Becoming visible as a self-employed. You've just started your own business... now what?

Congratulations! The first step has been taken, and now the exciting time of self-employment begins. Perhaps you already have a small customer base and your first earnings. But what does your brand image actually look like? Does everything appear consistent, uniform, and professional?

This is where branding comes in. Before you expand your products or services, ask yourself these 10 questions about building your own brand. They will help you establish a clear line that appeals to your target audience, builds trust, and sets you apart from the crowd.

10 questions to ask yourself after founding your business

1. Who is my target audience?

Your target audience are the people for whom your offering is truly intended. It can be defined by factors such as age, lifestyle, interests, or occupation. Knowing your target audience clearly lays the foundation for successful branding and strong brand building.

Why this is important for your design:

Design is communication. If you don't know who you want to address, your branding cannot send a clear message. Colors, imagery, tone, and layout vary greatly depending on whether you want to address young people, experienced entrepreneurs, price-conscious customers, or a target group with high purchasing power, for example.

2. What problem am I solving with my business?

Think entrepreneurially: You are not offering a service, but solving a specific problem. What exactly is that problem?

Why this is important for your design:

A strong design conveys benefits, not just aesthetics. Once you have identified the problem you are solving, your branding can visually support this specific need. Example: If you help people bring order to a complex topic, this is reflected in a calm design with clear structures, minimal colors, and plenty of white space.

3. What emotions should my brand be perceived with?

Brands are perceived emotionally, both consciously and unconsciously. Before you understand the design of a product, you feel something on an emotional level, creating a first impression in a matter of seconds.

Why this is important for your design:

Emotions determine our purchasing behavior, and good branding translates emotions into a visual language. For example, if you want your brand to appear exclusive and high-quality, serif fonts, black or gold tones, and a minimalist design layout will convey this impression.

4. What makes my offer unique (USP)?

Your unique selling point (USP) is what sets you apart from others and makes you stand out from the competition. This can be a feature of your product itself or your way of working.

Why this is important for your design:

Your design should not look like that of your competitors. A clear USP ensures that your brand image is recognizable and makes you more interesting.

5. What values does my brand represent?

Your brand has an attitude. It shows in how you communicate, work, and interact with customers. Especially in your logo, it is more important to express this attitude and your values than to literally show what you offer. A logo should convey feelings rather than explain what you do.

Example: A baker who stands for tradition, craftsmanship, and quality does not necessarily have to show a croissant or bread in their logo. Instead, warm colors, a serif font, or handcrafted typography can convey exactly this feeling. Symbols such as working hands can also convey values such as care and closeness. ...And what's more, this also sets the logo apart from the competition.

Why this is important for your design:

Values such as sustainability, family awareness, inclusion, and quality influence every design decision. They determine colors, fonts, and imagery, ensuring that your brand image has an emotional impact, is authentic, and sticks in people's minds.

6. How do I want to communicate (tone & language)?

Casual or formal? Your brand's language determines how you are perceived. While a personal approach creates closeness, formal language conveys seriousness and trust.

Why this is important for your design:

Language is part of your design. A casual, personal tone (often suitable for younger target groups or creative businesses) requires a different design than formal communication (such as that commonly used by law firms or financial service providers). Fonts, text lengths, and spacing are always influenced by language. Only when tone and design match can a coherent brand image be created.

7. Where will my brand be visible?

Think about where people encounter your brand. On your website, social media, flyers, or perhaps locally. Not every brand needs to be present everywhere. But wherever it is visible, it should be clearly recognizable.

Why this is important for your design:

Good branding works consistently across all channels. If your brand is mainly found on Instagram, your design needs strong visual elements, clear colors, and mobile-optimized imagery. If the focus is on your website or Google, clarity, readability, and structure are crucial.

8. Which brands are stuck in my own mind and why?

The brands you like and buy again and again say a lot about your own taste and the style you want for your brand. Ask yourself: Why are you attracted to these brands? Is it the friendly customer service, the special shopping experience, or the feeling of being part of something?

Why this is important for your design:

Often it's not the product itself, but the overall impression that sticks in your mind. It is precisely this impression that is relevant for your own brand.

9. What should someone say about my brand when I'm not in the room?

Branding is how someone talks about your brand when you're not in the room. What do your customers remember most about you? Why this is important for your design:

Your design supports precisely this perception. For example, if you want people to talk about your brand as friendly and welcoming, this is often achieved through elements such as warm colors, rounded shapes, or inviting imagery. Or simply through your personal, friendly customer service. All these factors together ensure that your brand conveys a feeling of closeness and remains memorable.

10. Where do I want to be, self-employed, with my business in a few years?

Branding is not a short-term project but an investment in the future of your business. Think about where you want to go being self-employed: Are you happy with your small, personal sewing studio, or do you dream of expanding and reaching a larger audience?

Why this is important for your design:

Your design should grow with your goals. For a small, local studio, a cute, personal logo that conveys closeness and charm is appropriate. If, on the other hand, you plan to expand your brand, your logo should be timeless, scalable, and versatile. For example, colors, shapes, and typography should also work well on packaging, websites, social media, and print materials.

Conclusion: Branding begins with clarity, not design. A professional business and brand image does not simply have to be “attractive.” It is based on strategy, clarity, and conscious decisions. Only when these questions have been answered can a design be created that reaches your target audience, builds trust, and sets you apart.

Would you like to take the next step and turn your business into a clear, professional brand? Then feel free to contact me via my contact form at www.branding-by-emily.de/anfrageformular. Together, we will bring structure, clarity, and personality to your brand image and let your brand flourish.

Pssst: If you are not yet able to answer every question clearly for yourself, let us find out your potential together in a non-binding introductory call.