01
Five versions of the logo
Different colours on the website, the van, the invoices and Facebook. Nobody is sure which file is the real one.
Naming · logo · identity · guidelines
Branding for
Branding for
small business
Branding for small business owners who want to look as good as the work they do. A name people remember, a logo that reads as a tiny icon, and a visual identity that stays consistent on your website, all planned with your marketing in mind.
Free: a 30-minute call, an action plan and a price range in writing.
Signs it is timeWhen your brand
When your brand
is holding you back
Customers judge quickly. A brand that looks improvised makes good businesses look smaller than they are.
02
A name nobody can find
Hard to spell, easy to confuse with a competitor, or impossible to get as a domain.
03
Priced like the cheap option
Your work is premium, but the brand looks like a weekend side project, so customers push on price.
04
You've outgrown it
New services, a second location, a new market. The old brand no longer fits what you do.
How it works
One brand
One brand
from logo to ads
Logo, colours and typeface come together into a system that works on your website, in ads and on your sign.
- Logo in several versions
- Palette and typography
- Social media templates
Behind the brandingBrand work tied
Brand work tied
to real marketing
Branding is useful only when it is used. I plan it alongside websites and campaigns I build myself.
Websites[01]
70+
full business websites built
Landing pages[02]
200+
landing pages launched
Clients[03]
100+
businesses served
Experience[04]
12+
years in marketing
Branding servicesPick what you
Pick what you
need right now
A new business usually starts with naming and a logo. An established one often needs a visual identity, guidelines or a rebrand.
ProcessHow a brand
How a brand
is built
Who does the design
I deliver branding with a trusted design partner. The brief, strategy, contract, deadlines and all communication stay with me, and I make sure the result works in your ads and on your website.
Discovery callYour business, customers, competitors and plans for the next few years. Free, 30 minutes.
Brand briefPositioning, personality, must-haves and no-gos, written down and approved by you.
ConceptsA few distinct directions shown in real use: on a phone, a storefront, an ad, a card.
RefinementOne direction developed through up to three rounds of revisions.
DeliveryAll files, colours, fonts and simple rules, plus a handover call on how to use them.
One simple mark, three places: a profile picture, a business card and a paper bag. If it works in all three, it works.
Price
What branding costs
Prices are in Canadian dollars. Branding is quoted individually, because a logo refresh and a full identity with guidelines are very different projects.
Discovery call[01]
$0 CAD
Thirty minutes about your business and what the brand needs to do.
Book a call→■ Branding project[02]
Individual quote
Naming, logo, identity or guidelines, scoped after the call.
- Written brief and agreement
- 3 rounds of revisions
- Payment in stages
- All files and rights are yours
Business website[03]
from $3,000 CAD
Your new brand on a site built on code you own.
See business websites→
Options
Ways to get
Ways to get
a brand made
| Logo generator or contest | Large branding agency | Working with me | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starts from | A template or a style | Long workshops | A brief about your customers and goals |
| Originality | Often generic or reused | High | Original work from a design partner |
| Thought about ads and web | Rarely | Sometimes, separately | Yes, I run that side myself |
| Files and rights | Sometimes unclear | Usually yours | Yours, in writing |
| Who you talk to | Nobody, or a stranger | An account manager | Me, directly |
Branding that pays
for itself
Branding for small business is about trust and price
For a small business, branding is not about looking like a big corporation. It is about two practical things. First, trust: a customer who finds you online, sees your van or gets your quote should feel that you are established and careful. Second, price: businesses that look professional can usually charge what their work is worth, while those that look improvised get pushed into competing on price.
That is why I approach branding for small business from the marketing side. A logo is not judged on a big screen in a presentation. It is judged at 40 pixels in a Google Maps listing, on a phone in an Instagram comment, embroidered on a jacket, and printed small on a receipt. If it fails there, it fails.
What a brand actually includes
- Name. Easy to say, spell and search. See business naming.
- Logo. A main version plus simpler forms for small sizes and single colours. See logo design.
- Visual identity. Colours, fonts, photo style, graphic elements and layouts for common materials. See visual identity.
- Guidelines. A short, practical guide so staff and suppliers apply it consistently. See brand guidelines.
- Applications. Business cards, signage, vehicle wraps, uniforms, packaging, templates for social posts. See print design.
Not every business needs all of it at once. A new cleaning company may need a name, a logo and a few templates. A clinic with three locations may need full guidelines. We decide on the first call.
Strategy before design
The most common branding mistake is starting with design. Someone picks colours they like, finds a font, and asks a designer for "something modern". The result may look good, but it rarely says anything about why customers should choose you.
I start with a short brief: who your best customers are, what they compare you with, what you want to be known for, and what feeling the brand should leave. A family-run bakery and a commercial HVAC contractor need very different personalities, even if both want to look "professional". With a clear brief, the design partner has something to aim for, and you have a fair way to judge concepts beyond personal taste.
Designed for how you will actually use it
Because I build websites and run ads myself, I review every concept against real use. Will the logo still read as a social profile picture? Does the colour palette leave room for a strong call-to-action button? Will the font work on a phone? Is there a version for embroidery or a one-colour stamp? These questions save expensive reprints and awkward workarounds later.
Canadian specifics
In Quebec, the Charter of the French Language affects signage, packaging and advertising, and recent changes under Bill 96 tightened the rules on how other languages can appear next to French. If you operate there or plan to, have the name and tagline checked in French early by your own team or translator; my work is in English. Many immigrant-owned businesses also want a brand that works in English and in their community language; I can help check names and messages in Polish, Russian and Ukrainian myself.
Trademarks are another point. During naming, a basic search of the Canadian trademarks database and business registries helps avoid obvious conflicts, but a proper clearance should be done by a trademark professional before you print signs.
What branding will not do
A new logo will not fix a weak offer, slow replies or a website nobody can find. I say this early because some owners hope a rebrand will solve a sales problem that sits elsewhere. If the real issue is visibility or follow-up, a marketing audit is usually the better first spend, and the brand can follow once the basics bring in enquiries.
How the work is delivered
I deliver branding with a trusted design partner. I write the brief, lead the strategy, review every concept and stay your single contact; the contract, deadlines and communication are mine. You get a written agreement, payment in stages, three rounds of revisions and full rights to the final work. When the brand is ready, I can carry it straight into a new business website and your ads, so it is used consistently from day one.
Questions
Branding FAQ
Do you design the logo yourself?
Branding design is delivered with a trusted partner, a designer I work with regularly. I write the brief, run the strategy part, review every concept against how it will be used in your marketing, and handle the contract and deadlines. You talk only to me.
How long does a branding project take?
It depends on scope. A logo for a new business is a much shorter project than a full identity with guidelines or a rebrand across several locations. You get a timeline in the written agreement before work starts, and late-delivery penalties can be added to the contract if that matters to you.
Do I own the logo and files?
Yes. Once paid, the rights to the final logo and identity are transferred to you in writing, and you receive all source files. Nothing stays locked in a designer's account.
Do I need branding before a website?
Not always. If you have a decent logo and colours, the website can tidy them up. If you are starting from nothing or your current look is holding you back, it is usually cheaper to do branding first so the website, ads and print are built on it once.
Can the brand work in French and English?
The branding I deliver is in English. Under Quebec's language rules, a trademark in another language can sometimes be used, but descriptive text around it usually needs to be in French. If you operate in Quebec, the French tagline and materials come from your own team or translator, and it helps to plan for that from the start.
Can you also register the trademark?
No. Trademark registration is legal work for a trademark agent or lawyer. I can do a basic search for obvious conflicts during naming, and I recommend a professional check before you invest heavily in signage or packaging.
Next step
Tell me about
Tell me about
your business
A few lines about what you do, who your customers are and what you need: a new name, a logo, or a full brand. I reply within one business day.
- 9 short steps
- No obligation
- I reply personally
- I reply within 1 business dayPersonally, by email or on WhatsApp, whichever you prefer.
- A 30-minute call, freeI ask about your business, customers and budget. Beforehand I review your website and ads.
- A proposal with a price, in writingWhat I’ll do, by when and for how much. You decide with no pressure.
BrandingStep 1 of 9
What do you have today?