Why Traditional Branding Advice Won’t Work for Your Small Business
And why it’s keeping you overworked and underwhelmed.
If you're a service professional like a wellness coach, chef, virtual assistant, marketer or consultant, chances are you've already spent time trying to brand yourself.
My bet is you’ve spent hours tweaking your color palette, crafting the *perfect* mission statement, or taking random advice from a business friend whose audience looks nothing like yours.
It’s keeping you busy... but it’s not leading to the momentum you had hoped for.
That’s because even though it feels like you’re working hard, you’re really just moving pebbles. Essentially, you’re completing small, scattered tasks that don’t lead to meaningful progress.
Instead, you need to find your brand’s boulders; the high-impact tasks that actually move your business forward.
Because, when you're a one-woman show, your branding needs to drive results, not just fill your to-do list.
Imagine If…
What if instead of feeling stuck and stretched thin, you could focus more of your energy on the tasks that produced results for your business?
What if instead of obsessing over the little stuff you took the time to build a brand that’s clear, cohesive, and client-aligned?
I’d be willing to bet you’d start seeing results like..
Clients seeking you out because your positioning is strong and magnetic
Raising your rates with confidence because your brand reflects your value
Growing sustainably while keeping things simple behind the scenes
Because, here’s the truth. Your brand shouldn’t be something you second-guess or redo every six months. It should be the engine of your business—bringing focus and momentum to everything you do.
Let’s dive into the three areas to focus on to build a strong brand.
The 3 Brand Boulders Your Small Business Needs
1. A Clearly-Defined Specialty
Many small business owners cling to broad industries and messaging out of fear. They think that getting specific will limit opportunities. But (especially in the saturated online space) when you speak to everyone, you’re speaking to no one.
Plus, when you niche down you’re able to improve client results and charge more for a premium experience.
Ask yourself:
Who am I best equipped to help, what problem do they have?
What do my favorite clients have in common?
What’s my unique approach or philosophy?
When your niche and messaging are focused, your brand naturally starts doing more of the heavy lifting.
2. Holistic, Cohesive Design
Most small businesses gather branding assets over time, a logo here, a Canva template there, without stepping back to see the full picture.
Instead, everything from your website to your Instagram feed should feel like one story. A piecemeal brand confuses people. A cohesive brand builds trust.
Ask yourself:
Do my visuals (logo, colors, photography, typography) feel aligned and professional?
Is my messaging consistent across platforms?
Does my design reflect the tone, industry, and experience I offer?
Cohesion doesn’t mean complexity. It means clarity.
3. A Practical Plan to Apply Your Brand
You don’t need to be everywhere, doing everything. Especially as a solopreneur or small team, you need a focused way to show up consistently that’s manageable and effective.
Ask yourself:
What’s one platform I currently have momentum on?
Where do I enjoy showing up regularly?
How have past clients found me?
Whether it's posting weekly behind-the-scenes, sharing client stories, or showing your process, activation is about giving people a way to engage with you — consistently and clearly.
That’s it. No fluff. No “corporate” complexity. Just branding designed for how small businesses like yours actually operate.