Starting a business often begins with choosing a business name – and then getting a logo to match.
With so many graphic design programs and apps available, creating a logo for your business is easy. However creating a logo that looks great and really reflects what you want your business to become can be a bit more of a challenge.
Whether you decide to hire a professional graphic designer or try out your own logo design, here are some tips to help you end up with the kind of branding you can be proud to unveil.
Be original
If you’re designing your own logo, watch out for templates or designs that look familiar or have been used by other companies. You don’t want to find yourself in trouble later for using an arched “M”, a swooshy tick or the silhouette of an apple. If you’re using a graphic designer, brief them on the kind of logos you like. They can use these as inspiration to create an original logo for your business.
Stand out for all the right reasons
When you’re choosing colours for your logo or briefing your designer, it’s handy to remember that print publications including advertisements, brochures and flyers generally cost more to print in colour. You don’t need to stick to black and white, but there’s a lot to be said about a simple design that can be reproduced easily rather using 12 different colours which might be hard to match in different inks.
Look to the future
If your business plan includes appearing at expos and industry events to promote your business, you need to factor this into your logo design. Promotional products with your logo on them can be a great advertisement for your business – but not if people can’t see your logo clearly. Along the same lines, if you plan to have a staff uniform, your logo needs to be something that can be easily embroidered or printed on fabric.
Keep it simple
If social media is going to be part of your marketing mix, think about what kind of logo will work best on social media apps. Again, something with too many details or too many colours could get lost and be hard to see from someone’s smartphone screen.
Consider what your logo is worth
When you’re starting a business, your budget might be tight but sometimes it’s worth paying a professional for a quality result. You can find a graphic designer online or through your social media networks. A good designer will be clear on how many variations they will give you for the rate and how many changes you can make within that price range.
Often it’s a case of you get what you pay for. A really cheap rate could mean your logo is thrown together based on a template or that the designer doesn’t have much experience. Follow your instincts and make sure you choose someone you find easy to work with.
Learn more about marketing and branding
If you want to learn more about logos and marketing, explore our range of practical and low cost sales and marketing workshops.
