help a business grow and thrive by not only cutting costs, but making the most of their resources and making smarter business decisions based on a careful analysis of all the available data. The wrong action plan can cost exponentially more time and money than it would cost to simply hire a consultant. Hiring a consultant is easy and straightforward, they could be on a monthly retainer contract that may cover different areas of expertise such as a creative retainer or a marketing consultant retainer agreement.

Business consultants offer a wide range of services

Every brand has different needs and goals, and different motivations and considerations that spurred them to contact a consultancy in the first place. A reputable, trustworthy agency should be able to provide a wide range of business advisory services, so they can tailor each client’s service package to their unique situation and budget.

In the current economic environment, it is important that businesses find ways to stand out, whether that be through their brand aesthetic or tightening their operations to keep expenses low. As many businesses struggle to stay ahead of the competition, the day-to-day operations of the business are more than enough to keep management busy, especially in smaller businesses where owners or managers wear many hats. Choosing to use an experienced consultant may allow businesses the ability to grow, rather than simply attempting to survive.

Business strategy consulting

Whatever challenges your brand is facing, and whatever industry you’re in, an experienced consultant should be able to help you become more lean, nimble and responsive to changes in the market, creating a startup pitch deck is an example of the kind of support that returns tenfold in comparison to investment. Streamlining your business operations can save your company time, money and resources so you can continue to grow and thrive.

Marketing and sales

If you don’t have the in-house resources to manage your marketing and sales projects effectively, you could quickly lose your segment of the market to the competition. Business strategy consulting services can inject a fresh perspective and brand aesthetic to keep your marketing and sales efforts on the cutting edge.

Consultants also provide a significant amount of value for a brand. They can help to develop strategies for growth or manage projects. Since consultants are not committed to a single business, they bring experience from a variety of companies and industries, which allows them to offer creative solutions and enables “out of the box” thinking. They can provide an objective viewpoint, which allows for more diverse ideas than could be provided solely by employees within the organisation. A consultant may have a higher level of business expertise than the average employee and can provide unique solutions for businesses. Companies may want to consider the advantages of the level of expertise that can be brought by a consultant, as well as how they could benefit from having an established strategic plan.

For many companies, the flexibility provided by an outside consultant can be the most cost-effective and valuable option for a brands development and revenue growth.

Benefits of using a consultant

  • No taxes, benefits or human resource issues
  • Contract work is scalable
  • Easy to terminate when no longer needed
  • Independent advice
  • Diversity of ideas from other experiences
  • Flexible retainer contract that can be reviewed regularly (monthly/rolling contract) on agreement
  • Usually a higher level business professional than may be hired

To succeed in our new environment, brands must set themselves apart, hyper-focus your sights on your goals and go after them with everything you’ve got.

Layoffs, corporate restructuring, takeovers, re-organisations, relocating jobs to lower-cost cities and foreign countries will be common place. To adopt, you should be fluid, open-minded and always on the lookout for a way to do things better.

Complimentary breakthrough strategy sessions

Complimentary breakthrough strategy sessions | Closer Consultancy | London

We’ve opened up sessions during October to book in some complimentary breakthrough strategy sessions:

15th + 16th October

22 + 23rd October

29th + 30th October

During the session, we will discover the exact steps you need to take in order to generate consistent sales.

Where did September go?

Restrictions are being tightened up again and I fear we are about to enter a VERY difficult period – made even more challenging by the onset of winter here in the UK.

However, there will be winners through all of this and I am convinced that the single most important key to that success is MINDSET.

Picture yourself and where you are in your business, career and life. Now picture the person who has similar raw talent and ability to you but is at a different level.

Their achievements leave you in awe and if you were living their life you’d really feel like you had made it. Now investigate the difference. Dig really deep into the gap between you and them and work out why it’s there.

You might point to differing circumstances. Maybe you think you have more commitments, fewer contacts, or just less luck. Maybe you think they just happened upon the right place at the right time. They probably know the right people too.

You have exactly the same number of hours in your day. If you really wanted to, you could turn any disadvantage into something that makes you unique. It could form part of your success story.

I’ve referred to making money but read whatever measure of success you are optimising for. A lifestyle, a certain achievement, a change in the world or another level in your career or life.

There is always a way of solving a problem if you think creatively enough.

Now is the time to talk to your customers. Talk about successes. Talk about failures. And serve your customers the most value possible.

Through COVID I have been working with businesses, who have had huge commitments, obligations, setbacks and bad luck. They chose to push on in spite of those things, not use them as reasons not to.

Super-successful performers are constantly trying to better themselves to reach a higher level. Explaining it all away; pointing to chance or luck-completely misses the opportunity to take inspiration and learn.

There are people out there with the same abilities as you, running flourishing businesses throughout COVID. Find out what’s in the gap and take the steps to close it!

To book your strategy session, get in touch with Naima at naima@closerconsultancy.com

The importance of online presence for business

The importance of online presence for business | Closer Consultancy

The importance of online presence for your business goes far beyond setting up a website that contains the name of your company and contact details. It involves creating a digital platform for your business where people can find useful information and interact with you through social media networks.

Digital Era

Digitalisation and the current times has made it totally necessary for people to rely on the internet to look for products and services that they need. Any online business that does not effectively have an online platform risks losing new lucrative opportunities.

24 Hour Availability

The internet is always available and can showcase your business 24/7. This enables your prospective customers to find your products and services at any time of the day and from any location in the world. If you run a retail business, your online store will be accessible on a 24 hour basis and customers can conveniently order your products whenever they need to. This is a key advantage over retail shopping where you have to wait until business hours.

Brand Building

A strong and memorable online image allows you to build your brand and gain the credibility that you need to attract more customers. Along with making your business readily accessible, an online presence gives your customers an easy way to find out more about what you have to offer.

Positive Image

Interacting with your customers and getting feedback from them through online reviews as well as regularly updating your online posts will create a positive image for your business. Personable experiences and interactions will turn your customers into loyal fans and into your promoters. This type of image increases the likelihood of prospective customers doing business with you and boosting your sales.

Larger Audience

Getting online gives you access to a much larger audience that includes people within your location and beyond. This exposes your online business to even more opportunities and gives you the chance to operate on an international level.

Positive Reviews

A credible business that values its customers can look forward to positive reviews that will result in customer loyalty and a broader customer base. Customers often use reviews to make their purchasing decision and it’s important to prioritise quality customer service.

Effective Marketing

Having an online presence makes it easier for you to market your business and sell your products. A professionally designed and informative website with well written content enables customers to make informed purchasing choices. Getting your business online provides a marketing platform that gives you a cost effective way to reach a wider audience.

Accessibility

It is essential for both small and large businesses to maximise on the benefits of having a strong online presence. Aspects such as dynamic search algorithms and social networks are influential in the process of making it easier for customers to locate different businesses online. A business that does not have an online presence is regarded as non-existent in 2020.

Customers get all information they need from Google and search engines are an unrivalled source of data. You can hire professionals who can help you establish an online presence based on their knowledge of factors ranging from the latest algorithms to search engine codes. Marketing your business online includes launching your website, SEO and strategic use of social media.

Stay focused and productive building your covid startup

starting a new business during covid

As the COVID-19 pandemic accelerates, with the resulting economic impact, startup’s and smaller business owners are facing serious challenges. The pace of decision making can seem relentless as you navigate the best way forward.

To help support small business owners we are planning to launch our COVID STARTUP BUNDLE next week. We can help you think through important business launch issues, providing an external, experienced business consultant when you most need it.

Relevant areas that a brand strategy consultation can help with at this time include:

  • pivoting your business model
  • reviewing and updating strategic plans
  • dealing with rapid change
  • preparing for recovery

We have also outlined our top 10 tips below on how to stay focused and productive whilst building your COVID STARTUP.

PRODUCTIVITY, PLANS AND TRACKING STATISTICS

Being organised is about more than the tools and apps you use. It’s about how productive you are. But listen up: “busy” is not the same as “productive”. If you’re busy spending time on the wrong tasks – tasks that are not growing your business – you’re just wasting time. Create yearly, quarterly and weekly plans to outline the money-making tasks in your business so you’re always focused on the right things.

You can’t get your business where you want it to go if you don’t know where you are or how fast you’re growing. So you don’t only need plans, you need to track your growth! Tracking your numbers will also help you understand what is and isn’t working in your business and help you make decisions based on facts, not emotions.

INBOX MANAGEMENT

Dread opening your inbox? Feel a lump of anxiety in your chest every time you open your clients emails? Spend 2 hours drafting a reply to a negative message? Organise and automate your inbox to turn it from a thing you dread to a thing you’re excited to open each day.

PROJECT MANAGEMENT

It’s time to stop managing your projects through hundreds of emails across dozens of threads and use a project management tool with your clients instead. A project management tool is a secure page online where you can share files, send messages, create to-do lists, due dates, deadlines and more!

CLIENT ONBOARDING

This is the process you take a potential client through when they go from “initial inquiry” to “booked client”. How organised this is determines how professional your clients see you. If they see you as messy and unprofessional, they won’t want to hire you. Period.

PROJECT HANDOFF

If you end your projects but your clients keep sending you millions of questions… Or you can never seem to get testimonials from your clients when their project is over… This is one area you need to organise – like yesterday! Put systems in place to cut down on questions, capture killer testimonials, and get your clients excited to refer others to you!

SOCIAL MEDIA

It’s time to stop manually posting to your Instagram stories (when you actually remember to do them), or spending an hour writing one caption. Automate your social media so you can free up time to take on more clients, launch an ebook, or… just watch more Netflix. Money Heist, anyone?

CONTENT CREATION

Streamline and speed up your content creation process so you can free up time to actually promote the epic content you’ve made! After all, what’s the point in spending all this time creating content nobody reads?

FILE ORGANISATION

Organise your desktop files, Google Drive/Dropbox files and client folders so it doesn’t take you forever to find the files you need.

TEAM

If you don’t have a team, you should consider hiring a virtual assistant, even if it’s just for 5 hours each month. (They could schedule your social media in that time!) If you do have a team, organise them. Find a tool where you’ll all communicate easily (like Slack). Set up monthly team meetings. Set up a team “Strike” system so you can keep on top of low and high performers and understand exactly when to let someone go or give them a bonus.

ODD BITS + BOBS

You’re not quite done yet. Step 1 – 9 will organise the main parts of your business. To tie things up, think about organising your desktop files, you’re tagging system inside your email list, bookkeeping process, passwords and your physical workspace.

MISTAKES TO AVOID:

 

  1. HUNTING FOR THE PERFECT TOOLS

    Many entrepreneurs get so caught up trying lots of different tools that all do the same thing , they end up so overwhelmed that they don’t use any of them.

    I’ll let you in on a secret: it doesn’t matter what tools you use. What matters is that you choose your tools fast, master them, and move on to more important tasks – like finding clients and making money!

  2. TAKING TOO LONG TO ORGANISE YOUR BUSINESS

    It shouldn’t take any longer than two weeks to organise your business (on the side of your regular routine). If it’s taking you longer than two weeks, you’re probably falling into the trap of perfectionism. Don’t worry, it’s a mistake most entrepreneurs make when organising their business. They try to find the perfect tools, get caught up in all the little details, and start over-complicating their processes.

    Just remember: you’re organising your business to save time and create peace of mind, not waste time and make yourself even more stressed. Every extra, unnecessary minute you spend trying to get organised is a minute you could have spent on marketing.

** Offer no longer available