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HR Consultancy Launch Programme · Stage 6 of 10
Your Brand
Give a brand-new consultancy a name that is clear and available, an identity that looks established, and a founder story a buyer can trust.
How long
1–2 days
You’ll have
A checked name, a simple brand kit, and honest founder positioning
Steps
3 steps
Resources
2 resources
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01 Step 01
Step 01
Choose a name and check it is clear
The name has to be trustworthy, available and free of legal conflicts before anything is printed.
Do it yourself
- Generate options that signal trust and competence, suit your niche, and avoid anything gimmicky.
- Check availability across Companies House, the domain, the social handles, and the trademark register at the IPO, so nothing clashes.
- Say the name aloud and test it on a few owners in your target market.
- Secure the domain and handles once you have chosen.
Common mistake · Printing materials before a trademark or domain check surfaces a clash.
Time~2–4 hours CostDomain ~£10–£15/yr; optional trademark registration from £170 (rough figures) DifficultyEasyResource for this step
CHECKLISTName availability checklist
The checks that confirm your name is clear before you build anything around it.
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02 Step 02
Step 02
Create a clean visual identity
A consistent, professional look signals reliability to risk-averse SME buyers.
Do it yourself
- Commission or build a simple logo, a two-colour palette and typography, kept clean and corporate-trustworthy rather than flashy.
- Set up a templated letterhead, a document header and footer, an email signature and a proposal cover, all reused when you deliver work in Module 10.
- Apply the same identity to your website in Module 7 and your directory profiles in Module 8.
Common mistake · Inconsistent branding across your site, documents and directory listings that reads as amateur.
Time~3–6 hours, or outsource Cost~£0–£100/yr DIY in Canva, or ~£300–£1,500 for a designer (rough figures, get quotes) DifficultyEasy-MediumResource for this step
CHECKLISTBrand basics kit
The simple, trustworthy identity kit that makes everything you send look like one firm.
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03 Step 03
Step 03
Write your founder positioning and proof
For a solo consultancy, the founder is the brand, so buyers need to trust the person.
Do it yourself
- Write a credible founder bio: your experience, the sectors you have worked in, and your CIPD level stated honestly, with no inflated titles.
- Only claim a CIPD level you actually hold, and never imply a status you do not, because the Chartered grades are protected.
- Assemble genuine early proof: prior roles, real testimonials and credentials, never fabricated stats or client names.
- Craft a one-line positioning statement that is consistent with your niche.
Common mistake · Vague "trusted HR partner" waffle with no specific, verifiable proof.
Time~2–3 hours CostFree DifficultyEasy
What you’ll have after this stage
- A name checked clear across Companies House, the domain, social handles and the IPO register
- The domain and handles secured before anything is printed
- A simple, trustworthy identity kit: logo, a two-colour palette, typography and templates
- A founder bio and a one-line positioning statement, backed by proof you can stand behind
Next · Stage 7 of 10
Build Your Website & Client Portal
Keep going yourself — carry your momentum straight into the next stage.
Prefer we build it?
Hand this stage to us
Branding, and the website it lives on, are genuinely our work. If you want your consultancy to look established and trustworthy from its first email and first proposal, we can build the identity, the templates and the polished look that carries across everything you send. We handle the design and the website, not the HR advice itself, so you stay in charge of the professional side.