Local Business Advice — Get Noticed

Branding Basics for Your Local Business: What is a brand? Do you need a logo? Can you use Canva?

Let’s talk branding — a word that gets thrown around a lot, often with expensive price tags and confusing advice.

But here’s the truth: your small business already has a brand — even if you haven’t “built” one yet.

Your brand is how people experience your business. It’s the feeling someone gets when they walk through your doors, scroll your feed, get a DM from you, or open your email. It’s the impression you leave behind — and the reason people remember you (or don’t).

And nope, it’s not just about having a fancy logo.

So… what is a brand?

Think of your brand like your business’s personality. It’s made up of:

Your tone of voice (Are you funny, warm, professional, casual?)
Your visual style (Colors, fonts, logo, photography style)
Your values (What matters to you? What do you stand for?)
The experience customers have with you (How do they feel when they interact with you?)

It’s not something you slap together for your Instagram bio.
It’s something people feel when they interact with you over time.

Do you need a logo?

Yes... but not the most expensive one in town.

Your logo is one part of your brand — like a handshake. It helps people recognize you and feel a sense of consistency. But here’s the good news:

If you’re just starting out: A clean, simple logo made in Canva is 100% okay.
If you’ve been growing and want to level up: A professionally designed logo can be worth the investment — especially if it comes with brand guidelines (colors, fonts, etc.) to keep your look consistent.

But don’t get stuck in logo land. A fancy design won’t fix a confusing message or inconsistent customer experience.

Can you use Canva?

Absolutely. We love Canva around here.

Canva is a fantastic tool for small businesses — especially when used with a few branding basics in mind. Here’s how to keep it looking pro:

Pick 2-3 brand colors and stick to them
Choose 1-2 fonts and use them consistently
Use your logo (or business name) on your graphics
Create templates so all your posts/stories look cohesive

Your goal isn’t to look like a big chain — it’s to look like you every time you show up.

Real talk: consistency beats perfection.

Your brand doesn’t need to win awards. It just needs to be recognizable and reliable.

If someone saw your Instagram post, then walked past your sandwich board, then visited your website — would it all feel like the same business? That’s the magic of branding.

Quick branding wins you can do this week:

Choose your brand colors and stick to them
Update your social bios with a consistent tone and message
Create a simple logo in Canva if you don’t have one yet
Make a few Canva templates you can reuse
Think about how you want your business to feel and try to reflect that in your content

Coming Up Next:

In our next post, we’ll help you figure out who you’re talking to. Because the better you understand your ideal customer, the easier it is to create content that connects — and converts.

You don’t need a perfect brand to get started.
You just need to start showing up in a way that feels true to your business.

We’re here to help you keep it simple, consistent, and local.

You started your business to do what you love — maybe baking, building, painting, planning, serving, or selling something awesome. But now you’re finding out that running a business also means... marketing. Social media. Emails. Photos. Hashtags. Algorithms. Buzzwords.

Feeling overwhelmed yet? You’re not alone.

This new blog series is here to break it down for you — in plain English, with local flair. No jargon. No pressure to “go viral.” Just helpful tips that make sense for real Chilliwack businesses.

Whether you're a home-based maker, a downtown shop owner, a tradesperson, or running a side hustle, these posts are here to help you:

get seen,
connect with your people,
and grow in a way that feels like you.

Start Here: What is Marketing (Really)?

Let’s be honest: most small business owners didn’t get into this to become marketers.

You’re juggling orders, emails, invoices, inventory, kids, chores, and the actual work your business does. Then someone tells you, “You really need to be on Instagram more.” Or “Have you tried email marketing?” Or “You should totally go viral on TikTok.”

Cue the eye roll.

Here’s a breath of fresh air: marketing doesn’t have to be overwhelming.
And it doesn’t have to feel fake, forced, or expensive.

So, what even is marketing?

In simple terms, marketing is everything you do to help people…

Know you exist
Understand what you offer
Trust you enough to buy from you

It’s not just ads or salesy pitches. It’s the everyday stuff that helps people get to know you and your business.

If you’ve ever...

Posted a behind-the-scenes photo of your setup
Answered questions in your DMs
Offered a little free advice to someone curious about what you do
Put out a sandwich board on the sidewalk
Shared your story on your website or social media
Asked a happy customer to leave a review

...guess what? You’re already marketing. 🎉

Good marketing is just good communication.

It’s about showing up and connecting — not being perfect, not having a huge following, not spending thousands on ads. Just helping people understand who you are, what you do, and why it matters.

People buy from businesses they:

Know
Like
Trust

So your job as a marketer (yes, you're one now!) is to help that happen. And the best part? You can do it in a way that fits you.

What marketing isn’t:

It’s not having a perfect aesthetic grid.
It’s not being on every platform.
It’s not faking a big personality you don’t have.
It’s not pushing things on people who don’t need them.

Let’s throw all that out the window.

So, where do you begin?

Start small. Choose one way to show up this week:

Share a photo and tell a short story behind it.
Introduce yourself on your feed or in a Reel.
Show the process of something you’re working on.
Ask your audience a question to get them talking.

You don’t need a giant strategy yet. You just need to start.

Coming up next:

In our next post, we’ll talk about something you do have — and the big businesses can’t buy: your local edge. Learn how being a small business in Chilliwack gives you an automatic marketing advantage (and how to use it to your benefit!).

You’ve got this. We’re cheering you on — and we’re right here with you.