Brand Guidelines Examples: Practical Mini-Guides for Small Businesses

Brand guidelines are a short set of rules that explain how your business should look and sound wherever it appears: your logo, colours, fonts, photos and tone of voice. For a small business they don't need to be a 60-page book. A few clear pages that anyone can follow, such as a new employee, a printer or a social media freelancer, will do more good than a glossy document nobody opens.

Below are three fictional mini-guidelines to show what this looks like in practice, followed by a template you can adapt.

If you're still weighing up why branding matters at all, see why branding matters. For the cost of a logo or identity, see logo design and branding costs in the UK. This article is about writing down and using the rules once you have them.

What small-business brand guidelines should cover

1. Logo use: approved versions, minimum size, clear space, what not to do
2. Colours: exact values for screen and print, and how to use them
3. Typography: fonts for headings and body text, with fallbacks
4. Imagery: the kind of photos and graphics that fit, and what to avoid
5. Tone of voice: how you write, with examples
6. Examples in use: a social post, an email header, a van or sign
7. Contacts and files: where the master files live and who approves new uses

Example 1: A fictional bakery

"Hartley's Bakehouse" — mini brand guidelines (fictional example)

Logo

• Primary logo: wordmark with wheat symbol, used on light backgrounds
• Secondary: symbol only, for small spaces such as social avatars
• Keep clear space around the logo equal to the height of the "H"
• Don't stretch, recolour, add shadows or place on busy photos

Colours

Typography

• Headings: a rounded serif typeface, bold
• Body: a clean sans serif, regular, at a comfortable reading size
• Fallback for email and documents: Georgia (headings), Arial (body)

Photography

• Natural daylight, close-up bakes, real hands at work
• No heavily filtered images or stock photos of other bakeries' products

Tone of voice

• Warm, plain, a little playful
• ✅ "Sourdough's out of the oven at 8. First come, first served."
• ❌ "We are delighted to announce the availability of our artisanal sourdough offering."

Example 2: A fictional electrician

"Northgate Electrical" — mini brand guidelines (fictional example)

Logo

• Primary: full-colour horizontal logo for website, invoices and van
• Mono white version for dark backgrounds and vehicle livery
• Minimum width on screen large enough that the name is legible on a phone

Colours

Accessibility note: yellow text on white is hard to read. Use navy text on yellow buttons, not white text.

Typography

• Headings and body: a sturdy sans serif family, bold for headings
• Fallback: Arial

Photography

• Real jobs, tidy finished installations, team in branded workwear
• Always check photos don't show customers' personal details or door numbers

Tone of voice

• Clear, calm, reassuring. Explain, don't show off
• ✅ "We'll test everything before we leave and talk you through the certificate."
• ❌ "Cutting-edge electrical solutions for the modern age."

Example 3: A fictional accountancy practice

"Linden & Moss Accountants" — mini brand guidelines (fictional example)

Logo

• Primary: stacked logo for documents; horizontal for website header
• Never place the logo on photographs

Colours

Typography

• Headings: a classic serif
• Body: a highly legible sans serif
• Documents: use the same fonts in letters and reports; fall back to system fonts if unavailable

Tone of voice

• Precise, plain English, no jargon without explanation
• ✅ "Your Self Assessment deadline is 31 January. We'll remind you in December."
• ❌ "Leveraging our expertise to optimise your fiscal outcomes."

Practical rules worth including

Check colour contrast

Brand colours need to work for text people can actually read. The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines set minimum contrast ratios for text: at least 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text at level AA, as explained in W3C's guidance on contrast (minimum). Test your text and background combinations and write the approved pairs into your guidelines.

Include file formats

List which file to use where, for example:

• SVG for websites (sharp at any size)
• PNG with transparent background for documents and social media
• PDF or EPS for printers and signwriters

Check font licences

Some fonts are free for any use; others need a licence for commercial use, websites or apps. Note which licences you hold.

Protect your name and logo

If your brand is important to your business, consider whether to register it as a trade mark. The UK government explains the process in how to register a trade mark. This isn't legal advice; a trade mark attorney can advise on your situation.

A fill-in template

[Business name] — Brand guidelines, version [1.0], [date]

1. Who we are: one sentence describing the business and who it serves
2. Logo: approved versions; clear space; minimum size; don'ts
3. Colours: name, use, HEX, RGB, CMYK (for print) for each; approved text/background pairs
4. Typography: heading font; body font; fallbacks; sizes for web
5. Imagery: do/don't examples for photos and graphics
6. Tone of voice: three words describing how we sound; two "we say / we don't say" examples
7. Examples: social post, email header, business card, signage
8. Files and contacts: where master files are stored; who approves new uses

Frequently asked questions

Do small businesses really need brand guidelines? If more than one person, or any supplier, creates anything for your business, yes. Even a two-page version prevents drift.

How long should brand guidelines be? As short as possible while still being clear. For most small businesses, a few pages is enough.

Can I create guidelines without a designer? You can document what you already use. A designer can help refine it and produce proper master files.

How often should I update them? Whenever something changes, such as a new logo version or colour. Note the version and date.

Need help pulling it together?

Our graphic design service includes creating and documenting brand identities. If you're applying your brand to social media, see choosing the right social platform. Get in touch to talk about your brand.

Sources

• W3C — Understanding Success Criterion 1.4.3: Contrast (Minimum)
• W3C — Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2
• GOV.UK — How to register a trade mark