As an entrepreneur, you know how important it is to accentuate the uniqueness of your business whenever possible. Very few consumers are interested in choosing a generic product or service, after all. We almost always gravitate toward the option that's most distinctive or memorable. There are many ways to make your business unique: a unique pricing system, a unique niche in the marketplace, a product or service that can't easily be imitated.

One fundamental law of branding is that the power of a brand is inversely proportional to its scope; the narrower the focus of a brand, the more memorable and powerful it will become. Hence the astonishing success of companies like Starbucks (the first coffee shop which specialized in coffee), Subway (the first delicatessen to feature just one kind of sandwich), Victoria's Secret (the first women's clothing chain to specialize in lingerie) and Toys "R" Us (a chain which eliminated children's clothing and children's furniture to concentrate solely on toys).

One of the the most common mistakes new entrepreneurs make is to take themselves and their business too seriously. In fact, a light-hearted approach may be just the thing you need to distinguish your company from the competition, win customer loyalty and energize your employees.

When graphic designer Woody Holliman decided to open his own design studio (after several years serving as chair of a college art department, he adopted one of the classic entrepreneurial strategies described by Paul Hawken in Growing a Business: Make It Fun - inject an element of humor or whimsy into a business that tends to take itself a little too seriously.

Never worked with a graphic design firm before? If so, you may be unsure which criteria are most important. Portfolio? Price? Proximity? Reputation? Needless to say, your own company's reputation may be riding on this decision. So here are a few tips to make your choice of a graphic design or marketing firm less stressful and ensure that you choose a good match for your project and your company.