Branding begins as an internal exercise to create six components around which your external brand will grow.  When these six elements are in place and firmly in the minds of owners and staff you’re in a great position to share your brand with customers, vendors, and the public.

1. Image to put forth
List of terms you want to convey, prioritized in rank order.  When you are making business decisions, make sure they support these concepts.  In this way the messages you send out about your company will consistently put forth the right image.  Discuss this list with your whole team so everyone knows what brand image you are trying to achieve.

2. USP
A USP, or unique selling proposition, is what sets your company apart from all others.  It can be as short as a few words, or as long as many sentences.  What matters more than length is how well it demonstrates your uniqueness.  Useable along with your elevator pitch, the USP tells your audience – clients, potential clients, staff, vendors – the benefits of working with you rather than your competition.

3. Mission statement
The mission statement is why you come to work every day, why you started your company, your motivation to make your company the best it can be.

4. Company story
A brief yet colorful mini-history of your company, this piece describes how your company began while succinctly explaining its intentions.

5. Elevator pitch
Also called the 30-second commercial, the elevator pitch functions much like the USP but in a more conversational tone.  Unlike the USP, which undergoes revision only once a year or so, the elevator pitch can be tailored for each audience or conversation.  It needs to be presented comfortably and sound unrehearsed, so change words as necessary to make it your own.

6. Core values
Identifying your core values is a focusing exercise, the results of which contribute to your mission statement.  Core values verbalize and reinforce the driving tenants behind your business, and can be used both internally and externally.