Dressing Up Your Business

Right now, in the start-up phase, you're concerned with setting up a legal business, assessing your skills, likes, dislikes, figuring out what services you will offer, who you will target as clients, etc., but in that ever-so-remote area of gray matter that may have some room left, always keep the topic of marketing alive. Always think about how you're going to present your business. No matter what is on your mind, you should be aware of how it fits in with marketing.

Looking Good

What are examples of marketing materials? Letterhead, business cards, brochures, flyers, postcards, coupons/certificates, Web sites—and all of them should carry a common theme, color, imagery (such as your logo), etc. This is what's called branding. You want the reader to eventually see your marketing materials and know they are yours before reading a word.

Start thinking of your logo, what color scheme you want to use, the feel of your branding and, in particular, your Web site. Anyone who knows me will tell you I believe strongly in a Web site being your main marketing tool. If you're going to work virtual, wouldn't it make sense to market yourself virtually too? Your Web URL should be on your letterhead, business cards, and brochures—all of your marketing materials.

Your business identity should be unique. It should represent you and only you. Your branding is a reflection of you, but at the same time it should appeal to the type of client you want to work with. When I first started, my branding was a pure reflection of me. I used neutral colors, nothing loud, with a simple black and white logo. I found that I attracted a certain kind of client—professional, conservative, subdued, etc. You get my drift.

After a few years, I wanted to attract a different kind of client. I changed my business identity, my branding, and went to purple and orange. I saw the change in those requesting my services almost immediately. I started getting younger clients in non-traditional professions. The work they requested was not my typical transcription or database/mail merge operation. They wanted Web work. They wanted to kick around ideas and discuss innovative ways to market their businesses...they were fun.

Now trust me, I am most definitely not a "purple and orange" type of person. But the kind of client I wanted to work with was. I had to take my corporate identity and blend both my personality and the type of client personality I wanted to work with. I still have the same logo, but I colorized it—to purple and orange. I did discover a part of my personality was purple and orange.

Recently, I had an email discussion with Cheryl Allin, owner of VirtuAllin, a colleague and friend of mine who is designing my coaching logo. I asked her if she thought it would harm me to change the coaching site colors to something other than purple and orange. I thought maybe I should go for a different look, yet I still wanted the reader to know it was Allison Lane Business Solutions. Her reply was very interesting:

I'd have to say keep the purple and orange - it is absolute branding, those colors are completely yours! <grin> So much so that any VA who's been to sites and sees another VA site in those colors will automatically think that they were 'inspired' by you. 

Those colors are completely yours...that is what you want to do with your business identity. This is what you need to be thinking about 100% of the time you spend working on your business.

As a side note, Cheryl does wonderful logo work and is one terrific virtual assistant. If you need graphics work, you should visit her Web site, www.virtuallin.com.

More Than Just Clothes...

Your business identity is more than visual. It's also in what and how you say things. Do you have a particular writing style? Some of us are casual, formal, cerebral, humorous, etc. Take a moment and write the opening paragraph to your Web site or your brochure. Can you say what you want in a short, unique way? Or take a minute and try to write a tag line. Can you write something catchy about your business in only a handful of words?

Your personality will show through in your copy, so you want the words to be your own and not someone else's. Please don't borrow or use text from someone else's Web site or marketing materials. Why would you want to use anyone else's words? I see this all the time. It shows a lack of original thought, lack of ethics, lack of understanding copyright law, and, in general, laziness. I know, I know, how many different ways can you define virtual assistance? The answer is plenty. Sit down with a pen, paper, and not in front of your monitor and write what you think it is. Chances are it's not going to be someone else's definition.

Try to be yourself in your writing. This is where you really get to shine. This is how the reader will get to know you—but they will read between the lines. The way you say something is nearly as important as what you are saying.

Pulling it All Together

So from day one you've been thinking about your company colors, logo, and Web site and marketing material copy. How do you put it together? Chances are, if you're not a graphic artist, you'll have difficulty with your logo. Maybe you don't have the money to get a professional logo. Research the Internet. There are cheap (and sometimes free) sites that will do logos—nothing fancy, but they will work until you have some cash stashed away. Chances are you're not going to be a Web designer so your site will be your first. There are places on the Internet that sell Web site templates. You could both buy the software (FrontPage seems to be the start-up program of choice) and a FrontPage template and do it yourself, or you could pay someone. You may be able to afford a minimal Web site from a designer. I've done several sites for start-up businesses for a reasonable price. Or you could try doing your own, but be careful because your site will be the first impression you leave on many people. You want it to look really good.

Practice writing good copy. This may well be the most daunting task if you are not a natural writer. You should start thinking about what you want to say and how you will say it from day one. Have others review it. If you know someone who is a good writer, have him or her give you some pointers. And equally as important, have someone else proofread it before you put it on your Web site or print marketing materials. I can tell you from experience, you are your own worst proofreader. You see what you want to see and not what's really there.

You're not going to be able to come up with your branding and copy overnight. I don't suggest you have 1,000 brochures commercially printed. Same with the business cards. Start out with only a few (sites such as VistaPrint offer 250 cards). If you have a nice printer, print your own marketing materials early on. Don't waste money. Your marketing materials will go through an evolutionary period.

In closing, it's important that your identity reflect both yourself and the type of client you want to attract. This is a delicate balance and may take a while until it's refined. This is why it's so important you start thinking about it at the beginning and keep it in your mind all the time.

Reprinted with permission, Copyright 2000, Stacy Brice. All rights reserved, worldwide.