As the end of the financial year we often focus on the accounting and taxation side of the business.  While this needs to be done, the end of year can also be a great time to review and freshen up your corporate image.  Here are some tips you may want to consider:

• Take time to review your customer base and understand why they deal with your business.  Then consider whether your website, Facebook page, business card or business stationery reflects the image or style that you want to communicate to your customers.  For example, if your customers are a small at home business then a very strong corporate image may stop your target market contacting you as they may assume you are too expensive or too big for what they want.   As such take the time to review the use of colours, fonts, picture or even your logos. 
• Review the information on your website.  Is it still relevant and does it accurately reflect what you do?  Review the wording on the different pages and update if needed.  If you have anything with a date on it, make sure it is current and try to take out of date information off the site. 
• If you have products, do you still have them in stock, are the prices correct and do the product descriptions accurately describe the product? 
• If you provide services then have these been described accurately?  Also, as noted above, if you know why your customers deal with your business then do the descriptions match the reasons?  This can also result in new services being offered that you can include on your website or Facebook page. 

Also, it is important to actively update and change content on your website in line with key words as this helps with search engine optimisation but also can provide a resource to your customers.  For instance, if a customer comes back to your website or Facebook page and there are no changes then they are less likely to return.  Alternatively, if you have regular updates through new postings, articles, blogs, feedback or general information then your customers are likely to return and actively engage with your business as well as your network. 

As such, take the time to review and freshen up your corporate image and don’t necessarily wait until the end of the financial year as you should be constantly reviewing it.