This is the fourth article in an eight-part series on how to help your small business compete with the big guys. Read part three.

Assess what your business looks like. If you haven’t recently evaluated all of your customer-facing materials, it’s time to do so. Take your website, business cards, brochures, flyers or anything else you may distribute and put them side-by-side. What do you see?

Is it clear what products or services you provide? Does your company brand shine through? Is your brand clear and consistent across all the pieces? Do your materials set you apart from your competitors? And, finally, is your message and image memorable?

Even better than doing this brand audit yourself, assemble a small group of honest customers, friends or associates and ask what they think. It may be time to refresh or even restart on your company’s image.

It’s the details that will set you apart from your competitors. At many big companies that invest in a brand, there is typically a document that serves as a “brand bible.” Be sure to create your brand guidelines to ensure a consistent “look” across the company by everyone that has a role in communicating your brand.

Next: Build an online and mobile presence