Logo and brand basics for a small business

What makes a logo work

A good logo is simple, readable at small sizes and recognizable in one color. Test it as a tiny icon in a browser tab, on a business card and on a vehicle. Complex illustrations and thin lines usually fail at small size.

Avoid trendy effects that will date quickly, and avoid using clip art or stock symbols that other businesses also use. Check that the idea is original enough not to be confused with a competitor.

Print the logo at a small size in black and white. If it still looks clear, it will work on invoices, forms and stamps as well.

Colors and fonts

Choose a small palette: a main color, one or two supporting colors and neutrals for text and backgrounds. Check that text on every color combination is readable, with enough contrast for people with low vision. Pick two fonts at most, one for headings and one for body text, and use them everywhere.

Write the exact color codes and font names down so every printer, designer and staff member uses the same ones.

Voice and personality

Decide how you sound: warm and plain, precise and formal, light and humorous. List three adjectives and three things you never say. Apply the voice to your website copy, emails and replies to reviews. Customers sense inconsistency even if they cannot name it.

Your behavior is part of the brand too: how quickly you reply, how you handle mistakes and how you look when you arrive.

Put the voice into practice by writing a template reply for new inquiries and for complaints. Staff then sound like the same company.

Files you should have

Ask for the logo in several forms: full color, one color, reversed for dark backgrounds, a square icon and a horizontal version. Get vector files, which scale without losing quality, as well as ready-to-use image files. Store them in a shared folder.

Make sure you own the files and the rights to use them. Ask the designer to confirm in the agreement that the work is original.

Working with a designer

Share what the business does, who it serves, three brands you admire and why, and where the logo will appear. Ask for a small number of concept directions rather than dozens. Give feedback in terms of the goal, such as 'it needs to read well on a truck,' not just 'I do not like it.'

Budget for a brand guide of a page or two that lists the logo rules, colors, fonts and voice.

Keep it consistent

Apply the same elements across website, signs, invoices, social profiles and uniforms. Do not stretch or recolor the logo. When staff or vendors produce material, give them the guide. Review a year later and fix drift, because small differences add up to an untidy impression.

Store the brand folder in a shared drive and tell vendors where to find it, so they do not take a fuzzy copy from your website.

Common questions

This guide is general information. Search engines change how they work and their guidelines; check Google's current documentation for your situation. Nobody can guarantee a ranking.