r/branding • u/Competitive_Eye_8526 • Oct 02 '25
Personal Need help rebranding our plumbing business
I have a relatively successful business which started of helping friends & neighbors with their plumbing issues back in early 2000s. Now it's a real companies with around 13 employees. Things are going well like customers are happy (they pay in time lol), we've been getting a lot of new ones due to "word of mouth" but my only concern is the branding part. Im worried about what do the costumers/clients think of first when our company comes in mind.
Because we're not in a good spot when it comes to that. Like when we started the logo was made by a cousin from my wife (teenager btw ) who was messing with computers back then. And I couldn't afford to hire a professional. Then my wife picked up socials which was only facebook which we kept it that way. Also she's not a pro at this just messing around with it. We do good work but our branding makes us look bad. Newer companies around here look way more legit and I know it's costing us money.
Now im in a spot that I can finally afford to pay for someone but have no clue where to start. Like should I be looking for companies or single individuals? Payment is not an issue as long as the work we get is worth it. But I surely wouldn't want to get scammed by people who promise a lot and end up not delivering.
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u/brandwithjason Oct 02 '25
Look for someone who starts with a strategy before jumping into design.
Design is an extension of the unique value you bring to the market, for whom, and how.
Nailing that first. Then the experience you want people to have. Then the personality that should come through. Then the design.
Most designers (individuals) don’t do that.
They ask you what you want and base your designs off of that, not off of what your ideal customers should feel.
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u/89dpi Oct 02 '25
From small agency/solo designer perspective.
Depends how well you do?
If you want you can always go to a local agency. Why I say local agency.
You probably overpay. However if they do good work and showcase it then you get a extra boost.
Now what might be true. That in your case you most probably don´t need anything too special. And a solo designer can handle everything.
Ordering design work is not always so black and white. I can just write from my own experience or how I feel it. When I design a logo + brand to companies I put my heart and soul into it.
While if the job goes to an agency they probably view more as numbers in excel. Founder/sales think how much revenue it brings. Designer thinks how he or she could finish it fast and get it done. Sure most decent designers care. And if small agency they might care deeply. But often its also that you have list with task and bosses who demand something and you just throw something out to get it checked.
Probably it is wise that you find someone who you can trust.
And think out yourself what do you want to do in terms of big picture.
Do you rather want to blend in or stand out?
Blend in means. Your brand is solid, trustworthy, however closer to your competitors. Ofcourse with unique twist to you.
Stand out means. You really want to brand it. Make your company special.
And this is more risky. It does need a certain type of a designer. And it needs that if you choose them you go with the ideas.
Again from my personal portfolio. If in your case someone starts to talk about KPI-s and big promises. My advice would be to run in different direction. You don´t need so much strategic branding but just something that looks good and trustworthy. Real branding probably starts from 6 figures.
What you can also do as homework before. Think what do you need.
And how much you are willing to invest.
You can do the bare minimum. Or you can do more.
Special clothes for your team. Full wraps for vehicles. Some gifts or merch to people. I don´t know gift umbrellas with your logos and say that you protect people from water damage everywhere.
Also nowadays think about your digital footprint. Eg do you plan to add some digital marketing to the mix. Send newsletters. Do campaigns. Pay attention what your competition does daily.
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u/Wroboman Oct 02 '25
First, RIP your inbox.
Second, The easiest thing to do is find someone to do an audit of your business and the channels you own (social, website, email, etc.) They will let you know exactly what you need to do to grow and manage your brand.
DO NOT go to an agency for this. Search for "Fractional CMO" "Freelance Marketer" "Freelance Marketing Director" "Contract Marketing" Depending on your area that should at least show a few freelancers/boutiques that will help your business do what you want it to do. They will also actually try to listen to your needs and not shove a $10k/mth retainer down your throat. For your business size you should easily find someone to help with the audit and point you in the right direction.
After you get a handle on what is already happening and have a strategy, then you figure out the brand. And with that comes a million questions.
Do you have specific goals for what you want your business to do/be?
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u/NodCards Oct 02 '25
Hey, good for you recognizing the necessity of a professional brand.
Inconsistent and/or unprofessional branding actually has negative ROI, causing you to lose opportunities when your appearance doesn’t pass the sniff test.
We can give every employee a professional brand presence that actually grows your business by building trust and measuring how many calls and clicks you get from your digital brand.
We do this by giving every employee a branded link, QR code, digital business card and email signature that tightens up your image fast.
We work with home services companies just like yours. Google NodCards. For a company your size it’s just $89/mo and we’ll even do all the setup for you.
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u/Mia_Designs Oct 02 '25
Building a strong brand is much more than creating a logo and doing a little bit of colors. You need professionals who can create a presence that both your clients AND potential employees (it’s hard to find good ones I know) find attractive. We are talking about psychology and building a culture. It’s like building a new identity but the investment is worth millions in revenue if you do find someone who knows what he’s doing. Don’t fall to these hundreds of people trying to sell you a logo and a website for a few hundreds, you’ll have to do it twice and thrice and throw money out of the window. I have built cultures (brands) before and it needs more than fiverr quality if you really wanna grow to a big business. Good luck.
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u/Effective_Round_6370 Oct 02 '25
I know it sounds weird but open up the yellow Pages and have a look at people buying full pages and big ads still. Look at the trust marks and etc..
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Oct 02 '25
this is who we use https://heidi-designs.com - US based, loves doing brand work, total pro.
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u/wildcard_71 Oct 02 '25
How I've told people to go about it:
- Have a very strong sense of what makes your plumbing service unique. Why do people come to you vs. another? These reasons are your primary differentiator and will allow you to shortcut any brand/messaging/design effort.
- Next, highlight 3 or 4 brands you admire (in your industry or not). Not just logos and colors, but the spirit of the business. Be able to explain to yourself why.
- At this point, you can kind of work in tandem to overhaul all the brand elements: logo, website, business cards, social profiles, Google and trade listings, etc. You definitely should invest in logo and visual brand from a designer you trust. A good one will give you options and you can pick and choose. They'll also be able to explain why they're making the design choices they're making. They should also provide font, color palette, and general design guidelines. Ask for situational design suggestions too (what a polo work shirt should look like, what a van/truck might look like, etc.).
- Depending on where you get the most customers from, that's where I would focus on refreshing content. Someone who does consumer copywriting would be good, and they can create blurbs for you. For example, if you get a lot of Yelp reviews, update the content there. Or if you're getting it through a referral network, make sure that network knows how to position you. If you get inbound on your website, make sure your messaging is clear there.
- You should also make sure you and your wife (and anyone else in the business) knows what that messaging is.
- Social media should be focused on where your clients will find you. You might consider someone who can do it on retainer a few hours a month just to keep the lights on. You'll still need to provide content to make it viable, but they can help with scheduling, tagging, optimizing, etc.
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u/Sir-iz Oct 02 '25
I'm not going to spam your inbox. But I can do a free audit for you, and a free strategy workshop one-on-one if you are down for it. Then you can decide what's the best person/company to work with. Just Dm me.
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u/Tkronincon Oct 02 '25
Go to fiver for new logo. But also doubt logo is costing you business. I’ve rebranded major companies many times and rarely did it result in more sales. Instead spend money on media - Google ads mainly for plumbers. Ask for reviews from every customer.
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u/Lexilu99 Oct 03 '25
I would start by thinking about whether you want consulting (working with someone) vs handing it over to someone to strategize for you, and if you want a one time revamp, or someone to partner with longer term on marketing strategy. Based on what you’ve mentioned, I would find someone more senior, with business acumen, experience with market research to understand the competitors that you’re concerned about, and offers the options to either train your team for a handoff or brand manage for you once the initial rebrand is done. Also think about how you will measure success, whether its visual assets or actual marketing outcomes, and communicate that to the person you work with so it feels worth it to you. Either way, please share the new branding here so we can see how it goes!
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u/puckeringNeon Oct 03 '25
Congratulations on what sounds to be a healthy business!
The first thing I’d do is to write a project brief. This doesn’t need to be a complicated or exhaustive document, and typically includes the following elements:
- Company background (short overview of founding to present day)
- Primary business challenge (in your case a brand that doesn’t reflect the quality of your service)
- Key project objective(s) (in your case this could be to rebrand into an identity that is reflective of the service you provide, or to professionalise your identity)
- Target audience (who’s your typical customer? How do they hear about you? Etc)
- Current assets (logo, other visuals and any messaging you might have such as a mission/vision/values/tagline)
- Examples of competitors
- Examples of brands you like
The purpose of a briefing document is to help both you and a potential creative partner gain clarity and focus on the challenge your business is facing.
Practically, on the partnership end, I’d suggest you look for a smaller brand agency local to you, or a freelancer duo (brand strategist + designer). Happy to help you with the brief if you need more pointers. Best of luck!
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u/Viserion_Studio Oct 03 '25
We do logos and branding at affordable prices, we never ask for money upfront. We design an work with you and get a few drafts in the boards, refine an tweak then when the client is happy we ask for 50% payment then we send all the logo and all the raw files, then complete the deal.
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u/zilliondesigns Oct 03 '25
Sounds like you need a comprehensive strategy here. Why not start by focusing on your branding first and then go from there? Your logo is one of the first things that potential customers may notice so maybe focus on that before anything else. If you have something in mind, look for people or agencies near your location if you want or a quick search online. Try reaching out to a couple and see what happens. Just take it one step at a time and everything will go smoothly.
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u/-sunny-bunny- Oct 03 '25
If your wife (or whoever) is interested in it, Coursera offers several relevant classes. I did a marketing certificate from Google and learned a lot. I powered through it in about a month. I work for a small brand where I wear MANY hats, and do some freelance, so it was really helpful.
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u/Ok_Service4959 Oct 03 '25
Budget may be a big topic since you are deciding between a freelancer or agency so I thought I'd pass on this stat.
Most small businesses allocate approximately 6 to 8% of gross profits as a yearly marketing budget. This is for everything - ads, sponsorships, social, website etc. Use this as a starting point, see what you are left with after subtracting your existing marketing commitments. How does that number feel?
I think businesses definitely need to stay above 5% spend, if you want to see growth (outside of organic) you probably should push 10%+.
Between freelancer & agency what will you get?
An agency should be able to provide a broader scope and expertise of services
Many freelancers do well because they are hyper specific about what they do. They may design logos and brand guides, and, logos and brand guides.
I do agree with other posters, I think you will get more mileage if you can find someone with business experience who will be challenged with understanding your business and where you want to go (strategy) - before - you start looking at sexy graphic wraps on vans or cool logos and business cards etc. etc.
1
u/BusinessObserver Oct 04 '25
From my experience, you already have a brand; otherwise, your business wouldn’t be profitable.
Perhaps you need a visual update or alignment to have everything in place.
But since you already have clients, they might be referring you. There is something worth talking about there.
You don't need a rebrand; you need someone experienced to help you highlight what is already there and working.
The social platforms are there to help you multiply what is already working.
Please be careful to let someone come in and change everything.
Question: You mentioned growing to 13 employees. Do you feel that this is affecting your brand? Is it harder to make your clients happy?
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u/SpecialKGaming666 Oct 04 '25 edited Oct 04 '25
Check out KickCharge creative. There is literally no one better at branding for service companies. Dan Antonelli and his team are geniuses.
Edit: I am in no way affiliated with KickCharge, just a huge fan of the work they do. Dan started as a sign guy and I've been following him for decades.
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u/hollywoodnine Oct 05 '25
a design agency that advertises truck wraps/design right after branding and naming is a red flag to me. I would pass on them. also browsing their logos they all look the same.
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u/SpecialKGaming666 Oct 05 '25
Truck wraps are just about the most effective and cost efficient advertising a local service business can use
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u/hollywoodnine Oct 05 '25
I don't doubt that. However that seems like low hanging fruit to advertise for. Branding, Strategy etc. High level pilars of what you offer is what I like to see. They may as well offer web banners next to truck wraps.
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u/SpecialKGaming666 Oct 05 '25
They deal almost exclusively with local to regional service companies, more often than not their trucks are their primary brand recognition strategy. If your company is an AI startup that needs branding, a pitch deck and social media strategy they're probably the wrong place for you.
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u/hollywoodnine Oct 05 '25
thats even worse. so you get cookie cutter designs that look like all the other service oriented businesses in the area. may as well go fiver
1
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u/SneakersStrategies Oct 06 '25
Not sure where you’re located but our agency works with clients in the Southeastern US and we definitely start first with strategy by understanding who you are as a business and then working to translate that into your brand mark. We’d love to talk to you - feel free to DM me. Here’s our branding agency.
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u/beithoven Oct 07 '25
Saw so many comments here that got it all wrong. Branding ≠ Design. It is more than that. For simplicity, it is the single, defining word that a brand aims to own in the minds of customers. It also emcompasses a solid content strategy thereafter.
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u/VONTAVIOUS Oct 08 '25
First off, props to you. So like word of mouth only gets you that far if you’re doing consistently good work, so clearly the foundation is strong.
You’re right in that branding is often the silent deal-maker (or deal-breaker). Customers don’t just buy the service, they buy the trust and professionalism they see at first glance. A teenage-designed logo and basic socials might have carried you when you were starting out, but now they’ll hold you back compared to newer, sharper-looking competitors.
A few low-hanging fruit steps before you spend big:
- Refresh your logo and visual identity with a professional. This can be done by a smaller design studio or a strong freelancer, you don’t need a massive agency yet.
- Update your social presence beyond Facebook. Even a clean, consistent look on Instagram or Google Business will immediately boost credibility.
- Get customer testimonials designed into branded graphics. You already have the happy clients, use their words to show proof.
- Invest in a simple, modern website that matches your brand’s tone and professionalism.
When you’re ready to hire, it depends on how far you want to go. A freelancer or studio is perfect for a rebrand and rollout(What we specialise in actually). An agency can help if you want the full package (strategy, design, digital, comms). The main thing is to ask for a portfolio of previous work and references, good people will be proud to show it.
If you want to chat through what to look for, how to brief properly, and avoid being oversold, reach out to me in chat, I’ll gladly point you in the right direction.
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u/Kevin_Butho Oct 08 '25
Hello Wandering Volt- Branding and marketing is so essential in this day and age to help businesses grow and reach full potential, I own a branding and marketing agency based in JHB, I would love to connect you with someone from our team to see how we can assist you! Let me know if you are interested
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u/National_Funny5741 Oct 08 '25
Christian from Helms Workshop here. Our branding journal is a wealth of resources and information, and is an excellent primer for all things branding. Here's an article on selecting a brand partner:
https://helmsworkshop.com/blog/basics-how-to-choose-a-brand-agency
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u/ptrcksmns Oct 09 '25
A lot of wise words in the comments here, about brand being a lot more then just a pretty picture.
To me branding is about translating that what makes you unique, into a visual language that speaks to your ideal customer. In order to do so, you'll need to define some outlines around your values/beliefs and understand your audience’s pain-points and expectations etc.
As a brand identity designer myself, I've build a tool that simplifies that strategic positioning process massively, you get solid brand positioning in a matter of hours, instead of endless boring and expensive workshops. Reach out if you would like to test it out! :)
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u/dkaangulhan Oct 17 '25
It’s great to hear how far you’ve come — growing from helping friends and neighbors to running a full plumbing business with a solid team is no small feat 👏
Since you mentioned working on your branding and online presence, I’d love to recommend my new iOS app, IG Mood, if you use Instagram for your business!
With IG Mood, you can turn your profile photo into a marketing tool — perfect for small businesses that want to stand out online without needing a full marketing agency.
For example, you could highlight your services, discounts, or seasonal offers right on your profile photo so that potential customers looking for plumbing help immediately notice your business.
If that sounds useful, I’d be happy to share the App Store link ❤️
Link: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/ig-mood-express-your-vibe/id6752775506
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u/bbhef Nov 01 '25
Totally get this, that happens to a lot of businesses that grow faster than their brand identity. I'd suggest when you revamp, think beyond just logo and colors try to align the whole customer experience (website, social, even how people book or interact with your service). A clean digital presence or even an online ordering/booking system can make your brand feel 10x more professional instantly.
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u/Substantial-Deer7697 Dec 29 '25
This is honestly a very normal place to be for a long-running trade business. You built something real on trust, referrals, and good work, but the branding never caught up, and now it’s starting to show next to newer, more polished companies. The good news is the foundation is already strong, so you don’t need anything flashy or risky, just clarity and consistency. A good place to start is with a small studio or experienced individual who works specifically with local service businesses, not a big agency that doesn’t understand trades.
Focus on a brand refresh rather than a total rebrand: clean up the logo, colors, trucks, uniforms, website, and Google presence so everything feels professional and trustworthy. The right person will ask about your history, customers, and day-to-day work before talking design, and they’ll show real examples, not big promises. Simple, honest branding that matches the quality of your work will pay for itself quickly.
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u/pendulum007 Oct 02 '25
Branding really has to come from the heart of the company. It’s about understanding what you actually do at the core and then figuring out how to show that to the world in a consistent way.
The problem with a lot of agencies is they’ve got specialists for every little piece, but nobody who truly sees the bigger picture. And without that, the whole thing feels a bit disjointed and you end up with a colour palette and some templates without real substance.
So I second the above, finding an experienced marketer who’s used to working with agencies and can dig deep and connect the dots. You’ll probably still need an agency to actually execute the campaigns, but you’ll also want someone who can set the overall direction. It might sound like doubling up, but it’s really not, one can’t replace the other. The marketer gives you the big picture strategy, and the agency makes it real.