Branding Your Business

When branding your business, no matter what kind you intend to start, it's important to make a good first impression. You need to make sure what you do is obvious to the public very quickly as well. In todays instant access culture we have so many choices at our fingertips that many competent "Googlers" will know how to search for alternatives with a touch of a few buttons.

Things to consider would be, would you like to conform to the prescribed obvious branding of your business; for example a café with an image of a cup of tea or would you prefer to just show the steam off the cup and maybe a spoon?

It depends on what you want to be known for as well. If you want to remain a "Local" business, do you bring in local produce and wares or if your going "International" then maybe flags and cakes made in Spain and France would be the way forward. Your reputation is the making of you.

"The way to gain a good reputation is to endeavour to be what you desire to appear." - Socrates

So true all these years later.

There is a local café in Kilcoole, in Co Wicklow that is set on the Main Street called "Koole Company". They have a relatively unique branding of their own. Since they opened last year they have been promoting their business by putting quirky coffee-related remarks on a blackboard outside their business (I have since found out that this was just a large board painted with blackboard paint, so done very cheaply too!). Ger Counihan is the Owner and Manager and started with the business itself in November last year and the Facebook Page in December. All the Likes on the page have been obtained with this sign (and word of mouth of course) as they have not set any marketing budget to one side and this original and intelligent Branding has been enough to give this small business all the lift-off it has needed.

Trevor Cairns has been ably Co-Managing also and in the words of Ger has brought, "Discipline and Technical Knowledge" to the business and between them they have already developed a very good reputation for bringing local, quality produce and craft into the shop. They sell Jams and Preserves, small Arts and Craft and sell Barista-Styled coffee and tea with cakes and biscuits and also provide Internet and Printing all for very competitive prices.

Please find their Facebook page below and a few images of the sign they have had out of a few weeks.

‍Koole Company Facebook Page