Budgets are often tight in the startup stages of a business. So many things to invest in but how do you know where it’s worth spending or saving?

One of the first things you think about needing is a logo. There’s nothing stopping you getting going without one but every business is going to need a brand identity to be identified by at some point.

The first thing to understand is that your logo is just one part of that brand identity. It’s a great big, important part of it and it does form the basis of your whole identity so it’s something you want to get right. You also need to take into account the other elements that are going to work alongside your logo - colours, fonts, image style etc.

The job of your visual identity is to reflect your brand and give a feel of what you’re all about. So there’s a lot of work to do before you get to the visuals. I mean, how can you create an identity that reflects your brand if you don’t know what that brand even is? And this is often the problem when it comes to trying to save money when getting a logo done. You either aren’t clear on your brand or the person doing your logo for £5 hasn’t given your brand a second thought.

Your need your logo to:

Reflect your brand in order to make the right impression
Be simple and not over complicated
Be legible - using suitable fonts, colour, layout and sizes
Be unique to your business
Be created in a variety of file formats suitable for a variety of applications

Let’s look at some of the ways you might think about saving money...

1 - TEMPLATE LOGOS

There are many places to source template logos from and with that comes a whole scale of quality. They can be found on selling sites and involve you being able to change the text and colours of an existing design. But how many other people are doing that with the exact same logo? What happens is you end up looking the same as a load of others in your industry who have taken the same template route.

If you know your brand inside out and understand your ideal client, values and messaging you may have a clear idea of what you want your logo to be like but lack the skills in executing it. In that case if you can find a suitable template then it could be an option - but remember it’s unlikely it’s going to be unique to you.

Many logo templates out there use elements taken from stock imagery sites - you may find you end up with a logo that has broken licensing terms of elements that have been used.

2 - ‘FREE’ LOGOS

There are a variety of online services that allow you to create free logos for your business. Again, there is a whole range of quality on offer. Some offer limited options for fonts and icons where others will have greater choice, but you are usually restricted to the fonts they have available.

Some of these logo generators do offer a good amount of control over being able to adapt the final logo and move elements around and change colours etc. Knowledge of the design basics is required by you to ensure you create something that works.

You will often find that once you have finished your logo and you are ready to download it and use it that the free option gives you a small png file. This is only suitable for use on screen at a small size. If you want a logo file for print or something to use at large scale you will need to upgrade to a paid option depending on your requirements. (Some sites require you to subscribe to monthly payments to use your logos too.)

You may be happy with a small png file for now but when you want some business cards printing for example, that is just not going to cut it. And if you use a designer they will need to recreate your logo which will end up being an additional cost.

When you come to create any marketing material for your business: brochures, stationery, banners etc (anything printed), you will need to use a high quality jpeg or an eps. vector file. If you don’t already have this, you’re going to spend time going back and forth with your printer/designer, if you’re outsourcing, or waste a whole heap of time yourself when the online print site is rejecting your tiny png.

If someone is offering to do your logo for free then look at what they are offering you and why. They may genuinely be starting out and think you are a good fit for the kind of work they would like to do more of and would like to use you as a live brief. But do your research. Ask to see some of their other work. You don’t want to end up stuck with something you don’t like that you feel obliged to use.

3 - D.I.Y.

Ah, the do it yourself route. How hard can it be? It’s only a logo…

Now I’m not saying you can’t design your own logo. If you understand your brand, who you’re aiming at and the impression you’re trying to make then you’re in a good place to create your own logo. But it’s not just a case of choosing a ‘nice’ font and pairing it with an icon representing what you do. You’ve got to make sure you are reflecting your brand in the right way to make the right impression.

You need to be aware of the design basics when designing a logo - colours, fonts, layout, spacing and sizing all need to be taken into account. A single font or colour on its own can make an impression so these elements do really need to be chosen carefully.

There are legalities and licensing issues you need to be aware of. Like when choosing fonts - some fonts are only available for personal use. You may need an additional license to use that font commercially. The same goes for any stock elements you may find - things like patterns, graphics, icons or even logo templates from stock websites will require the correct license purchasing to use them in the right way. You may think who will ever notice my little business using that but it happens and if you’ve got to redo all of your branding because of licensing issues you’re back at square one and you’re not going to be saving much money.

And talking of getting yourself in sticky situations - you don’t want to get yourself in a messy copyright situation. You see someone in your industry with a nice logo “I want something like they do, with the swirly writing and the rose gold border, with that watercolour wash”... you can start off taking inspiration and before you know it you’ve created something that someone else will see as a direct copy of their logo.

WHAT CAN YOU DO IF YOU REALLY DON’T HAVE THE BUDGET?

If you really don’t have the money to invest in branding then my first piece of advice would be to learn everything you can about the brand basics. Make sure you are developing your brand in the right way by knowing exactly what you’re all about - what your values are, who you’re aiming, what’s unique about you etc. If you’re aware of all of these things then you will have a much better idea of what you want your visuals to ‘say’.

Some practical ways you can save:

Find someone starting out
If you can see some of their work and you get on with them then this could be a good option to get a good quality identity at a lower cost - book while their prices are cheaper.

Skill swap
Part of building your business is networking and getting involved in groups and communities of like minded people with their own businesses. Look out for doing a skill swap - what can you offer in return for brand design? You may just find someone willing to do an exchange in goods/services.

Look out for offers
If you’re not in a huge rush to get your brand identity created then find some designers you like the work of and keep a look out for any offers they put out - it can be a good time to get a discount or some added value for your investment. (At the same time you could wait too log and their prices will increase).

So there’s lots to think about when getting a logo and developing your brand identity. If you do try to save yourself money then please do that in the right way. If you’re tempted by any of the things I talk about here then it is likely you will pay for that further down the line. You will waste additional time and money putting things right but more importantly if your identity isn’t creating the right impression, to the right people, you’re going to lose money by not attracting them and most importantly not making sales…

What does a 'FREE' logo really cost?