One of the most common complaints businesses have is that they don't have enough customers, and business suffers unless the organization is a mega corporation with a huge advertising budget. At least, that's a common misconception.

Actually, with a savvy message and a few well placed media outlets including social sites, print, and other channels, almost any business can get the word out to the buying public about who they are and what they do. The key is branding—presenting an image that sticks and makes buyers recognize you and your product.

Some examples are the Aflac duck, the Geico gecko, the Mile High City of Denver, and any other easily recognizable images you know, love, and trust. Where companies make a mistake is to change branding that everyone already knows just to be more hip to a different customer demographic, or to bring in merchandise or spokespeople that turn customers off—JC Penney and Sara Lee are a couple of recent examples. Also, consumers expect brand loyalty. They trust you with their money, so don't disappoint them by changing horses mid-stream. They get confused and often take their cash somewhere else.