Does a New Small Business Really Need to Think About Their Branding?

Jen Raffles

4 min read

There is quite a debate amongst the design community about whether a newer business really needs to think about their professional branding right off the bat. After all, they may not be fully set up behind the scenes, and businesses evolve a LOT in their first few years. So why splash out on professional brand design when things could quickly change?

I am firmly in the camp of YES—my goodness, yes! A new small business absolutely should consider its branding right away! And gosh darn it, I am going to frickin' tell you why.

Start Strong

So, you started a small business, entered the online world, and suddenly discovered you know NOTHING!? What is everyone talking about… a brand identity? Brand guidelines? A brand strategy!? If you are like me, I bet you were (or still are!?) thinking:

"Man, I am just here to show up and sell!? Why is this so confusing and hard!?"

No one said small business life was easy, and in today’s online world—where everyone and their aunt is an entrepreneur—it can feel like an uphill battle in icy conditions while wearing flip-flops! Right?

👉🏻 The market is saturated

👉🏻 You are not overly sales-savvy

👉🏻 You don’t want to show your face on socials

👉🏻 You definitely don’t want to dance and point at nothing in your living room!?

…but you do want to make money and enjoy all the freedom being self-employed could potentially bring you…

But where does branding play into all this? Isn’t it just visuals?

It really is black and white; if you want to succeed, you have to get serious. You need to do the groundwork, build solid foundations (more on these in future blog posts!), get social-savvy, and show up in a way that’s comfortable for you—so you can shine online as your brilliant self in this very visual online world.

💡 Quick Tip: Your brand foundations are the who, what, why, where, and how behind your business. They are called foundational for a reason! Knowing these will inform not only your brand identity design but also the direction of your business, content, marketing, sales, and services. So, kinda vital!

As a brand designer, this is how I help my clients the most (spoiler: it is not just with kickass, colourful visuals):

🌟 We get super clear on their foundations so they know where to show up, who for, and what to say.

🌟 We build their new identity, piece by piece, with clear reasoning behind every design choice—getting them to think deeper than just "pretty visuals."

🌟 We create a perfectly aligned brand identity so they feel confident to show up for themselves, as themselves, everywhere their business needs them to be.

🌟 They get ready-to-use, fully branded social templates optimized for all platforms, making content creation super easy—because hello! We are all content creators now!

🌟 They get time dedicated to just themselves and their business, a friend to bounce ideas around with, and someone who truly gets small business life and will continue cheering them on from the sidelines.

As a brand-new business owner, that sounds pretty good, right? The branding process itself can be invaluable—like, I wish I had all that when I was starting out!

Why Branding is THE Magic Behind Your Business

As well as all that deep clarity and beautiful visual transformation, my clients walk away with:

🙌🏻 A brand design that brings consistency across their whole business, designed to grow with them.

🙌🏻 Visuals that convey the purpose and positioning of their business—to an audience that is absolutely judging based on first impressions.

🙌🏻 A juicy boost in visibility, building awareness and recognition (that alone sounds wonderful!).

🙌🏻 Credibility, professionalism, and trust—because ain’t no one buying from you if they don’t trust you!

🙌🏻 The chance as a newbie to stand out from the competition, creating a distinct space in their industry.

🙌🏻 A strong connection to their ideal customers, pulling them in and building that golden ‘know/like/trust’ triangle that leads to sales!

🙌🏻 A crazy motivation and pride boost—they want to step up, stand out, and SHOW UP because they feel ready and, more importantly, aligned!

Now, if that doesn’t sound utterly magical to you (are you ok??), let me say this loud and clear one last time:

💡 Your branding is more than just a cool logo.

When I say it covers everything, I mean ✨ EVERYTHING ✨

Final Thoughts

Your business is what you sell/do.

Your brand is why people buy what you sell/do.

Your branding is the magical way we communicate that gold to the right people.

Sounds pretty darn important at any stage of business, right?

Why should new small businesses—the ones who probably need the most support and guidance—not invest in the very thing that will help them set up for success from the start?

I said at the start that small businesses evolve a lot in the early years, and that’s true. But a well-crafted brand identity—one built on strategy and purpose—grows with your business. It gives you the tools and knowledge to adapt and keep moving in the right direction. You know... the upwards and onwards one. 😉

So, what do you think? Do only established small businesses need professional brand design, or have I convinced you that ALL small businesses with success in mind should prioritise branding? Drop your thoughts in the comments—I’d love to hear them!

If you’re ready to invest in your business and elevate your brand, get in touch with me today to chat about how we can get started!

At Magic Feather Designs, I am all about solving problems through cute design solutions. I create branding that’s unique, personality-packed, and built to help your business thrive - not just look pretty. A cohesive and strategic brand design is the biggest key to boosting the good stuff right from the bloody start! 😉😉😉

How to Book Your Future Brand Project!

If you feel ready to take that next step, then firstly - yey! How exciting!

Next, you can head to my contact page or email me directly at jen@magicfeatherdesigns.com or look me up on socials and pop me a DM - Instagram is best www.instagram.com/magicfeatherdesigns . There are no silly or small questions with me, I am here to help!