If you’re starting a new business you’ll need a logo and a brand. If your business has been around a while and your branding needs an overhaul you’ll be in the same predicament.

So do you now toddle off to an agency and spend two or three thousand on a paint blob or do you head on around to your nearest backyard desktop publisher for a whiz bang logo for $100? At first glance it might look like a no-brainer – after all it’s only a logo right?

The perception for many business owners is that the logo is a simple element which can be updated easily at any stage.

The problem is that your logo and brand are viral. Whatever you start with is going to go through a process of duplication and before you know it, your brand will represent a huge investment: stationery, vehicle and building signage, packaging, website, brochure material and much more. If you realise down the track that your brand is off-key it will cost you thousands of dollars to update everything. Do it gradually and you’ll have inconsistent branding in the marketplace leading to confusion.

As an agency it is our advice to get the foundations right. Invest in a brand that will see you through for the long term. Otherwise, pay peanuts – get monkeys.

So why do logos cost so much for such a simple item? For starters, there is substantial cost in the process of simplification. It takes time and expertise to take intended meaning and symbolism and re-work it into a simple, succinct device that answers the brief and the desires of the client.

A second issue is that logos can be very subjective. Producing a professional looking logo doesn’t always guarantee it’s going to get past stage one with a client who ‘just’ doesn’t like it but can’t articulate why. Sometimes the tightest brief can get thrown out the window once the first draft is tabled and it is literally back to the drawing board. As an agency we understand that changing the brief or evolving the design is the client’s prerogative and a natural event in the design process – so relax – you’re allowed to change your mind at this stage.

The third reason a logo can take time (and therefore money) is that a competent designer will need to test your logo in situ, being letterheads, business cards, website and signage. How does it look on a small business card? Does it work in black and white? Does it conflict or compare poorly with competitors’ brands? There are a lot of checks and comparisons that need to be made to ensure your investment is a good one.

Of course logo design does depend on the client. In some unlikely cases a four-hour job may produce a logo that ticks all the right boxes for a small business. In the main though, we suggest you invest decent time in this, the cornerstone of your brand and therefore your business. That way you won’t need to revisit it with a costly makeover down the track.