If you’ve launched a small business than you know that it tends to be a lot more complicated than you might think.  It’s not as simple as just coming up with an idea.  You also have to come up with a “brand”.  “Branding” is kind of a big thing these days, and don’t worry, no animals are harmed in the process.  Instead, the word “branding” has been borrowed from that rather unfortunate practice of burning an identifier into the hide of an animal, and has become the process of making something look exclusively yours.  Nowadays, an average individual can make a pretty awesome-looking website.  I know someone who’s step-dad puts together websites, and he charges somewhere around five grand.  Five grand?  Someone pass me my smelling salts.  Thankfully there are plenty of online domains that allow you purchase a dot com and, make it super easy to put together, for like a hundred bucks a year.  Ahhh, much better…

What about packaging supplies?  Don’t be fooled, packaging supplies are more than just a box and some tissue paper.  It’s important to find somewhere that you can get them at wholesale prices.  An online source is usually best for this.  What about business cards?  It’s a good idea to include business cards, or maybe a business magnet, in with an order that you’ve sent.  Flyers and catalogs can all be part of the packaging process.  Not to mention, you don’t have to settle for boring old, everyday packaging supplies.  Go the extra mile and get some drawstring muslin bags, or metal tins, or even ribbon.

One of the most crucial components of your “brand” is your logo.  It’s a good idea to really take some time on this.  Put your heads together with some friends.  See what they think of your idea.  Next, if you can’t design your own logo on your own, pay the money to have someone do it.  You don’t want to wind up with a pathetic looking sticker that you obviously put together using the outlines from Microsoft paint.

We’ve already talked about a lot of the most obvious parts of owning a small business, like packaging supplies and business cards.  Here are a couple other things to consider, that might not have seemed so obvious before you launched into this whole thing: custom garment labels if you are designing clothes, custom rubber stamps to “brand” your product, or custom leather/metal tags for your homemade handbags.