Can you do pictures? I have had good luck with cleaning nicks and/or scratches through the color/ primer coat, building up the paint in multiple layers to be above the existing finish and then sanding down smooth and polishing out. Lately when the damage is down to the steel I have used a couple of brands of rust reformer to remove rust and got a good result. I believe this is a common approach for small issues but not large areas. You should find pictures by searching the net for bicycle paint touch up.