The answer to this question really depends on what you want your logo to achieve. Do you want fast service? Is cost a major factor? Or do you want results?

If you're looking for results, you'll need a designer with a solid design process who asks the right questions and will spend the time to understand your business in order to build a logo which represents it. We've covered what to look for in a designer here.

You can also read this blog post outlining the top three things you need to do before hiring a logo designer.

The first major differentiation between a good and average logo is that it's a symbol not a graphic.

Your logo needs to be clear, simple (I can't stress this enough), memorable, flexible for multiple uses (including uses you may not have considered yet) and it needs to convey your message.

The message doesn't need to be direct (i.e. if you sell cars, your logo doesn't need to include a car), but it does need to convey an emotion that's consistent with your intended branding. For instance, if you sell high-end cars, your logo needs to convey prestige. This can certainly be achieved without including a car in the logo. This downloadable checklist will help you cover some of the most important questions when it comes to logo design.

I want you to be happy, so I've got processes in places to make sure we're on the same page when it comes to your design. You'll get draft concepts to ensure we're heading in the same direction and I'll always explain why I've gone down a particular track. I divide the work into stages (consultation, research, concepts, etc.) and you'll only ever pay for the work I've put in prior to notice of cancellation unless our contract states otherwise.

If it still isn't working out, you can cancel the contract. When that happens, unless we agree otherwise, I keep the rights to the concept artwork. Your payment is for rights to the final logo; everything else is creative development and remains the intellectual property of Startled Squid Design Group. It's a bit like ordering a custom-made cake; if you cancel the order, the recipe and ingredients remain the property of the maker.

The first thing to note is that logo design is separate to 'branding' (although the two go hand-in-hand). Branding is all the thought that goes into your business before contacting a logo designer.

If you've completed a business plan, a lot of the information required for your branding should already be in there. If you haven't, we strongly recommend you do because it will make everything you do from now on easier!

Your logo should be a representation of your business and in order to represent it well, I need to know as much about it as possible. Who is your customer? Where do they shop? Which age range are they? What tone of language do they use? What tone of language do you want to use?

If you haven't established these things already, my free 'Build Your Brand' workbook will help answer those questions. Still stuck? Easy. Contact me for a branding package quote.

You don't want to be paying for things you don't need; ain't nobody got time (or dollarydoos) for that! So how do you know which package is right for you?

If you're just starting out in business, we recommend getting in touch with us. The more we know about your business, the better we can tailor our services and provide only what you need.

Most businesses will find they need the full package eventually (because having comprehensive branding makes their life easier, however we created our smaller packages so they're accessible to start-ups with limited budgets. This allows businesses to get some sales under their belts before completing their package.

I'll package your files up in an organised and clearly-labelled way. I'll also provide you with handy documentation outlining how to get the best use of the files provided.

Because I provide a variety of files, I usually deliver them via Google Drive or Dropbox.

And if you ever have any questions, I'm just an email away.