THE HOMETOWN BUILD · COHORT 1 · NOW OPEN
A free brand and website for two Central Virginia businesses.
Twice a year, Creative Labs gives two local businesses (one service business, one product brand) a full brand identity and website. About $14,200 of work each, free. Tell us your story by December 15.
- $14,200 value each
- 2 winners per cohort
- Lynchburg · Bedford · Amherst · Campbell · Appomattox
Cohort 1 opens in
Cohort 1 · Starts Nov 1
Tell us your story by Dec 15
WHY WE’RE DOING THIS
Forest gave us our start. This is how we say thanks.
Creative Labs began in a spare room in Forest, Virginia. The first people who trusted us were local: a coffee roaster, a church, a paddle shop on the river. Most of what we know, we learned building for neighbours.
Today we build for brands across the world, but small businesses here still run on handwritten signs and a Facebook page. Twice a year we’ll pick two of them and give them the same work our paying clients get. No catch, no upsell. Just good work for people we see at the farmers market.
Haniel Singh
Founder & CEO, Creative Labs · Forest, VA
WHAT WINNERS GET
About $14,200 of work. Free.
The same brand sprint and website our paying clients get, delivered in six weeks by the same team.
$4,200
Brand identity sprint
- Logo suite and wordmark
- Colour palette and typography
- A short brand guide your team can use
- Social templates: profile, post and story
$10,000
Website or starter Shopify store
- Design and build, up to 10 pages or templates
- Shopify store for product brands, ready to sell
- Basic SEO: titles, schema, Google Search Console
- Handover video and one training call
Not included:
domain, hosting or Shopify plan, paid apps, photography beyond one half-day shoot, and ongoing content or maintenance. We’ll recommend low-cost options.
TWO TRACKS
One service business. One product brand.
Pick the track that fits how you make money. Each cohort has one winner per track.
Local service business
Cafés, salons, trades, studios, clinics and nonprofits that serve people in person.
- Cafés
- Barbers & salons
- Trades
- Fitness
- Nonprofits
Prize: brand sprint + a 5–10 page website on the platform that fits you best.
Local product brand
Makers and brands that sell products, in a shop, at markets or online.
- Makers
- Food & drink
- Boutiques
- Home goods
- Crafts
Prize: brand sprint + a starter Shopify store, ready to take orders.
HOW IT WORKS
Six weeks from kickoff to a launched brand.
- 1NOW
Apply
Nov 1 – Dec 15
- 2
Finalists
Fri Dec 18
- 3
Public vote
Dec 18 – 22
- 4
6-week build
Jan 4 – Feb 12
- 5
Launch
Week of Feb 15
APPLY · CLOSES DEC 15
Tell us your story.
Ten minutes, four short steps. Your answers save as you go, so you can finish later.
Have these handy
- A few sentences about how you started
- Links to your website or social pages
- Up to 5 photos: logo, storefront, products
- Optional: a 60-second phone video
Applications open Sunday, November 1.
NOMINATE A BUSINESS
Know a local business that deserves this?
Your favourite café, the plumber who always picks up, the maker at the Saturday market. Nominate them and we’ll send a friendly invite from you. We’ll let you know if they apply, make the finals or win.
- One invite to them and at most two reminders, then we stop
- They can opt out in one click
- Your name is shown only if you want it to be
Nominations open with the cohort. Applications open Sunday, November 1.
ELIGIBILITY AND RULES
The short version.
Who can apply
- Based in Lynchburg, or Bedford, Amherst, Campbell or Appomattox County (other Central Virginia towns at the panel’s discretion)
- Operating for 12+ months
- Fewer than 25 employees and under $2M a year
- Not a current Creative Labs client, staff family, or national franchise
What winners commit to
- Share the journey on social and tag @thinkcreativelabs (Instagram and Facebook) at kickoff, logo reveal and launch
- Be featured in a case study and short video
- Give honest feedback after launch
- Show up for a 6-week build: two calls a week, quick replies
How we choose
- Our panel scores every application on story, need, community impact and readiness
- Top 3 per track become public finalists
- The public votes for five days; one confirmed vote per email per track
- The panel makes the final call and can void fraudulent votes
Prizes may be taxable; winners receive a 1099 where required.
Is it really free? What’s the catch?
Yes. Winners pay nothing for the brand sprint or the website: about $14,200 of work. In return we ask you to share the journey on social at kickoff, logo reveal and launch, to be featured in a case study and a short video, and to give honest feedback after launch. Your domain, hosting or Shopify plan and any paid apps stay yours to pay for; we’ll recommend low-cost options.
What exactly do winners get?
A brand sprint (logo suite, colour, type, a short brand guide and social templates for profile, post and story) and a website or starter Shopify store: design and build of up to 10 pages or templates, basic SEO setup, a handover video and one training call. Service businesses get a 5–10 page website on the platform that fits them best; product brands get a starter Shopify store.
Who can apply?
Businesses based in Lynchburg City or Bedford, Amherst, Campbell or Appomattox County (Forest is in Bedford County), open for 12 months or more, with fewer than 25 employees and under $2M in annual revenue. Other Central Virginia towns are considered at the panel’s discretion. Current Creative Labs clients, staff and their immediate families, franchises of national chains, and businesses in adult, gambling, firearms, tobacco or vape are not eligible.
How long does it take, and what do you need from me?
The application takes about 10 minutes. If you win, the build runs for six weeks, from kickoff on January 4 to launch the week of February 15. Plan for two short calls a week, quick replies, and one half-day photo shoot.
How are winners chosen? Can I win just by getting votes?
Our panel scores every eligible application on story, need, community impact and readiness to share the journey. The top three in each track become public finalists, and the public votes for five days, one confirmed vote per email per track. The vote is the main factor, but the panel makes the final decision and can discard fraudulent votes.
I don’t have a logo or a website yet. Can I still apply?
Yes. That’s exactly who this is for. You need at least one place where we can see your business today: a website, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok or Google Business profile.
Is the prize taxable?
Prizes may be taxable. Winners receive a 1099 where required. We recommend checking with your accountant.
Can I nominate someone else?
Please do. Use the nomination form on this page. We send the owner a friendly invite from you and at most two reminders, and they can opt out in one click. We’ll let you know if they apply, make the finals or win.
When does the next cohort open?
Cohort 2 opens Monday, May 3, 2027, and applications close June 15. Leave your email when it’s open and we’ll tell you the day it starts.
You've reached the end, so now…
Tell us what you're selling.
Send us your store. Within one business day you get a short Loom from a senior: the three things we'd fix first, what it would cost, and whether we're the right team for it.
- No pitch deck, no discovery-call theatre
- You keep the audit whether or not you hire us
- Fixed-scope quotes, no hourly surprises
Prefer to talk? Book 20 minutes with Haniel or call +1 855-764-4977