Branding Foundations: A Guide for Makers

You've saved a hundred posts about branding, you've got seventeen different colour palettes sitting in Canva, and you're still not entirely sure where to start.

One week you're loving earthy tones. The next, you've seen someone's gorgeous pastel packaging and suddenly you're questioning everything.

Sound familiar?

Branding Foundations is here to help you stop second-guessing yourself and start building a brand that actually makes sense for your business.

This 52-page guide walks you through the foundations of creating a brand, from figuring out who you're really selling to, right through to the colours, fonts, photos and little details that make your business recognisable.

It's not a textbook. There won't be any complicated marketing jargon or lectures about things you'll never actually use.

Think of it more like you and me sitting down with a cuppa, having a proper chat about your business and working through the things that matter.

A little about who's behind this guide

I'm Bec, and I've spent more than 10 years working in graphic design and web development, run my own digital agency, and built two maker e-commerce businesses that have processed more than 100,000 orders and generated over $3 million in revenue between them.

I've been the person making the products, designing the packaging, building the websites, answering the customer emails and trying to work out how to make everything look like it belongs to the same business.

So when I talk about branding, I'm not just sharing things I've read somewhere. I'm sharing what I've actually learned from building and running creative businesses of my own.

And now I'd love to help you do the same.

What are we going to cover?

Why your brand actually matters

We'll start with what branding really is, why it's about so much more than a pretty logo, and how it influences the way people see and remember your business.

Your story (and why people care about it)

Every business has a story, even if you think yours isn't particularly interesting. We'll work through three questions that help bring yours to life and learn how to tell it without writing an entire autobiography.

Finding your people

You don't need to sell to everyone. In fact, it's much easier when you don't! We'll figure out who your ideal customer really is, what matters to them and how to create your very own "Jane" to keep in mind whenever you're making business decisions.

What makes you different

There are probably other people making something similar to you. That's okay. We'll look at what makes your business worth choosing and how to communicate that without constantly trying to be the cheapest.

Finding your brand voice

Are you chatty? Straight to the point? A little bit cheeky? We'll work through how your business should sound so your website, emails, packaging and social media all feel like they're coming from the same person.

Making your brand look the part

Now we get into the visual stuff! Logos, submarks, colour palettes, fonts and how to make them work together. I'll also walk you through creating a logo in Canva and which files you should save.

Bringing it into everyday business

Your brand doesn't stop at your website. It's in your product photos, packaging, market stall, thank-you cards and even the way someone feels when they open their order. We'll look at how all those little things work together.

Putting everything together

We'll finish by pulling everything you've worked through into a simple brand snapshot, along with some common branding mistakes I'd love to help you avoid.

A few little extras

Throughout the guide, you'll find "Have a Think" prompts. These are little opportunities to stop reading for a moment, grab your notebook and work through what you've learned in relation to your own business.

I've also shared how I built the Business of Making brand, so you can see real examples of the decisions and thinking behind it.

And because I know you'll want somewhere to keep all those decisions organised, there's a 50% off code for my Brand & Style Guide Canva Template tucked inside.

That way, once you've done the thinking, you can turn it all into a proper reference guide for your business.

How does it work?

1. Download your guide

Once you've purchased, you'll receive your 52-page PDF guide. No waiting for the postie!

2. Make yourself a cuppa

Grab a notebook, find somewhere comfortable and start reading. You can work through it in one sitting or take your time over a few days. There's no rush.

3. Start putting things into practice

As you work through the guide, you'll start making decisions about your brand and recording them in your notebook. By the end, you'll have a much clearer picture of what your business stands for, who you're speaking to and how you want to show up.

And more importantly, you'll have something you can actually use.

Is this guide for you?

If you're really good at making things but sometimes feel like you're making up the business side as you go, then yes, probably!

Maybe you're just starting out and want to build a solid foundation before you get too far down the road.

Or maybe you've been selling for years, but your branding has evolved into a bit of a collection of different fonts, colours and ideas that don't quite go together anymore.

You don't need to be a designer. You don't need to understand marketing. And you certainly don't need to have everything figured out already.

You just need to be willing to sit down and give your business a little bit of thought.

The practical bits

• This is a digital product, so nothing physical will be posted to you.

• You'll receive a 52-page A4 PDF that you can read on your device or print at home.

• Have a notebook handy! This is a guide to read and work through, rather than a fill-in workbook.

• Your purchase is for your own use. Please don't share, copy, redistribute or resell the guide.

• Due to the digital nature of this product, please refer to our digital product refund policy before purchasing.

Thoughtful branding doesn't need to be complicated. It just needs to make sense for you, your business and the people you're trying to reach.

That's exactly what we're going to work through together.