Propaganda we’re not buying (even as brand designers): that small businesses need all the branding bells and whistles on day one. Nope. We believe new businesses can launch with budget-friendly branding that still looks great and sets them up to grow—if they start small and smart. (& spoiler: we did just that with The Palm Mansion as we built their new brand with intention).
How we craft budget friendly branding for a new business:
When you’re starting a new business, it’s easy to feel like you need everything right away. A full brand suite, a multi-page website, pro photography, SEO, social media templates, email funnels… the list can feel endless.
And we get it. It’s exciting! You want to make a splash, and we want that for you too! You want to show up polished and professional. But here’s what we’ve seen time and again: trying to do all the things at once—especially on a tight budget—often leads to rushed decisions, watered-down design, and a brand that doesn’t really reflect who you are.
Here’s an example of how to do budget friendly branding, the right way:
When The Palm Mansion came to us in 2023, they were right in the middle of renovating their stunning, historic property. It was a huge vision—and a major investment. Naturally, their budget for branding and web design wasn’t unlimited. But they also knew how important it was to start with intention.
So instead of stretching their budget thin by trying to get a full website and every possible brand deliverable at once, they chose to start strong with the essentials. We worked with them to craft a thoughtful brand identity—one that captured the romance and charm of their venue. They achieved this by utilizing our Brand Starter Pack, which includes just one logo and one icon but all the essential style and strategy a new business needs.
Here’s all that’s included in our Brand Starter Pack:
- A Brand Development & Creative Strategy Meeting, to discuss your stylistic vision & determine a plan of action to achieve your desired public perception.
- A Mission Statement & Positioning Statement, which identifies what makes your business unique, your target audience, & how to connect with them.
- A Mood Board, to be a visual reference point for your brand’s aesthetic.
- A Set of Brand Guidelines, outlining your carefully curated keywords, colors, fonts, logo, & icon in a way that makes it simple for you to stay on brand in any situation.
- 1 Primary Logo, capturing the overall essence of your business.
- A Brand Icon, that may be incorporated into your logo design as well as provided as a stand alone visual.
- Up to 3 Draft Revisions, additions revisions may be purchased.
- Font Files, so your business’ written material can always be on brand.
- All Logo Files & Variations, including multiple color combinations, black & white, transparent, .PNGs, & Vector files.
Then, once we had their Brand Starter Pack in hand, we launched a clean, compelling single-page website for The Palm Mansion. This landing page that gave them a digital home while their renovations were underway.
This approach gave them the tools to show up confidently, start booking clients, and build trust with their audience. All done without overwhelming their budget or rushing the process.
Fast-forward to 2025, and The Palm Mansion has become a thriving space for weddings and events. And because we’d built a strong foundation from the beginning, expanding their brand and building a full, custom website was a seamless next step—not a stressful re-do.
This kind of growth is exactly why we always encourage new businesses to start with clarity, not clutter. You don’t need to have everything on day one. You just need to make a few smart, strategic choices that set you up to grow with confidence—and quality.
