Starting Up Your Image

Author: Youth 2 Youth.

It can be hard to give your business a professional 'look' when you may not be raking in the dough yet, but there are a number of ways to get your image up to professional standard.

Now we're not talking about reputation here - that's something your business will need to earn - but by giving your business a professional look through its communications with prospective clients and with other businesses you let these people know that you worth doing business with! After all, appearance does count. Would you want to buy or trade with a business that handed you dodgy looking invoices and communications? No. So class it up!

Your Business Name

So what's in a name? Everything! It let's people know what you do, or how you do it, or what is so great about it, or where you do it. Try and pick a name that A) sums up what you do, for example, "Just Jeans" or B) creatively encapsulates your concept, for example, "Youth 2 Youth".

If you decide to try the first option, then its paramount you check no one has the same name! And if you decide to go the creative road, then attempt to ensure that the name is not confusing or people won't know what you do (and won't care either). For example, "Random" is not a great name for a Green Grocer's!

So what if you already have a name and hate it? Well, you have two options. Either change it, or creative a logo or byline that better sums up the business and team it with the old name. You'll need to weigh up the fact that by changing names you could lose old customers with the fact that a new name could attract new ones! Of course, you also need to be aware of your legal obligations as well in this matter, so do your research.

Your Logo

Your logo can be a crucial aspect of your business, if you use it well. The known brands can usually be identified by their logos alone (McDonalds' golden arches, the Olympic rings). But logos can also be pricey, especially if you don't have the skills to design one yourself.

Our tip? Write down your business mission statement and any key words that you align with your business. Formulate some ideas about what kind of look you want for your logo, even if you can't think of a solid shape or picture. Next, find an inexpensive designer. Got a friend doing design? Or find a design student who needs some extra cash. Just make sure that the logo has the professional look about it that you'll be happy with for years to come, because if you're clients get to know it, you'll have a hard time changing it later.

Youth 2 Youth's original logo was designed by a university student. At the time, we thought Y2Y would have 4 different projects, so we picked a 4-sided shape - a diamond. Within a year, our business had grown and developed significantly, and we no longer thought the logo represented what we did (and not too many people were familiar enough with it to affect us if we changed it). This time round, we had a group of design students who ran a social enterprise (SpeakOut) design it - and they were spot on. You can see the transition below.

Your Web Site

Your web site may be a big point of contact with your customers and contractors. If so, then it's important that it, like your logo, clearly portrays what you do. It needs to visually represent what your organisation does, where and how it does it, and what is unique about your approach.Your logo should be featured on the site, and you may want to coordinate your web colours with it.

The unique factor about your web site is that is also needs to be quick at showcasing what you do. Studies have proven that you have no more than a few seconds to catch the attention of your customer and get to the point quickly about what it is you can offer them. If you choose to design your own site, get some books or advice about e-marketing.

If you choose to get your site designed by someone else, then this can be expensive. Again, getting a student is an option, but this can cause problems down the track if you need someone to maintain the site and only they know how to do it, or worse, they don't! It can also stunt the ability of your site to grow and develop with your business, as either the student may not have the skills to keep up with your changing needs, or the site may not be configured to handle changes.

If you decide to go with a company, then ensure they meet all of your needs. Do you need someone to maintain the site as well as build it, or do you need training in how to update it yourself? Do you envisage the site growing (adding e-commerce, databases, more pages) and can this company do that for you? Who are their present clients and are they happy with the service they receive? You may even want to pick someone who specialises in web sites for your industry so that they understand your needs and terminology. Youth 2 Youth, for example, picked FreestyleMedia because they were young entrepreneurs. Check the web and in the yellow pages to find a company that best suits your needs.

Your Branding

Lastly, it's essential to make sure that two things occur. Firstly, that all your corporate communications (business cards, letters, invoices, emails) look the same and use the same language, therefore ensuring a constant message to your customer. They will come to recognise your correspondence by the way it looks and reads.

Secondly, ensure that you always ask yourself if what you are doing fits with your brand. Youth 2 Youth, for example, would not take on a client who wanted them to mow lawns. Why? Not because we wouldn't want the money, or even because that is not where are skills are. Because it messes with our brand - it doesn't fit into our mission statement ('A youth to youth approach to learning and connection') and it has nothing to do with what we are about. Mowing that client's lawn would not only confuse us, but our customers to ("Do they do that as well?").

Get out there and make your image professional. If you look professional, you'll feel professional. And with any luck you'll act that way too!

'Copyright 2003 Youth 2 Youth'

Disclaimer: This article is for your information, but it may not apply to or be suitable for your situation, so seek professional advice. Youth 2 Youth cannot be held liable for anything resulting from how you use the information provided in this article.