Where to Start When You're Ready to Invest in Your Business (The MWD Way)
f you’ve been circling the “it’s time to invest” moment for… longer than you’d like to admit, you’re in the right place.
Most business owners have the same question when they finally feel ready:
“Where do I even start?”
Brand? Website? Photos? Copy? Social?
Do you fix what you have or burn it down and start fresh?
At MWD, we see it all — from the brand-new founder with $0 assets to the scaling owner who’s pieced things together for years and knows it’s not matching the level she’s working at.
So instead of giving you a one-size-fits-all answer (which would help absolutely no one), we built MWD Pathways: a simple way to figure out your next best step based on where you are right now.
Let’s walk through it.
Pathway One: The New Business Owner
You’re just starting out. You don’t have a brand. You don’t have a website. You’ve been posting on Instagram because… well, it feels like you should.
Here’s the truth:
Brand is your first step. Always.
But if you’re in that early scrappy stage and budget matters, our rule of thumb is:
Start with a Brand Kit.
It gives you every foundational visual asset you need — colours, fonts, logos, layouts — without the “I stitched this together myself at 11pm and now I hate it” energy that DIY brings.
A Brand Kit is perfect when:
You need to get off the DIY hamster wheel
You want to show up professionally from day one
You’re not ready for a full strategic branding process just yet
A Brand Kit is not perfect when:
You’re scaling
You need strategy
You want something no one else can purchase
Then once you’re ready to get online (and you should get online sooner than later), here are your next steps:
Option A: 1-Page Website
Your fastest, most accessible way to get online with something polished and professional.
Option B: Semi-Custom Template
If you want something bigger than one page but don’t need a fully custom build yet.
Pathway Two: The Growing Business Owner
You’ve been in business for a while. Maybe you DIY’d your brand or hired a designer years ago. Either way, it doesn’t match the level you’re now operating at.
This is where most of our clients land — and it’s where your investment makes the biggest difference.
Start with Custom Branding (or a Branding Refresh).
This is the moment where strategy matters.
Audience. Positioning. Personality. Messaging.
You’re no longer “just starting”; you’re defining your reputation.
Custom Branding is perfect when:
You’ve outgrown your identity
You’re attracting the wrong audience
You want to elevate your pricing and presence
Your brand doesn’t match your work anymore
You’re ready for something built for your business — not a template
Once your brand is locked in, your next move is your digital home:
Option A: Semi-Custom Website Template
If you want a full site at a lower investment, built beautifully on strategy and elevated design.
Option B: Custom Website (with real copywriting)
Best when you’re ready to scale, rank, expand your visibility, or create a website that truly converts.
This is crafted by our copywriter — not automated prompts — for messaging that’s cohesive, human, and built for your audience’s buying journey.
Pathway Three: The Established Owner in Refresh Mode
Your brand is solid. Your website has good bones. But things feel outdated, clunky, or not aligned with where you’re headed.
This is not a “burn it down and rebuild” phase — it’s a refinement phase.
This is where MWD Design Days come in.
A Design Day is fast, focused, high-impact design support reserved exclusively for clients who already have a Squarespace website.
If you’re not on Squarespace yet, this is not the right service (your project would move into the website design category instead).
Design Days are perfect when:
You’re already on Squarespace
Your site structure is good, but your visuals or layout need elevating
You want to add new sections, pages, or design elements
You don’t need custom copywriting
You’re ready for our team to move quickly and make decisions for you
You trust the process and want progress (not perfection) in a single, powerful day
Design Days are not ideal when:
You want a full redesign
Your site is on another platform
You want major brand or messaging changes
You need a totally different user experience
You have a huge wishlist and want a guaranteed set of deliverables
(Design Days are based on time, not scope.)
If your site needs a bigger transformation, you’re looking at:
Semi-Custom Website Template or
Custom Website with Copywriting
So… where should you start?
Here’s the simplest version:
If you’re new → Brand Kit first.
Then a 1-page site (or semi-custom website template if budget allows).
Then upgrade as you grow.
If you’re growing → Custom Branding first.
Then Semi-Custom or Custom Website.
If you’re established → Design Day or a strategic refresh.
No more guessing. No more posting with a brand that doesn’t match your worth.
You deserve the clarity (and the confidence boost) of a brand and website that actually work.
Not sure which path you fit into?
Let’s figure it out together.
Book a call and we’ll help you choose the right pathway based on your stage, your goals, and your budget — without pressure, confusion, or cookie-cutter advice.
You bring the vision.
We’ll guide the strategy.
