Want to leverage the ultimate blend of creativity and strategy to build a brand that feels 100% authentic to you and that will stand the test of time?

When you're in the startup stages of building your business, it's critical to start by identifying your brand.

Your brand is your promise to your customers. It tells them what they can expect from your products and services and it differentiates what you offer from your competitors. Your brand is derived from who you are, who you want to be and who people perceive you to be.

Branding is the action of creating an aesthetic, visual or graphic identity of your brand.

Both are equally important (and fun!) but having a clear vision of your brand is a critical first step that's easy to overlook because it feels "too fun" or frivolous. However, it's going to be the measuring stick by which you make every business decision going forward and having a clear vision of your brand will:

• Give you clarity
• Help you attract the right customers/clients
• Make you look more professional
• Make you more efficient

There's more than just a logo that goes in to your brand. Get started by knowing exactly who you are and where you want to go in the future. It will make building out the rest of your brand components and business must-haves easier.

Get my free branding checklist for five things you need to consider when getting started at: getauthenticbranding.com/resources

Follow me for brand inspiration (my favorite!) on Pinterest @authenticbranding