October 27, 2011

Creating A Small Business Logo That Doesn’t Suck

You’ve got a game changing, teeth rattling idea. You’ve come up with the perfect name for your business. You think you’ve got everything covered. And that’s when you realize you need a logo.

You could contact local advertising agencies but there’s a pretty good chance you won’t be able to afford them. You could try freelancers but that would mean you’d have to sift through dozens (if not hundreds) of designers before you finding the one you want. You could design the logo yourself but, since you aren’t a designer, that’s probably not such a good idea.

How can you create a logo that doesn’t suck? The folks at 8020select.com, a new company launched out of AlphaLab, Pittsburgh's Startup Accelerator, might have just the solution.

Using their private online graphic design community, they’re able to offer an affordable solution (packages currently range from $295 to $695) that’s tailored specifically to small businesses. Unlike other crowdsourcing platforms that often provide low-quality work and zero guidance through the design process, 8020select is powered by an invitation-only community of designers and a full suite of proprietary tools designed specifically to ensure clients receive the highest-quality work.

For quality assurance purposes, each design is also ranked, rated, and voted on by their entire group of designers which currently numbers at 200. With only a 6% acceptance rate, that means 8020select is doing a lot of the vetting upfront and that is bound to save you countless hours, headaches, and money--a point echoed by 8020select CEO and Founder Nate Speller "Whether you're starting a side project or building the next big idea, you need a great logo. We've done the hard work of finding the right people, so you can spend less time looking for a designer, and more time building your company."

Over the years, I’ve definitely burned a lot of unnecessary calories trying to find someone to do some high-quality design work. And that’s a process the team at 8020select is hoping to make a whole lot easier (and affordable) for small business owners.

The next time you’re in the market for a new logo, you might want to try the folks at 8020select. After all, just because you can design your own logo doesn’t mean you should. 

By: Shawn Graham

[Image: 8020select]

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Categories: Brand Marketing, Marketing Inspiration, Marketing Strategy