What a small business branding package should include
If you're collecting quotes for a small business branding package, you've probably noticed that they rarely list the same things. The prices are far apart, and it's hard to tell whether you're comparing a sandwich to a sandwich or a sandwich to a grocery store.
The most useful way to compare them is by what you'll be able to use the day the project ends, and whether the pieces were designed to work together.
Why branding quotes are hard to compare
Designers package branding differently. A "logo package" might mean one file or a full set of variations. A "brand identity" might come with a written guide or just a folder of images. Some quotes include designs for print pieces and a website that carry the brand; others stop at the logo. When different scopes are described in similar words, the cheaper quote looks like a bargain until a printer asks for a file you don't have.
What to look for in a small business branding package
A brand guide, not just a logo. A written guide to your logo versions, colors, fonts, and how to use them. Without it, every flyer and social post becomes a guessing game.
Print-ready designs for the first pieces you'll use. Business cards, a flyer, and a postcard, delivered as files ready for your printer. They're where a brand meets real sizes and real details like your phone number and service area.
A website built from the same guide. Designed in the same project, it uses the same colors, fonts, and tone as your business card and flyer.
Files you can use without calling the designer. Ask for your logo in vector formats (SVG, EPS, or PDF), which scale to any size for signs and printing, plus PNG files with transparent backgrounds for screens. Color codes should be listed for screen (HEX or RGB) and print (CMYK).
How to compare branding quotes: a side-by-side checklist
Put each quote in its own column and answer these questions. Blank cells are your follow-up questions. (If you'd rather start by checking the brand you have now, the free 15-Minute Brand Clarity Checkup walks you through 30 quick checks.)
Question | Why it matters |
What exactly do I receive at the end? | "Brand identity" means different things to different designers. |
Is there a written brand guide? | It's how you, an employee, or a future designer keep things consistent. |
Which file formats and color codes? | I recommend vector files; they're what you'll hand a printer or sign shop. |
Which print designs are included, and are the files print-ready? | A nice design isn't the same as a file set up for printing. |
Is a website included? How many pages? | Page count shapes the price, so know what you're comparing. |
What's not included? | Photography and copywriting vary from quote to quote, so ask. |
What happens after delivery? | Know who updates the website and what changes cost. |
Don't expect a branding quote to include printing, your domain name, or website hosting. Those are normally paid directly to the printer, domain registrar, and host, so budget for them separately.
For example (hypothetical): say a dog groomer in Walnut Creek has two quotes. Quote A is three logo concepts and a final logo as a PNG. Quote B is a logo suite, a short brand guide, and business card and flyer files. Quote A will cost less. But if the groomer also needs a flyer and a website this year, Quote A leaves both to be bought separately.
When piecing it together costs more
Hiring for each piece separately (a logo now, cards later, a website next year) can work, but it often costs more, in money and in consistency. Each new project re-interprets the brand, and small differences add up until your sign, site, and Instagram no longer look like one business.
That's why the Third Lantern brand starter package bundles the pieces most small businesses need first, designed together as one system:
Brand guide: primary logo, secondary logo, submark, color palette, and two fonts
Collateral kit: business card, flyer, and postcard
A four-page website
It's $3,000, which is $500 less than booking those same pieces separately. It's a good fit if you're launching or your materials have drifted apart.
If you're in the East Bay and want to talk through whether the brand starter package fits your business, start a project here.
Comments