When to brand your business is a question that many people struggle with. I feel I should have a website or at least a logo to start marketing. A logo shouldn’t be too hard, right? Experts seem to be divided on the issue.
No Brand? No Business
Old-school marketers claim you need to develop your brand before you start marketing to make sure you aren’t wasting your marketing dollars. After all, how can they remember your logo if you don’t have a logo?
No Business? No Brand
Some startup gurus claim you shouldn’t even think about branding when you’re starting a business. The important thing is to focus on a product that people want. After all, money spent on a logo for a product that nobody wants is money wasted.
So Should I Make A Logo?
While I have a decent eye for design, I don’t possess the skills and tools needed to create a fantastic logo. So here are my choices:
- Create a half-baked logo and plan to upgrade if the business takes off.
- Ask my designer sister for yet another favor. How many of these do I get? She did logo/website/etc for free on my last project – which failed.
- Pay a designer. I know a good one that offers logos for $100.
I think the right answer lies in product validation. There has been interest in the leashes and I have a lot of confidence in them as a product. But…
Interest and confidence do not equal validation.
So for now, I’ll half-bake a logo together the best I can and I’ll worry about upgrading it if the business finds some success.
[20 minutes later]
Done.