Bootstrap Your Startup with professional designs
This guide is your step-by-step playbook to building the foundational elements every startup needs. From business cards and social media assets to pitch-perfect presentation decks. Whether crafting your online presence, building customer trust, or presenting to investors, these templates ensure your business always looks as professional as it aspires. And because we understand your budget matters, this solution is affordable without compromise—providing you with high-quality resources ready to go right out of the box.
You bring your vision—we'll help you bring it together with this launchpad!
Let's go over the basics of what you need
You don't need an arsenal of templates to bootstrap your business. We recommend starting small and then building up. On this page, you'll get the following:
- A list of templates you will need to bootstrap your business
- Access starter templates you can edit using Adobe Express
- Insight on what to do when you are starting from scratch
- Tutorials on how to use the templates
- Tutorials on how to easily get started with Adobe Express
The brand identity basics
Save time and establish brand consistency by creating these basic brand identity templates:
- Brandmark (aka logo)
- Brand styleguide
- Business card design
- Letterhead
- Invoice
- Brochure
- Thank you card
- Presentation/pitch deck
- Email signature
To promote your business on social media, these are the templates we recommend starting with:
- Social media cover banners (Facebook, LinkedIn)
- Brand awareness graphics (Client testimonials, products/services highlights, tips and tricks)
- Announcement graphics (sales, events, promotions, milestones)
- Engagement posts (polls, question prompts, user-generated content)
Putting together all those templates is overwhelming!
Instead of spending 10+ hours searching for and assembling these templates, we created the SMB Brand Starter Launch Pad, which includes all these templates in one Library. To use it, you need to apply your brand kit and modify it!
Get started by watching our tutorial
Watch the tutorial below on how to customize these templates and add them to your Adobe Express Libraries. While these are templates inspired by Pantone's Mocha Mousse, we'll show you how to edit them to fit your brand.
If you want more inspiration for Mocha Mousse, check out the Adobe Stock Library we compiled. It includes 150 images, patterns, and textures inspired by Mocha Mousse.
Get ready! Your brand is about to bloom.
In the next section, we’ll take you through the practical steps to bring your brand to life using some of the templates we shared. We'll show you how to use specific templates in the Library to help you design your content. From crafting a plan with a Stylescape (a visual roadmap, much like a mood board) to presenting your ideas with a polished slide deck, we’ll show you how to translate your vision into action. You’ll also learn how to create a captivating brand story animated reel to connect with your audience and design an eye-catching infographic tailored for Pinterest to expand your reach.
These templates empower small business owners like YOU with the creative resources to build a compelling and cohesive brand presence.
STEP 1: Use a Stylescape
Stylescapes are more effective than mood boards because they allow you to assemble various elements that inspire your brand and show how they can interact with one another. Mood boards, on the other hand, separate each element into smaller boxes, which makes it harder to see how it looks as a whole.
As you navigate this process, consider the following:
- Choose Fonts That Reflect Your Brand Personality. Your fonts should align with your brand’s ethos and appeal to your target audience. They’re a visual extension of who you are—pick wisely.
- Prioritize Readability. Hard-to-read fonts, like cursive or handwritten styles, slow down your audience. The harder they work to read, the more likely they’ll tune out—don’t risk losing attention or sales.
- Understand the Power of Color. Colors shape how people perceive your brand—especially among culture. Be intentional with your palette to ensure it communicates the right message and resonates emotionally.
- Stick to Consistent Photo Styles. Mixing dark, moody images with vibrant ones sends mixed signals. A cohesive photo style strengthens your brand’s visual identity and builds trust.
- Show Diversity in Product Imagery. Feature varied images of people interacting with your products. It makes your brand relatable and helps customers see themselves using what you offer.
Think of a Stylescape as the guiding light you envision for your brand. Additionally, if you decide to collaborate with a professional designer to develop your brand, providing them with a Stylescape will be a significant advantage for both of you.
Once you have all your elements, you are ready to create a brand kit. Bring all of those together in Adobe Express
A brand kit is crucial for maintaining brand consistency and speeding up the creation flow needed to market your business. Click here to watch a tutorial on how to set up your brand kit in Adobe Express.
STEP 2: make a one-page Styleguide
A one-page Styleguide organizes your brand elements. While a brand kit is vital, this overview consolidates all essential components.
PRO Tip: Use it to share with collaborators designing brand content or for PR opportunities requiring brand information.
Time to start editing the templates we shared and making them your own
Not sure where to start with Adobe Express? We got you! Click below to head over to our video tutorials section.
Make your brand story reel
Adobe Express makes it very easy to create animated content like reels. The template below is a 5-scene reel. Use it to share your mission, values, your product/service, about you or your team and a call to action. To edit the design, toggle on the "edit timeline" at the bottom of the screen. Then, review each scene to update the design with your text and brand assets.
PRO TIP: Take it to the next level by recording your voice and reading some text.
Get pitch-ready with a presentation deck.
Use this template below to share your brand mission, values, and what you offer for your industry. It also includes an area for relevant industry data (an essential factor if you are looking for funding) and a section about your team.
PRO Tip: With Adobe Express you can design and present your decks in the same place. Skip the pain and struggle of using PowerPoint! Below is a quick tutorial to get you up to speed on how you can use Adobe Express for your presentations.
You designed your content. Now, it's time to spread your story!
STEP 5: Schedule your social media content
You don't have to be present on every social media channel. Pick 2–3 channels where you know you can find your target audience. Plus, with Adobe Express you can design AND schedule your content across social media channels!
In the video below, we share how to get started.
Watch our tutorials to get you started with Adobe Express
New to Adobe Express?
The following videos will help you get started with Adobe Express!
Elevate your skills from beginner to master in Adobe Express! Check out my popular course, Learning Adobe Express, on LinkedIn Learning.
Our top Adobe Express tutorials for brand management
Top music artists listened to on the team.
Amplify your marketing initiatives, wow your audience, save time and maintain brand consistency. Check out my course, Adobe Express: Creating Marketing Materials, available on LinkedIn Learning.
Credits:
Brand designs by Nicte Creative Design. Created with images by Nataliia - "Fashionable color of 2025 - mocha mousse grungy background with old cement texture" • Patricia - "paint splash on mocha colored background" • basain - "Coffee Cups and Beans on White Background" • Alex Pios - "Creamy mocha mousse with cocoa accents, indulgent dessert in PANTONE 17-1230 Mocha Mousse hues" • Teo - "seamless pattern with hearts"