NorCal SBDC Online Brand Guide

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA SBDC · BRAND BOOK 2024

Brand Guide

Logos & Co-Branding Rules
Content & Voice Standards
Templates, Assets & Support

Logos & Co-Branding

One logo. Many centers.

The NorCal SBDC mark is the collaborative mark.

Our center logos are 90% identical. When you stack them, audiences just see the same logo over and over. For any event involving two or more centers, use the NorCal SBDC network logo as the only SBDC mark. Participating centers are acknowledged in text, not as a logo parade.

Single-center events

Local visibility first

• Use the local center logo (extended version with location name).
• Include required SBA / GO-Biz logos and disclaimers.
• Use “NorCal SBDC” language in copy if the event may pull from the wider region.

2+ centers collaborating

Network-level branding

• Use the NorCal SBDC network logo only.
• List centers in text: “Presented by NorCal SBDC: San Francisco, Marin and Solano-Napa centers.”
• Do not line up multiple near-identical center logos.

Local co-funders

Follow the funding

• Primary logo: NorCal SBDC network.
• List all participating centers in text.
• If a local funder requires the center logo, show one center logo at ~50% of the NorCal mark, in a clearly secondary position.

Stakeholders & disclaimers

Compliance always on

• SBA and GO-Biz logos appear per contract rules (never locked to sponsor logos).
• Required SBA / GO-Biz / ADA disclaimers live in the footer or small-print area of flyers, emails and web pages.
• When in doubt, copy the exact disclaimer language from the Brand Book / policies.

Logos in practice Concrete “do / don’t” scenarios for events and promotions.

Swipe through

Do

Two centers, joint workshop

Primary logo: NorCal SBDC. Centers listed under the title: “Presented by NorCal SBDC: San Francisco & Marin centers.” No duplicate center logos.

Do

City-funded multi-center series

NorCal SBDC logo as the hero. City logo on the same line as “Funded in part by…”. Local center logo appears smaller, next to the city mark, not competing with the main SBDC logo.

Don’t

Four center logos in a row

Clients just see the same mark repeated four times and ignore the tiny red location text. Use the NorCal SBDC logo once and move the center names into copy.

Don’t

Sponsor + SBDC, same size

When all logos are the same size, there’s no clear primary brand. Keep NorCal SBDC as the largest mark; funders and partners sit in a clearly secondary row.

Content & Voice

Write for scanners: short headlines, bullets, real examples. Less jargon, more plain English.

Keep it direct · Make it skimmable

Our tone is independent, confident, warm and straight-forward. We sound like people who actually run businesses.

Brand Book pillars · Impact · Excellence · Collaboration

Lead with outcomes. Pair every logo or program name with what it does for a business owner, not internal acronyms.

Always tie back to client impact

Use one clear call to action per piece: “Register,” “Apply,” or “Talk to an advisor.” Make the button impossible to miss.

Email · Social · Web

Where to get logos, templates & support

Official logo files, Lucidpress templates, slide decks, success-story layouts and the shared photo library all live in the NorCal SBDC marketing hub and Brand Book.

If you’re not sure whether something is on-brand—or you’ve got a weird co-branding edge-case—send it in before it ships. It’s way cheaper to fix artwork than to fix reputation.

Questions? Email phelps@norcalsbdc.org or loop in the Lead Center marketing team.

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