Tips for starting a small business
Think about what you are truly passionate about. Are you a great baker? Love getting your hands dirty and making pots? Or love expressing yourself on a canvas. Whatever it is that you want to start as a business, make sure you love doing it, as you are about to start spending a lot of your free time making it, baking it, talking about it and selling it.
The Name
Once you have found your muse and a product you want to create, next up is the name. You can make it something personal, using the names of your parents/children or fur babies. Something that represents your product or where it’s made, ie The Pottery Shed or The Green Kitchen Bakery.
Alliteration works well when thinking of names. Using tools like colours or items you like, this may seem random but this works well too for example, “The Pink Peach Co.” or “Teal Tiger Designs”.
Alternatively, you could just create a word, if it sounds right or feels good then you can have anything. You could use something random, as long as it's memorable to customers it will work.
If you are struggling, try working backwards. Think about what you want the logo to be like, is it modern & geometric or rustic and homemade? This can also help you in your decision-making process.
Creating your brand identity
When it comes to branding, I always find it best to start a mind map of what your business is or means to you, keywords or philosophies that you want to portray about your business and work from there. You might find words like contemporary, so think about a geometric futuristic design, or Homemade/Shabby chic so think about what designs might replicate that.
Grab some paper and start sketching. It doesn’t have to be perfect, it doesn’t have to have straight lines or perfectly curved edges. Just put pen to paper and start drawing. You could be surprised by what comes up.
Pinterest is a great place to find tips and tricks for creating a logo, always have your product in mind. Think about how the logo likes from far away as well as up close. You need it to be clear in any size.
When it comes to creating a digital copy of your logo, there are a few tools to use/learn. I created mine in Adobe Illustrator but if this isn’t accessible to you, try Canva or Photoshop. If you’re nervous about the digital side, ask someone to help.
Choose a colour palette. Think of a selection of colours, 3 to 5 work well, to incorporate in your logo, marketing materials, website, display and packaging to help carry your brand identity across all elements of your business, to help make your business more memorable.
Get out there
When you’ve finished your logo, time to start thinking about your marketing materials. Business cards are a great way to get the name out, whether you're handing them out to prospective buyers, or adding them in a gift-wrapped purchase. Anything that can help get your name/Etsy or website out there the better. The more cards that distributed the more likely it is to get a sale online. Websites like Vistaprint or Moo have a great business card design service, with preset templates to choose from or customise your own. As well as a choice of different types of card, 3D embossing or metallic foiling. These are a great way to help your card stand out from the pack.
Get yourself on Social media. In my opinion, Instagram is an absolute must! Yes, it can be daunting and a little scary at times. But once you get started it is so simple. Use it to post about your products, talk about you and your business anything that will make people/potential customers fall in love with your brand. And it's all free!
Think about doing markets, it's not essential for a small business but it really is a wonderful place to be. And a great way to get motivated and inspired by fellow makers' enthusiasms.
If you’re local to Suffolk, why not our market, we are always looking to support new talent to help them learn and grow. Food for thought.