So you're finally ready to follow your dream of starting a business. You know it will take time, dedication and hard work to get this baby off the ground, and you're ready to dig in with all you have. There will be many questions that will need answering and problems that will need solving right from the very start. Getting your branding right is one of them – so let me help you out here.



LOGO VS BRANDING


To see which option you need, let's have a quick look at what each of them means.



LOGO


Every successful business needs a professional logo. It is the most important visual element of the company and easily distinguishes one brand from another. Using one that visually aligns with what your brand sells and represents is the key here. That way, the right people will be attracted to your products and services, leading to more sales. For example, a photographer's logo will look very different from a fashion brand's logo or a healthy snack brand's logo. The style and mood of each will vary through various use of fonts, colour, and layout.

Here are a few examples of logo design (just the main version):

Usually, the designer will provide a minimum of three logos (main, alternative, and submark)—but sometimes even more, as I did in this case of designing for Guy Allen. Having a selection to choose from will equip you for each situation where you need to apply a logo (a website, social media profile photo, business card, a stop sign, or a favicon, to mention just a few).

BRANDING


Things become a little more complicated when it comes to branding. There are two main areas, each equally important:


1. Brand strategy


The brand strategy is the part 'behind the scenes', the intangible foundation that your business needs to have a strong foundation. Working out through these points is the only way to ensure that your visual branding aligns with your brand and attracts the right people.

Every designer has their way of doing things, but the most common sections are: 

• Positioning within the market (messaging and values)

• Target audience and their values (establishing the general audience and the ideal client avatar)

• Finding the sweet spot for making a profit

• Mission statement

• Brand interaction path

• Differentiation from the competition

• Brand vision

Here are examples of brand strategy spreads:

2. Visual identity


As you may already have guessed, all of the visual elements fall into this category. A good designer will always base these on the strategy which they create first. The choice of style, fonts, colour and graphics will be determined by what your business stands for – and intentionally chosen while simultaneously making sure it differs from the competition. This visual identity is then consistently used across all of your brand's touchpoints (all the ways customers interact with your business – website, social media, marketing material, packaging, shop decor, etc.). 

There are a few fundamental visual elements:

• Logos & marks

• Typography

• Colour

And also some additional ones:

• Photography

• Graphics (icons, backgrounds, patterns, textures, etc.)
  

As you can see, there is a big difference between the process of logo design and that of branding. In short, a logo is the most focal, but still just one aspect of the whole brand identity. Hopefully, you can see why creating a brand is so much more expensive than designing a logo (it takes a lot more time, thought and effort) and how the whole brand identity (strategy + visuals) is so much more potent than just the logo. 

To help you visualise different directions that visual brand identities could take, here are a few examples:

DO YOU REALLY NEED TO INVEST IN BRANDING TO START YOUR BUSINESS?


Being a brand specialist, I understand the importance of branding and its effect on how your business is perceived. A well-executed brand identity helps tremendously in giving the right impression and growing your brand. It will evoke positive associations, such as:

• The feel of credibility and trust

• An immediate understanding of what your products or services are

Other benefits of well-executed branding:

• It differentiates you from the other businesses in your field

• It gives you the confidence to share and market your business, which shows that you believe in what we're selling

• It helps you attract the right clients and charge higher prices, being one of the highest returns on investment you will likely ever make in your business

Saying all that, I completely understand that investing in branding is a commitment that many startups cannot make. The prices can be relatively high, as it is an in-depth process that requires skills, expertise and experience. Quality branding can take anything between a few weeks and a few months or even longer for larger companies. 

Even though it is a worthwhile investment that will increase profits, some businesses don't have that kind of budget. If that's your case, don't worry, all is not lost. I believe that a start is better than no start at all, and with some research and creativity, you can still begin making steady progress in your business. There is plenty of information out there on how to create a basic brand strategy – at least until you're able to work with a specialist—and most business owners will be able to pull it off by themselves. The part where it gets tricky is the logo design part. A quality logo needs to be designed in professional design software (Adobe Illustrator) by somebody who knows what they're doing. Having an amateur logo will make your business look amateur, and you will find it very hard to make sales. 



SUMMARY


The bottom line is, don't let a small budget stop you from starting a business. There are many moving parts to running it successfully. Even if your branding is compromised initially, you can make up for it with the other elements (excellent quality of product or service and exceptional customer service). Providing that you're getting them right, you can still make a profit and grow your business. 

However, having your logo done professionally is crucial. You can DIY some other parts, but having a logo that is custom-made for your business is an essential foundation that you can build on once you're ready to get the complete branding in place. You will find it easier to make sales and will be able to build your business up to the point where you can afford the whole branding. Once you get there, take your time to choose the right designer and then go for it. You will find that it will be the quantum leap for your business and worth every penny.

If you're ready to start now, I’ll be happy to help you! Although I stopped doing logo design on its own some time ago and decided to focus only on more comprehensive packages, I provide two options – my Brand Identity Package and the Minimal Web Branding (only available to my web design clients). Feel free to have a look at what they deliver and see whether any of them would be a good fit for what you need and get in touch if you want to get the ball rolling.

In case you have questions regarding this blog post, please leave them in the comments below, or send me a message via the contact form. 

I can't wait to hear from you!

Kat x