6 Signs It’s Time for a Rebrand of Your Creative Small Business

If you’ve ever been mindlessly scrolling on Instagram (guilty), and happened upon another creative’s awesome new brand launch, and then paused…. wondering, “Should I be doing that??!” then this list is absolutely for you. 

Witnessing someone else’s fancy new rebrand can sometimes trigger a sense of FOMO, or maybe even a twinge of imposter syndrome. But most often, it triggers these types of swirling questions: When should I rebrand? Should I rebrand at all? How do I know when I’m ready? Is it expensive? How do I know it’s going to be worth it? Where do I even start? 

The idea of a rebrand can be overwhelming, especially because it’s hard to know if you absolutely need to do it. So let this list be a guide to help you figure out the answers to those tough questions. If you’re nodding “yes” to pretty much all of these reasons below, then I’d suggest making rebranding a priority. Your future business will thank you! 

1. Your branding doesn’t stand out

There can be a multitude of reasons why a brand isn’t standing out enough. Usually, these have to do with an industry (or location) that’s very saturated with similar services and similar branding. 

For example, if you’re based out of a location in which certain visuals are used over and over and over (think waves, or mountains, or a sun), then it would be wise to avoid those visuals since they’re overused and would not help your brand be memorable. Instead, it’s best to delve into the core of your brand and what it’s about, and match that to the preferences of your ideal clients, and then unique, memorable branding will emerge.

2. Your visuals no longer match who you are

If this is you, your branding might feel outdated or a little mismatched. There may be certain visuals that used to be relevant, that now feel somewhat arbitrary due to your business’s evolution (or maybe just personal evolution). Maybe your mission as a creative has changed, or you invested in a trendy logo that now feels outdated and not truly reflective of your brand. This is an excellent reason to take a closer look at why that is, and which types of visuals might fit your brand better. 

3. You want to raise your prices

If you’ve been in business for a few years and you’ve seen some success, then first of all, congrats to you! That’s amazing! You might find yourself in a position where you want to raise your prices and establish more authority in your field. You’ve got more experience under your belt, so it makes sense! The best way to ensure that your rebrand will help you raise your prices is to make sure that you understand your ideal clients really well and speak to them. A successful rebrand focuses deeply on what your ideal clients are looking for, and tailors its mission and message directly to them. 

4. You want to change your business name

If this sounds like you, you may have outgrown your business name for a number of different reasons. Maybe you’re expanding, or changing services, or niching down. The brand visuals may also match the current business name, so it’s a good time to take a step back and think about which brand visuals might fit better with the new name. It’s best to tackle this in one fell swoop, so that when you announce your new name, your rebrand is also reflective of that.

5. You want to niche down and/or attract a new demographic

After spending some time running your business full-time, you’ve probably taken a liking to certain aspects of it over others. Maybe you started out as a wedding and family photographer, and now want to focus exclusively on weddings and elopements. Whatever that shift might be, a shift in direction often calls for a rebrand so that you can effectively reach your *people* and feel confident knowing that your branding does just that. 

6. You can now afford to invest in professional design work

You might be happy with the overall concept of your logo, but now know that it’s time for a professional to take it to the next level. A professional brand designer will first delve into your brand strategy, and uncover your brand values/personality, ideal clients, and business goals, and then use all of those pieces to craft a strategic brand identity for you. Starting first with a foundation of brand strategy (read more about that here) will help your brand visuals go so much further, and a professional brand designer is the person who can make that happen.

So now that you’ve thought about some good reasons for rebranding, it’s important to consider whether a rebrand is the right next step for you. It’s often the thing that takes your business to the next level, but it’s not right for everyone, and it’s not always the right time. So if you have any questions about this, send me an email or check out my brand design services and let’s chat! 

I’m here for you as your branding *spirit guide*, and I can’t wait to see what’s next in your business journey.