When we talk of branding most of the time people try to relate it to big business house, however, the fact is that every business needs to establish their brand in order to survive the competition. This is nothing unconventional; experts and management gurus had been teaching the same sermon for years now but what they have not told is why you need to brand your small business The question now arises: How is branding going to help you to establish your business In addition how can you establish your brand without spending a fortune on it

Theoretically speaking you might be having a very small business but would you like your client to perceive your business as a small time entrepreneurial effort Most probably not, and your business cards, letterheads and other marketing collaterals does just that. They more or less create an impression to your clients that you are an established business house of considerable strength and not just a mom-n-pop shop.

While you have read till this much, you would have begin to plan to get a few home printed business cards or visit the website where you saw the preformatted business cards being sold for peanuts. If that is the case beware! It is worthwhile remembering that the quality of your business card is an indication of the status of your business and your clients are intelligent enough to realize the difference between a standard designed perforated business card and a professionally designed business card printed on good quality card stock.

Majority of us, including you, would prefer to consider the stability of a company before making a purchase decision. Fact remained that once you have established your brand with a professionally designed logo, business card and other marketing efforts it becomes much easier for you to build your credibility among the customers.

Getting a professionally designed custom logo is one of the very pivotal factors of branding a business. In simple terms a logo is not just a symbol or a piece of graphics; it is actually your corporate identity. A properly and efficiently designed logo can leave long lasting impression on your clients and will never let your business slip out of their minds. Whats more it also makes your business easily recognizable. Just take a look, when ever you see the Golden M of McDonalds do you really need to think twice, what company is that referring to In an ideal scenario a good logo should ideally exude the nature and attitude of the business.

According to many experts once you have got a logo for yourself it becomes easier for you to establish your brand. You can take the help of that logo in your business cards, letterheads and other accessories. There is no

surprise that all this is going to make a difference if the pack that you use to deliver your products to your customer has the logo of your company on it And in case if you are using a reusable pack, your customer might just use the same pack to pass on some other goods to one of his friends- what happens then True! Your logo gets noticed by one other person, you add one more name to the list of your potential clients. If that is the case you are on your way to establish your own brand.

Same with business cards, since they get passed on from one person to the other, more and more people know about your business and the potential customer base increases.

The best part about all this is to have a business card or professionally designed logo also shows your commitment towards your business.

A short, simple to remember punch line is another useful tool for branding. Moreover getting a tag line printed on your business cards or your business stationery makes it easier for people to understand the nature of your business. Generally, your tag line should not only say about what you do but also speak about your USP.

Having said all that, the big question that most of the small business people would have is, how much does it cost to get all these things done Believe me, not much. Money is always an issue for most of the small businesses (thats why they are small, otherwise most of us would like to open a Microsoft and be as rich as Bill Gates) but if you know where to look for, you really dont need to spend a fortune to get a professionally designed logo or a business card. There are plenty of websites that offer them really cheap and some even allow you to decide the price that you want to pay.

Therefore, if you think you are tired of being a small business and its time to grow up, take the first step; establish your brand!

Initially, there are two main types of businesses available to you, Sole Trader or Partnership. Both are mentioned below:

Sole Trader:

Sole trader is the easiest and least costly way of starting a business. It is worth mentioning in this regard that a sole trader can be formed by finding a location and opening the door for business. More often than not there are likely to be small fees to obtain business name registration. In majority of cases lawyers and accountant fees for starting the business will be less than the other business forms because less preparation of documents is required and the owner has absolute authority over all business decisions.

Partnership:

There are number of types of partnerships. The two main types are general and limited partnerships. A general partnership can be formed generally by an oral agreement between two or more persons, but a legal partnership agreement drawn up by a lawyer is highly recommended. Remember that legal fees for drawing up a partnership agreement are higher than those for a sole trader. A partnership agreement could be pretty helpful in solving any disputes. Though, partners are responsible for each other's business actions, as well as their own.