I’m a tradie, do I need a logo?

Short answer is yes of course you do! 

I get it, most of your work comes from referrals? Yes, but other customers still need to find you and best of all remember you. You need to be noticed and remembered.

Christie and Steve from Voltair

How can you get noticed in such a competitive market? 

Having a professional logo designed is as important as the professional job you offer. You want to portray quality?  You need a good quality logo and branding to help do the talking for you. 

There are so many opportunities to get your logo and business name out there in a memorable way... for example, if you are a tradie that regularly does work on people’s houses, you could get  FREE advertising by having your work vehicle designed with your logo and contact details so potential customers driving past remember you, team that up with some matching uniforms and you’ve got yourself a winning combination. Check out Voltair Air conditioning, their branding is on point and its consistent from their website to socials to uniforms to vehicles!  And how about an A- Frame sign that you can put out the front to remind potentials what you do and who you are. 

Have a strong social media presents: it’s free to set up all of the socials and free to join local Facebook groups. There is always someone needing a tradie just like you. Before and after pics are great! Everyone loves them! Take photos of the progress and behind the scenes. Make sure your branding is consistent and put your logo on all your images and post regularly. Brand recognition is so important because it’s reminder of who you are and what you do and sets you apart from your competitors. 

Set up a google my business account and don’t be shy to ask customers to leave a review. This creates confidence in your workmanship, and proof of your quality work and skills. 

After you have finished a job make sure to leave a quality business card or even a business card magnet, so your customers can easily remember you, use you again and refer you to their friends. Remember to be consistent and matchy matchy, it builds trust and creates pride for not just yourself but also your employees. 

We have a range of tradie branding packages available to help you on the right path to branding success, designed for the busy tradie, that include: 

• Custom designed logo

• Matching business card design

• 500 premium printed business cards

• Social media header design

Optional extra add ons

• Matching Xero or MYOB invoice header

• A- frame design and printed

• Custom vehicle wrap design

• Interactive Email signature

• Magnetic business cards

• Social media templates

If you would like to find out more, call 0421 300 972 or email: hello@designcapital.com.au

Custom Logo Design

I get asked a lot why I only do custom logo designs (as opposed to pre- made)… well a few reasons. Mainly because I believe a logo should be unique to you and your business. On first contact with a client that is looking for a logo, I send them a logo checklist. The checklist asked questions that are designed to prompt you into thinking about what you really want (and need) your logo to achieve. The more information I get from you the better your logo will be. In this case more is definitely best. The idea of pre - made logos is really tempting, because during the logo design process there are always unused concepts, that will never see the light of day again. But it goes against everything I was trained to do.

I LOVE designing logos and creating brands.

Some designers have their own style and that style rubs off on their work. I have never considered myself to have a “style”. I think I have a very broad range of clients and I have been told that a lot lately from new clients that want to work with me because of my range of designs.

I design for my client and not for myself! 

Facebook - Quality Vs. Quantity

As some of you may already know – I changed my business name a few weeks ago. I was previously know as donnas | creations.

 I have had a few people ask me why I didn’t request a name change via Facebook and keep the almost 3,000 likes that I had! Well, I decided to start all over, new page, zero likes! I had a feeling over the last few months (of being donnas | creations) that I wasn’t getting the “reach” I should be getting considering all the likers that I had. And interestingly enough I was right!!

 My reach is now much higher even though my likes are much lower! I often tell people that I would rather have 100 likes from people that are genuinely interested in my work than 3000 that really don’t care!

So next time you look and compare yourself to your competitor - that has three times as many likers, just remember it’s quality over quantity!! How many of those likers are actually engaging in your page?

Better to look at how many are “talking about” the page. 

Total sucker!!

Well, we all know how much of a sucker I am for beautiful designs. But I am pretty sure it’s not just me. Surely it’s just not me?? 

I only use and buy Benefit make-up and skin care, because it looks great on my bathroom cabinet! I think it works too….I hope!

The other day I was out grocery shopping when I spotted the some beautiful packaging. It was for some green tea something or other, I loved it, I needed it. I don’t even like green tea! But I wanted it purely because it looked good! Same isle, different product - water, same same right? well... not for me... I wanted the one in the long glass tube that was 4 times the price of all the other waters! 

My point is, if your product, (or logo for that matter) looks awesome and fits your target market, then thats your 1st step to success, your product (or business) then needs to be awesome to keep people coming back. 

Surely I’m not the only one that judges the product by the packaging???

Have you ever bought something purely because it looks awesome??

Networking

I’m not really a fan of face-to-face networking, I find myself saying the wrong thing and ending up feeling silly and unprofessional. I guess that’s because I’m one of these "wear your heart on your sleeve" kinds of people. My business coach says it’s ok for me to come across as a bit of a loony, people expect if from a creative!!

I am however a fan of networking online, especially Facebook. Facebook has been not only great for my business but also great for me socially. I’m an active member of a few online Facebook groups of fellow graphic designers, and I can whole-heartedly say I have found some great friends. Working for myself in a home based studio can get a little lonely especially when I only have the cat to bounce ideas off, and he doesn’t really say much.

I have only recently been trying to get into LinkedIn. To me it feels a little like Facebook, but for grown-ups!! I have to be on my best behavior and try not to sound like a loony.

Occasionally I get to do “within client networking”, I have a few clients that I have bought together that I thought would be of mutual benefit for both. For example my very lovely client Rachel (whom I have been working with for about 4 years now) moved from Canberra to Tasmania, to open up a café and gift shop in beautiful Mt Field National Park. And another of my very lovely clients – Helen from Pilli Pala hand makes jewelry and homeware – made from Tasmanian oak that I thought would be perfect for the gift shop at Rachel’s Café, they are now working on an exclusive range together.

So anyway, if you ever meet me at a networking event, please be gentle with me, I’m not a loony, I’m…. an artist!!!