Strengthening the performance of your business in the ways outlined here is really just a matter of common sense. But if you are committed to developing your brand then it often pays to get help.

National Help

EFQM helps European businesses make better products and deliver improved services through the effective use of management practices such as the EFQM Business Excellence Model. See SME links at www.efqm.org.

National partners in the UK are the British Quality Foundation at www.qualityfoundation.co.uk/ and Quality Scotland at www.qualityscotland.co.uk.

The Institute of Directors provides advice on branding and marketing through its members’ information service. It runs a course on effective marketing strategies, and has factsheets available on www.iod.com.

Local Help

Check with your local Chamber of Commerce or Business Link organisation for business networks in your area. These will give you an opportunity to talk to companies who have been through this process. www.chamberonline.co.uk

(click “find your chamber”) or www.businesslink.gov.uk  (England)

www.bgateway.com  (Scotland) www.businesseye.org.uk  (Wales) www.investni.com (Northern Ireland).

Online Help

www.allaboutbranding.com - this website has articles, opinion, a glossary – everything you need to know about branding. It includes a free self-assessment questionnaire on how effective your brand is and whether you have successfully embedded it into all parts of your company.

www.cim.co.uk - The Chartered Institute of Marketing has a free online guide to producing a mission statement. It helps you think through what your business does and guides you in how to create a statement that is unique to you and your business.