business referral may be seen as equity for your own work.

Buy an already created set from a software or shareware company. Add your business information and voil?, you have got a new look.

Some Words of Warning

Although it may seem like a good or convenient idea to have a family member or friend do the design work for you, it usually turns out to be far more costly not only financially, but also with relationship conflicts. So, weigh the potential outcome before you ask.

Finally, make sure you have the electronic file formats and copyright permissions (or o

How you look affects your self esteem and how your business looks affects your bottom line. But what if you need to improve your business image but have minimal staff or budget to support those changes?

Not to worry. There are some simple tips you can apply that cost nothing or next-to-nothing and that can get almost immediate results. So where do you start? First, you need a plan.

Plan Your Brand

A facelift, also known as an *identity* plan deserves detailed thought because it involves more than your logo and letterhead. Having a plan assures that everything you put before a potential customer carries a unified image so that the customer can identify the product or service with your business. This identity becomes the brand upon which you build future business, so putting optimal resources toward your brand development will provide the best return.

Revamping your brand may be as simple as updating a logo or as complex as creating a many-page website with double opt-in lists, links and affiliations. Because you will likely be living with your choices for a long time, you will want to consider selecting the image that is not only the most acceptable but the one you believe will enhance your success. It is always a good idea to solicit feedback from others when creating something as critical as your identity.

Five Ways to Find the Services You Need at a Fraction of the Cost

How do you find someone to help with your identity plan? Five ways come to mind:

1. Offer a high school or college art student the chance to design what you need in exchange for including the finished work in his or her portfolio. A letter from you verifying your satisfaction with his or her work is a help, too.
2. Post the job on a freelancer site and subcontract the work. Search with your favorite browser for freelance graphic designers, publish your proposal and determine from the bids you receive what works best. (These sites can be global marketplaces so determine if terms of agreement are acceptable before you post your proposal.)
3. Barter services with a designer whose work you know and trust. For example, if your business is landscaping, offering to rid the designer of yard-weeds in the spring may be enough to offset what you need.
4. Offer to introduce a designer to two other clients who would agree to use his or her services. The business referral may be seen as equity for your own work.
5. Buy an already created set from a software or shareware company. Add your business information and voil?, you have got a new look.

Some Words of Warning

Although it may seem like a good or convenient idea to have a family member or friend do the design work for you, it usually turns out to be far more costly not only financially, but also with relationship conflicts. So, weigh the potential outcome before you ask.

Finally, make sure you have the electronic file formats and copyright permissions (or ow

customer carries a unified image so that the customer can identify the product or service with your business. This identity becomes the brand upon which you build future business, so putting optimal resources toward your brand development will provide the best return.

Revamping your brand may be as simple as updating a logo or as complex as creating a many-page website with double opt-in lists, links and affiliations. Because you will likely be living with your choices for a long time, you will want to consider selecting the image that is not only the most acceptable but the one you believe will enhance your success. It is always a good idea to solicit feedback from others when creating something as critical as your identity.

Five Ways to Find the Services You Need at a Fraction of the Cost

How do you find someone to help with your identity plan? Five ways come to mind:

1. Offer a high school or college art student the chance to design what you need in exchange for including the finished work in his or her portfolio. A letter from you verifying your satisfaction with his or her work is a help, too.
2. Post the job on a freelancer site and subcontract the work. Search with your favorite browser for freelance graphic designers, publish your proposal and determine from the bids you receive what works best. (These sites can be global marketplaces so determine if terms of agreement are acceptable before you post your proposal.)
3. Barter services with a designer whose work you know and trust. For example, if your business is landscaping, offering to rid the designer of yard-weeds in the spring may be enough to offset what you need.
4. Offer to introduce a designer to two other clients who would agree to use his or her services. The business referral may be seen as equity for your own work.
5. Buy an already created set from a software or shareware company. Add your business information and voil?, you have got a new look.

Some Words of Warning

Although it may seem like a good or convenient idea to have a family member or friend do the design work for you, it usually turns out to be far more costly not only financially, but also with relationship conflicts. So, weigh the potential outcome before you ask.

Finally, make sure you have the electronic file formats and copyright permissions (or o

s. It is always a good idea to solicit feedback from others when creating something as critical as your identity.

Five Ways to Find the Services You Need at a Fraction of the Cost

How do you find someone to help with your identity plan? Five ways come to mind:

1. Offer a high school or college art student the chance to design what you need in exchange for including the finished work in his or her portfolio. A letter from you verifying your satisfaction with his or her work is a help, too.
2. Post the job on a freelancer site and subcontract the work. Search with your favorite browser for freelance graphic designers, publish your proposal and determine from the bids you receive what works best. (These sites can be global marketplaces so determine if terms of agreement are acceptable before you post your proposal.)
3. Barter services with a designer whose work you know and trust. For example, if your business is landscaping, offering to rid the designer of yard-weeds in the spring may be enough to offset what you need.
4. Offer to introduce a designer to two other clients who would agree to use his or her services. The business referral may be seen as equity for your own work.
5. Buy an already created set from a software or shareware company. Add your business information and voil?, you have got a new look.

Some Words of Warning

Although it may seem like a good or convenient idea to have a family member or friend do the design work for you, it usually turns out to be far more costly not only financially, but also with relationship conflicts. So, weigh the potential outcome before you ask.

Finally, make sure you have the electronic file formats and copyright permissions (or o

with your favorite browser for freelance graphic designers, publish your proposal and determine from the bids you receive what works best. (These sites can be global marketplaces so determine if terms of agreement are acceptable before you post your proposal.)

Barter services with a designer whose work you know and trust. For example, if your business is landscaping, offering to rid the designer of yard-weeds in the spring may be enough to offset what you need.

Offer to introduce a designer to two other clients who would agree to use his or her services. The business referral may be seen as equity for your own work.

Buy an already created set from a software or shareware company. Add your business information and voil?, you have got a new look.

Some Words of Warning

Although it may seem like a good or convenient idea to have a family member or friend do the design work for you, it usually turns out to be far more costly not only financially, but also with relationship conflicts. So, weigh the potential outcome before you ask.

Finally, make sure you have the electronic file formats and copyright permissions (or o

business referral may be seen as equity for your own work.

Buy an already created set from a software or shareware company. Add your business information and voil?, you have got a new look.

Some Words of Warning

Although it may seem like a good or convenient idea to have a family member or friend do the design work for you, it usually turns out to be far more costly not only financially, but also with relationship conflicts. So, weigh the potential outcome before you ask.

Finally, make sure you have the electronic file formats and copyright permissions (or ownership) you need for the work you purchased. After all, you do not want to be seeing your image anywhere but on your business face.