There’s no easy time to start a business. The cost and effort of getting things off the ground can be enough to put most people off the idea.
At a time when there is plenty to consider and arrange, design can seem like the last thing you want to focus on. But as a fledgling business, design can make or break your success like virtually no other element of your marketing mix.
How your business looks, and the way it is presented to customers, is crucial in giving your business its character.
From the online presence to the way outgoing communications are presented, you need to secure a competent designer from the outset to give your business a fighting chance.
The starting point for most businesses is the logo. Once you have devised a name for your business, a logo is the first exposure to design most new businesses will face.
The way the logo looks will undoubtedly set the tone for your branding and communications going forward. It is important that you take your time over the logo design process.
Remember that your logo is the most direct first impression of your business, and should capture your commercial aims and strengths in visual form.
When it’s ready, showcase your logo with HALO on a promotional item for your clients. A good logo provides the foundation for a well-executed marketing plan. The logo feeds in to the wider design work you will need done, and will influence how the colors and visual themes develop around your brand.
As a result, it pays to make sure your logo is solid from the outset, so you can build your designs around that for the rest of your marketing needs.
In today’s age, a website is no longer an optional extra. In fact, most new businesses now see the website design process as preliminary to starting to trade. A website is crucial for presenting your business to the world. Even local businesses now need to make use of the web – to avoid digital channels would be negligent at best.
From a design point of view, the web is constantly changing and it may be necessary to upgrade the visuals of your website every few years to keep things relevant.
Image source:
http://enjoylife.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/desinerguy-fromwarlordgames.jpg
In the first instance, you need a website that is well-designed, easy to use and visually impressive. Every business and industry will have its own specific requirements for a website, but generally the appearance and feel of the site should be indicative of the experience you offer to clients.
It is all to do with creating the right impression for your business, so customers can decide at their own leisure whether they want to work with your business.
When the website and logo design phases are completed, the attention tends to turn to customized stationery. While some new businesses leave out this phase, they do so at their peril.
Businesses that are caught short without the right stationery such as letterhead, memo pads, and notebooks in place can find it more difficult to communicate professionally with other businesses and prospects.
Everything you do in business is a competition, and your stationery is part of the wider visual impact you create with your new business.
