In a strategy session with a relatively new business owner, I could feel he was stressed about defining his brand beyond the nifty logo he created. 

Do I define my brand now to get sales or wait to get sales to define the brand?

Truthfully, is your brand ever set in stone? That seems to suggest that once you decide what you do, how you do it, who you do it for and why – nothing will ever change after that. But if you’ve lived on this planet for more than 2 days you know that the one constant you can count on is that things change. 

At any point in your business, you can make decisions about what your company will provide and who will be its customers. But then you improve, you learn, you experience, and suddenly the old idea is ready for retirement. 

So what should you do about your branding? Make it so generic that it means everything so that you’ll never have to change anything? 

Like the best meals you’ve ever had, it all starts with a great recipe: 

Wherever you are today, start with the ingredients that will rarely change: 

  • Stating your Core Values. How will your business express what you believe in? 
  • Add your Mission – why are you in this business? 
  • List your Immutable Laws. In the Pumpkin Plan, these are a blend of values and rules you and your team will adhere to forever. 

Now you’re ready to add in some ingredients that will naturally change over time as your entrepreneurial journey develops. 

  • Describe the qualities of your top clients. (in the span of 5 years, your list of best clients is likely to look very different). 
  • Your unique value – how do you do things differently? Again, you’ll develop new ways of making or delivering or serving. 
  • Your processes may also develop and tighten up over time, allowing you to be faster, more available or just more efficient. 

This developing recipe is why it’s ok to keep sharpening and tweaking your BRAND. As long as all those ingredients add up to your AUTHENTIC you, your branding changes won’t confuse or mystify your audience. You’ll still look like you, and attract people looking to work with you BECAUSE of you.