What Is a Brand Style Guide?

Short answer

A brand style guide is a document that specifies your logo usage, colours, fonts, tone of voice, and visual style. It exists so that everything produced for your business — by you, a contractor, or a new hire — looks and sounds like the same company.

Why small businesses need one

You don't need a 50-page PDF like a Fortune 500 company. But even a 1-page guide covering your logo, two fonts, three colours, and a few tone notes will dramatically improve consistency.

Without it: every email, social post, and proposal looks slightly different. Customers can't build a mental picture of your brand.

With it: even a new hire can produce materials that fit your brand within a day.

What to include in a small business style guide

1. Logo rules

Full logo (with and without tagline)
Icon/mark only version
Minimum size
Clear space (padding around the logo)
Approved and prohibited colour variations
What NOT to do (stretch, rotate, add effects)

2. Colours

Primary, secondary, and accent colours
Exact hex codes (for web) and CMYK/RGB values (for print)
Usage rules: "Primary colour for headers and buttons; accent for highlights only"

3. Typography

Primary font (for headings and logo text)
Secondary font (for body text and descriptions)
Sizes and weights: "Headings: 24px bold; Body: 16px regular"
Where to use each

4. Tone of voice

3–5 adjectives: "We are friendly, direct, and non-jargon"
Example good sentence vs bad sentence
Things you do and don't say ("We say 'we help' not 'we leverage'")

5. Imagery style

What photos should look like (bright/natural vs dark/moody, real people vs illustrations)
What to avoid

How to create yours

Start simple. Use a Canva template — search "brand guidelines" and fill in your details. A single-page overview is infinitely better than nothing.

Document as you make decisions, not after. Each time you choose a colour, font, or phrase, add it to the guide.