I am constantly amazed at the issues that come up with brand building for small businesses. My clients are smart, they have to be or how would they start their businesses? Where they falter is in grasping the need to start with a cohesive communication platform.
From my experience in working with small and medium clients in leisure/ hospitality/ entertainment and technology, some plain hard facts need to driven home.
1) Its not enough to get a logo (usually done in haste without understanding the underlying brand value)
2) There is no great rush to have a website – a badly designed or empty website will put off a visitor and probably damage the intention of using the website as a marketing tool.
3) Its important to have consistency in all collateral – logo, website, ppt, brochures, invitations.
Takeaway 1: Make the time to evolve a clear communications package that effectively conveys what you have to say.
This can’t be a ‘one size fits all’ strategy. What will work for one kind of business will not necessarily work for another. Each business has its own character and it is imperative that it has its unique communication strategy.
Sandhya Mendonca says 
Very well written. It is very true and relevant today. I have seen quite a few businesses get started with some logo and website up and running in no time. After a while, you can see that the initial enthusiasm is down and they are lost, and dont know which way to go …
I hope they take a tip or two from this blog!
-Girish