The Last Thing You Need Is a Logo

Building an impressive brand from its foundation means ending with design. So where do you start?

First things first. Do you know what you want? Do you know the specific audience you're serving? Do you want a certain response, and are you prepared to handle it when it comes? Do you even know why you're in the business you're in?
It's funny to me that some owners of small businesses who ask me to create a logo or website, when I ask them what their business is, they struggle to define it. Many independent graphic designers struggle to pry clarity out of their small business customers. The lack of clarity on the business owner's part is going to show up in muddled design efforts and creative struggles on the designer's side. That's why it's so important to start on square footing before you approach design.
"Knowing" the answers to those questions above means you are able to do something that is crucial for all companies: you are able to define yourself. When you can stand in the center of a room with no materials whatsoever, and represent your company, speak of its value, and handle any question with ease and confidence, you have achieved that knowing. This is brand clarity. This is having a solid, internal brand structure.
Brand development is the process of knowing your audience, your capabilities, your unique value, what you do best, what you don't do, how much you charge, and how to communicate all that at the drop of a hat. All of this comes before you design a logo, before you have a website.
The physical form of your business comes from your imagination, whether it is an image, a slogan, a product, or simply a spoken message. So if you have not imagined your company to the extent of knowing these things and defining them for yourself, your designer is going to spend a lot of time getting you to be clear and less time making your ideas physical. And your designer will get it wrong somehow. They won't know what you want to bring about, in other words.
That's why it's important to do some brand planning. I work with small business owners to get that clarity and planning in place so that when they are ready to shop for good design, they are clear and prepared. It takes a bit of training, a bit of knowing what to watch out for, but the ease is worth the time and effort. Until you have clarity at the base of your business idea, your logo won't be the right one, your outward image will be confused. Plan first, design later!