Anyone who has started a business knows that there are hidden costs and unexpected fees around every corner. After all of the legal, insurance and accountancy fees have been paid, advertising and marketing budgets are often reduced, if not neglected altogether.
The good news is that thanks to digital technology, there are now many more options available to small business owners and young companies to create logos on a budget when launching their companies. Logos are one of the most important aspects of advertising and marketing as it is really your company’s first impression on prospective customers and potential customers alike.
As a result, logos should not be an afterthought but rather should be a key element of any marketing strategy. Keep reading to learn some of the top tips for designing a logo – regardless of your budgetary constraints.
Understand your options
There are primarily four different options available to you when deciding how to design a logo. The first and most expensive is to engage the services of a design or advertising agency. Design agencies are good at what they do, and the result will often justify the price; that being said, most new companies cannot afford to hire an agency and there can be delays of weeks if not months depending on the agency.
Another option is to hire a freelance designer or to launch a logo competition for freelance designers. This is definitely a less expensive option than hiring an agency and, depending on the freelancer, the logo will look just as good. However, one thing to note is that the timelines can be extended when working with freelancers, as some of them are in high demand and have packed schedules.
One word of caution regarding competitions – if you choose to launch a competition, you will likely need to choose your logo from among the submissions. It is entirely possible that you may not receive many entries or that you just simply do not like any of the entries you have received. In such cases, you may need to ask a friend to enter a logo into the competition that you have designed yourself!
The fourth option available is to make use of the services of a logo maker online. Logo makers are online platforms which host a series of tools and icons which you can use to create and customise a logo. Logo makers are by far the cheapest and fastest way to create a logo and there are a number of different logo makers available online, all of which have different product offerings.
Use technology to your advantage
Regardless of your budget, you should be using advertising and design technology to your advantage when creating a logo. Logo makers have drastically changed the advertising game by reducing the cost to design a logo, which is every bit as professional, sophisticated and well-designed as the logos produced by agencies and design professionals.
Many logo makers rely on Artificial Intelligence (AI) or extensive libraries of sample images and icons, which means that users have access to infinitely more design potential than they would trying to fully DIY a logo. If you want to use a logo maker, it is worth checking out many of the resources available online which detail how to make the most of logo makers – there are hundreds of videos on YouTube, blog tutorials and social media tips available to the interested.
Take the time to reflect and brainstorm
There are a few steps you can take before getting started on designing your logo, whether you are using a logo maker, freelancer or DIYing it. One of the most important things to do is to take your time. If you start building a logo with only a half-baked idea of what you want your company to be or what your company’s tone, style or values are, then your logo could end up mismatched with the company itself.
This means that when you sit down to use a logo maker or speak with a designer, you have already taken time to reflect on your vision for the company, what the company’s mission is, and what story you want the company to tell. As part of this process, you should also have already chosen a name for your company and ideally also have a tagline in mind to guide the process.
The importance of due diligence
It is also important to do your research. If you can afford an agency or freelance designer, take the time to review their portfolio and try to identify what you do and do not like about their work. Reviews are also key, so check out the available reviews for designers.
If you are opting for a logo maker instead, you should try out a few different logo makers before deciding on a particular one. Most logo makers have a free trial option, and it is worth giving it a go before actually committing.
This way you will be able to see what you like and what feels like the best fit for your company. For example, you might think that you want a blank template style logo but then feel intimidated and unsure once you sit down to use one.
What to look for when choosing a logo
Regardless of your budget or how you make your logo, there are a few key characteristics which you should prioritise when choosing a logo. One of the most important characteristics is versatility as you want a logo that will look good not only on social media but also on business cards, signs, merchandise and splashed across websites.
Another key aspect is simplicity or, put another way, integrity. Some of the most memorable logos are the simplest, think the Nike Swoosh or the Addidas dashes and we are currently in a design era of simplicity, sophistication and minimalism. You want your logo to be able to change and adapt as needed while your company grows, and a simple, clear logo is a great place to start.
Choosing the right logo design platform
Most companies that want to create a logo on a budget will want to opt for a logo maker as it is by far the easiest, cheapest and fastest way to design and create a professional logo. However, logo makers are not your only option, but they are the cheapest option.
If you have deeper pockets you could opt for a freelance designer there are thousands to choose from across the many freelance platforms such as Freelancer.com. In the same vein you could also opt for a logo competition where you ask multiple designers to create a logo and choose the best design.
Last but not least you could use a dedicated logo design agency. This would be the most expensive option but you will best the best results.
Get started!
One of the most difficult aspects of designing a logo, regardless of budget, is getting started. There are so many success stories about big name companies being launched into international fame and success in part because of a brilliant logo. This is a lot to live up to and can make the entire process much more intimidating and daunting than it needs to be.
When starting on your logo design process, try not to focus on creating the best logo ever and instead just try to create a logo which properly introduces your company, its values and its story. This may sound intimidating, but once you get started, you will quickly pick up on what kinds of design do and do not “gel” with your vision for your company.
The best thing to do is just to get started and begin experimenting. Try to be creative, have fun and keep an open mind – you can always change your logo later on, you just need to get started to see what is possible.
