As a small business, when a client sees you for a first time, you’ll want to look the part. Solid, established, professional. This is how you need to come across to make the right impression.
The nature of most business models today also means that you are unlikely to be able to sell your product or service on the first try. Instead, you’ll need to have more than one contact with the client before they can be persuaded. They’ll need to be able to remember you and differentiate you from the competition. This is where branding comes in.