Logo Design Tips for Small Businesses
When you think of Nike’s logo, you instantly picture the world famous swoosh. When you think of the technology giant Apple, you can picture the renowned apple symbol with the bite taken. These logos, and many more like them, are famous the world over and are instantly recognisable. Such are the benefits of a well-designed logo. However, these benefits are not just limited to large multinational companies and small businesses should not underestimate the power of a well thought out logo. The logo is often the first thing belonging to a small business that a potential customer sees and so its design is something which great importance should be given to. Read on for some invaluable advice on designing a logo for small businesses.
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Find a good designer
The design of a logo for a small business is very important and for that reason, it should be handled by the professionals who have the necessary experience and skills to create a memorable and effective logo for your small business. However, even the most skilled graphic designer will need to work closely with the business owners and so a good relationship should exist between the two.
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Colour scheme
It’s best to keep the logo colours as simple as possible – too many colours will just make the logo look complicated and busy. A small business’s logo will appear on everything from business cards to van decals, having a logo with only two colours will keep your printing costs down. In addition, keeping the colour scheme simple will ensure that the logo can be reproduced just as effectively in black and white when it is shown on copied documents, faxes, photocopies etc.
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Include the business name
While big businesses can rely on just on an image only logo, small businesses should also include the business name. As the business begins to grow and gain recognition, the name can be omitted. For example, the Nike logo originally was the swoosh symbol with ‘NIKE’ written within the swoosh symbol. In 1995, as the company was gaining in popularity, the company dropped the text and now relies on the swoosh symbol alone.
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Keep it simple
A logo for any business should be simple and functional but especially so for a small business. This is because a business logo conveys a message about the business, what it does and what it values. A convoluted logo or one that it is difficult to remember will lead to confusion as to what the business is all about.
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Choose the font carefully
An overly complicated font may alienate prospective customers and clients. Also, mixing and matching fonts as part of a logo or using amateurish looking fonts is not a good idea. For that reason, a simple, easy to read font should be chosen as it should reflect the impression that the business is trying to create.
A business logo creates an important first impression to the outside world which is full of prospective customers and clients. Therefore, a creative and distinctive logo is an effective tool of success for any small business.