No Logo? Launching A Business Without a Logo Can Sabotage You

Initial lack of customers and cash flow often causes a small business to put off designing a logo and marketing materials professionally "until [they] got a few clients" or "until [they] get started." Designing their own marketing materials when they launch their business, instead of having them professionally created, will make getting those initial clients more difficult, and may result in a business that will not succeed.

Many entrepreneurs choose to design their own marketing materials when they launch their business, especially by creating their first business card. Or, they will have an amateur designer, friend or relative create the design. There are several reasons why this is not the best idea. An amateur logo design and business card can make your business more likely to fail because:

- Your business won't look stable. It will appear to be more likely to fold or to fail. Clients won't have confidence in doing business with you. Would you do business with someone that seems to be on unstable footing ? who might not be in business by the end of your project, or after you've purchased an item?

- You'll look like a very small business. Large, successful businesses would never consider doing business without professional, originally designed marketing materials. Using materials that are not professionally designed (i.e., Microsoft or Vistaprint templates) makes your business appear even smaller, and can possibly indicate that you cannot perform to or meet the standards required.

- You'll look unpolished and rough. Not having a professional look and feel can make it look as though your business does not matter to you. Customers may get the impression that you don't care about the way your business presents itself, which might indicate that you wouldn't care about the quality of your work, or the way that your work reflects upon their business.

- You'll look unfocused. Unprofessional, uncoordinated marketing materials can make your business look "jumbled" or confused. If you have a business card with one look and feel and a website with another, this creates a confused ? and confusing ? look and feel for your business. This can also cause an identity crisis for a small business. When looking at your differently designed materials, potential clients may be fooled into thinking that they are looking at materials that represent different companies.

About half of all businesses fail within their first few years. One source of failure that's commonly cited by experts is sloppy or ineffective marketing ? if your marketing materials don't stand out from your competitors', your sales will suffer.

When you start a business, you need to create the quickest possible route to business success. A logo helps to create this by contributing to your business's visibility, credibility, and memorability ? three factors that will help your business to grow and achieve success. So, while putting off your logo development may seem like a prudent idea from a cash-flow point of view, it could result in your business never getting "off the ground". It can also lead to your business folding when it would otherwise succeed ? if you don't invest in your business, who will?

If you think that you can't afford to design a logo when starting your business, consider the outcomes ? how can you afford not to?

About the Author

Erin Ferree, Founder and Lead Designer of elf design, is a brand identity and graphic design expert. She has been helping small businesses grow with bold, clean and effective logo and marketing material designs for over a decade. Elf design offers the comprehensive graphic and web design services of a large agency, with the one- on-one, personalized attention of an independent design specialist. Erin works closely in partnership with her clients to create designs that are visible, credible and memorable ? and that tell their unique business stories in a clear and consistent way. For more information about elf design, please visit: Logo design at http://www.elf-design.com

---

Brand Boring or Brand Buzz?

I heard an advertisement on the radio the other day... Read More

The Big Uneasy: Clearing the Clouds of Guess

People often come to me to assist them with developing... Read More

Intelligent Design comes from Brand & Account Planners

I've been reminded recently, rather forcefully, that not all reality... Read More

Creating Powerful Names for Products, Services, and Your Business

The name of your business is important--it's one of the... Read More

Importance of Business Branding

Branding is very important to a business, whether it is... Read More

Quality and Service - Yeah, Right!

One of the critical drivers of business success is having... Read More

Adventures in Advertising and the Affect on the Brand Name

Studying various target-marketing techniques and here is a thought. We... Read More

Introduction to A Branded World: Adventures in Public Relations and the Creation Of Superbrands

You'd have to labor to shield yourself from the power... Read More

Types of Logos

There are three basic types of logos: text, symbol, and... Read More

Branding Guru - Brand Identity Guru

Branding TodayHave you ever had a good brand experience? How... Read More

Living Your Brand on the Web - Part 1

OK, so you took the plunge and purchased your internet... Read More

Living Your Brand on the Web - Part 2

Now that everyone has conformed to Living Your Brand on... Read More

Brand Building 201: Finding The Ideal Way

The strongest and longest lasting brands branch off of an... Read More

Corporate Logo Design ? 6 Keys to Success

A corporate logo design should be highly instrumental in building... Read More

Quick Tactics To Brand Your Business And Make More Sales

This may come as a surprise... to you, but Branding... Read More

Brand Image - Brand Identity - Brand Strategy - Brand Identity Guru

Consumers perceive and accept many brands within a certain trade... Read More

Franchising is Virtually Fraud Free

The number of complaints to the Federal Trade Commission on... Read More

Logo Files: Versions Of Your Logo That You Should Own

Your logo is the most important graphic element in which... Read More

Good Logos Make Great Sales Tools

Every day, the average person is exposed to millions of... Read More

The Trust Issue In Marketing

One of the prime motivating factors in the purchase decision... Read More

Speech on Branding from a Franchisor Founder

I was asked today by a group of students; What... Read More

Brand Strategy - Brand Value - Brand Identity Guru

Developing brand strategy is extremely critical. The most important asset... Read More

Go Ask Alice

One of fiction's finest marketing minds, The Cheshire Cat, once... Read More

Wealthiest 10% of Americans Name Top Quality Brands for 8 Products in New Survey

The seventh in a continuing series of twice-yearly surveys by... Read More

How Will Your Visitors Remember You And Your Business? Brand Yourself From The Crowd...

Big and Yellow 'M' reminds you McDonalds... 'DELL' with oblique... Read More