While this may be sacrilege for my profession, the truth is not everyone needs a branding consultant or agency to do a comprehensive brand audit for them. But the act of developing a clear foundation for your brand is valuable for anyone. Here’s a simplified questionnaire.

1. How does your business help people (in one sentence)?
Just answer this plainly without industry jargon or hyperbole. What are people really trying to get, when they purchase your service?

2. What is your value proposition?
This is basically your “elevator pitch,” a slightly longer version of the first question. What are you offering your customers? Following is a basic format for writing your value proposition.

For [target customer]
who are looking for [need/want],
my service offers [offering]
to [solution].
Unlike [competitors],
we [differentiation].

Example: For anyone interested in fitness and sports, who are looking for athletic equipment, Nike offers stylish and highly functional clothing and other products to help them excel in their athletic pursuits. Unlike other brands, Nike invests heavily in design, technology and marketing to consistently produce superior and innovative products.

3. What are your core values for your business?
What do you stand for? What do you believe in? How are they different than other companies in your industry?

4. Why do you love what you do?
People gravitate towards passion. If you explain why you think what you do is important, you’ll be better able to convince potential customers why they should choose you.

Answer these 4 questions and you’ll be well on your way to creating a distinctive and meaningful brand.