The $75 Logo

You need a logo. Your budget is limited. You want to spend as little as possible, and that offer for a $75 logo is mighty enticing... but please hear me out!

A logo is the face of your business. It is what consumers see first when they look at your website, business card, store signage, packaging and printed materials. Your logo will, for many people, help them decide if they want to do business with you. Your logo is worth a little extra investment and not only monetarily. Do some digging to ensure your chosen firm or designer is both established and qualified. 

$75 LOGO: THE FOLLOWING, NOT INCLUDED

1. Expertise. I was a newbie designer at one time, and I am not one to argue that only years of experience can prove expertise, but a thorough portfolio definitely can. 

2. Research. Good logo design is a result of A LOT of research. A designer will look at competitors within your market and region. They will search through imagery, typefaces, and color palettes in order to identify those that will visually communicate the right message for your brand.

3. Thoughtfulness. A logo needs to stand the test of time and work in many situations. You want your designer to really think about your logo. This means working out ideas by sketching and experimenting with typefaces and color. They will also consider how the logo will look on a website, brochure, business card or promotional product. A thoughtful designer will ensure that your logo is easily scale-able and produces well in one color.

I have seen a lot of people buy the $75 logo only to realize that it wouldn't work for their brand. That's because the person who produced that logo didn't take the time to do the things I've listed above. In reality, they've probably purchased stock imagery, chosen from one of 5 standard typefaces widely used (umm, Helvetica), and slapped it all together in an unimaginative color scheme. Maybe they used a drop shadow or gradient effect to fool you into thinking they actually invested some time into your design, but unfortunately those effects will only make your logo impossible to embroider and difficult to screen-print.

You are totally passionate and completely invested in your small business. It is, after all, a big deal. Don’t skimp on the logo.