01. You don't get a second chance to make a first impression.
As a new business owner, you quickly learn that you're not an expert in everything. Your area of expertise is likely building products or services and understanding the problem you're setting out to solve. That's why hiring the right designer can be instrumental in your company's success, especially in the start-up phases.
Design is ultimately about communication. Good design and bad design are usually differentiated by how well each design delivers its intended message. Whether we like it or not, we often do judge a book by its cover, and while it may not be fair, as humans, we often apply the same psychology toward brands. Your logo is usually the first entry point a potential customer sees, and within the first couple of seconds, they will decide based on how they have perceived your brand. Wouldn't you rather leave a positive impression? Hiring a designer will ensure you deliver the correct message to the intended audience.
02. Consistency is key
Consistency is vital for making progress, doing better work, getting in shape and achieving some success in most areas of life and business. The same rules apply to your branding. Over time, the elements of your brand will become ingrained in the minds of your customers. Having a designer that can ensure your identity is consistent with each impression will ultimately result in a customer experience that will foster trust and build confidence in your brand.
Think of some brands you use and expose yourself to every single day. Why do you buy the products you do, even though there might be a cheaper alternative? The reason is trust and reliability. You know the experience you're receiving when you purchase the product or service.
03. Cash is not King. Time is.
As human beings, time is a fixed commodity for all of us. As a result, we can often feel rushed, stressed and unfulfilled at the end of the day because we haven't accomplished some of the goals and tasks we set ourselves (here are some tools to help with this). As a result, you shouldn't waste your valuable time creating assets yourself if you can afford to streamline the creative process and hire a designer.
Creating marketing assets yourself that don't work is just wasting your precious time. A good designer will not only increase your bottom line by creating assets that generate a higher return on investment based on the time they put into them. They will also generate more time for you to focus on your areas of expertise and the business.
04. Providing Value
Finding a designer that's right for you and your business is just as important as finding a good designer. You want to find someone who not only does the work well but is constantly striving to add value to your business. A great designer will bring new ideas to the table and help you explore new avenues or ideas that they can adapt into assets that will boost your brand.
It's crucial that you learn to listen to your designer when it comes to the best ways to represent your business and communicate with your customers visually. They're experts at what they do and understand how a design can have an emotional and psychological impact. But, of course, this will depend on your relationship and the level of trust you have with the people you surround yourself with.
05. Enjoy the process
Growing your business will be a long process with many ups and downs; that's inevitable. However, you should hire and surround yourself with the right people who will ultimately help you make the best decisions and cover your strengths. If you're looking for an example of this, my favourite is Ben Francis of Gym Shark. A very inspiring story.
You should constantly feel like your designer provides you with the value that they care about your business and your growth. Working alongside a great designer will elevate everything about your business's identity and have profound effects on areas you wouldn't have thought of.
It would be best if you took the time to find a designer whose style, expertise and experience blend with what you and your business needs. A great designer will generally excel in at least one (however, they should be competent in all of them) of the following areas :
- Website design
- Logo Design
- Brand Identity Design
- Strategic Implementation
In the end, an expert designer will save your company time and money while also reducing much frustration both internally and with customers.
If you do find yourself in need of a designer to help work alongside you and grow your business. Why not drop me a line and see if we're a good fit? I'd be happy to chat to see what value I can bring to your business. In the meantime, you can browse through my portfolio here.
