This article is part of our “Business Startup Guide” – a curated list of our articles that will get you up and running in no time!

You’ve validated your business idea, you’ve done your market research, and hopefully you’ve registered your business name. Now it’s time for the fun stuff.

If you’ve ever wondered how to build a brand for your business, you’ve come to the right place. Work through these exercises each day and in less than a week, you’ll have a good sense of not only how you are uniquely positioned to compete with others, but also how to convey your brand message to the world.

If you know you have to build your brand but aren’t quite sure of the reasons why, it’s worth reading our article on 4 Reasons to Brand Your Business, as well as Want Customer Loyalty? Build Your Brand.

Now you know that branding really is a necessary step to starting a business, you can get to work. The infographic below is intended to be worked through as you might an exercise. Originally we ran it as a five-day challenge; if that’s how you’d prefer to read it, you can find each of the challenge days here, including PDF/text versions of the questions you’ll need to ask yourself:

Day 1: Who are you?

Before you can build a brand, you need to start by figuring out who you are. If you already know your USP, you’re part way there. If not, work through these six short exercises. They will help you describe your business, visualize it and define its personality. Read more >>

Day 2: What do you look like?

Now you know a little more about who you are, it’s time to starting thinking about what your brand looks like. You’ll want your answers from Day 1 at hand for this part. Next we will work though putting together a brand guide. This will include your brand’s colors, images, fonts and personality. Read more >>

Day 3: Create or update your logo

Your logo is the real-life embodiment of your brand. In order to be effective, it should be consistent with your business’s core values. As you think through what you want yours to look like, keep in mind that simple, practical and unique are best. We’ll walk you through how to create one, or have one created for you. Read more >>

Day 4: Create/update marketing materials

Depending on your business and on the markets you serve, your marketing materials will differ. However, there are a number of key materials you’ll want to ensure you have at hand. This includes a website and relevant social platforms, signs for your store (if you have one), branded invoices and stationery, flyers or brochures, as well as t-shirts and uniforms if your employees require them. Read more >>

Day 5: Prepare for liftoff

Now you’ve got your brand, you’re almost ready to move into the marketing phase. However, before you can do that, you’ll want to do a few things, including checking in with your friends to find out whether your brand resonates; compiling your contacts before you make the big announcement; getting setup with Google analytics as well as various social media platforms, and setting some goals. Read more >>

If you’d prefer to build a brand all in one go, just keep scrolling!