Do you have a great business idea, but aren’t sure what print materials you will need to start your business? Or perhaps you are in the process of writing your business plan and aren’t sure what expenses to plan for. Below you will find what print materials I most recommend to my clients.

Essentials:

I call the following print materials “essentials” because they are the top two things you will need to start getting the word out about your service and product. If you have a limited budget these are the first two pieces I would recommend spending money on.

1. Logo:

Without a logo your company will miss out on an important first step – credibility. Part of building credibility is creating a company that looks official, even if you just opened. In order for a client or customer to purchase your product or services they will need to trust your company. How? Build credibility with a professional logo that says “I am here to stay” and not just a whim.

Before you begin the logo process, make sure you have already talked to a lawyer and accountant and figured out the best business structure for your company, whether it’s an LLC, S-Corp, or Corporation. Why have this figured out before meeting with a logo designer? To save you money. I would hate to design a logo and then find out later that the name you picked out is already taken and we need to re-do the logo.

2. Business Card:

This is essential to start in-person networking. How many have you fallen into this trap: You want to save money and just go to Office Max, buy business card paper and print out a template design. I actually did this myself when I first went on my own. Can that work for networking? Yes, to a point.

One key element of networking is to stand out. For instance, if you and 3 other people were at an event and you all sold laptop cases, what would make you stand out? Remember you only have a few minutes to make a first impression and then what does your marketing? Your business card. You want to make people so intrigued that they either call you or go to your website to find out more.

Advanced:

While the above two things are great to start meeting people and to give you a professional look, this “advanced” list will help you more effectively market your company.

1. Letterhead:

Having letterhead will make you appear professional, even if you are just starting out. It can be used for a letter to introduce yourself to your ideal customer or it can be used as the background for your invoices and estimates. And we all need to get paid, right?

2. Brochure:

As a small business owner myself, I know that some people are interested in your product, but don’t need it right this minute. The solution? Ask if you can mail them more information about your awesome product, a.k.a. the brochure. This can also be a great leave behind piece when you meet with someone or to pass out at a networking group.

3. Ad

While we all wish everyone would be beating down our door to buy our product or service, the reality is you need to get the word out. One of the ways is through a print ad. Make sure before you place an ad, that the publication hits your target market. The last thing you want to do is waste your precious marketing dollars. Are you not sure where to start? I work with a media buyer, Terry Kitzmiller, that can help you decide and negotiate an ad price.

4. Postcard/Direct Mail

While creating your business plan did you discover that there are certain areas your target customer lives? Direct mail can be a great tool for your business if you know the age, marital status, income level and zip code of where your ideal client is located. Think Direct Mail is outdated? Consider this – the world’s largest online search engine, Google, often sends out direct mail.

Next up

Stay tuned for my next article, were I’ll explain about what online components you need to get your business up and running.

When starting a business, you know you need a logo. But most people wonder – how much does a logo cost? Or can’t I just create it on my own? I don’t have much money and can’t anyone put some type with some clip art?

Let’s first tackle the cost question. I read a great article “Company Logos for Less” the other day in Inc. magazine where a business owner evaluated 3 different logo websites that offer very cheap logo design (under $500). What type of work do you really end up with? Is it worth your time? The logo designs he was presented had a huge variety and while the end design looked ok, he didn’t really end up with a truly unique logo. As, Steven Heller, says  in the article “The one he chose is abstract enough that he can probably use it for anything. But a logo is supposed to be a mnemonic — something people will remember. Looking at these, there’s no sense of ‘aha!’”

Also, according to Inc., large agencies can charge between $25,000 – $50,000 for a logo design. Seriously? Yes, seriously. Did anyone fall off of their chair yet? Ok, get back up and read on. Let’s evaluate what an agency provides: They have a team of people doing market research, studying type, brainstorming and presenting logo design options. Is that a ridiculous amount for most small businesses and start-ups to fathom paying? Yes. Can you get a great design for much less? Definitely.

So, what if you went through a logo designer, such as myself? How much should a small business expect to pay for a great logo, that hits their target market and they love? Let’s first discuss what goes into the process of creating a logo. Is it just spending 30 minutes throwing a typeface with some clip art? Absolutely not. On average I spend at least 10-12 hours completing the following process:

1. Meeting with the client and having them answer around 20 questions about everything from color preference, target market, who are your competitors, etc.

2. Market Research: I look at your competitors logos, your target market and general logo research.

3. Brainstorming: Sketching and word association

4. Type study: I fill two 8.5 x 11 size documents with different type faces that might work.

5. Translate top sketches to computer in black and white artwork. Tip: If a logo doesn’t work in black and white, it won’t be dynamic in color.

6. Pair black and white artwork with typefaces.

7. Pick top 2-3

8. Add color

9. Present to client

10. Make any client requested modifications

11. Send the final files in a variety of file formats to the client.

So, after a designer puts in the time to do the above, I have found most designers I know charge between $1,000 – $3,000. Which in all honestly isn’t anywhere near an agency price, but you still end up with a professional logo that hits your target market. Specific pricing can depend on how many options you want (2 or 10?), your turnaround time (2 weeks or 1 day?) and how much experience a designer has (fresh out of school or +10 years experience?).

Want to know more about logo design? Read here what I believe makes a logo pop and go here for examples of logos I have designed.

Last month one of the projects I designed was a logo for hollajane photography. Hollie, the owner, requested a fun, bright and swirly logo. Her target market includes families, babies, engaged couples and pets. I really wanted to convey the personality of the owner – she is a very fun and happy woman, who loves color. Of the logo ideas that I presented, this one was the first one I sketched & designed. While I created other logo options, my eye kept coming back to this one – as it kept screaming “this is so Hollie!” I was very happy to find out that the client’s immediate first choice was this one as well.

As I was swimming this morning, I started thinking about what key elements make up a great logo. Here is a list of top 6 things I think of when creating logos:

1. Is it easy to read? There are a million fonts out there to choose from, but not all are legible. One easy check is to print it out the logo on a piece of paper and tape it to a wall. Now, step back and walk by it. Can you read it in a glance? If not, then it won’t be readable in an aisle, on a truck or on a storefront.

2. Is it a strong logo in black and white? You would think in this day and age of digital printing and emails that it isn’t necessary. But you would be amazed at how many requests I get to make their logo one color, so the client can get it printed on a T-shirt or a hat.

3. Is it different from your competitors? This is always my step one when it comes to starting a logo. What does the competition look like? You want to stay away from their look to save your customers from brand confusion.

4. Does it appeal to your target market? Is your target market pre-teens or 40 year old males? Women in their 30’s or retirees? These categories alone can produce drastically different results. Know your target market!

5. Do you as the owner/client like it? Many designers may feel that what they like is the only way, but the design industry is all about pleasing the customer. And if client hates it they aren’t going to want to look it day in and day out. There is a saying: you should love your logo and by the time you are sick of it, that is when people start to have brand recognition.

6. Keep it simple! People can get caught up in putting too much in a logo. What do I mean? They might think they want a person, a chicken and the kitchen sink in it, but simple is what people remember. Think Nike, Target, Fedex. Only the essential should be in the logo.

Are you a small business that needs a logo design or a logo re-design? Email me at becca@bauerhaus.com to set up a meeting to talk about specifics.

Overall, I focused on creating a clean site to leave the emphasis on her jewelry. One of the key client requests was the ability for the customer to search multiple ways. Why you may ask? Because some people are searching for a cute pair of earrings and others want a whole accessory set – earrings, bracelet, necklace, etc.

I worked with programmer Erik Lutenegger creating this site and together we broke it down into 3 ways to search. The first way, shown below, is by category, such as earrings, necklaces, bracelets, etc.

The second way to search is by collection. For instance, the piece below is in the hammered collection. You can then further view other similar hammered jewelry on the bottom scroll bar.

The final way to search is through an advanced product search. Use this if you know what exact product you are searching for:

Another feature we added was rotating images to the home page. Here is another view of the home page with a different piece of jewelry.

The client provided me with their original Tri-County volleyball logo design:

They said the requirements for their logo were the following: They were looking for a more sophisticated logo design and they wanted to keep their existing color scheme – red, blue and white. One of the owners also came to me with an idea of showing a girl passing a volleyball. The coaches often relay to the girls that passing is the core of volleyball. After all, if you can not pass, the setter has a hard time getting the perfect set to the hitters. Here is their original sketch for the logo:

Then, I sketched about 20 different ideas for logos. I normally pick the top 3 or 4 ideas and then start working them out in Adobe Illustrator. Once in Illustrator I usually dedicate an entire page trying to figure out which typeface says “tri-county volleyball” to me for the 3 ideas. I think about things like readability and their target market. Then I’ll start dropping the type into the logo options to see if they are a true fit. I love the moment of finding the perfect typeface – I’ll get a gut feeling of “This is it!”
Below are three ideas I presented to the Volleyball club. Logo Option #1:

Option #2: This option takes their original logo and makes it look more professional.

Option #3: This option is my interpretation of Mat’s sketch.

After the above were presented to the client, I received their feedback – they preferred option #3, but were concerned it was too complicated for the embroidery of T-shirts. Taking this into consideration, I simplified it coming up with the final logo:

I also created the Metro East Volleyball website with a Wordpress theme from Studio Press: