If you’re a small business owner, it’s very likely that your brand is a reflection of your personal style. Because YOU are your business, and not only that, but you put your heart and soul into your business, so it only makes sense. Knowing that, finding your business brand and style should be easy, right? I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one who would answer a big NO to that. The problem is that we’re too close to our business, and too close to ourselves to see those patterns and recurring styles. But when thinking about your brand, defining your style is one of the first steps. It will affect everything from your initial brand development of color choices, font, logo and icons to what your website will look like, what sort of bio photos you post and the kind of clients you will attract.

So, how do you find your own style? Here are some simple things to try:

1. Take a look around.

If you’re reading this sitting at home, glance around. What do you see? Delicate porcelain nick naks?  Bold Patterned Pillows on your couch? Creamy white walls with dark hardwood? These give you clues to your personal style. What sorts of styles do you gravitate toward when you go shopping? Earthy colors? Things with sparkles? Bright colors? Anything striped? What sorts of outfits do you wear again and again because you love how it looks and feels when you wear it? Are you noticing a pattern? That should give you a pretty good idea of what your style is.

My house is full of bright, bold paint colors in every room (Really– Navy, Turquoise, yellow, lime green, and a mulberry purple. And yes, it’s beautiful.). To go with that I have pretty accents in those same colors, plus a ton of pink throw in (Can you believe I couldn’t get my husband to agree to pink walls? I know, such a travesty.) I’ve hung (well, I directed my husband on where to hang) fun pictures from art prints to wedding pictures and little diy projects of things I’ve made. One step in our house and anyone can tell I love fun, bright colors, bold centerpieces, a hint of vintage and a whole lot of flair (the pink pom poms hanging from our ceiling give that away for sure). And that’s just what I want my brand to convey too. Maybe your house is painted in pastel, houses indoor plants and antique furniture? You’d probably like an organic, natural inspired look with a hint of vintage. See how simple that is? You probably don’t even have to get up from your seat!

2. Study your Pinterest boards. Flip through a catalog or magazine

What? Hop on Pinterest? I’m in! Yep, it’s really that easy. Take a look at your pin boards. I, in particular have a design inspiration board that I like to refer to when I start design projects, but it’s also good for noticing trends in my style. I can take a look at it and know I love watercolor, typographic designs, geometrics and (you guessed it) bright colors. Even if you don’t have a design inspiration board others ones can help. Style boards, home decor boards, wish list boards and a ton of others can give you insight into your personal style and help you to find common themes. You might start noticing you’ve pinned a lot of ampersands (guilty) or a shirt, pair of shoes, funky hair highlights and some diy pillowcases, all in the same shade of blue.

3. Think about your favorite brands

Who are your favorite companies and what do you like about their style? I love Target, West Elm, Container Store and Caravan Shoppe. What do all of these have in common? They all have a simple, clean but fun style. Their images are styled and beautiful with a crafty feel. And really, that’s what’s important to me. What do you see your favorite brands doing? What kind of vibe are they giving off that you’re gravitating towards? Like  Apple’s brand? You probably love a minimalistic, sleek and modern look (not to mention are probably hip on all the current techy trends…and probably don’t use words like hip, oh well)

Even before trying out any of these tips, you’re probably getting a pretty good idea of what you’ll be looking at when you check these out, aren’t you? When you find themes and trends in your style write them down. You can take your list and decide which pieces of your style you want to emulate in your business’ branding. And since you’ve already gotten on pinterest anyway,  start a board with some of these styles on them so you can go back and remember and add to it. Soon, using this defined style will be second nature!

This is one of the first things I have my clients work on when we start creating their brand. My favorite brands I’ve designed have been for clients that have a clear vision for their style and were able to effectively communicate it to me. Remember, the more feedback and direction you can give your designer allows them to build your ideas and use their creativity to create the perfect brand identity for you!

What do you think? Have you tried any of these tips? How did you figure out the your brand’s style? Or are you still winging it?

Need help with your brand? Let’s work together!