Handmade Business Talk- Branding: Creating a Logo

Hey guys! I'm back to share with you my passion for handmade businesses! If you are thinking of starting a handmade business, I want to share some of the things I have learned along the way that will create a few shortcuts for you and hopefully take the fear out of it. This installment is about Creating a Logo.

 "You need to put your brand out there for people to recognize it. With a plethora of brands on the market, people need to see your logo more than 5 times to be able to connect it with your company. We suggest taking advantage of social media and professional branding techniques to send a consistent yet dynamic brand message to consumers every day." (www.smallbizgenius.net/by-the-numbers/branding-statistics)

You may be tossing around whether or not you need a logo. Maybe you're thinking..." Eh, I'll just use my name." or "A logo is expensive!" or "I'm no good at this kind of stuff!" I am going to address each of these concerns because a logo is the first thing I want you to be thinking of when it comes to branding your business. A logo is usually where we start to consider the color scheme of our business, the font we are going to use for our logo, and what our business tag lines or "elevator pitch" is going to be. 

Let's first talk about why a logo is important for you to have instead of just using your name. As a handmade entrepreneur, it sets you apart from your competition and creates a level of professionalism for your business. It also helps your potential customers differentiate you from the rest of the pack. Logos grab attention and are the base of your identity. You will build everything off of a logo; Your website, your business cards, your packaging, everything. So, it's important to take the time to choose one that represents you well. 

You do NOT have to spend a lot of money to create a logo.

A great, free branding website that you might already be familiar with is Canva. That is actually where I created my logo. They even have a section now specifically for creating logos, which wasn't there when I did mine. You can pay for a subscription to Canva which will allow you to increase the graphics and pictures available to you. If you are not already familiar with Canva, it is a program you will return to again and again for your marketing needs- so having a subscription isn't a bad idea. However, it is not required and you can do it totally for free. Another great place to find "cheap" help is a website called fiverr.com. It is a website for freelance business services and you can get items created for as little as $5.  

You can design your logo yourself!

If $5 is out of your price range, you can definitely create your own! Trust me, I understand that every dollar matters, and sometimes $5 is a lot of money. The article I have linked below will help you learn how to create your own logo. 

Here is a great article on How to Design a Logo: Know All About the Logo Design Process

Let's quickly talk about clutter.

What is one of the first things that attract you to a logo? The color or the symbol, right? The red in the Coke symbol, the orange and white stripes of the Whataburger sign, the Pepsi circle, the Nike swoop. Sometimes, all we have to see is a shape or a color to know exactly what company is represented. That's what you want your logo to be. Instantly recognizable. 

I want to warn you against making your logo too cluttered. You might think more is better and it makes you unique, but many times it just makes your company name hard to read. You might want to look at it and try to include all of the things that represent you and your business. But, we will be talking in the next few installments about how to narrow your focus on the product or products you want to represent you. Start thinking now, during your logo process about the fact that no business ever stays the same over the course of its lifetime. Try to make your logo as inclusive and open as you can. This will include the name you choose for your business. You can read more about choosing a name for your business in my article Handmade Business Talk-Branding: Naming Your Business.

The K.I.S.S. theory applies really well here. Keep. It. Simple. Stupid...I'm not calling you stupid, but I think you get where I'm going with this. Don't overcomplicate it. Clean, bright (or dark, but readable), simple, easy to read- something people can connect with. What emotion or connection does your logo evoke? What does it say about your business?