Invest In Your Brand (Or Else)
“That much for a logo?”
in·vest·ment
inˈves(t)mənt/ (noun)
noun: investment; plural noun: investments
the action or process of investing money for profit or material result.
a thing that is worth buying because it may be profitable or useful in the future. “a used car is rarely a good investment”
act of devoting time, effort, or energy to a particular undertaking with the expectation of a worthwhile result. “the time spent in attending a one-day seminar is an investment in our professional futures”
synonyms: contribution, sacrifice
“a substantial investment of time”
Whether you want to build a personal brand or a company/organization brand, you need to invest time, energy, and money into that edification. While on break, back home in North Carolina, some friends of mine talked with me about some projects they wanted to get off the ground. I threw out a possible ballpark estimate for a logo and they were shocked by the price range.
“That much?”
“…for a logo?”
Yes.
The most successful for-profit and non-profit brands in the world have budgets that include money for design & branding. Why should anyone invest in you, if you are not willing to invest in yourself? People tend to be more motivated to see a project through when they have skin in the game. “It takes money to make money” is an absolutely true statement. If you are going to build a business that makes $600,000+ a year and a $6,000 (1% of total revenue — one time payment) logo is too rich for your blood, consider the possibility that you don’t believe in your business (or project).
If you don’t believe, no one else will.
I am not saying to go in debt or overspend. I am merely cautioning against not recognizing others’ value as they help you build. You are not going into a 5-star sit down restaurant expecting to see a dollar menu. From the standpoint of the restaurant owner, you want a return on investment (ROI) for the quality of food you are serving. This concept applies across the board, no matter the field of expertise you’re looking for. It’s all about the return on investment.
Within your budget, you need to have money dedicated to your visual identity and marketing efforts. After you answer crucial questions about the existence of your brand, you need strategize how you will best tell your story to your target audience. That takes time and effort. Invest in that process so that the result will give the best impression to those you are trying to reach.
Grandiose dreams of a successful personal brand, business, or purpose driven non-profit are not free. If you want high quality help and results, you need to be ready conduct yourself as a professional and respect others as such. Time is the most precious resource in the world. Value the time of those whose expertise you need to succeed.
Would love to hear your thoughts. Leave a response below. And if you enjoyed reading this, click that little recommend button below.
If you want to check out some of my work, you can follow me on Dribbble, visit my portfolio site, and check out my Instagram. Thanks for reading!
