Author: Liz Frome
If someone would have asked me; “Do you think you would be rebranding your company after 22 years.”
I would have responded with. “Is this a trick question? If you are serious then No way!”
Business tip: When you have a pandemic shut your business down; you need to review all options.
I furloughed my staff Mid-March, but I was still coming into The Job Shop every day to run my business and to tackle the projects that were put off until I had more time. I wanted to ensure that I used this time wisely and did not waste this crazy gift of time. One of those projects that had been sitting; was for us to think about new possible logos for The Job Shop’s social media. Something more current and something to refresh our look. (This had been presented to me by our Marketing Manager in 2019, but I had a hard time even thinking of letting go of our logo and who had the time?!)
Well, I had the time now and I started to think about what this project would entail. Sitting at my desk I saw an add on Social Media from one of my close friends about his services and that this was a good time to look at your brand and maybe do a refresh. I knew his work and knew to take this leap I would not want to work with anyone else. (I had to ensure I trusted this person with my company that I had worked hard for its success over the last 22 years.) I was able to bring back my staff Mid-May and we rolled up our sleeves and started the process and decided early on why only get new logos; why not rebrand!
Business tip: Invest in your company for its future.
I am always one to invest if I think we can benefit from the investment and if I feel we truly have the need. (I realized soon during the pandemic that my work plan would be extended for a few years, I needed to think of my staff long term and their long-term plans and invest in the future of The Job Shop.) I reached out to my branding friend and said let’s start the process. At times it was painful, exhausting, stressful, unsure, gut-wrenching, a guessing game; I could go on and on with adjectives but not only did the brand consultant help hold my hand through the process but my staff came together as a team to add their opinions on the brand direction of the company.
Business Tip: Learn to let go.
I started The Job Shop and one of the main tips I received from a former boss; was to learn to let go! That everyone has their own style of processing things, if you believe in the employee, if they have the company’s mission in mind; we will all reach the same goal. It was hard to think at first that we were letting go of 22 great years of The Job Shop but I soon realized this was not about us doing something wrong but this was about us doing something right and we were only doing a refresh of our look. The branding process was smooth, and the Brand Consultant was wonderful to work with and was with us every step! We let him know who we felt we were and what our PASSION was. He worked with The Job Shop‘s team one on one and molded our feedback into our new Branding; keeping our core values in place. (This was very important to me as the business owner.)
Passionate. Dedicated. Collaborative. Personal. Community.
Business tip: Keep an open mind.
We met over a 3-month period to go over the steps for our new branding and new logos. The no’s became yes’s and the yes’s became no’s. (They would then flip back the next week. I would lay awake at night and run everything through several times to make sure we were making the right decisions.) I would say no to a color and then we would be back to that color when presented in a new way! The colors were changing, the font was changing, we had a new tag line and then we had a new logo. I would go home at night and ask myself would anyone like the new branding. Would I be losing out of the last 22 years? Would I be letting go of all that hard work? I would push those thoughts aside come back to the meetings, do a lot of research, and I would keep reminding myself to have an OPEN mind!
Business tip: You need to take some risk at times.
Some things in my mind were a hard “No” but truly should they be? I have always been an adventure seeker and one to take risks. I have jumped out of airplanes, climbed to 16,000 feet, went diving over 100 feet with sharks, got married, have owned 4 dogs at once and I am always up for the next adventure; but I was very unsettled with this adventure with my company. I was getting exhausted, getting frustrated; at times through the process. Was I getting frustrated because this was showing my age? I feel I stay current and understand the current trends. I needed to conclude; I was not 21 or 30 anymore and maybe I did not completely understand all the current trends, but my team was there to step in to ensure we kept the process moving forward! What helped me keep moving forward was to remind myself of the feeling I would get from taking those risks/adventures and the reward waiting for you on the other side.
Business tip: Trust your instinct.
We were coming down to the final days of the new branding for The Job Shop; so of course, I started to run the new ideas by my friends. (Remember you will get 100 new opinions and you will not be closer to making your final decisions.) I was finding myself stuck and not wanting to make final decisions on our branding and I would go over everything obsessed to make sure I was not missing anything and to make sure we were not settling on things that I felt we would be stuck with. I wanted to be Passionate about what we were doing, and I was not 100% there yet. I finally concluded it is always best to trust your instinct.
Business tip: You need to be able to make clear decisions for the better of the company.
Once I was able to stop personalizing the process, I was then able to step up and work with my team to make clear decisions for the future of The Job Shop. The team had worked hard over the last 3 months and when I took a step back to look at the entire process, I was very proud on where we ended up as a team and that we had a refreshed new look for many years to come and we did not let go of the core values of the company.
Business tip: Always look to the future but keep the past fondly in mind
I get many compliments on our new refreshed look from the font, the color, the logo, our photos, our website and our social media. It has all come together and I am very proud to take a step back and enjoy being able to let go and believe in the process.
I want to say goodbye to our logo and look for the past 22 years; you brought us a long way and we have many fond memories. You can thank the pandemic for us letting you go! You may not be moving forward with us, but you will not be forgotten and I thank you!
Thank you everyone who helped with The Job Shop’s rebranding, to many more years and we will always be working with the following:
Passion. Dedication. Collaboration. Personal Service. & Getting Involved in The Community.
The Job Shop is here to help you; Make your mark!
David McGrane
Brand Consultant
Pooja Ahooja
Photographer
Meenal Tyagi
Website Design