Internet marketing has enhanced the need for logos. Many businesses are constantly searching for skilled logo designers to do their logos. SMEs and large corporations alike post their business logos whenever they run an ad campaign online or elsewhere.
Consequently, logo designers are in demand, thus making logo designing a lucrative trade to get into. If you are a designer looking to venture into this business, you are on the right path. However, the elephant in the room is where to start.
Someone may advise you to buy the best logo maker software, but that is not enough to get your business going. There are a few mistakes that you should watch out for.
Tips on Starting Your Logo Design Venture
The following information is vital for those looking to start their logo design trade.
1. Finding Clients
What is a business without the customer? Find people that need the skill you are offering. You have a nice trendy business name, and your portfolio is impressive. However, without clients, that is all you have.
Sell your idea to a few small businesses. Seeing the prospect of getting your first earnings gives you the morale to start strong. You can also find your clients on the internet. There are myriads of freelance platforms such as Upwork and Fiverr that post jobs.
When starting, being picky may cause you to lose out. Some sites expect you to build up your experience by getting client reviews. These expose you to better-paying clients in the long run.
2. Pricing
This may go along with getting your first clients. If you want to work with local businesses, the first question will be about costs. There are three structures you can choose from:
- Charge by the hour
- Charge by the project
- Charge by value
Hourly rates are the most popular as they are the easiest to set up. This may be the best choice for a startup. As you grow, you may incorporate the other structures.
This raises the question: how much should you charge?
How do you set your prices? You can look up other logo designers or even consult them about pricing your work. Ensure that your fee is not too high or too low. The latter raises questions about your skill and the quality of your work.
3. Build a Website
You can use website builders such as WordPress or Wix to build a simple website. They come with ready-to-use templates and will not demand coding skills. WordPress even includes tutorials to help you along.
4. Communicating with Clients
Communication skills are vital in any business. To maintain your clients and attract new ones, you need to communicate with them. In this business, you are in charge of every department from designing to sales.
Therefore, apart from designing and delivering the product, you will manage every other department. Effective communication allows you to have a seamless transition from one to the next.
5. Create a Business Plan
Many people prefer to have a plan before they roll their business operations out. However, many who do this get stuck in the planning stage and take too long to get to the business one. Some get overwhelmed and give it up altogether.
At this stage, you do not need a detailed business plan. Consider factors such as the following as you build your plan:
- The services you plan to offer
- Target customers
- Pricing
- Number of clients to target per month
- Short term money goals
- Where to source for clients
- Maintaining your customer base
Avoid Emailing Your Logos
Naturally, your client wants to see what you can do before they commit. Many present their product via email and wait for feedback from the client. How about presenting yours live as you negotiate with the client?
This way, you will see their initial reaction as they see yours. It also gets easier to explain your design, especially any symbolic meanings it may have. The client may like your email presentation and commit to or reject it without understanding the finer details.
Additionally, you can take your client through the design process while explaining every step. The client gets a firsthand look at your work, appreciates the skill, and understands the logo’s meaning. This earns you more yeas than nays.
You want to get your work accepted by your clients. Nevertheless, there is always the chance that you will get a rejection, but that is to be expected. The client may be dissatisfied with an aspect of the logo. That is not to mean that your work is defective.
Conclusion
Starting your business may present some challenges. However, you can work around them and make progress. The most important thing is to start. Do not get lost in the planning process.