Launching a new business during a global pandemic may sound like madness to some but to others, it has been the perfect opportunity.

In fact, recent data from the Centre for Entrepreneurs’ seventh annual analysis of Companies House has revealed that nearly half a million new companies were founded by UK-based entrepreneurs between March and September last year, suggesting the pandemic may have been a trigger rather than roadblock to getting fresh business ideas to market.

There are myriad reasons why entrepreneurs may have decided to take the plunge in 2020.  The opportunity to be unencumbered by internal politics. Freed from a traditional way of doing things. Able to act quickly in an agile, decisive way. Fresh foundations upon which a business can be built in the most relevant and vital ways for tomorrow’s consumers.

From a branding perspective, there are also lots of benefits to positioning your business as ‘founder-led’. Such businesses are often well placed to showcase innovation, bravery, something different. Something better. Something more personal and direct. Exactly the traits we are all coveting in the brands we buy into.

To fully seize that opportunity however, it is vital that all aspects of that brand are properly considered. And a desire to get a new business to market quickly doesn’t mean that anything needs to be compromised. Quite the opposite because this new remote era has made the process of shaping a brand much more personal.

So, where should founders start? And what should agencies know about working closely these entrepreneurs?

Communicate the business value of brand

Many founder-led brands are self-funded and have small budgets. They will have spent countless days and nights honing the business proposition and charting a path to success. Brand, for many, will have been an afterthought.

Our job is to educate them about the value of brand in a language they understand, the language of business. A brand is much more than a logo and a name. It is the impression you make on investors. The offering you communicate to consumers. Your calling card amongst a sea of competition.

For a brand like Lixir, for example, this was very much the case. A tonic water company founded by former bartenders, it was vital for them to be able to communicate their story in order to leverage their unique positioning and expertise of the industry. By establishing a brand that stands out both through its message and packaging design, Lixir is now in a position to attack its competition from a unique angle, and attract investment due to the very nature of its establishment.

Don’t miss the opportunity

Any business launch has a small window in which to make a big impression. This has never been truer than during a pandemic, when fresh opportunities are presenting themselves for the first time.

Working with former Knight Frank Partner, Sami Robertson, to launch his new property venture, Harwood Advisory, it was clear the challenge would be to get it right the first time before the rest of the prime property market caught up. To have launched with an inferior, or ill-considered brand would have been disastrous.

This is not a box-ticking exercise, however. A brand is a living entity. After it launches, it needs to be constantly tended to ensure that a continual dialogue is established with clients. Audiences need to know what a brand is about. What it’s doing. What it’s developing. Where it’s selling. What it thinks. It always needs to be front of mind, and ready to be discovered.

Adapt your ways of working

Unlike CMOs, who come to agencies with an understanding of how and why to build a brand, founders may be going through the process for the first time.

It’s therefore critical that you establish a pattern of working which both reflects their reality and reassures them they are in safe hands. Be flexible. Offer a different perspective. Understand their motivation and help give it a voice.

In response to an increasing number of conversations with founders during lockdown, we began to shape a new Proof of Concept Spring approach. Cutting right to the chase, the Sprint allows us to work in a personal, one-to-one capacity with a key stakeholder and deliver the core components of their brand in the most streamlined and efficient ways.

Centre trust

At a time when trust, in institutions, big business and media, is at a disquieting low, founders arguably have an enviable opportunity to build a direct rapport with consumers. This year has highlighted that, in times of adversity, trust and communication are fundamental pillars of a successful brand.

But reflecting this trust outwardly, in the fabric of the brand, can only happen when the leaders of the business are able to equally trust those around them to deliver. This not only builds confidence, but also enables them to fully realise their vision. To rely on experts and the experience and knowledge they bring. To vitally seize the opportunity.