Rebrand Diaries # 2: The Perfect Branding Timeline for small businesses
Let’s get one thing straight right off the bat, branding is not just a logo.
Your brand is the full picture of your business, particularly if you operate predominantly online and not from a traditional storefront. Your brand encompasses the visuals and the voice, the vibe and the value. It’s how your business shows up across your website, social media, photography, messaging, copy, and even your offers. And when you’re trying to do it all yourself in your first few months of business? It can get seriously overwhelming seriously quickly.
I’ve been working on my own rebrand recently and it’s got me thinking about all the ways I wasted time and/or money early on, and things I’m still neglecting in my brand (whoops)
If you're feeling overwhelmed by the process of branding your small business and wondering exactly what to tackle and when, this guide will walk you through the ideal branding timeline based on my experiences as a brand and website designer and small business owner.
Whether you’re just getting started in business or you’re a few years down the road and ready to level up your existing brand, this post will help you know exactly what to focus on at each stage.
Let’s ride.
Stage 1: Launching your new small business
My top tip for any new business owner? Start with an open mind, not perfection.
You’ve just launched your first business, congratulations! These are such exciting times, but probably chaotic times too. You're juggling trying to attract clients, creating and pricing your services, figuring out how to market yourself AND learning who your audience even is.
Right now, your branding doesn’t need to be complex. In fact, it really shouldn’t be. You’re likely to evolve quickly, so don’t waste time (or money) building something you’ll outgrow in six months.
The fact is, no one ends up liking the Instagram posts they designed in the early days of business, no matter how much they spent on the branding. Because it isn’t them any more! It’s a small business rite of passage to cringe at your early visuals, embrace it and focus on these things instead:
A clear, distinctive colour palette that you stick to. something unique(ish) that reflects your personality
1–2 fonts that you use consistently across everything visual
A business name that doesn’t make you cringe to say out loud (bonus points if it includes a location or service keyword for SEO)
Think of this as your new business starter kit. Strong enough to show up with confidence and have people get to know you, simple enough to evolve over time.
Stage 2: Finding Your Feet as a brand
This is where we start taking visibility seriously and get intentional about the ways we’re showing up as a small business.
You’re a few months in now. You’ve worked with some clients - some good, some terrible, you’ve learned what you don’t want to do, and you’ve started refining your services for your audience. You're still experimenting of course, but you’re beginning to get a clearer sense of your direction and the kind of brand you want to be.
At this stage, it's worth investing a little more in your brand presence:
Get some professional photos taken. these don’t need to be overly styled, just a solid set of images that show the real you
Build a basic website (Squarespace is great for this) with clear info about what you do and how to contact you
Start tracking the patterns. What kinds of clients light you up? What do they struggle with? What language do they use when talking about your work? This will become your messaging goldmine later on.
The goal here isn’t perfection. It’s building foundations that will support your business as it scales and grows.
Stage 3: Scaling your small business
You’re starting to feel like you’ve outgrown the DIY. Now it’s time to get serious about your brand identity if you want to become a truly iconic and unforgettable brand.
You’re 1–2 years in at this stage, and your business is gaining a whole lotta traction. But your visuals and messaging? They’re starting to feel like they belong to a past version of you. Your simple DIY branding and website have served their purpose up until now but you're starting to feel held back by them. They're affecting your confidence and stopping you from showing up as the amazing, bold business owner you are, and this is stopping you from getting some of the amazing opportunities you see others receiving.
You’re not a beginner anymore, you’re an experienced business owner with a huge amount of value to share with the world. It’s time your brand reflected that.
Here’s what to prioritise (warning, this is where it gets expensive. Thankfully, you’ve had a couple of years to save for this moment!):
Refine your offer suite, either on your own or with a coach, to serve your ideal client at different stages of their journey
Hire a copywriter or messaging expert to help shape your brand voice and clarify your positioning
Invest in custom branding that feels aligned, strategic, and memorable, something that helps you stand out for all the right reasons
Upgrade your website to something more professional and conversion-focused (ideally, you’ll find a designer who can handle both branding and web, like me)
If all this feels like a lot, it’s because it is. But you don’t have to do it alone. Most designers will have trusted partners (photographers, copywriters, coaches) they can recommend or even bundle into a full service.
Stage 4: growing your brand and Thriving
By now, the pieces are all in place. From the 2 or 3 year mark, your brand should be all about growth, consistency, and staying top of mind with your ideal customers. We want you to become the go-to gal in your industry, the first name that comes up anytime someone asks after your industry.
By now you’ve got a brand and website that actually reflect the quality of your work. You’re booking dream clients left right and centre. You’ve built something bold and impressive… now it’s time to strengthen it.
At this point of your small business journey, your focus should shift to:
Building systems and operations that support your business goals long-term without burnout
Refining your messaging. brand voice isn’t static, and your language should grow with your audience
Strengthening SEO for greater visibility and keeping your website up to date
Refreshing brand photography when needed to reflect your current look, feel, and direction
You’re no longer in survival mode. Now it’s about scaling sustainably and keeping your brand experience consistent from top to tail.
Stage 5: We Go Again
Rebranding after a few years doesn’t mean starting over, it means stepping up into your next unforgettable chapter.
There’ll come a point where your current brand no longer fits. Maybe your audience has shifted. Maybe your services have evolved. Or maybe you’ve just grown into a new chapter of your business.
That’s your sign to start the branding process again strategically.
Rebranding can feel big, but it doesn’t have to feel overwhelming. If you partner with the right designer, the process should feel focused, exciting, and super aligned.
This is a chance to reintroduce yourself to the world with a new level of clarity, confidence, and purpose.
Branding isn’t a one-time project. It’s an ongoing process that evolves with you. The most successful founders don’t get it “perfect” the first time, they keep refining, realigning, and reconnecting with their audience at every stage of the journey.
If your current branding is starting to feel misaligned or limiting, I’d love to chat. Whether you're just getting started or gearing up for a full rebrand, I’m here to help you build a brand that fits you - bold, strategic, and built to grow.
Fill out my enquiry form below if you're ready to take the next step.
