Do you cringe when you share your website or business card, or are you feeling out of alignment and disconnected from your business? If so it may well be time for a rebrand. But how can you tell if you’re just chasing after the latest shiny object, or whether it’s actually time to dig deep, reevaluate your values and mission and rebrand your biz so you can fall in love with it all over again?
In this blog post, I go through why rebranding is important (when it is an actual rebrand that you need), how to know it’s time to rebrand, the benefits of a successful rebrand and what it can do for you and your business.
Let’s get stuck in. First off let’s just clarify what rebranding actually means and what it might entail…
What is a rebrand?
Rebranding your small independent business, or even branding your business for the first time, should take you on a journey to the very heart and soul of why you do the work that you do.
This is the really juicy bit and the part that I love to guide my clients through as this is where the magic starts to spark. What it isn’t is following the latest trend - well not the type of soul-bursting, confidence-boosting rebranding I’m talking about.
Rebranding covers everything from looking at your services and exploring your business aspirations to reevaluating how you want your brand to be perceived in the world and how to communicate that through colour, typography, graphics, photography and brand messaging.
A successful rebrand is informed by research and strategy culminating in a brand identity that tells your story, feels ‘right’ and resonates on an emotional level with your ideal clients.
(If you’re not sure how to get to the heart and soul of your business then I can recommend the guest blog post ‘Getting to the heart of your business story and what your clients need to hear’ by messaging mentor Lea Tierney.)
When to know it’s time to rebrand your small business
It’s perfectly natural, and in fact can show real signs of growth and development in your business, if the colours and logo that you whipped up on the quick, to get started no longer feel like the right fit. I know having been through the rebranding process myself (which I talk about in an upcoming episode of the Digital (Gold) Dust podcast) taking my brand from The Nutritional Palette Web Design to the new and improved Kohlab Creative Design Studio reflects the journey my business has been on, where I am now and where I feel like I want my business to grow in the future.
There could be many reasons to rebrand your small business, such as doing a pivot or maybe you’re considering a complete change of direction. It could also be because you’ve got a year or two under your belt and you now have a lot more clarity on what feels good in your business, what’s actually making you money and who your soul clients are (as well as who they aren’t!)
The first year or two in your business is a great experiment with lots of twists and turns, ups and downs and no doubt filled with lots of learnings. I know mine was! So I wouldn’t recommend embarking on a rebrand within the first year of starting your business - at this stage, you can get started with a few essential colours and a simple website, which is why I offer a Brand + Website Essentials design service ideal for newbie business owners.
But if you’ve been in business for over 1 or 2 years there are some clear indicators as to when it’s time to rebrand including:
Feeling embarrassed to share your website and reluctant to direct people to it
You slowly stop showing up because you feel like your brand no longer reflects and represents what your business is or does
You feel anxious about creating content and you feel like you don’t know what to say or who you’re talking to
You’re trying ALL the templates in Canva and ending up confused as to what your brand style is
Your motivation has dropped and you feel trapped or that your business is holding you back
You’re attracting all the wrong clients and you can’t work out why
Your business is going in a different direction
Your business has come on leaps and bounds or is aiming for a more refined market and you need your brand to catch up
I’d like to make a point here that a rebrand needs careful consideration and isn’t a fix-all if you’re not getting clients or business is slow - that doesn’t automatically mean you need to keep tweaking your colours or website for the 100th time.
It’s important to distinguish between hiding behind the fiddling and tweaking rather than actually getting out there and visible, and a genuine disconnect between your business, yourself and your clients.
The rebranding process
If you want a brand that stands the test of time and that will support you in your biggest ambitions it does take a bit of work. It’s like building a house, you need to draw up plans and lay strong foundations in order to create a solid structure that will last.
A thoughtful and considered rebrand should last up to 8-10 years, albeit with a few tweaks and refreshes along the way.
The key to a lasting brand is putting in the effort to dig deep and quite likely to get vulnerable in order to gain real clarity on your mission, your vision, your values and who your dream clients are. It might be tempting to skip this bit and get on to the fun colourful stuff but believe me this is where the magic is created which is infused into your brand identity (the fun colourful bit).
It’s important to set aside some time to do this and commit to it because it will fast-track you later on and stop you from needing to revisit your brand again in a year or two’s time.
Having taken myself through this process recently it can feel really hard to do it alone when you’re so close to your own business. It can be hard to tease out what really sets you apart from others in your industry - what I like to call your special blend of nourishment. And sometimes you need a permission slip to think big and really see the true impact and ripple effect of your work, which is why I enlisted the help of a kindred creative so I didn’t have to struggle on my own.
This is why I love to guide my own clients through this process and so often see real transformations - it’s so inspiring to see how powerful this work can be and the impact it can have.
The benefits of a successful rebrand - what should your brand be doing for your small business
Your brand should be honouring where you are now in your business AND create room for it to grow and support your aspirations in the future.
The benefits of a successful rebrand go WAY beyond a fab new logo and pretty colours.
The benefits include:
A newfound confidence in yourself and your business
Instead of cringing or being embarrassed to share your website you feel proud and want to shout it from the rooftops
You no longer spend ages scrolling through Canva templates for inspiration you’ve got your own branded templates which create a professional and consistent feel
Your brand is magnetic to your soul clients that you are excited to work with and helps to repel those that aren’t
You no longer feel anxious about what to write or confused as to who you are writing to
Being more visible in a way that feels good to you, even if you’re a sensitive business owner
I’ve seen time and again with my own clients, how feeling in total alignment with their brand and their business has meant they are not afraid to be visible, they step into and own their role as a business owner, not a hobbyist, create consistent content and show up online. And that is what I want for you too.
So just to recap on why rebranding is important and when to know it’s time to rebrand your small business.
Rebranding should take you on a journey to the heart and soul of your business
Don’t spend your first year or two doing multiple rebrands thinking that’s the answer - spend that time learning and refining your services or products and identifying who you love to serve
A rebrand starts with research and strategy in order to be truly successful
Signs that it’s time for a rebrand include - feeling like your brand is holding you back, you’re reluctant to show up, you no longer feel aligned with your business and are embarrassed to share your website
Your brand should resonate with your dream clients and help to filter out those that are not suitable or aligned with your mission
Your brand should stand the test of time and not follow the latest trend
If this blog post has resonated with you and you want to fall in love with your business again my Bespoke Branding + Website Design service includes a brand clarity and strategy session so we can build the strong foundations for a soul-bursting and confidence-boosting brand identity and Squarespace website.
