Branding a Service Business: Your Simple 5-Step Guide
As a small business owner, you want your company to stand out from competitors, impress potential clients, and attract new employees. Your branding is one of the best ways to do that.
But what is a brand? And how do you even go about branding your business? We’ll give you the answers and show you exactly how to build a service brand that helps your business succeed.
We even include insights from experienced home service business owners and Jobber’s own creative director Jason Ford, who’s worked with world-famous brands like Coca-Cola, Adidas, Red Bull and Toyota.
How to brand a service company in 5 easy steps:
1. Build a brand strategy
To brand your service business, start by figuring out what the company is, what it represents to customers, and how it’ll meet their needs. This plan is called your brand strategy. It includes:
Company history
If you’re just starting a service business, you may not have a company history yet. Still, you can write down what led you to start your own business, like your desire to be your own boss.
Your customers and employees will be interested in the background behind your business.
Put that information down on paper now, when it’s still fresh in your mind, and you can craft a story people can get on board with.
Services
Defining your service list helps you better understand what you offer, and communicate that service offering to your clients.
Make a list of all the services you provide, as well as the services you don’t currently offer but plan to provide in the future.
Target audience
Determine who your ideal customer is and what they need from a service provider.
For example, maybe you like working with busy professionals who don’t have time for many household tasks, and they want a company that provides a wide range of services.
According to Jason, you should ask yourself questions like, “What is my ideal customer? Are they a luxury customer? Do they live in a certain area? Is budget an important factor?”
Knowing the answers to these questions will help you figure out who your ideal potential customer is, what they’re looking for, and how to reach them.
Market and competitive analysis
Figure out where your business fits into the market in terms of pricing and services, and find ways to stand out.
As part of this brand positioning, you’ll need to identify competitors and see how you compare. Make a list of the top businesses in your area and note their strengths and weaknesses.
You’ll also want to go through a SWOT analysis. This involves listing your business’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats so you can highlight what you do well, and fix anything that needs improvement.
Look at the companies that you’re going to be competing with.
What does the landscape look like? What colors are they using? What fonts? Are they using a character? Is there an illustration in their logo? You want to look different from all those people.
Unique selling proposition (USP)
A USP is the one thing that makes your business different from (and better than) any other competitor. For example, maybe competitors have lots of reviews complaining about poor communication.
This is something you know you can do well, so clear customer communication management can be your USP. Just back up that claim by sending appointment reminders, on-my-way texts, and follow-up emails to clients.
Mission, vision, and values
This brand messaging describes why your business exists, where you want it to go, and what qualities are important to you.
A clear mission, vision, and values will help guide you as you make decisions for your business, from hiring employees to planning your marketing efforts.
READ MORE:How this business’s mission sets them apart from competitors
2. Choose a business name and slogan
A name is one of the most recognizable pieces of any business, so it’s important to get it right. When you’re naming a business, choose a name that:
- Is short, memorable, and easy to pronounce
- Doesn’t spell anything questionable, if it’s an acronym
- Doesn’t use your name, if you plan to sell or franchise
- Is unique in your industry so you can trademark it
- Reflects your services and values
For example, if you know a big part of your brand is clear communication, you could reference that by calling your business something like “Clear Contracting.”
Pro Tip: Find out if your business name is taken by searching for it online. Your area may also have a state or national trademark database you can search.
A lot of service pros forget to mention their service area.
If someone’s just looking for three seconds, they need to know what area you service. [A] name like Seattle Plumbers… I know these are plumbers that work in Seattle.
You can also come up with a slogan that tells clients what to expect from your business. Using our example of clear communication, you could create a slogan like “Your On-Call Expert.”
Use this slogan alongside your business name on your website, business cards, vehicle, and other marketing materials. It’ll help your slogan—and business name—be recognized and remembered.
3. Decide what your branding looks like
When you’re branding a service business, think carefully about what your brand will actually look like. It should appeal to potential customers while making it clear what you offer.
Here’s what your visual identity includes:
Logo
A brand logo should include your business’s name at the very least. Many businesses add an icon (a simple picture) as well.
Here’s an example of a logo that goes with our “Clear Contracting” example. Note the icon is shaped like tools, which helps communicate that this logo is for a contracting business.
You can design your logo yourself using a logo maker like Looka, or you can hire a freelance designer or branding agency to create a strong brand identity for you.
Colors
Choose brand colors that stand out from competitors and appeal to your clients. In our example, the gold color of the icon suggests quality. It pairs nicely with the clean-looking business name in white.
It’s a good idea to use as few colors as possible in your branding, especially for print materials like flyers and business cards. Fewer colors will help reduce printing costs, and it makes it easier for customers to recognize you.
Your brand color palette could look something like this:
Fonts
Choose a font that’s clear and easy to read. Different types of fonts can say different things about your business, depending on how simple or fancy they are, so pick one that feels right for your clients.
Make sure that your font is very legible.
You can’t read a scripty font or a hardcore graffiti font. You have three seconds to say, what is the name of this business? What do they do? If you can’t read that font in three seconds… that’s a mistake.
Pro Tip: When you’re finished with brand building, write down the rules for using your logo, colors, and fonts in a set of brand guidelines. This helps keep your brand identity consistent and improves brand recognition.
4. Design marketing materials to promote your business
Once you have your logo and colors nailed down, you can apply them to every marketing material you use. This can include:
- Vehicle wraps and decals
- Employee uniforms
- Swag (hats, shirts, etc.)
- Business cards and email signatures
- Print ads and digital advertisements
- Email marketing
- Door hangers and postcards
- Digital branding like your service website and social media
READ MORE: How to build an online presence for your business
You should also apply your brand to non-marketing items you’ll use every day, like estimates and invoices. (Use our free estimate template and invoice template to get started.)
Make sure your advertising is clear and easy to understand. Readers can quickly learn what you offer and how to contact your business about their service needs.
You might feel a little intimidated making these items yourself. But if you’re using Looka to make your logo, it’ll make marketing materials for you. Check out these items for Clear Contracting.
Branding makes your marketing message stronger.
5. Launch your brand and introduce it to clients
Your service business brand is ready to roll out. If you’re an existing business that’s rebranding, explain the change to clients and why you did it.
Or, if you’re starting a new business, you can carry out your marketing strategy for your new brand right away. Be ready to answer questions and help clients understand your business.
From there, the most important thing is to use your new brand consistently. Over time, you’ll build up a brand reputation that your customers will recognize and trust.
Consistency is big.
You see your logo and your fonts and your colors every day. You get sick of them. Your customers do not get sick of them. They are not seeing them as much as you’re seeing them. They need to have that consistency and that trust.
Interested in learning more from Jason Ford? Watch “3 Branding Mistakes Most Businesses Make” from the Masters of Home Service podcast:
If you have a consistent brand and you have a strong brand, that’s instant trust.
Now that you know how to brand your business, you’re ready to begin! Start building your brand, wow your clients, and make your business a trusted name in the home service industry.
Want to go even deeper to win new customers? Listen to the Masters of Home Service Podcast on Getting New Customers on a Budget.
Originally published in May 2016. Last updated on August 30, 2024.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Your brand is your business’s reputation. It’s the feeling or impression people get when they see, interact with, or think about your business.
This is more than just your name and logo. These are important, but they’re only a small part of your branding. You also need to communicate who you are, what you offer, and what to expect from your business.
Brand development gives you greater control over what people think about your business. -
A good brand is memorable, accurately represents your business, and makes you stand out from the competition. It also shows your clients you know them and what they’re looking for.
When your brand is strong, your clients and employees can identify your purpose and get on board with it. You’ll know you have a strong brand because clients want to work with you, and employees want to work for you.
READ MORE: What makes a business successful? -
When you’re branding a small business, you’ll pay $100–1,000 to build the brand yourself.
This is the most budget-friendly option—you only pay for the design software you’re using, plus any printing and production costs.
If you work with a freelance designer, it can cost up to $1,000 for a logo, colors, and fonts. This price depends on the designer’s experience and what they include in a brand design package.
If you partner with a branding agency, you could pay $5,000–$10,000. This amount can include the design of print and digital marketing materials, as well as photography and illustrations.