It’s not at all unusual for an entrepreneur to start in one direction only to change their mind and turn towards something new. If the change is dramatic you know you’ll be starting from scratch as far as developing a new business brand, but what if the change is more subtle or takes place over time?
When is it time to scrap the old brand and go for something completely new?
When is it ok to ‘tweak’ what you have to avoid a complete do-over?
Wendy Peirsall tackled a big branding decision and knows the great challenge of facing these questions. A year or so ago Wendy launched eMomsatHome.com with a clear ‘mom’ focus but over time the popular site outgrew its ‘mom blog’ roots.
She tweaked and adjusted her website to incorporate the differences as much as she could without giving up her ‘eMoms’ brand – but it was like trying to redecorate a convenience store to look like a shopping mall.
Wendy had to let go of the old in order to let the new be all that it could be. After much brainstorming, gathering of opinions and advice, eMomsatHome.com relaunched in April as Sparkplugging.com. The little mom blog that was bursting at the seams is now a thriving blog network with an exciting future.
It took guts to scrap her existing brand and start from scratch developing a new identity but now she has a brand that can grow.
If you’ve changed your focus over time, ask yourself if your brand needs some tweaking – or even a do-over. It’s very possible that your current website is confusing potential clients and sabotaging your efforts to improve your bottom line.
Don’t let a little starting from scratch scare you off.