How Mural Design Can Make a Big Impact for Your Small Business
- Stephanie Audette Connor
- Jan 18
- 5 min read
Updated: Jan 20
Did you know murals are so much more than just a way to beautify your offices or store?
Mural design is a cost-effective, attainable way to make your small business or nonprofit memorable, tell your brand’s story, creatively market your business, and boost sales.
At awen&co, we love designing and installing custom murals for clients across Central, Massachusetts, and the Northeast. In this post, we’re shining a spotlight on this transformational—but often overlooked—branding and marketing tool.
You'll discover the value of a custom mural for your small business or nonprofit, and what to consider when adding one to your space.
Table of Contents
7. Enter awen&co’s Mural Giveaway
Be sure to read to the end to find out how to work with us on your mural design and get the details of our nonprofit mural giveaway!
A Mural Turns Your Business Into a Destination
Murals immediately personalize your space.
Their hand-crafted nature and large scale make them unmissable and evocative, engaging customers in a way that sticks with them long after their visit.
Take Ben's Chili Bowl in Washington, D.C., for example. They may be beloved for their signature half-smoked sausage, but they're known for their expansive mural celebrating notable Black Americans. The mural was originally painted in 2012, but has evolved over time with the current iteration featuring famous faces including Harriet Tubman, Barack and Michelle Obama, and Dave Chappelle.
An exterior mural can turn your storefront into a landmark while giving back to the community. Meanwhile, an interior mural can add texture, elevate your look, and create an atmosphere that’s uniquely yours.
Incorporating mural art can also signal a sense of permanence and confidence in your business’s staying power. As a bonus, murals make the workspace more inspiring and enjoyable for your team.
A custom-designed mural can reinforce your branding.
Beyond its aesthetic impact, mural design is a powerful way to convey your brand's message.
The way you communicate your branding through your mural will depend on your industry, location, and goals. Here are just a few ways this type of custom wall art can go beyond beautifying your space and become a tool for building your brand:
A mural can celebrate your brand's story.
A nonprofit might add a visual timeline of its organization's major milestones to the building exterior or an interior hallway.
A mural can express your vibe.
A restaurant could add a large mural to the seating area, using colors and images that reflect its brand's personality and the mood it aims to create.
A mural can educate your audience.
A winery could add a wine aroma wheel to its tasting room wall, providing information and visual interest all at once.
A mural can invite customer engagement.
An independent toy store could add a mural with a search-and-find element and opportunities for kids to jump into the scene and pose for a photo op.
A mural can incorporate your branding assets.
A hair salon might incorporate a hand-painted logo and tagline on the wall above its check-in desk.
No matter which approach you choose, a mural is one-of-a-kind art that only you have. This makes it a powerful tool for reinforcing your positioning within your industry.
Murals are Lowkey Marketing Magic
Murals draw people in, keep them around longer, and give them a reason to talk about your business!
While there’s an initial cost to painting and installing a mural, the return on investment is amazing. Here are a few of the things a mural can do for your marketing efforts:
Draw in New Customers
Outdoor murals attract customers who might not otherwise have visited your business.
Make Your Brand “Sticky”
Your mural can make your brand more memorable and communicate your message, personality, and values, helping you stand out as a trusted, welcoming, and premium business.
Improve Customer Experience
By making your space more engaging, you are more likely to keep customers there longer and provide a better experience. All of these factors lead to increased sales and revenue.
Invite Photo Ops That Beg to Be Shared
Murals give customers a reason to snap a photo at your business to share on social media, boosting your brand's visibility.
Mural Design is Within Reach— Even for New or Small Businesses
One of the benefits of mural design is that it offers a big visual impact for a relatively small price tag compared to other space renovations or marketing campaigns.
Murals are semi-permanent, require minimal maintenance, are renter-friendly, and are easy to achieve.
As long as it doesn't disrupt your flow of business, you can even have your muralist paint during business hours! Seeing the process live is often exciting for customers, and showing the art come to life provides extra marketing content.
What should you consider when planning a mural for your small business or nonprofit?
Murals are a smart idea for nearly any kind of brick-and-mortar storefront, restaurant, museum, or office.
When thinking about how a mural can work for your business or nonprofit, begin by identifying your most important goals for the artwork. Once your goal is identified, consider questions like:
What sort of visuals will connect with our ideal customers?
Will this be an exterior or interior installation?
Where specifically will this mural be located?
How large will your mural be?
Is it atmospheric or a focal point?
What’s the message you hope to convey?
Thinking these things through before you connect with a designer can be helpful, but if you aren't sure where to begin, that's okay, too!
Some clients come to us with specific ideas, while others just know they want a mural and leave the concept to us. Working with a talented artist who also understands brand design helps you get the most out of your investment!
Mural design with awen&co always includes:
Initial consultation & site visit
Custom design concepts
Professional-grade material
All equipment & installation
Travel & logistics coordination
Clear timeline & milestones
And most importantly, a mural that you LOVE!
Where can I see some of awen&co’s small business murals in the wild?
Val’s Corner Café
Grafton, MA
This playful, atmospheric mural mimics Val's Corner Café's menu design and gives personality to the seating area.
Wavelength Coffee Roasters
Shirley, MA
This logo mural incorporates Wavelength Coffee Roaster's logo and brand colors into its headquarters to personalize the space.
Worcester Green Corps & City of Worcester Art Council
Worcester, MA
In this series of catch basin murals, we beautified the outdoor space while sharing an important message.
Want this kind of magic on your walls? Don’t miss your chance to enter our mural giveaway!
We are thrilled to announce our first-ever nonprofit mural giveaway. If you or a nonprofit you love are interested in a free custom mural designed by Ellie Ellis, Mural Artist, and installed by the entire awen&co team, be sure to check out the details and enter at the link below by Friday, February 27th, 2026.
Not a nonprofit, but excited about adding a mural to your space? Let's talk about how we can help bring your vision to life.
