An invincible, local, Newcastle design agency.

Yes. All too often small businesses fall into the trap of thinking they don’t need to build a brand to compete successfully in todays post pandemic marketplace. These thoughts are usually driven by individuals own brand associations and thinking about big brands like Nike, Coca-Cola, Mercedes or McDonalds. You don’t need to necessarily compete on this level, but you do need to build equity, goodwill and returning custom where possible. Our process is about giving your customers an emotional and physical bond, even if it’s a friendly coffee shop, a local plumbing business or a fun loving accountant.

An established brand is a tremendous asset, yet too many businesses see building a brand as a single activity or initiative. In other words, just another expense. Brand strategy, brand identity and brand positioning are all key aspects to assess. Even for really small companies, this can be the difference between life and death.

At the very least you will need a logo, but knowing what you need and when in your brand’s journey is the key. For example, you may invest in a logo and run a Facebook business page, meaning you don’t need a website right now. Whatever you feel you need, we can help explore brand strategies that are truly effective but keep costs low.

A small business owner can certainly open their doors and take their first pound without a website. The question is whether or not their business will survive. It has been said that only a small percentage of small businesses are still in operation 10 years after they take on their first customer. It is reasonable to assume that a business with a large web presence will have an easier time edging out their competition. That being said, you may not need a website right now, and we won’t advise you to have one if you don’t need it.

As far as possible, try to match your business name to your domain name. In case you decide to go with a different domain name, try to keep it relatable to your business brand. You can also get creative with a play on words to come up with a unique and catchy name. There are many other factors to consider when selecting your domain name, and we can give you expert advice to make sure you achieve your goals.

Ideally, brands should take the time to figure out which social media platforms work best for them depending on their goals, their content and their audience. The easiest way to figure out the best social media platforms for business is to identify where your audience already spends time. We’ll help you navigate through selection and get you up and running on the best platform for your business.

As long as the work involves using external expertise to improve your business, you could be eligible for a grant towards the cost. The North East Business Support Fund offers grants that help towards the cost of improving your business. You can use the funding towards the cost of a project that brings in almost any external expertise you need to move your business forward. There are slightly different criteria for businesses that reside in these locations:

• Tyne & Wear – could access up to 35% funding for business improvement projects costing between £3,000 and £8,000 (maximum grant of £2,800) – you can use the grant for almost any type of business support that will help your business to grow.
• Northumberland – could access up to 35% funding for business improvement projects costing between £3,000 and £8,000 (maximum grant of £2,800) – you can use the grant for almost any type of business support that will help your business to grow.
• County Durham – could access up to 40% funding for business improvement projects costing between £2,500 and £8,000 (maximum grant of £3,200) – you can use the grant for almost any type of business support that will help your business to grow.