If you’re an entrepreneur just starting on your small business journey, we’re sure you’re aware that your logo is a big decision. It’s what will represent your brand at its core and making a mistake now could mean a costly re-design process in the future. So, getting it right the first time is important.

And if you are looking for a logo designer to re-brand your small business, the third time is not the charm. You really want to get it right your second go-around.

Unless you’re a graphic designer yourself, this most likely means hiring a logo designer. If you’re convinced you can take on this task yourself, check out our blog of golden rules for good logo design.

If you’re ready to hire this all-important piece of graphic design out, here’s our guide on where to start and what to look for.

Types of Logo Designers

There are typically three main routes you can go when hiring out for your logo: agencies, solo freelancers, and small business graphic designers. Here’s a brief breakdown of the differences of each.

• Agencies are generally much more expensive. You can usually expect to spend a minimum of about $1000, and this figure can easily go upwards of $5000. The good news is that at this price, you can be assured of getting high-quality, professional work.

• Solo freelancers are individual graphic designers that are typically the most inexpensive option. Prices can range from a mere $5 (remember, you get what you pay for) to a few hundred. Many of them can easily be found on sites like Fiverr and UpWork, and even Etsy. The issue with solo freelancers is that the quality can vary widely between individuals. At the end of the day, you may find yourself having to play project manager if you hire the wrong person.

• Small business logo designers are a happy medium between these two options. They are less expensive than the agency route, and typically have better resources and systems in place for their customers than solo freelancers. A huge perk working with a small business is you get more collaboration, for less. Rather than having a single designer working on your project, you have multiple people putting their brains and creativity together (similar to an agency situation) but for much less.

Finding Logo Designers

While budget might automatically help you narrow down which type of logo designer you want to hire, your perfect fit may surprise you, so keep an open mind when researching.

When it comes to the actual search, how do entrepreneurs go about finding logo designers?

First, ask your friends, family and professional network for recommendations. This will at least give you some options to look into as a starting point.

Another great technique is to find a small business logo that you love, then contact that entrepreneur and ask who their logo designer was. Finally, simply Googling “[insert your niche here] logo designers” or “small business logo designers under [insert dollar amount here]” can help yield some results that may be worth looking into.

Choosing the Right Logo Designer for Your Small Business

Once you’ve gotten together a list of logo designers that you could potentially hire, it’s all about choosing the right fit for your small business. Here are our top 5 tips to help you determine who’s right for you and 5 red flags to look out for.

5 Top Tips

1.  Look at their portfolio. Many designers have a specialty niche. Looking at their portfolio will help show you the types of clients they’ve had in the past and help you get a sense of if their work matches the direction you want your brand to go.
2. Check out their social media. This will further help you determine a logo designer’s aesthetic. Do be careful not to make the mistake of thinking that they can’t create something in a different style just because theirs is a certain way.
3. Reach out. Email, call, or fill out the logo designer’s contact form. Do they get back to you in a timely manner? How thorough are they in addressing your initial comments/questions?
4. Get a free consultation. A good logo designer should be able to talk with you a bit about your situation, needs, and concerns for free. They’ll either be able to provide you a quote or suggest a package price without pressuring you to decide or spend a certain dollar amount.
5. Ask questions. Ask how their process works and what the average turnaround is. What is their communication like? Are they available via text, email, phone calls? How often are they willing to respond to questions/concerns? What types of final products can you expect to receive at the end?

5 Red Flags

1. Can’t give you a specific timeline. Whoever you hire should be able to tell you when to expect your initial logo concepts, revisions, and the final product. If they can’t, it’s a big indicator that your work will not be presented to you in a timely manner.
2. Hard to get in touch with. If they’re only available via email two days a week for five hours, they’re not worth the hassle. Good communication is essential for such a collaborative process as logo design.
3. Bad reviews. This one speaks for itself. Check to see if they have bad reviews, and if they do, how they handled them. Did they address the unhappy customer’s concerns or brush them off?
4. No protections or guarantees. Make sure whoever you are working with (or the third-party site you found them on) offers protective measures that ensure the logo designer can’t just take your money and run. A contract is a great tool to have in place for logo work and protects both parties.
5.  Offers template logos. A logo differentiates your brand and helps your small business stand out. A template design, while saving you money, is the opposite of this. While it might seem customizable, at the end of the day your brand will end up with a logo that looks very similar to (or worse, is exactly the same as) multiple other businesses.

If you follow our tips and avoid the red flags listed above, you should be able to choose a great logo designer for your brand. Once you’ve hired someone, don’t be afraid to ask for what you want – the more specific the better! At the same time, do take their professional opinion into account, and above all, please be timely with your feedback. Your designer will appreciate your help in keeping the process on track.

If you’d like to consider hiring the Le Park Creative team for your logo creation, check out our portfolio and social media accounts to see our work. If you like what you see, take a look at our different logo design packages. Not sure of your design needs? Reach out to us for a free consultation! We love collaborating with entrepreneurs of all types and in all stages of their journeys.