One of the biggest objections I hear from potential clients is that branding is too expensive.

It’s definitely an investment and when you’re in business for yourself, you have to be careful with how you use your money.

It’s smart to consider it. For some people, investing in professional branding isn’t the right move. If you’re brand new in business, it doesn’t make sense to invest when your ideal client and brand values might completely change in 3 months.

Early in my business, I felt like I had to take on every client that came along. Even if they weren’t a great fit or I wasn’t the best person to help them, I still took the job.

I bet you can guess how that went.

We’ve talked about the foundational pieces that make up every brand and how they work together. All seven are essential. You can’t just pick and choose which ones to include. If you do, you’ll end up with a disjointed brand that doesn’t really connect with your dream clients.

In my last post, I shared all the pieces that go into creating a brand. It’s so much more than your logo. It’s your values, uniqueness, and position all wrapped up in a cohesive visual package that clicks with your ideal audience.

Pop quiz — how do you define branding?

The first thing that comes to mind is probably a logo. When most people think of branding, they think of the visual representation.

But that’s just one small part of your brand.

Real talk, I was scared to start my own business. My dad is an entrepreneur and I knew the benefits of working for yourself.  I have very vivid memories of him on the phone, making a sale and coming out to high five us all to celebrate. He was also able to create is own schedule, be his own boss and not have to answer to ‘the man’. That didn’t make taking the plunge and actually starting my own business and less scary!

Your dream customer is that one customer that you just “click” with. They are the kind of customer that values your expertise and creative opinion while also providing feedback that helps your working relationship move forward. They have the budget to afford your product and they understand that the investment they are making will help them solve the problem they came to you with in the first place.