Creating a strong and effective brand is important for businesses large and small, but simply creating your brand is not enough. Branding experts estimate that 35 to 40 percent of a company’s market capitalization can be equated with the company’s brand. A potential forty percent of your company’s value is not something you want to fritter away through lax handling. Your brand shows the world what you stand for and tells your customers what they can expect from you. If this message is not consistent across the board, customers may become confused or grow suspicious. Your brand should be carefully nurtured and reinforced through consistent usage in all areas of visibility, including business cards, brochures, websites, proposals, even, or perhaps especially, promotional materials like hats, t-shirts or pens. To get the most out of your brand, you want it to convey the genuine personality of your company, an image which should not change from week to week, or depending on the angle from which it is viewed.