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Articles on Small Business Branding

Branding a small business is a bit different from branding a large business — you don't have the advertising budget or staff to really get the brand's message out to your audience, so the brand has to be more meaningful and focused to be effective.

This collection of articles answers questions about what branding means for a small business, how you can niche and target your brand to make the most of it, and how to use your brand to create a brand identity kit that will work for you.

Small Business Branding and Brand Definition
What Is A Brand?
The Layers of Your Brand
A Small Business Brand's 7 Jobs
Define Your Brand to Drive Business
Why your Business Brand Shouldn't Be An Exact Mirror Image Of You
The Four Red Light Factors For Your Business Brand
Focus Your Definition
Branding Is Like A Fairy Tale...

Brand Differentiation
Define Your Difference: To Stand Out and Make Your Business Shine
How to Determine Whether You've Chosen a Good Niche
The Great Fear of Niching... and Why You Need to Get Over It!
The Truth About Your Competition
How Your Business Should Act Like A Snowflake

Brand Identity
15 Reasons Small Businesses Need a Brand Identity System
Connecting With Your Customers Through Your Brand Identity
9 Keys to Building a Stand-Out Brand Identity
Attract More Clients With A Brand Identity
Three Brand Identity Myths That Will Bring Your Business Down
Four More Brand Identity Myths
To Tag Or Not To Tag?
Splitting a Brand Design Project Between Two Design Firms

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About the Author

Erin Ferree is a branding coach, design genius and strategic thinker. She's been told that her right-brain, left-brain combination of creativity and logic is hard to come by... and that it's what small business owners need to be successful. She loves connecting the dots between passion and profit, mixing strategy and inspiration and shaking things up.

She deeply enjoys working with entrepreneurs who want to help more people and look good doing it. Who want all of their branding and marketing to make sense and speak to their ideal clients. And who want an open, honest, inviting brand with integrity - instead of using icky, pushy, sleazy marketing tactics and trickery.

She's branded over 450 small businesses in the last 10 years. She's been published in so many books and periodicals that she stopped counting. She's shared stages with some awesome people - like Michele PW, Linda Hollander, Lisa Cherney, Sheri McConnell and Kelly O'neil.

She also enjoys hugging her corgi-dog Stanley, cooking and throwing parties so her friends can enjoy them.

Small business branding, brand coaching and logo design articles at http://www.brandstyledesign.com

I read your article correlating site design and house architecture and so enjoyed the metaphor that I went to your site. I'm really impressed with your work and inspired to learn more about color usage in corporate branding, specifically.

...I'm going to sign up for your newsletter now.

— Jo Hawke

I very much enjoyed your newsletter, this morning. So many of today's ezines contain nothing useful. Yours is a refreshing change. Helpful info on working with design and designers. Brava.

— Sue Johnston

Wonderful article on "Search Engine Optimization" today! While I know most of these things I don't do them. Hence, the reminder is invaluable!

— Shirley M. Carolan

I especially want to acknowledge my sincere gratitude for all you have offered in advice and in posts and on your blog. Your information is invaluable and I have learned a great deal. I can't do all that I've learned from you but try as I might!!! If I counted every dollar for every hour I pussy-footed around changing my blog template... not signing up for a newsletter service sooner — trying to do it my way to save a few $$, and trying to do the Amazon thing on my website — I could have bought a Lexus!!!

I am very grateful for the time and effort you take to respond to questions. You are truly, truly talented.

— Maggie Keenan

I have been really impressed with your site ever since I first found it a couple of months ago. You seem to really know what you're talking about and have a genuine desire to help people in their businesses.

— Allison Chambers

Erin,

A big thanks to you for your web site and the information you offer to others.

I am an executive coach and trainer in Homewood AL who has had difficulty deciding what and how to create a website. Your designs were very clear and specific. Because they are, I was able to 'inscribe my thoughts' inside a 'web box' (that's my name for it, anyway).

In addition, I was able to 'see' how to compose the home page while limiting my more lengthy discourse to specific described pages.

— Kyle

My articles have appeared online at:

Microsoft Office Live

Creative Latitude

RainToday.com

AllBusiness.com

Women In Consulting Best Practices Direct newsletter

Women In Consulting Consultants Direct newsletter

HillsOrient.com

The Your Membership newsletter

SalesPractice.com

WECAI.org — the Women's ECommerce Association, International

The Holistic Business Journal

websitemarketingplan.com

And in print:

Women In Communications newsletter

The Marblehead, MA Chamber of Commerce newsletter

The San Mateo Area Chamber of Commerce newsletter

Dynamic Graphics magazine

Even on podcast!

Lee Hopkins' podcast

BrandStyle Design is a division of elf design, inc. | phone (650) 358-9973

Is anything on my site bugging you? Leaving you confused? Or just not working? Please let me know!