What defines a small business? Typically, I would say a privately owned business or sole trader. But the definition of a small business varies! According to the banks you are considered a small business if your turnover is less than £2 million! This makes it more difficult to write definitive brand advice as I’m speaking to a very large span of business owners with a huge variation in branding requirements. In this case, I’m going to narrow my scope and address those of you looking to brand your small start up business:
Business Start ups
Perhaps you have a new business service or product and have a realization that you need a logo and a website - perhaps even some simple marketing materials to get you off the ground. The problem is; lack of budget may not allow you to invest with a graphic designer or brand agency. Most start-up businesses have a go at their own logo design, or they ask someone they know who is good on a graphics package. This is fine to start your ideas off. However, in attempting to design your own brand, without expertise or skills, I see some common themes and mistakes emerge. This list offers some advice on designing your brand on a budget which will hopefully help you along.
- Allow yourself a “discovery phase” to look at how you want your business or product to be perceived. Gather research - go online and search similar relevant companies to look at how they present themselves. Record a collection of logos and websites you like. Start a Pinterest board and add things to it.
- Consider whether you have named your product or service to communicate the right message to your target audience. Refer to this article for advice on brand naming. Now is the time to change the name if it’s not really working, even if you have opened the bank account and set up an email address already. It may be a hassle but it will be well worth it in the long term.
- Write a list of values and the USPs (unique sales points) that your business/product has. Keep these in the forefront of your mind when thinking about what design and graphic style is going to represent this set of values. What sets you apart from the rest?
- Question whether you really need a ‘logo’. Often a simple font with the name is enough to start you going, and can be really effective. A logo is a brand mark, often developed once a business is more established. It is best done by a designer with experience that will allow for scale of use and suitability across media platforms. However, if you are going to attempt it, keep reading...
- Ideally a good brand logo will look great both in black and white and in colour. Choose a simple colour palette, i.e. 3 tones of blue, 2 colours; red and slate grey. It will be the shade of colour that will be important and how it matches the other colours. Try gathering ideas from the paint swatches you can pick up at a DIY store.
- With a good brand name, appropriate colour palette, font, brand values and USPs in mind, as well as a collection of ideas you’ve gathered online, you have a starting place to begin designing or asking for help.
- The best advice is to employ an expert in design and branding to help you get it right first time. But without a budget this is often impossible, so here are some other tips that could save you from making those “eee awww” mistakes we often see:
- Avoid using the limited colours that are offered in some design packages or selecting randomly at the colour wheel with the pipette tool. Have your colour choices in mind before designing.
- Avoid using the word SOLUTIONS or SERVICES in your brand name. These are the most common words that people use to extend a business name and they’re extremely unsexy.
- Avoid using a ‘globe’ graphic as a part of your brand logo…. unless you want to stay in the 90’s! The world wide web has opened us all up to the world!
- Don’t let your brand name be dictated by the available web domains at the time. It is a factor, but your website name can have an extension added to it.
- Do make sure your choice of name and design doesn’t conflict with your competitors.
- Do make sure your logo is clearly readable and understood at a small scale, else you could be in trouble when it comes to your business cards.
- Don’t fall into the trap of believing that making your logo bigger makes it more important.
- Don’t ask everyone you know what they think, be choosy who you ask, a customer or potential customer would be a good start.
Michelle Rose-Innes is the founder of South Wales graphic design agency, Rose-Innes Designs. If you do want to take on the services of a professional brand design agency, the talented team of graphic designers at Rose Innes Designs can help. Our brand strategists create highly effective, compelling and good looking brand design which will get your start up business noticed for all of the right reasons.