After more than a decade in marketing, I realized that many small business owners needed a solution that either didn't exist or was so rare it was impossible to find. Running a small business while managing brand strategy, visuals, and web design is exhausting. Passwords get lost. No one knows who's doing what. And it's hard to tell what's actually working. What if there was a better way?
A one-stop shop for all of your marketing needs; a place that handles it all. Imagine a world where your brand strategy, visuals, and web design are fully aligned. A place where you can create and plan social media content months in advance, build a strong online presence, implement a strategy that actually works, and still have time to network and give back to your community. That place now exists, and you've found it!
Over the past year, I've spoken with dozens of small business owners to uncover their biggest marketing challenges and develop a stress-free process that handles it all. No more lost passwords. No more uncertainty. Just clarity. My 15-Step Branding Process is outlined below to give you a clear picture of the complete brand experience I offer to small businesses. You’re not required to complete all 15 steps; rather, they serve as a guide to identify your biggest problem areas. I offer thoughtfully curated packages designed around the most common needs of small businesses, along with the option to book individual steps as standalone projects.
Phase I: Strategy + Research
1. Brand Review
The first step in my branding process is a Brand Review. Even when working together on a standalone project, I start here to gain a better understanding of your business, priorities, and challenges. The brand review is a 60-minute video call or in-person meeting to discuss your business goals, review current marketing strategies, and uncover growth opportunities. Before your meeting, you'll receive a pre-session questionnaire to complete at least one week in advance. This gives me time to review your responses and prepare thoughtful action items before our meeting.
During the brand review, we'll walk through your questionnaire, identify problem areas, and review my full branding process to determine which services will make the biggest impact for your business. We will also review your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) to uncover challenges and highlight new areas for improvement.
By the end of our meeting, you'll walk away with a clear roadmap with actionable next steps to move your brand forward with confidence. I'll also put together a custom package with my recommendations on how I can best support you. There's no obligation to move forward; however, if you decide to, the brand review fee will be applied as a credit toward your selected services.
2. Competitor Analysis
Gain insight into your target market and see how your brand stacks up with the competition with a Competitor Analysis. This is a 60-minute video call or in-person meeting to review 3-5 key businesses in your market. Before your meeting, you'll receive a pre-session questionnaire to complete at least one week in advance. This allows me to review your responses and prepare a list of action items before the meeting.
During the competitor analysis, we'll review your competitors' positioning, messaging, and visual identity. Together, we'll uncover opportunities and advantages to help your business stand out and compete with confidence. You'll leave with actionable next steps to strengthen your positioning. I will also provide a list of recommendations on how I can best support your business. There's no obligation to move forward with additional services; however, if you do decide to, the competitor analysis fee will be applied as a credit toward your custom branding package.
3. Brand Identity
Define your brand's look, feel, and voice with a Brand Identity. This will include a 60-minute brainstorming session to discuss the vision for your brand. We will uncover what you want your brand to look like, the emotions you want it to evoke, and the tone you want your brand to convey. We'll also discuss what you don't want your brand to look, feel, or sound like.
After the brainstorming session, we will collaborate to develop your brand's messaging. Together, we will create a strong mission statement, tagline, core values, and target personas. Once messaging is finalized, you will receive a custom moodboard to help guide creative direction. Upon approval of the mood board, you will be presented with typography, color palette, and iconography options. If you opted out of professional photography services, you will receive curated stock images to support your brand presence. This stage can also include the creation of custom illustrations and patterns.
Logo design and brand guidelines are covered in Steps 4 and 5 and are NOT included with the Brand Identity package.
Phase II: Visual Identity
4. Logo Design
Using your brand identity as a guide, we'll create or refine a Logo Design that truly represents your brand. You'll receive a primary logo and secondary variations in multiple orientations, colors, and sizes to ensure a consistent look across all marketing platforms. All deliverables come in the necessary formats, including: EPS, JPG, PNG, and SVG, all clearly labeled with instructions so you always know which version to use. And of course, you'll receive the vector file for scalability without pixelation.
In addition to your logo design, you'll receive a favicon. A favicon is the small icon that represents your website and appears in the top left corner of a browser tab. You'll also receive properly sized square graphics of your logo or favicon to use as your profile picture for local listings and social media platforms.
5. Brand Guidelines
We'll compile your brand elements into a one-page Brand Guidelines document. This document will include the different variations of your logo and when to use them, your typography, and your brand colors in all appropriate color codes, including CMYK (print), HEX (web), and RGB (digital). The reverse side will feature key business details, including contact information and social media handles.
6. Photography
An area that's often overlooked when it comes to brand design is Photography. Many brand designers rely on outsourced photographers or stock images to fill this void. As a Certified Professional Photographer, I take care of this in-house to ensure your imagery remains on brand. My photography packages aren't what you'd expect. While I do offer headshots and one-off photo sessions, my real focus is on strategy. I create high-quality, reusable content that keeps your brand looking fresh and consistent across social media, your website, and marketing materials.
I have a portable photography studio equipped with professional lighting, tethering equipment, and backdrops, allowing us to shoot on-site, in a studio, or combine both to create a versatile, on-brand image library. Although I offer monthly content packages, most of my clients find that quarterly photography packages are easier to manage and deliver the best results. Full commercial rights are included with all photography packages, so you can use the images across your social media accounts, website, and marketing materials without hesitation.
7. Videography
Videography is a powerful element of your brand identity that’s often neglected or outsourced. I handle it in-house to ensure every video is fully integrated with your brand. Each session is strategically planned to produce both short-form and long-form content, maximizing your reach across platforms. From engaging website introductions to dynamic social media videos, I create high-quality content designed to strengthen your brand and connect with your audience. Custom animations can also be developed during this stage.
I have a portable videography studio equipped with professional lighting, microphones, and backdrops, allowing us to shoot on-site at your location, in a studio, or a combination of both. While I offer monthly content packages, most clients prefer quarterly packages, which are easier to manage and deliver the strongest results. Full commercial rights are included with all videography packages, so you can showcase the videos across your social media accounts, website, and other marketing platforms with confidence.
8. Marketing Collateral
Now that your brand has a solid visual identity and a complete image library, we can create your Marketing Collateral. Together, we’ll design materials that showcase your brand across every touchpoint. From business cards and flyers to letterhead, pens, hats, and other branded merchandise, every piece will be thoughtfully crafted to communicate your brand’s message clearly and consistently. In addition to designing the marketing collateral, I set clients up with a reputable vendor so they can easily reorder items as needed. For select clients, I also manage the ordering process to ensure everything is sized accordingly and prints correctly.
Phase III: Online Presence + Systems
9. Social Media
Launch and optimize your Social Media profiles with branded handles, graphics, and strategically written descriptions. We'll create reusable post templates, cover images, and profile icons to ensure consistent messaging and visuals across all platforms. If you opted in for photography or videography services, that content can be repurposed for your social media profiles. Optional add-on: monthly content creation and social media management to keep your channels fresh and engaging.
10. Email Support
Email Support is available to set your business email up the right way. No more sending emails from your personal account. Together, we'll create custom email addresses using your domain, professional email signatures, and ensure everything is connected seamlessly. Optional add-on: custom email templates for routine messages and marketing campaigns to save time and keep communication consistent.
11. Web Design
Drive results with a custom Web Design tailored to your business goals. Together, we'll design a professional website and landing pages that are optimized for performance. Each page will have a fully responsive design, ensuring your content looks flawless on desktop, tablet, and mobile devices. Your website design will come with built-in templates featuring your brand colors and typography. If you opted in for professional photography and videography, those assets will be added to your site. Otherwise, we will rely on stock imagery. You are responsible for providing the written content; however, writing assistance is available for an additional fee.
After your website is complete, you'll receive one-on-one training via a recorded video call that you can look back on later. You'll receive simple instructions so that you can easily update and manage your site without frustration. Optional add-on: monthly website management is available if you’d like someone to handle updates for you.
12. Analytics Integration
Set your website up for success with Analytics Integration. All custom website builds include analytics so you can track conversions, user activity, and key events, giving you a clear view of your KPIs. Use real-time dashboards and reports to make informed, data-driven decisions for your business. Optional add-on: monthly SEO packages are available for a more in-depth look at your analytics and performance.
13. Local Listings
Boost your online visibility with Local Listings setup. Create and optimize profiles across local directories to improve search visibility and reach nearby customers. Together, we'll ensure your messaging, contact details, and descriptions are consistent across all platforms. Optional add-on: monthly SEO packages are available for review management, backlink building, and performance reporting to help drive more traffic to your site.
14. Local SEO
Optimize your website for Local SEO to help nearby customers find your business. Local SEO packages are designed to address the biggest problem areas that small businesses face when it comes to being found online. Standard packages cover on-site, off-site, and technical SEO issues. Upgrades are available if you want a more comprehensive package that also addresses AI SEO and helps your business show up in LLMS or large language models. All SEO packages include monthly reports and site audits, so you always know exactly what work has been completed and the progress your site is making.
15. CRM Implementation
Streamline your business with CRM implementation and a system built to support your workflow and drive long-term growth. Together, we’ll set up automation for tasks, manage contacts, schedule meetings, and track pipelines in one easy-to-use platform.
Do You Need Help with a Branding Project?
If you need help with a branding project, click the button below to schedule a complimentary consultation. This is a 30-minute video call to discuss your project and explore your options.