(And No, It’s Not Just for Fancy Corporations)

*Beautiful Brand Guide crafted for Crown Nine by* ***Holly Oak House*** *in 2020*

Dear Diary,

Let’s talk about something that’s as essential as a good playlist for a road trip but often overlooked by small businesses: the brand guide. You know, that magical document that tells the world (and your team) exactly what your brand looks like, sounds like, and feels like.

If you don’t have one, you’re basically running your business with leaky energy. Think about it: every time you pick a font, choose a color, or wonder if your logo looks better on a t-shirt or a tote bag, you’re wasting mental bandwidth. It’s like trying to assemble IKEA furniture without the instructions—you’ll get there eventually, but it’ll be messy, stressful, and probably involve a small existential crisis.

The Utility of a Uniform (But Make It Branding)

You know how Dolly Parton shows up in head-to-toe sequins and big hair every single day? It’s not just a look (though, let’s be real, it’s iconic). It’s about knowing who she is and owning it. A brand guide does the same thing for your business. It’s your uniform—a set of rules that frees you to be more creative in other ways.

I once wore all black, head to toe, for about 5 years straight when I was starting my jewelry company. It was liberating. Shopping was a non-issue. Getting ready in the morning was breeze. I kept all my creative reserves where I needed it.

Consistent branding communicates something solid and trustworthy to your clients. When your branding is stable, it tells people you’re stable.

How to Create a Brand Guide That Doesn’t Suck

Here’s the good news: creating a brand guide doesn’t have to be a soul-crushing corporate exercise. I’ve done it many different ways, and I have now adopted a less-is-more and have fun attitude (yes, fun). I like to set mine up in Canva because it’s easy, intuitive, and makes creating assets hella easy. Here’s what to include:

Your Colors: Pick a palette that reflects your vibe and stick to it. No more wondering if that neon green clashes with your logo.
Your Fonts: Choose a couple of fonts—one for headlines, one for body text—and use them consistently. Bonus points if you somehow are able to do Papyrus unironically.
Your Logo: Include all the variations (full color, black and white, etc.) and clear guidelines on how and where to use them.
Your Voice: Are you playful? Professional? A little bit weird? Define your tone so your messaging stays consistent across all platforms. This can even be used to help train AI prompts.
Your Imagery: What kind of photos, graphics, or illustrations represent your brand? Create a mood board to keep your visuals on point.

Stop Leaking Your Energy

A brand guide isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s a must-have. It saves you time, energy, and sanity by taking the guesswork out of branding. It makes your designs cohesive and repeatable, so you can focus on what really matters: running your business and serving your clients.

And let’s be real: in a world where everyone’s fighting for attention, a strong, consistent brand gives you a big fat edge. But even more real than that, speaking from a mental health perspective, just get ‘er done so you can stop the endless snags on your attention. Pick a road and stay on your road. It will eliminate so much mental tabulating and circus tricking. Serious. Trust.

So, what are you waiting for? Grab a kombucha (or whatever gets your gut going these days), fire up Canva, and start creating your brand guide. Because your business deserves to look as good as it is—and you deserve to stop worrying about fonts at 2 a.m.

Besos!

k.e.