How To Rebrand Your Small Business In 90 Days

In the beginning of 2015 I got this idea in my head that I needed to completely rebrand my business. We started the process on January 15, 2015 and on April 15, 2015 (yes, tax day) I unveiled a brand new site and a brand new attitude for my business.

Since my re-brand I’ve gotten several questions from readers and colleagues as to how on earth I pulled this off. Honestly, it wasn’t easy and there were definitely some hurdles my team and I had to face . . . but we did it!

In an effort to help you do your own re-brand in 90 days I’m going to walk you through the steps we took and what to be aware of as you undergo this process. But first (even before learning how to rebrand), we must discuss how to know when it’s time for a rebrand.

You may feel like learning how to rebrand your business if you’ve experienced any of the following:

• You (and therefore your business) have changed.
• Your market has changed.
• You received some bad press and need to make a comeback.

In my case, it was the first two. My business changed tremendously after I published my book. I became a financial expert seemingly overnight and my brand did not match this at all. Don’t get me wrong. I matched this new direction and my market matched it, but none of my branding did. Additionally, I saw growth coming down the pike and I knew our current systems weren’t going to cut it. As a result, we needed to make some major upgrades to catch up.

What ensued was a crazy 90 days (which I’ll probably never do again), but if you need to know how to rebrand quickly, here’s what you need to keep in mind.

How to rebrand: 3 tips to remember

Rebranding is risky and it is one of the toughest exercise a business or a company has to undertake. The following 3 tips will help you with an easier transition.

1. Assemble your team

I could not have done this re-brand by myself. I had to set meetings with my web designer, my photographer, my virtual assistant and a sales guy for Infusionsoft ahead of time to make sure everything could work together. And then, we had to set up our software training meetings for Infusionsoft.

In our case, changing the website also meant changing our email marketing software; so it wasn’t just changing the “look,” we were also changing how our backend systems worked so we could provide a better customer experience overall. After all, branding isn’t just how your business looks, it’s also how it feels to your market.

One thing that made this much easier was contracting people I’d already worked with in the past. For instances where I had no idea who to contact (such as Infusionsoft sales) I asked around for referrals.

Now that you’ve assembled your team you’ll also want to make sure you’re actually delegating. Otherwise everything is going to fall on you and you’re going to end up incredibly cranky. Additionally, it’s only by delegating that you’ll be able to meet your timeline.

2. Budget

Re-brands cost money. You’re paying your team, you’re paying for services, and there will be some mishaps along the way. Because of this, there are a few things you should keep in mind when it comes to a re-brand.

First, you need to budget regardless of how you are funding this endeavor. The last thing you want is to spend money you don’t actually have and then having to play catch up. I learned this the hard way because I didn’t take into account that some accidents and delays would take place. In many ways, rebranding your business is a lot like remodeling a house: hope for the best, plan for the worst!

Second, keep in mind that you can negotiate services. I negotiated my Infusionsoft service and training. I also worked out a payment plan with my web designer so my credit card wouldn’t explode.

 3. Survey your market and keep them in the loop

You will inevitably lose people during a re-brand, and that’s okay! If people don’t resonate with the new message it’s better for them to unsubscribe from your list or stop following you (especially if you’re paying money for your list).

However, you’re going to want to keep your market in the loop of what’s going on. You can do this by sending a periodic email letting them know how the re-brand is going. After all, you don’t want them to think you disappeared.

You’ll also want to survey your market to see where they stand. This will help you come up with website copy and content.

For example, this is how I found out that 80 percent of my subscribers wanted more content on how to quit their jobs. It’s also how I found out what financial struggles they were having and created an opt-in to meet those needs.

Since re-branding, my new messaging fits my business, I’ve gotten more business opportunities and I’ve increased community engagement and subscribers. While I’m sure it will take some time to see the entire return on my investment, I am well on my way to doing so.

Have you ever been through a re-brand? How was the experience? Share in the comments!