A final, but important point on your brand

You should absolutely love your brand.  And just like the rest of your company, it should be remarkable in some way.  It’s the flag you are going to wave.  It’s the icon you are going to wear on your t-shirt, and others who rally to your company’s crusade should want to wear it also.  It should be the badge of your tribe.  It should have a personality.  It should be alive.  It should never, EVER, be dull.  If looking at your brand doesn’t make you smile, or doesn’t make you feel warm, or doesn’t inspire you in some way, then it’s not the right brand.  

Or even worse, if you wince every time you send out an email with your logo on it then it’s going to hold you back from wanting as many people as possible to see your business.  Yes, create something that your research shows you that your customer will love, but create something you are proud of and love yourself too, not something that you are neutral about.