Regardless of whether you're a startup or if you've been around for years and you're growing mold, you MUST get your name and vision out there in the market place. Branding is critical to your start, growth and re-establishment.

If you want customers and clients - get branded. If you want the phone to ring off the hook - get well branded. If you want to go the distance as a company - get totally branded.

BRANDING is not just for cattle - it's the face of your company:

* It's what people see in their minds before they've ever seen your salesperson

* It's what triggers the unconscious action to check out your product or service

* It's the salesperson that's working 24/7 for your business.

Regardless of the industry that you're in, here's a few ideas to help you get started on becoming TOTALLY BRANDED:

1. Pay a couple of hundred dollars and get a professional logo that you can show your friends and get a "WOW - that's cool, how did you come up with that?!" Maybe even your kids will be impressed...

2. Take your cool logo and have a bunch of inexpensive but useful giveaways made with it. These are items that people will pick up and use or sit in plain view of others even if your cool logo wasn't on it.

3. Have t-shirts and hats made - sell them if your logo is really cool or if your industry is fun by itself - give them away if you can't sell them. They make great promo items and it's cheap advertising.

4. Sponsor your kid's, or the local sports groups', teams. They will put your logo all over their uniforms and other informational/marketing handouts. You're also supporting your community, which should be part of every corporate mission/vision statement.

5. Create a short but thought provoking slogan… like "branding isn't just for cattle". The words support the image/logo.

Remember to get your name and image out to everyone you can. If they don't know you're out there, then how will they call you? Branding is critical to the success of any business. Above all, be creative and if you're not particularly gifted in that area, then find someone who is and don't be afraid to pay them for it. It will pay for itself many times over.