I am going to let you in on a little secret. Creating a logo for your new business doesn’t have to cost you hundreds of dollars.
And, you know what, as a trained graphic designer there was once upon a time I would have gasped in horror at that statement, but the internet and what it offers has come a long way since then.
What you may find interesting to know, is that the Google, Coca-Cola, and the Microsoft logos all cost $0. Twitter and Nike both spent under $40 for their iconic images.
As a start-up business, chances are you’ll have a small budget for setting everything up. In order to give your business the best chance of succeeding you need to carefully allocate where this cash is spent. This means working out what you can take short cuts on and where you need to spend to get maximum ROI.
But, you need to go about it the right way to avoid ending up with an unprofessional logo that works against your business, not for it.
Here are 4 simple steps to follow for creating a logo that is amazing:
Step #1: Get familiar with simple design rules.
The key is to keep everything simple. With too much colour and clutter your logo becomes distracting and unattractive. Keep it simple and elegant by sticking to no more than three colours that fit the look and feel of your brand. You don’t need to have a graphic but if you do, choose something that is relevant to your products and/or services. The design needs to make sense.
Think about everywhere your logo will appear. From your website, to your business cards, to your Facebook business page, from large places to tiny places. It needs to be scalable and legible no matter what size.
Step #2: Look for inspiration.
Look at competitors logos and any other logos from big companies to small businesses. Visit graphic design websites and view their portfolios. Work out what you think looks good and what doesn’t. Check out the different colour combinations, fonts, graphics and taglines for inspiration and make a list of the traits you want your logo to encompass.
Step #3: Outsource it
Now that you have a good visual in your mind of how your logo will look it’s time to get it to materialised.
You have the following options:
Option A: Hire a designer from the following outsourcing websites:
www.upwork.com
www.freelancer.com
www.fiverr.com
It’s important to make sure you hire a credible designer who gets the job done.
When I look for designers, I like to send an email first with some questions so I can gauge their interest. I would never hire without doing this first. If they reply fairly quickly I feel more confident that the communication is going to be fine. Also, check out their portfolio, ratings and feedback left on their profile.
Once thing to consider is the time zone where the freelancer is from. Because this will impact the timeframe of your job. Time zones where there is a difference of 8+ hours could mean that there is a day lag due to the freelancer replying when you’ve signed off for the day and you don’t get a chance to reply until the morning. By then, they’ve signed off for the night. See what I mean! I personally like to work with freelancers on my same time zone to ensure work gets done as quick as possible. But, I am impatient like that!
Option B: Purchase a pre-made logo. My favourite websites to do this are:
www.etsy.com
www.creativemarket.com
The honest truth is, I love this option. The risk with Option A, is the designer can do a crap job and then you have to start over or use a crap logo. Both options are a pain. I love pre-made options because I can see exactly what I am getting and to get something awesome, I have never paid more than $50.
When searching for a pre-made logo check the following:
- How many amends are included in the package
- How fast will the designer turn it around for you
- Will you need Photoshop to open the files
Again, I like to make contact first so I can get a feel for the designers customer service before I purchase.
What to check before engaging with a designer from either option:
- What variations are included in the package, black and white, small, large?
- What file extensions are included. You def want a png with transparent background plus eps and jpgs
- How many changes are you allowed to make?
- What is their policy if you do not like the logo?
Step #4: Ask for feedback
With either option above, before you approve the final version it’s important to get some perspective from outsiders. Ask friends, family, randoms on the internet, ask in our Facebook group and get the logo in front of as many people as you can. Getting a majority vote will safeguard you from unwittingly presenting a poorly designed logo to your audience.
And there you have it, creating a logo isn’t that scary or expensive after all!
{Download our FREE eBook}
So, you have a passion you’d love to share with the world via an online business but you don’t know where to start?
Download our free ebook and we’ll walk through the first stages of working out your business concept AND whether it can make a good profit.
Step 1 – Lock down your business idea and its income streams
Step 2 – How to check it has legs & can make a profit
Step 3 – The secrets of choosing a good business name & domain
Step 4 – Defining your business message and purpose
Step 5 – Create your branding look and feel
Don’t be scared of starting your own business. Be excited about all the amazing things that will come from it.
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