The Beauty Shop

What The Beauty Shop does

The Beauty Shop is a women-owned, purpose-driven creative agency headquartered in Portland, Oregon, founded in 2013 and operating as a Certified B Corporation with COBID Women Business Enterprise (WBE) and Emerging Small Business (ESB) designations. The firm employs between 1 and 10 people and positions accessibility as a core competency rather than an add-on, with all websites built to meet or exceed WCAG 2.2 and Section 508 compliance standards. Its service portfolio spans brand strategy and positioning, visual identity and brand design, messaging and copywriting, UX/UI strategy, content strategy, campaign design, packaging design, signage systems, naming, brand guidelines, website accessibility audits and remediation, and SEO & AI Optimization (AIO).

The agency delivers websites primarily on Squarespace, WordPress, and Shopify/Shopify Plus platforms, with documented Squarespace specialization of more than a decade including custom CSS, JavaScript, and developer-tool extensions. Its client base spans nonprofits and mission-driven organizations, founders and entrepreneurs, restaurants and hospitality groups, healthcare and fertility brands (e.g., Kindbody, Surgo), consumer brands, government and public-sector clients (Port of Portland, Portland Means Progress), architecture and design firms, arts and culture organizations, startups, and real estate and urban developers. Notable multi-project engagements include a decade-long collaboration with Archipelago Investments covering six Amherst, MA hospitality properties and comprehensive brand and digital work for Weston Table's Shopify Plus marketplace of over 10,000 products.

The business model is project-based professional services sold through a consultative sales motion that begins with a free 30-minute strategy consultation booked via Calendly. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and engagements are scoped to client requirements, with a Fractional Creative offering available for ongoing retainer support. Distribution is direct-to-client rather than channel-mediated, and the agency has built thought leadership through its website, 20+ case studies, and an educational Insights & FAQs content library. The firm also owns Houndstooth Magazine, a proprietary dog-friendly Portland city guide publication launched in 2021.

Name

The Beauty Shop

Legal name

The Beauty Shop

Website

https://thebeauty-shop.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Beauty Shop is a women-owned Portland creative agency specializing in brand strategy, accessible website design, and visual identity for nonprofits, hospitality, healthcare, and consumer brands.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Portland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Professional Creative Services: Project-based creative agency services including brand strategy, visual identity design, website design and development, messaging and copywriting, and campaign design. Revenue generated through scoped professional service engagements with clients across various industries.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Beauty Shop is a women-owned creative agency that provides strategic branding, visual identity design, messaging and copywriting, and accessible website design and development across Squarespace, WordPress, and Shopify platforms. The firm partners with nonprofits, restaurants and hospitality, healthcare and fertility brands, government, and consumer companies to deliver brand strategy, UX/UI, packaging, signage, and campaign design rooted in WCAG 2.2 accessibility standards.

Product overview

The Beauty Shop is a women-owned creative agency offering a portfolio of creative services including brand strategy and positioning, visual brand design, messaging and copywriting, website design and development, UX/UI strategy, content strategy, campaign design, packaging design, trade show and event design, signage systems, naming, brand guidelines, website accessibility, SEO and AIO optimization, and fractional creative support. The agency specializes in building websites on Squarespace, WordPress, and Shopify/Shopify Plus platforms. Their service offering spans multiple industry verticals including nonprofits, restaurants and hospitality, health and wellness, fertility, government and public service, real estate and urban development, consumer brands, lifestyle, startups, architecture and design, arts and culture, and women's health. The agency also develops proprietary publications and platforms for select clients and has founded Houndstooth Magazine as its own product.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Houndstooth Magazine: A dog-friendly city guide magazine founded by The Beauty Shop for dog people of Portland, covering pup-friendliest spots to shop, eat, play, and stay.

Products and services

• Brand Strategy & Positioning Foundational brand strategy services that clarify brand purpose, differentiators, and market position, creating a roadmap for messaging and visual identity, delivered to business owners, retailers, and nonprofit organizations.
• Brand Design Visual identity and design system creation including logo design, brand guidelines, color systems, and typography, delivered to organizations seeking meaningful brand expression.
• Messaging & Copywriting Brand voice frameworks, core messaging pillars, taglines, mission and vision statements, and copywriting for websites, campaigns, and marketing materials, delivered to clients across multiple verticals.
• Website Design & Development Accessible, responsive website design and development across Squarespace, WordPress, and Shopify platforms, with WCAG 2.2 and Section 508 compliance integrated into every build.
• Fractional Creative Ongoing creative partnership providing sustained design, strategy, and content support for brands post-launch or on a retainer basis, including fractional creative support for startups.
• UX/UI Strategy User experience and interface design encompassing site maps, wireframes, interactive prototypes, and usability and accessibility testing for digital products and websites.
• Content Strategy Planning and organization of brand communications including content maps, messaging frameworks, SEO recommendations, and editorial calendars.
• Campaign Design Multi-channel campaign creation for awareness, fundraising, recruitment, or product launches across digital and print touchpoints.
• Packaging Design Packaging systems for consumer products, balancing visual appeal with functionality and sustainability considerations.
• Signage Systems Environmental graphics, wayfinding, and physical brand extension design for built environments such as restaurants, hotels, and civic spaces.
• Naming Collaborative brand naming process including research, linguistic checks, and preliminary domain and trademark screening.
• Website Accessibility WCAG 2.2 and Section 508 accessible website design with accessibility audits, remediation, and inclusive design implementation integrated from project start.
• SEO & AIO Optimization Search engine optimization and AI optimization services including metadata audits, schema implementation, content optimization, and ongoing authority-building article programs for brand visibility.
• Houndstooth Magazine A proprietary dog-friendly city guide magazine for Portland founded and designed by The Beauty Shop, including editorial content, Shopify website, and Issue 1: Let It Rain!

Quantifiable outcome

• Purpose Pledge website achieved over 8,500 unique visitors within first two weeks of launch at Natural Products Expo West 2025
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers21 records

Segments10 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• One Step CloserminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Collaborated with One Step Closer alongside Dr. Bronner's to design and launch the Purpose Pledge brand, a movement calling on food and wellness companies to integrate equity, environmental stewardship, and community well-being into operations.
• Archipelago InvestmentscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMulti-project strategic partnership spanning over a decade with Archipelago Investments, a real estate and hospitality development firm. The Beauty Shop has developed brand identities for 6+ hospitality properties including Eleven East Pleasant, 26 Spring, One East Pleasant, Amherst Oyster Bar, Patio, and Wired restaurants, all part of Archipelago's vision for sustainable urban living and vibrant community development in Amherst.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Instrument: Portland-based independent creative agency offering brand strategy, visual identity, and digital experience design at a larger scale than The Beauty Shop, often serving similar mission-driven, hospitality, and consumer clients.
• Wieden+Kennedy: Portland-based global creative agency that pioneered brand storytelling and campaign design across health, government, and consumer verticals; serves as the regional incumbent benchmark for design-led client work.
• Pentagram: Largest independent design firm in the world operating as a partnership of principals offering brand identity, environmental graphics, and digital design — sets the upper-bound benchmark for boutique-to-enterprise brand design work.
• Landor & Fitch: Global brand consulting and design firm operating brand strategy, identity design, and digital experience at enterprise scale, with broad overlap in nonprofit, healthcare, and consumer engagements.
• Interbrand: Global brand consultancy offering brand strategy, naming, visual identity, and digital design for Fortune 500 and global nonprofit clients — overlapping broader portfolio where TBS works.

Direct peers

• &Walsh: Boutique branding and design studio led by a single principal creative offering brand identity, websites, and design direction for cultural, consumer, and nonprofit clients in a similar boutique model.
• Manual: Independent creative studio specializing in brand identity, campaign creative, and digital experience for hospitality, healthcare, and lifestyle clients — closely mirrors TBS's industry vertical mix.
• Siegel+Gale: Independent brand strategy and design firm focused on simplicity-driven brand identity, naming, and digital experience for healthcare, government, and nonprofit clients.
• Collins: Independent design and brand strategy studio focused on visual identity systems and brand experience for mission-driven, hospitality, and consumer brands — most directly comparable boutique-scale peer in services and craft.

Regional players

• Frank & Victor: Pacific Northwest-based independent creative studio offering brand identity and web design for hospitality, nonprofit, and lifestyle clients — comparable regional boutique with similar service mix and client type.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/houndstoothpdx
• Xx.com/beautyshoppdx
• Facebookfacebook.com/The-Beauty-Shop-100068483680254
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-beauty-shop

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Beauty Shop