Starting a business comes with a long list of things to figure out — and marketing materials shouldn't be the part that stresses you out. Here's a practical, honest checklist of what most new businesses actually need, roughly in the order you'll need it.

1. Business Cards

Almost always the first thing ordered. You'll want these before your first networking event, vendor meeting, or customer interaction. See business card pricing →

2. A Logo (If You Don't Have One)

You don't need an elaborate brand identity to start — a simple, clean logo is enough to look professional on cards, signage, and products. See logo design options →

3. Signage

If you have any physical presence — a storefront, a booth, a table at a farmers market — a banner or sign makes you look established rather than makeshift.

4. Flyers (If You're Doing Local Marketing)

Useful for a grand opening, local promotion, or door-to-door outreach. Not every business needs these, but service and retail businesses in a specific area often do.

5. A Few Branded Giveaway Items

Pens, tote bags, or another small item you can hand out builds recognition early. You don't need much — even 100-250 units of one item is a solid starting point.

6. Staff Apparel (If You Have a Team)

Branded shirts or hats make your team look unified and professional, especially for customer-facing businesses.

What You Probably Don't Need Yet

Skip elaborate brand guidelines, large print runs of anything, and premium promotional items until you have a better sense of what actually works for your specific customers. Start small, see what gets used and what doesn't, then expand from there. See our full New Business Owner hub →