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Time to bring out your branding iron. This has a physical aspect: the color, the logo, the font, the look and feel. It has a psychological aspect: what is the experience of the buyer and customer when they interact with you? Do you keep the promises you make? Do you surprise and delight? Is the interaction friction-free? These are all elements that contribute to branding.

Thanks to the Internet, small companies can look like big companies. An easy to navigate web site, personalization, email subscriptions, and shopping carts are yours, even if you are a one person show.

Branding is crucial because it becomes a proxy for a host of decisions that do not have to be taken. It shortens the sales cycle, improves customer loyalty, and raises barriers to entry. You may “do” branding, but those are the mechanical and administrative tasks. In reality, every single person in the organization is contributing to the brand every time they come to work.