I just had an appointment with a client that is just starting a new business. He has a name for the business but does not have the logo image to align with the name and what the company actually does... so what to do?

First, does your name really tell me what your company does? I think that it is imperative to decide on a company name that will easily make your prospects and customers understand what you do. It should be concise and easy to remember and above all, simple and unique.

Second, combining a strong logo design to the name of the company is where the magic happens. If you can create a graphical image that also "shows" me what you do then it's a winning logo design. Always consider what "image" you want your company to portray in the marketplace. Think about the adjectives that will describe your company before the logo design is made and this will allow the logo designer to achieve the ultimate goal. I pull this information from my client before I design their logo because it helps me to pick the right font. And yes, fonts do have a personality! I know choosing the right name can be a challenge and creating the right logo design can be even more challenging but this really is the fun part for me.

Bottom line, think and plan before you start... because this is an important step in the success of your business. Invest in the right graphic designer that understands and "visualizes" your goals! One that actually envisions your companies name, logo and identity in the marketplace! Good Luck, new entrepreneurs!!

I'm in the process of designing a logo and I love what I do! I want to share some more points that will help you in your next logo design project.

I design in black and white first. I usually give you 5 or 6 different compositions of the logo but the first round of logo's are always without color. It is so important to create a strong black and white logo that can reproduce well in every media outlet. I like to go through the revision process to get to the final logo design while it is still black and white. Once you have decided on the final logo, I will add the color and give you several choices of color schemes to choose from for a final design. My deliverables for your final logo are files in black and white as well as full color, in several different file formats. THIS IS SO IMPORTANT! For example in traditonal media you will need your logo as vector art files. This is great for newspaper, magazines, printing of brochures and business cards, as well as letterhead, postcards and mailing pieces. Another form of branding that will utilize the vector files is screenprinting on Tshirts and corporate apparel. Let's not forget the promotional products, a wonderful branding option that will use these same files but usually in black and white since it's a screenprinting process and single color is most affordable and sometimes the only option. When we move into the online needs for your website and social media marketing, you will need flat files such as JPG's or PNG's and those also have to be formatted RGB (red, green, blue). They also should be a smaller file size vs. the vector files should be high resolution. So the bottom line here is, if you want to get the best logo design by a professional then make sure you get the deliverables. Before you hire your designer make sure they will be giving you all the files that are needed for your business to market traditionlly as well as online ~ my favorite :) ~

Susan M. Knorr, CAS

Since I have been designing logo's for 20 years, I thought I might share some interesting thoughts that I feel are important when designing a logo ...

1) Don't take a piece of clip art and make this image your logo. A logo must be unique and original, especially if you want to Trademark.

2) Do make sure when designing a logo that you hire a professional graphic designer with many years of experience in design. It's helpful for them to understand printing too so the final image will reproduce well in print.

3) Do share your thoughts and ideas with the designer on the "image you want to portray" ~ It's important to create a professional logo, a strong image with personality that portrays the proper image of the company.

4) It's should be a design process with revisions and feedback from you on the likes and dislikes of each logo presented so that you can revise and edit and finally come to the final logo you love and one that will be an image that will last the lifetime of the company.

4) DO ask for the final files upon completion of the logo. When I design an original logo, I always make a logo disk with many different files so that you will have the ability to use the logo in all media needs.

I hope this helps you with your next logo project ! ~ Susan M. Knorr, CAS

Business is really tough.

As your organization braces itself for tough times, how can it can it boost revenue without breaking the budget? Think about developing a marketing plan.

Planning is the launching pad for success. Without a plan, organizations don’t have a chance of surviving. Take the time to sit down with your team and come up with a strategy to attack new markets and meet new people. Get the CEO involved with the sales team and the customers.