Signs that it's time to rebrand
We all reach points in our life when it’s time for a change—when we’re ready to move on up in the world, whether it’s a new hairdo or a new job. One of the most important upgrades a business can make is rebranding. After all, your brand is your first impression and your differentiator. So, you need it to be great. But how do you know for sure when it’s time to upgrade? By identifying the signs that you need to rebrand your business, you can grow your organization in a way that’s purposeful and impactful.
Rebranding as a small business
Being a small business owner is not for the faint of heart. When you launch a small business, it’s all hands on deck, all the time. As a result, you start with only what you need and rely on flexible and lean solutions to push through. And this is true for your brand as well.
For a while, this approach works. You’re making headway, getting through the days, and checking off the must-do items. But as you grow, things become a bit more complicated. Soon, you’re thriving—evolving your offerings, honing in on your ideal audience, and setting goals for the future. And that’s when you step back, look at your brand system, and realize that what got you here isn’t going to get you where you need to be.
Moving on and moving up
Last year, my husband and I got married. Then, earlier this year, we made another big commitment: We decided to get serious about buying a home—just in time to pay a premium and take advantage of rising interest rates!
Flashback to the early months of 2020, which feels like several eons ago. We were just settling into our two-bed, one-bath apartment in Boston. I needed a full-time office space, and my husband needed a temporary one because COVID-19 had shuttered offices for a couple of weeks. While we fully anticipated that he would return to the office shortly (we were so young and naive!), we had to try to squeeze everything in. The smallest bedroom became my office, while the dining room became a hybrid office/dining room/gym, with my husband’s desk squeezed into the corner along with his exercise equipment.
And that was fine. But then, the weeks of working at home stretched into months. With very little storage, our space quickly became cluttered, and I felt like I was constantly cleaning and rearranging. Over time, I noticed my needs changing. As a designer, I longed to redecorate. Instead of beige walls, I pictured color. And instead of our small porch, I imagined a sprawling garden.
Soon, we realized that the apartment we once adored wouldn’t work going forward. It was holding us back from creating our dream space, pursuing our hobbies, and growing our family. The answer was clear: What got us where we were wouldn’t get us where we were going. We needed a home that would give us the freedom and space we craved. A place that would take us into the future we so longed to build.
Today, we own a home with a yard that is perfect for a dog—so perfect that we adopted one less than one week ago. (Keep an eye out for dog pictures galore on Instagram!). It has a big driveway, a garden, and extra bedroom-offices. There are shelves for books and space for a family and, more than anything, the freedom to make it exactly what we want.
Getting back to business
As a business owner, my story might sound familiar to you. Younger, growing businesses often reach this same point a few years post-launch. After months of building their client base and refining their offerings, they’ve made it to a place of clarity and confidence. They know who they are, and they have big, bold goals for the future. But there’s a problem: What they have isn’t getting them there. In fact, it’s slowing them down and holding them back.
All growing businesses reach a point at which the brand identity they launched with feels disconnected from their future goals. Just like us and our house, they need an upgrade. So, how do you know you’ve reached this point?
5 signs it’s time to rebrand your business
When it comes to rebranding, it’s not a matter of if but when. Here are five signs that you may want to consider upgrading your business with a rebrand.
1. You have big goals for the future but no idea how to get there.
A strategic brand experience will take you into the future and grow with you. At More Ours, we build you a custom roadmap to make business decisions so you can reach your goals.
2. Your visuals no longer reflect your vision for your business.
If your website or other collateral no longer feels relevant to where your business is going, it’s time to upgrade. Your visuals are your first impression, and they need to reflect everything you are and everything you want to be.
3. Your brand isn’t connecting with your ideal audience.
As your business grows, your product changes, and that means your audience changes, too—as does the audience you want to support. If your brand doesn’t connect with your ideal audience, it’s time to upgrade.
4. You’re wasting time on quick fixes rather than long-term solutions.
Sure, quick fixes work in the short term. You can throw together a site update or whip up a new design. But in the long term, these short-term solutions won’t solve the deeper problems, and you’ll find yourself wasting valuable time and energy that should be spent doing what you love.
5. Your visuals feel inconsistent and messy.
With all those quick fixes, you’ll find that your visuals quickly become disordered and convoluted. This leads to a confusing brand experience for your audience, which erodes trust. We work with you to build a solid brand strategy that includes the tools to let you focus on the bigger picture.
Having just bought a house, I know how overwhelming the thought of going through a major upgrade can be. But now that I’m firmly ensconced in my new space, I also know how incredibly rewarding it is. If you’re ready to take the upgrading leap, I promise that More Ours will be your partner in navigating the complex world of rebranding ahead. We’ll hold your hand while we capture your spirit, so you can build the future you want.
If that sounds good to you, I’d love to talk.
