It is time to take the idea of brand building back to its essentials and show that it is just as relevant to a small, local business as it is to a multinational corporation. The only difference is one of scale.

Firstly what is Brand? Brand is everything that your customers and prospects recognise and remember about your business; their overall perception of you. Yes it is about your logo, your colour scheme, the design on the side of your vans, or the style of your store front, but it is also about the intangible things like how your staff deal with customers, whether you have stock shortages or whether you deliver on time.

Everything you do and everything you display to the outside world becomes part of your brand. But why is it important?

In the same way that we form rapid impressions of the people we meet, we make similar judgements of the businesses we encounter, even if we never buy anything from them. Here are a couple of examples from my local area.

I recently moved to a new neighbourhood. Just down the road from my house is a cycle store. I have been planning to buy a bicycle but had not got around to going in. Late one night a car lost control and careered into the window on one side of the store. That was three months ago, but still for some reason they have not replaced the glass and the window is still boarded up.

I do not know why this has not been fixed, but what it suggests to me is complete indifference. If they can not be bothered to fix their store, what care would they take of me as a customer? Previously I had no particular feeling for their brand, but now I have a very negative perception and I certainly will not be buying my bike from them.

By contrast, in the next street, there is a butcher store, which specializes in organic meat. The storefront has a pleasing old-world style, the window is always carefully laid out, the meat looks tender and succulent and the staff are dressed in immaculate whites.

Just like the cycle store, I have never been in, but I have formed a very positive impression. Just from what I have seen, I believe that I would be served by friendly people who know what they are talking about; that they would sell me the best meat and even though it will probably cost much more than from my local supermarket, it will taste fantastic and will be worth every penny.

The butcher has succeeded in creating a strong brand image in my mind. So strong in fact that I am already willing to pay, maybe fifty percent more for the experience of buying from him and enjoying a high quality product.

Now it may be that when I do go in, the service might not be as good as I expect. They might be condescending about my lack of knowledge of meat cuts and the product may not be as good as I think, in which case, my perception of the brand will be tarnished. In other words, they still have the chance to get it wrong, but right now they are doing great.

So how is your brand? Does your store look inviting? Are your vans immaculately turned out? Do your staff dress smartly and behave appropriately? Is your name or logo, displayed consistently across your displays, letterheads, adverts and business cards?

Whether your brand is about high quality and high price or low cost, quick delivery, the important thing is your consistent support of the image you wish to portray. Do not try to be all things to all customers; choose your market and present yourself appropriately and remember, far from being the exclusive territory of major corporations, a clear, positive brand is vital for every business.

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