As a business owner or business owner-to-be, I’m guessing you probably have a computer. You may also have an office space, or even an email list. All of these things are considered your business assets and whatever they may be, they bring value in some form to your business. Therefore it’s natural to assume you treat these things with care, respect, and perhaps even, love. Are you treating your brand assets with the same care?

If you choose to neglect or improperly use your assets they inevitably lose their value. Consider your brand assets in this same way, because ultimately, your brand assets are also your business assets. What happens when you neglect, misuse or abuse your brand assets? You’d be right in guessing that brand assets lose their value just like business assets do when you don’t maintain or use them properly.

You’re planning to invest the time and money on things like logos, business cards and websites (or you may already have) so why not treat them with the same care and attention as you do the other aspects of your business? They deserve some love too! Though they may seem intangible, brand assets are valuable tools and resources that can absolutely make a difference for you bottom line.

But, how? While you may not be able to attach a specific number to the value of your individual brand assets, you can look at the overall picture of your business and brand in context. Consider the following scenarios:

While the above scenarios may seem a little extreme, these are actually very realistic potential outcomes of not valuing your brand assets the way they deserve. So when you ask yourself how valuable are your brand assets, what you should really be asking is: What is the value of a lost sale? What is the hit on a botched printing job? Or what is the cost of customers unwilling to pay your prices? If you’re convinced now that your brand assets are, indeed, incredibly valuable for your business, you may be wondering how you can protect, maintain and treasure them. Here are some solutions that will set you on the right path.

1. Audit your brand. If you suffer from mismatched-brand syndrome or maybe just feel overwhelmed by all of the brand assets you have, you may need a heavier-duty approach. Identifying what brand assets you have and what you need is a great start to moving forward.
2. Organize your files and invest in a brand guidelines document. You’ll thank yourself later when you need to find your important brand files and information. Put your logo assets in one folder and marketing materials in another etc. If you have a logo and certain colors that you would like to consistently use for your brand, you should have a brand guidelines document. In essence, this is like user guide that accompanies your logo and any other visual brand elements you would like to stay looking consistent and professional. It saves you time from always having to remember what fonts or hex color to use and also reminds you how to keep your brand looking its best. Also, this can easily be passed on to a designer to ensure they are implementing your existing brand assets properly.
3. Do your research when searching for a logo designer or brand professional. Investing the time and money to develop your brand assets with a trusted graphic designer the right way will save you from headaches and empty pockets due to a wasted investment down the road.

Is it time to show your brand assets some love? Talk to K Design Co. about how you can get started!

Kristin Pruis

I help female entrepreneurs and business owners create brands that command the spotlight. I love working with women to help them create beautiful, one-of-a-kind brands that give them the confidence to take their business to the next level and get them seriously noticed. I’ve worked with coaches, authors, influencers… you name it, and I bet I can help you too.