What a small business actually needs in a brand kit
Branding · 2 min read · Updated 29 Sept 2026
Large companies publish thick brand guidelines. A small business needs a short, practical set of decisions that keeps everything looking like it comes from the same place.
The six essentials
- A logo in a few versions: full colour, single colour, and a version for dark backgrounds.
- Two or three main colours, with exact codes so they match everywhere.
- One or two typefaces, one for headings and one for body text.
- A short description of how you talk: friendly, formal, plain, technical.
- Rules for spacing around the logo and the smallest size it can be used at.
- A few examples of the style used on real material, such as a social post and a business card.
Why the short version works
The purpose is speed and consistency. When a designer, a printer or a new team member can find the right colour and logo in one place, the result looks coherent without anyone having to guess.
Start small, and add a rule only when a real problem shows up.
What to leave out at the start
Detailed rules for situations that may never happen just slow people down. Start small, and add a rule only when a real problem shows up.
Keep the kit somewhere everyone can reach, and update it when something changes so old versions do not keep circulating.
Put it into practice.
The problem
Your logo, colours and fonts change from one post, bill or board to the next.
Step 1
Save the logo in light, dark and icon versions
Step 2
Pick two or three colours and write down the exact codes
Step 3
Choose one heading font and one text font, and note where each is used
The plan
The plan: one small brand kit that anyone in your team or any designer can follow.
An example of how we would think about it, not a client result. Want the same for your business? Ask for a free audit →
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