You are a budding start-up, or maybe an established company who is looking to spruce-up their brand. You have your business plan and your team in place, but one small yet important piece of the puzzle is missing. You need a logo that looks modern, professional and will catch the attention of potential customers. How do you get that done?

Well, as with anything today, you could look online for answers. In fact, since you’re reading this article I assume that’s exactly what you’re doing. But some people look online and end up using services that frankly, give them exactly what they pay for – not a whole lot. Googling “company logo” will get you many results that promise beautiful results for free or very cheap. Some have logo generators where you just plug in the company name and, voila, a perfect free logo just for you.

And sure, you will have possession of a logo that has colors and shapes and your company name, but it will be obvious you skimped on your logo budget. After that disappointment, you may discover sites like fiverr.com, freelancer.com and upwork.com. These connect you with freelance workers in a number of industries from all around the world. One could spend days on these sites, and many do, looking for just the right graphic designer for just the right price.

There are a lot of great deals to be had on these sites, but it can be very hard to communicate with them. Most are from places where English is their second language and they may not understand the nuance of what you’re trying to accomplish with the logo. Their prices are also not quite as cheap as they may appear at first glance as they mark things up for a variety of reasons. In the end, after many hours of poking around looking for the right person, and then making sure the price you thought you were getting is the real price, and then getting them to understand what you actually want, you may realize these online deals are not quite what you thought.

What often ends up being the best value is simply to do research on a reputable local agency with experienced graphic designers. These designers are part of professional teams whose job it is to provide those in your area with a competitive price and service. Being local to you means you can keep them accountable and that you can actually stop by to discuss the process if need be. Someone in India who may do it with a slight discount will not have this benefit. They also won’t be referred by those in your business network who have personal relationships with them.

For those in the Raleigh Durham area, and elsewhere in North Carolina and the Southeast, Corporate Graphic is seen as a respected local option that produces quality, custom logos. If you’re looking for a sharp company logo, give us a call and we’ll be happy to work with you on a design your company can rally around.