Before you spend thousands of dollars on new branding that you’ll use over the next 5-10 years, it’s important to understand what you actually need to avoid massive future setbacks. Part of that is ensuring you get the right logos – the right file types, color application, and design options. (Yes, you NEED more than one logo!)

Many new entrepreneurs fear that specializing their business will limit the pool of potential clients they could work with. They enter the market trying to be everything to everyone — appealing to every demographic and meeting every cost expectation. Sometimes they use a more established business as an example, thinking they must launch at the same scale and compete. This is generalizing. The reality is that generalizing positions your small business to compete against businesses that have already filled a market need and have already earned a loyal following.

The market is saturated with graphic designers with varying levels of experience, specialties, and rates. Many are capable and experienced, but a dynamite portfolio doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll develop a compatible working partnership. So, how do you find a qualified designer, whom you can trust to take care of your business as they would their own?

As a business owner approaching your next major project, you’ll likely need some creative help. You could hire a freelancer, a design studio, an agency, or you could recruit a new employee. But when they all seem to offer the same products such as logo design and websites, how do you choose your creative superhero? Besides cost, what is the difference?