The Name and Logo
So, you’ve finished your business plan, got your loans, licenses and paperwork in order and are ready for the next step. This part is just as important but it’s also fun and creative. Your name, logo, etc., is the face that you want to show the world. It’s very important that what your potential customers see will make them want to buy what you’re offering.

As a small business owner you will constantly have to remind yourself to put yourself in your potential customer’s place and look at everything from that customer’s point of view. You may start by asking, “What do I want to communicate with the name I choose?”, but you have to finish by asking, “What will my potential customer understand when he reads my chosen name?”

The same goes for your logo, your business card, your web site, etc. What’s important is what your potential customer will see. Not only that, what’s important is whether they will see those qualities in your business and products which:

• make you unique;
• make you a better value than your competition;
• make you worth buying or using services from; and
• make them trust you.

So, before you settle on a name, logo design etc., remember who it is you’re going to be selling to. They’re the ones who have to like your name, logo, business card, letterhead and web site. If they do, you’ll be successful. If they don’t, you won’t sell much even if you think you’ve got the world’s catchiest name.

Designing and choosing a logo

While you may be able to get away without one, a logo anchors your business card, letterhead, website and other documents and your customers expect one. Don’t settle for a cookie-cutter logo, you want your logo to be unique and stand out.

1. The logo presents one important piece of information about your business. If your business has only one clearly defined product or service, it makes sense that the logo is a representation of that item. If your business has a whole range of products and services, the logo can represent the field of activity or simply the name of the company.

Many companies which have a wide range of products go for the initials of the company name in their logo. If it’s a short name, a stylized representation of that name is also popular. But if you’re selling gift baskets, your logo should somehow portray a gift basket.

2. While your logo can be in color, it has to look good in black and white. For many applications you won’t have color and your carefully matched maroon and blue are going to end up the same shade of gray. In fact, in some applications you won’t even get gray – just black and white – and your logo should still be recognizable.

3. Your logo, even if it’s text, is a graphic image. You’ll need it created in a format which can be emailed and transferred correctly. The most common formats are JPEG, GIF, BMP, EPS, and TIFF and most comonly these are RGB or CMYK. Knowing which format to use is extremely important and a professional with years of experience will know which to use.

4. Your logo is going on your business card, letterhead, other forms and in ads and promotional material. It shouldn’t be created in an odd shape. You’ll have no end of trouble if it’s long and narrow or unusually high. An overall squarish or circular shape where the length is not much more than the height is best.

I have many years of experience in logo design, branding and identity development. As a freelance graphic designer here in Merritt Island, Brevard County, FL, I can help you create an identity that will get you noticed. Please contact me if you’d like more information.