Here is a custom character design mockup created for a client by Flocksy team member Alberto.
All custom illustrations/brand designs/marketing materials on Flocksy are created completely from scratch by one of our extremely talented graphic design creatives.
Start a graphic design project today and see results in just hours!
by Flocksy writer Sophia Editing videos can be a timely process. Yet, video editing is so necessary for marketing your business and reaching your audience. You may be considering how to hire a youtube editor for your business. continue
by Flocksy writer Rachel Estes If you are researching inspiration for impactful, yet simplistic, logos for your new tech start up, this list has some amazing ideas. Read on to discover 14 clever logos from well established tech companies. continue
by Flocksy writer Rachel Estes Studies have found that businesses that implement remote work policies see increased productivity, efficiency, and fulfillment from their employees, which in turn means your business will benefit greatly. continue
by Flocksy writer Kasey Van Dyke Understanding the differences between branding and marketing is crucial in developing effective strategies and strong tactics. continue
We now offer an easy way to share work done with your clients without showing any of the Flocksy branding.
This is great for agencies that want to share work with their clients without showing that Flocksy did it.
If you are on the Access Plan, simply go to the project and click the share button above the work. Then simply toggle off “Flocksy branding” and you are good to go.
Sam Ryan … and the rest of Team Flocksy!
Featured Team Member Design Of The Month:
Here is a blog post design mockup created for a client by Flocksy team member Sunardi.
All custom illustrations/brand designs/marketing materials on Flocksy are created completely from scratch by one of our extremely talented graphic design creatives.
Start a graphic design project today and see results in just hours!
by Flocksy writer Valentine Karimi Easy and inexpensive self design platforms have simplified the process of creating sites. In fact, you no longer require coding knowledge these days. However, acquiring a website is not the problem; usability is… continue
by Flocksy writer Sophia Logos are a critical aspect of any brand; they’re what represents a brand and makes it recognizable to customers. When you think about all the top brands(Apple, Google, Target, Microsoft) a lot of times what will instantly come to mind is their iconic logos. Logos speak for their brand and are a huge part of their advertising. continue
by Flocksy writer Sophia Regardless of the size of the change, seeing redesigns that Iconic companies make are also always a fun adventure and the public is very quick to judge whether it was a success or not. Here are some examples of famous brands, and their logo redesigns: continue
by Flocksy writer Alexander Lundrigan If you are a web designer, you will likely run into a client that wants a cutesy or cool looking character design for their website. If your goal is to dazzle the client, you need to understand the best conventions when designing these characters. continue
Communication distinguishes a good marketing campaign from a bad one. You may have all the correct information, but how you present it matters. Marketing communications aim to educate and persuade customers to make a purchase.
However, its efficiency is determined by various factors. If the message, language, and media do not suit the target market. The marketing communication approach will flop. Here are some tips to improve your marketing communications.
Develop A Good Marketing Plan
A sound marketing plan is comparable to a road map, indicating a starting point and the steps necessary to reach the end goal. Launching a marketing campaign without first developing a clear marketing strategy is a surefire way to fail. A marketing plan should include,
Extensive marketing research.
The intended audience.
Advertising platforms.
A thorough dive into the competition’s marketing communication strategies.
All of these things have an impact on your communication style. For example, for youth, it may be OK to use slang, but for the older generation, it is not.
Seek Guidance From An Expert.
In all honesty, hiring someone to assist you with marketing is not always an easy decision, especially for small businesses. This could be due to financial constraints or the belief that you are the only one who understands what your company is all about, which is understandable. Juggling things on your own, on the other hand, may throw you off your game.
Suppose you employ a professional and share your vision with them. In that case, you will spend more time managing the business and coming up with new ideas while they are out looking for solutions to your marketing communication problems.
Take A Marketing Or Communication Course.
Starting a business does not demand a business degree, but having one is highly beneficial. It’s the same with marketing. You might know how to conduct market research and other basics of the field, but do you know how to effectively convey a message or put together a compelling Facebook post or an email?
You could accomplish so much more and faster if you took a few lessons. Marketing comprises more than just having an idea who to market to, it also entails understanding consumer psychology, such as grasping which phrases are likely to prompt a client to purchase and which are not.
Demonstrate Some Personality
Nowadays, the majority of businesses mimic what their competitors are doing. Even though it is beneficial to draw inspiration from your opponent, it is also important to identify methods to set yourself apart from the competition. Being different can be a positive thing.
The easiest way to accomplish this is to inject some personality into your marketing communications. It could be the tone of your advertisements or the content you post, how your business interacts with customers and potential customers, whether on social media or in person. It Makes clients feel like they have a personal connection to your company.
Build Trust For Your Brand
Suppose Clients are to believe that you are the top hairstylist or baker in town. You have to prove it to them. Don’t mislead your customers by giving them inaccurate information. Offer free samples, post real client testimonials, and encourage your consumers to evaluate and review your business. People need to believe in what you’re selling. Increased sales are the result of a good brand.
Modify Your Marketing Tactics
Have you struggled to get likes and comments on your social media posts, despite posting regularly? or are visitors not flocking to your website? It could be disheartening to see the marketing communication approach you had so much faith in, with which you had invested resources and time, provide such disappointing results.
However, do not give up yet. Attempt alternative ways or make minor adjustments here and there. You could also experiment with paid Google Ads, Facebook Ads, a podcast, free testing fair, or even paying influencers to promote your products or services rather than simply posting content on social media pages.
Regular Results Monitoring
Every marketing communication strategy must include an assessment. Did it promote awareness, inform customers about a new product, or a sale? A competent assessment system is required to determine the effectiveness of marketing communications tactics and if they should be used in a future campaign. What parameters can you use to evaluate the effectiveness of a marketing strategy?
With most marketing conducted online, it’s pretty simple because Google and social media platforms provide insights. You can see the number of people who viewed or commented on your ad, how much traffic your website received as a result of the ad, and how many people signed up for newsletters, and so forth.
Share Helpful Information
You can’t just throw anything out there. Always view your marketing communications from the perspective of the customer. If you don’t understand what customers want to hear about your business, review your social media postings to see which ones had the most engagement and go with that. You could also share content that sparks discussions or captivates customers’ interest, encouraging them to be honest about what they expect from you.
Ultimately, when devising a marketing communication strategy, know your target audience well. Then, based on the findings, customize your communication model to the customer profile.
I hope everyone had a great summer and got some vacation time in! We’ve been busy over here at Flocksy.
Here is some of what we have been working on:
Simplified starting and completing a project and made it even faster to get work done!
Added the Illustration Team to our Team Plan! (used to only be in the Access Plan) Expanded what our copywriting team offers And more…
So go check it out and let me know your thoughts! I’d love to hear them.
Sam Ryan … and the rest of Team Flocksy!
Featured Team Member Design Of The Month:
Here is a poster design mockup created for a client by Flocksy team member Airice.
All custom illustrations/brand designs/marketing materials on Flocksy are created completely from scratch by one of our extremely talented graphic design creatives.
Start a graphic design project today and see results in just hours!
by Flocksy writer Rachel Estes The design industry is ever evolving. New trends and social behaviors are always cropping up in this creative sector, and sometimes it may feel as if you don’t know where to begin as an aspiring designer. There are a few tips to consider when thinking about jump starting into a career as a digital creative: continue
by Flocksy writer William Hudson To have complete control in the design world a graphic artist must know how to alter and augment pictures at will. There are five forms of photographic manipulation a graphic designer should be fully comfortable performing. We list and discuss them below continue
by Flocksy writer David Galstyan This article will outline the best practices for running an effective virtual meeting. You might not need every single one of them, but you can use this as a general guide to run meetings that everyone enjoys. continue
by Flocksy writer Matt Gladstone If you should decide to outsource and let the experts take care of your social media marketing needs, here are the top seven benefits you’ll receive with this decision. continue
Once you take the leap to be a small business owner, you will notice immediately that you spend a lot of time jumping from one responsibility to another. Entrepreneurs must wear many hats aside from being the CEO, such as accounting, marketing, and sales.
Luckily, there are various apps available for moguls to use to make business task simpler and more efficient.
Read on below to see our list of 8 apps that every entrepreneur should know.
Accompany is an app that uses artificial intelligence to build large databases of people and relationships at companies. The app will send you notifications about the latest company news, work anniversaries and other information to keep you abreast about what’s going on with businesses that you’re interested in.
To put it simply, Accompany is an app that has information all in one space about companies or potential contractors without you having to spend time researching online.
For small business owners, staying on top of the financial aspects of the business falls solely on your shoulders. It is important to try to stay in the “green” and avoid as many monetary missteps as possible.
DisputeBee is an app that helps owners with the process of identify negative marks on their credit reports and assist with having them removed. With DisputeBee’s help, you can increase your credit score and stay on top of your credit score so that it doesn’t impact your growing business.
Are you easily distracted whenever you work? Or do you overwork yourself so much that you forget to eat or drink? It’s easy to lose track of time, or let time lose you, when you are your own boss.
Toggl is a productivity app that that allows you to track your daily work. Every day, the app sends reports to you about how you allocate your time. The app shows you where you can improve productivity and get things done on time so that your days are more structured.
Hunter prides itself in ensuring that users will be able to find email addresses in seconds. This app is great for entrepreneurs who want to find and reach out to connections via email to talk about business ideas or prospects. If you know the person’s name or company that they work for, Hunter will try and find their email contact information.
As an entrepreneur, you have a lot going on and remembering all your passwords may be easy to forget. With LastPass, you can easily access all your passwords on each connected device. This app eliminates the need to store passwords on multiple devices or platforms.
The Asana app is perfect for entrepreneurs with remote teams consisting of freelancers or contractors.
Asana is a cloud-based project and task management tool that will help you manage and organize assignments, communicate, and collaborate with remote workers. It’s initiative, easy to use and best of all, free for small teams.
Canva is a great app for creating promotional posters, infographics, and web design content. It’s also perfect for creating logos, thumbnails, and post for social media content.
The best part of this app is that you don’t have to be a design professional to use it. Canva provides you with hundreds of ready-to-use templates that are all customizable. If you want more template choices and more design features, consider upgrading to the paid version.
Gone are the days of scrolling through various news outlet until you find something that’s interesting. The pocket app is a news app curated specifically for you!
Save articles, videos and stories from any publication, page or app that has to do with your business interest Curate your own space filled with everything you can’t wait to learn.
Ever wondered what makes a perfect logo? Recognizability is obviously important: your logo is a crucial tool for developing your brand. But what makes a logo recognizable? It’s usually a blend of design simplicity, compelling visuals, and iconography that aligns with your brand values.
The best way to understand the art of logo design, and to find the perfect visual identity for your own business, is to review the world’s best corporate logos. These are the designs that have endured in the public imagination, which means they’re ideal study material for developing your own memorable logo.
Nike’s famous “swoosh” expertly communicates the brand’s core values: dynamism, accomplishment, and simplicity. Designer Carolyn Davidson was inspired by the company’s namesake Nike, the Greek goddess of victory. The eye pleasing design makes excellent use of the golden ratio (1.618:1).
The swoosh’s curve corresponds to a Fibonacci spiral, a shape that grows by a factor of 1.168 with each quarter turn. A final upward stroke evokes feelings of movement and motivation, yet aligns perfectly with the initial point of the curve.
This highly recognizable logo has been hailed as one of the world’s best, and it’s indeed an achievement in stellar design!
Amazon’s famous logo combines its name with the “smile,” which doubles as an arrow pointing from the “a” o the “z.” The message is clear: Amazon has everything from A to Z. The arrow also connotes speed and innovation, both of which are crucial to the Amazon brand promise. And of course, the “smile” reflects the satisfaction and entertainment that Amazon customers can enjoy.
According to legend, the iconic Disney font seen in its wordmark is based on Walt Disney’s handwriting. It also has a whimsical and dynamic vibe ideal for the world’s leading animation company. Disney’s logo is recognizable both in the full wordmark and the abbreviated “D” lettermark.
The “D” comprises a distinctive swirl with a wandlike vertical stroke, an homage to the seminal short film “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” in the Disney classic Fantasia. Many versions of the logo also contain Cinderella’s castle from Disneyland to reflect the brand’s dominance in theme parks and immersive entertainment.
Plenty of companies earn brand recognition with lettermarks, but Unilever’s logo takes it a step further. Look closely at their “U” and you’ll see leaves, fruits, trees, starbursts, bees, hearts, and more … all symbols of their commitment to nutrition, natural wellness, and beauty. This collage of icons gives Unilever’s logo a whimsical vibe, yet the overall image is a simple, professional feel.
Based on the idea that “an elephant never forgets,” note taking app Evernote promises to help you remember everything. The visually pleasing and adorable logo features a simple green elephant head.
But look closer and you’ll see that the elephant’s ear is folded as you would fold a page in the book. This subtle yet clever design choice signifies the wisdom of the elephant and the purpose of the Evernote app.
Dropbox’s logo depicts an open box. While this may seem like an obvious image, the logo is actually quite clever. If you look closely, you see that the “box” is composed of five identical diamonds. Four of them are arranged in a square, with a diamond shaped negative space in the middle.
The fifth diamond makes the shape of the box and is dropped exactly below the open space. The resulting illusion is of an open box, but the logo’s symmetrical design and strategic spacing also perfectly illustrate this digital syncing service.
Inspired by the legends of Seattle’s seaside culture, Starbucks made a bold choice with its logo. Rather than going the obvious route with imagery of coffee beans and cups, they created the mythical and enticing siren.
The image not only taps into Seattle’s history as a port of call but also evokes ideas of magic, temptation, and wonder, all of which reflect the brand’s commitment to premium coffee and innovative recipes.
Two interlocking C’s, each a mirror image of the other, is the perfect way to symbolize coordination and balance. This makes it an ideal logo for the leading fashion brand Chanel. It’s technically a letter mark for “CC,” the initials of founder Coco Chanel. However, it’s also a simple and elegant logo that affirms the company’s sophistication as well as its historic roots.
While automobile logos all tend to look alike after a while, it’s easy to recognize Volkswagen’s. After recovering from a dark period in which Hitler’s Germany required them to use the swastika, Volkswagen rebranded to focus on its initials.
However, their “VW” lettermark subverts convention with a vertical orientation. The “V” is positioned above the “W,” with the middle point of the latter directly supporting the bottom point of the former. The “W”‘s upward strokes run parallel to the “V’s,” providing a dynamic yet synchronous design that illustrates the brand’s progressive and streamlined engineering.
Electronics logos are more than a recognizable shape to print on the devices. They symbolize the subculture that emerges around the experience of using those electronics. (Just look at Apple’s famous logo, also on this list!) One of the best known logos in the gaming world is that of PlayStation.
Composed of an interlocking “P” and “S,” this unique design has the illusion of being 3D. The curve of the “P” flows seamlessly into the top of the “S”, evoking the circuitry that makes the gaming console work. It also has a playful vibe, which aligns perfectly with PlayStation’s subculture.
With a dynamic design, bright colors, and simple shapes, Pepsi’s logo connotes happiness, community, and effervescence. This is the perfect visual complement to the soda brand’s “Pop Fizz Ahh” slogan.
The round logo comprises a large red semicircle, a swooping white shape, and a blue wave. Together, they evoke both the physical experience of opening a can of Pepsi and the patriotic, dynamic vibe of the brand.
Did you know that FedEx’s logo has a hidden arrow? Once you see it, you can’t unsee it! At first glance, it appears to be a standard wordmark with the company name. However, the negative space between the E and the X creates an arrow that symbolizes the company’s commitment to fast shipping and forward thinking. Plus, the unique combination of adjacent secondary colors (purple and orange) adds a dynamic yet balanced feel.
Abbreviated to “Cat,” Caterpillar’s wordmark is the epitome of double valence in logos. The black, tall lettering expresses power and dominance, while the yellow triangle suggests either a mound or a highway. Either way, this logo signifies construction, progress, and authority.
The striking contrast of black and yellow is unique to logos: it perfectly expresses the energetic potential of construction while evoking the strong, sturdy foundation of the company.
The Apple logo is so recognizable that it doesn’t even need to appear alongside the company name. Inspired by the classic story of Sir Isaac Newton theorizing the law of gravity when an apple fell, the logo evokes feelings of insight and progress.
Early versions of the now famous design included a rainbow pattern to symbolize inspiration and discovery. Today, the logo is minimalistic, but with its gentle curves and the distinctive “bite,” it’s the perfect icon for this seminal electronics company.
Netflix’s wordmark is quite simple. But look closely and you’ll see the streaming giant’s brand values captured in the design. With tall, dominant letters and moderate kerning, the typeface hints at Netflix’s role in the streaming revolution, as well as its seamless experience.
The words are also curved slightly downward from a center point, giving the wordmark the illusion of expanding. The platform’s animated logo enforces this idea.
A letter mark that also reflects the iconic “golden arches” used in early restaurant design, McDonald’s logo is now a globally recognized symbol of happiness. The vibrant yellow, simple strokes, and whimsical vibe capture the brand’s core values: satisfaction and playtime. It’s also a nicely open and symmetrical design that makes it very appealing to young people, especially!
A rainbow peacock doesn’t exactly seem like a suitable logo for a broadcasting company, but NBC’s enduring and highly recognizable logo has proven that assumption wrong. As a leading provider of color TV programming, NBC wanted to feature vivid colors in its logo.
Today, each of the colors represents one of NBC’s core departments. The peacock is looking toward the right to signify forward thinking, while the teardrop shaped “feathers” evoke imagery of flower petals and lens shutters. The messaging is simple: NBC promotes growth through innovative visual media.
Shell began as a seashell export company that eventually moved into oil extraction and refined. Its famous “pecten” logo illustrates both its history and its current role as a global supplier of fossil fuels. Composed of a simple scallop image with bold red and yellow colors, Shell’s logos definitely stand out on the roadside.
The thick outer trace gives the design a fresh energy, while the subtle tapered strokes evoke elegance. Interestingly, the shell’s bottom is square, with only a small caret to suggest a real world scallop. This subtle design choice connotes reliability and durability while hinting at the company’s drilling expertise.
With a bright orange hue, angled layout, and a dramatic typeface, Home Depot’s logo is the cornerstone of their visual presence. The font is cleverly modeled after stencils, with just enough space in between to suggest there’s still work to be done.
Meanwhile, the sharp 45 degree angle of the words evokes feelings of hard work and determination. Notice also that the “H” and “E” in “HOME” and the “D” and “T” in “DEPOT” extend just beyond the orange square. This is a perfect illustration of “thinking outside the box” if we ever saw one.
Abbreviated to “Mtn Dew,” this famous logo has become a cultural icon of a beloved beverage. This distinctive and zany design features the product name in complementary colors (green and red). Yet despite looking like a Christmas logo, the Mountain Dew logo evokes feelings of energy, athleticism, and youth culture.
The words are arranged at 45 degree angles, with the “M” and “W” distorted to stretch slightly beyond the core shape. Tight kerning and leading give the logo an urgent and dynamic feel.
Wrapping Up
What did you learn from these logos? Which do you think are the most enticing and effective?
The World of Graphic Design is on the rise in our digital age. It is a source of product marketing, and it also makes businesses stand out amongst competitors.
If you’re just starting out with a small business, your attention and commitment to your brand design is crucial.
If you’re looking for ways to help bring your company the attention it deserves by way of graphic design, then we’ve got you covered. Read on below to see our 8 graphic design tips for small businesses.
Online Design Templates Are Your Friend
As soon as you commit to making designs for your business, make sure that you get familiar with the various design tools that you’ll need to be successful.
As a small business owner, your money may be tight, and you may not have the funds right away to invest in a professional designer. The good news for you is that the internet has a wealth of knowledge and design tools for you to use, so you can hold off on hiring a designer and make designs yourself, at least initially.
There are logo maker tools, email signature tools, and merch design tools online. Some are even free to use! With all these tools, you can create professional graphic designs for your business in just a matter of minutes.
Know Your Story
Before you start the design process, be clear about what this design means to you and your business goals.
Firstly, does this design speak to your brand’s purpose and what your company offers? You shouldn’t create a design based off something cool that you saw on Instagram or a design that has no barring to your specific product offering. The graphic elements need to be personal to you, just like your product is.
If you’re clear on what your design’s objective is, then you can move toward creating the best design for the brand.
Identify Your Target Customer Base
Once you’ve found out how your brand design correlates to your business, it’s important to discover how it relates to your customers, as well.
Just like with marketing, your target audience will play a big part in how you proceed with your graphic design strategy. For example, are you providing a service for financial assistance or education? Are you posting vlogs about dog behavior? Perhaps you create daily food blogs? No matter your purpose, you want to have a clear view on who your audience is and from there, you can let your design speak to them.
Get That Logo Down
Your logo should be both unique and easily recognizable to your audience. They are, after all, the biggest identifiers for brands.
Although it’s great to research other companies to get an idea of how brands invest in their logos, your own should be something new and not plagiarized from bigger companies.
Get started with creating a logo by using online logo maker tools.
Choose Your Brand Colors
In graphic design, colors play a role in customers recognizing who you are amongst other companies. It also can be a deciding factor in consumers purchasing from you.
Brand colors have the power to influence and play on the emotions and perceptions of your audience toward your brand. So, use colors that signify your company. Neutral and warm tones like sandy brown, greys and whites often represent comfort and go with brands highlighting relaxation and home design. Colors like green can work for brands that promote financial help, health, or outdoor activities.
Remember, too many colors can be overwhelming and turn people away from your design and thus your product.
Don’t Go Crazy With The Design
You ever heard of the acronym K.I.S.S (Keep It Simple Stupid)? Well, that couldn’t apply more in graphic design. Simplicity in your graphic designs is key.
Now, simple does not boring or bland. A number of businesses think that too much white space in a design means that it needs to be covered up. Keeping it simple means creating something that is easy to read and interpret. This translates to limiting extra shapes, photos, and unnecessary wording.
Your Fonts Should Be Consistent
Similar to brand colors, fonts also play a crucial role in graphic design. The font and font size can make or break your ability to gain interest from customers. Make sure the fonts you use are easy to read and reflect your brand and audience personality.
More importantly, use the same font in all your graphic designs. Not only will it look better, but it will be much less distracting than having multiple fonts on one design. The rule of thumb is to stick to a maxim of two fonts for your design.
Research Other Companies
While you need to make sure that you aren’t copying other companies’ designs, consider doing some research to see what other, successful brands are doing with their graphic designs.
Take inspiration from how the put together meaningful creations to engage their audiences. Look at their colors, fonts, designs and services. Learn what works and what doesn’t work with graphic design from your peers and cultivate something unique for your business.
Customers return to the restaurant scene after a whole year off due to the pandemic in record numbers. As the business in restaurants increases across the country, it could be time to also revisit your logo.
A restaurant logo is responsible for the first impression you give your customers. Does yours invoke the right emotions? Does it represent your brand in the right way?
All of these are crucial questions you need to ask yourself when designing a restaurant logo. As the dining experience returns to normal, you wouldn’t want to miss out on customers because of an outdated or lackluster logo. Below are some general tips when designing yours and ten killer examples.
Tips For Designing Your Restaurant Logo.
Do not feel intimidated by the design process for your logo. All the choices you have can feel overwhelming at first. You should try to find enjoyment in the process. Picking the image to represent your business should be exciting! The design process is also not finite.
You can always go back to square one if you don’t like where you end up.
However, tip number one is mapping out a plan. You need to include several things. First, who are your clients? What do they like or appreciate? These are the people you want to attract to your restaurant. They are your target audience. By identifying them and becoming an expert in their interests, you can create a logo that appeals to them.
Secondly, identifying your target audience will help you know how you want to present yourself. Are you a classy joint? A family establishment? Or a relaxed hipster vibe? Choosing your logo should appeal to your target audience and represent who you are as a restaurant.
The easiest way to articulate the feeling you want to give is to envision what emotions you want to feel when you walk into your restaurant.
Thirdly, keep in mind how your targeted audience physically sees your restaurant. If your business is a more fast-food type, you’ll want an easily recognizable logo from the street while your customers walk or drive by.
Once you have a plan for your new logo set in place, you then should get designing. You can hire a designer or take it upon yourself. Neither one is right nor wrong. You should pick the one that fits your circumstances the best.
Take the path that feels like it is going to generate the most professional and representative logo.
Learn From Some Of The Best Out There.
There’s no better inspiration for your logo than looking at some killer examples. Below are ten restaurant logos that used theirs to accentuate their customers and brand.
City Bird Tenders is a restaurant that serves high-quality chicken tenders, sandwiches, and other fast-food items. Their logo embodies their brand perfectly. The lettering is clear and tells new customers exactly what to expect. Additionally, the iconic chicken-shaped logo is easily recognizable while driving or walking.
Little Goat Diner is a quirky brunch spot in Chicago. Located in the famous Fulton Market, the logo is doing everything it needs to for the restaurant. It gives customers a quirky and fun feeling with the cartoon smiling goat. Additionally, by encompassing the word “diner,” customers know what type of food to expect.
Big Kids is a restaurant that capitalizes on nostalgia, and its logo captures that feeling perfectly. It serves childhood-inspired meals and cocktails like artisan PB&Js and tang-flavored margaritas. The logo tells the customer exactly what to expect while the bright colors and lettering catch the eye. This logo demonstrates how to capture the feeling of your restaurant’s brand.
Oriole is a fine dining restaurant that embodies the word classy. Their logo naturally invokes a high level of prestige. The simplistic but elegant lettering tells the customer, they can only expect high-quality at this establishment.
Columbia is one of Tampa Bay’s oldest restaurants, and the font of their logo gives off a feeling of timelessness. Plus, using the original logo is crucial because of its longevity. As a staple in the area, they kept the familiar logo. Why rebrand something everyone already recognizes?
Jollibee is an international fast-food restaurant that serves fried chicken, spaghetti, burgers, and chicken sandwiches. The logo is an example of utilizing a cartoon character. The character is a play on their name. It’s a happy bee. Also, it captures the attention of their targeted audience: families.
Nation is a burger and bar joint in Cincinnati, Ohio, that pulls a little local history into the logo. You won’t know the full story about the hatchet in the logo until you dine there. However, the mystery of the logo draws customers in and becomes a cool callback once they learn the history. It also demonstrates how mystery can be a device to intrigue potential customers.
The logo we all recognize. Despite its universal branding, the logo is a great example of iconic symbolism. Simple and unique, the logo became something everyone knows. Your restaurant’s logo may never achieve the universal recognition, but you can still get inspired from the one-of-a-kind appeal of the Starbuck’s logo.
Seaspice is a seaside restaurant serving high-quality seafood and ocean views. The restaurant’s logo tells this exact story. The elegant lettering tells you it is fancy, and the octopus gives away the establishment’s food specialty.
Chipotle is another international fast-food eatery that specializes in Mexican. The logo uses the iconic chipotle pepper in the center. The color scheme embodies the flavor profile of the restaurant’s food: heat, earthy flavors, and spicy flavors.
A job interview, no matter how many times we’ve been in one, always makes us a little nervous. Do you get that little stomach drop when your name is called to come in? It’s perfectly natural to feel nervous, even when you’ve prepped yourself for days.
What many professionals won’t tell you is the myths that are out there about job interviews. There are plenty of antiquated or just plain fake tips out there ready to sabotage your efforts, and they are important to know before the hiring manager calls your name next.
Dressing To Impress Is Old School
Even though attitudes toward workplace attire have evolved from years past, it’s important to dress appropriately for an interview. On the flip side, an interviewer who forms their opinion about candidates purely from the label of a suit might give you an indication of the work environment you should avoid. Ensure your hygiene is good and take hints about what people are wearing from photos of the workplace online.
Don’t Say ‘I Don’t Know’
It’s a given that in an interview you should answer questions with confidence and candor, especially if they are questions specifically about your work history and personal background.
But if a question is posed to you that you don’t immediately know how to answer, you are not being vulnerable nor clueless by not answering with a similar confidence and candor.
Be honest and say you don’t have an immediate answer, but also stress that you want to know the answer.
Body Language Is Telling
The truth is, an interviewer’s body language or facial responses to you or the way you answer questions is not an indicator of how well your interview is going.
There’s a myriad of reasons why someone sits the way they do, or how their face looks for that very small portion of their day. Maybe the interviewer is stressed about something totally unrelated to you?
Body language is not a good indicator of how the interview is going and definitely not an indicator of whether they like a candidate or not.
Short Resumes Work Best
In years past there was a tip that the shorter your resume, the better. In fact, many people swore by having one page only. The reason for this was that supposedly the interviewer’s time was so important and short, you had to advertise yourself the best way possible and in the shortest time possible.
This attitude has totally changed in the modern workforce; in fact many companies have dedicated Human Resources departments or Hiring Managers who spend most of their day looking solely at resumes and candidates.
Always Accept A Beverage
Accepting a beverage prior to your interview would seem like a very innocuous thing, and that would be correct. However, another old interview tip was to always accept what was offered to you, as it would indicate your politeness.
In reality, most companies don’t have a dedicated staff for catering so you might be making your interviewer accommodate you by accepting. It’s actually an inconvenience to them.
Also, why risk needing the bathroom if the interview is a long one or you are already nervous?
Qualifications Will Always Get You The Position
Listing your qualifications on your resume is important, and many job openings require a minimum set of qualifications. But just because you have the highest qualifications won’t mean you will get the position, or even be put into the final group.
Cultural fit, years of experience and how you interview are actually far more important in the eyes of interviewers and hiring managers.
Unfortunately nepotism can trump all these too.
Keep Your Responses Short
This one is easy to disprove, especially if workplace culture is important where you are applying.
How do you feel when you go to a store and ask a question of an employee and they answer with a one word response or blunt, “I don’t know.”
Speaking with a warm and polite tone is far more beneficial than being robotic and sharp.
An interviewer will appreciate your openness and ability to engage with them far more than being a human Siri or Alexa.
The Questions Are Always The Same
A job interview will have some common questions across all interviews with candidates for a position. This is to measure and compare the candidates, obviously. But the assumption that every interview will follow a script is just not true.
Interviewers will go down different paths of questioning so they get to know you better, as no candidate is the same.
If every question was going to be the same, the interviewer could just ask you to fill out a form and not bother meeting you in person, right?
The Interviewer Does The Hiring
This is a natural misconception to make, especially for inexperienced job seekers. Assuming whom you are talking to will do the selecting is a natural, albeit incorrect, assumption to make.
It is more than likely the interviewer will be one of a group who will select a new hire or may only be asked to provide some simple feedback to another panel. Your resume and feedback has a long journey to go on yet.
‘Winging It’ Works
And finally there is something to be said about natural charisma and sounding like you know what you are talking about, but the truth is “winging” the interview will likely not work out in the end.
It’s important to come into the interview with some prior knowledge about what a company does, their philosophy and their reputation. You also want to know what you will say to common questions in interviews and hopefully anticipate what they may ask you at random.
In recent times, working for yourself has caught a lot of steam. More and more people are taking the leap to work for themselves and create content and services that speak to their own interest.
Although being your own boss and setting your own hours sound sweet, launching your own freelance career can be overwhelming if you don’t know what to expect.
Before you leave your corporate job and transition to the life of a small business owner, read on to find out about the 10 ways to launch a startup freelance career.
1. Pinpoint Your Endgame
Before you jump into freelancing, you need to know what it is that you want out of the experience of working for yourself. Without a clear plan that defines your goals, the transition to entrepreneurship will be difficult.
Prior to making a decision, sit down, make a list on a notebook pad or a computer, and answer the following questions:
Is freelancing a means to just earn extra income on the side while you continue to work your full-time job?
Is freelancing full time a means to become your own boss and work within your own schedule?
Is freelancing a stepping stone to eventually achieving a different goal all together?
Once you pinpoint this goal and determine what you want out of this freelancing, then you can start planning on how to operate moving forward.
2. Determine What Your Niche Is
So, you’ve decided that you want to be a freelancer. Where does your services fall within the chasm of other small businesses?
For example, if you are a blogger who likes to write about stocks, focus on how you can become a great asset to that space. Take the time to research what other freelancers within this realm are doing and build your service off what the current market is looking for, or what it’s missing that you can add to the space.
Create a YouTube channel talking about the daily movement of the stock prices. Create an eBook or course about a niche stock play that the interested audience can learn from.
Once you determine what your niche is, you are able to create content that speaks to what this space offers.
3. Identify Your Audience
After you’ve found out what your niche is, attracting the right clients is what naturally follows.
To determine the best type of target clients for your freelance business, ask yourself these three questions:
What type of customer will find my services useful?
Which customer can afford to pay the prices I’ll need to charge in order to get to my income goal?
Can I find a way to connect with my clients on a personal level?
By appealing to a specific, well-selected niche, your services or products will fair better than if you were to just go in blind and not have a specified voice or tone for your target clients.
4. Figure Out Your Finances
Although not the most glamorous part of your startup experience, accounting, or keeping track of your financials, is perhaps the most important.
Keep in mind that when run your own business, you are the one who’s in charge of the money you receive, or give, and where it goes. Research or take courses about how to handle taxes and financial statements for small businesses.
If you need additional help, which you most likely will, hire a part time or freelance accountant to manage your finances. Be sure to always ask questions to make sure that you understand where your money is being allocated.
Accounting will be the crux of your business, so be sure to invest a lot of time and help with this one.
5. Set Your Prices
The previous step was about handling your accounting business before your business gets off the ground. Once you’ve established who will help you with handling invoicing, taxes and the like, you can now set prices for your services.
Search the market and watch your peers to see what the typical prices are for the services for your work.
Never lowball yourself! Even if you are just starting out with freelancing, your cost of services should be competitive with the current market for your niche.
6. Develop Your Own Design
If you are crafting your own business, then people need to know how to identify your service in a sea of others like yours. This is where developing your own design comes in.
In addition, developing a website for your company is essential for people to buy your product and connect with you. It is your “Home Base” so to speak
Since this is such an important step, invest your money to hire a professional freelance designer to make your website pop. Ask the designer to also create a logo, flyers and banners that you can use on YouTube, at events, and on other social media channels.
7. Market Your Business
In order for your company to grow, you will need to market your product and services to gain an audience.
You can hire experts or freelance marketers to help you with this step, but the truth is, you can do what they do for free. Instagram is a great app to use to show off how your designs and products look and function in real time. Twitter and Facebook are avenues to create hashtags and connect with other people in your niche.
So, you can grow and market your small business organically on social media by using hashtags and following others who have your same interest.
If you’re marketing on social media, one of the key things to remember is to be yourself and be relatable to your audience. They will appreciate that more than any theatrical facade.
If you need help on where to start with marketing on social media, watch other vloggers in your niche to see what works in your market and what doesn’t. There are also many YouTube videos that touch on how to market your business organically online and by using SEO tactics.
8. Start Monthly Newsletters
One of the best ways to keep your customers engaged and up to date on the latest news with your business is to send out free monthly newsletters.
When you send out newsletters, you are informing your potential clients that you are committed to keeping communication open, as well as showing that you appreciate their interest in your products.
Free newsletters will get sent directly to your customer’s inbox to provide them with an update on your business and anything new that you have coming up.
There are freelancers who can help you out with doing newsletters, or you can do it yourself by using an automatic email service.
9. Maintain Good Customer Service
So now that you’ve created a sizeable audience after you’ve spent time cultivating relationships online, you want to make sure that you always keep an aura of professionalism and open communication with them.
Great customer service skills will reflect positively on your new business. A satisfied customer is likely to tell at least three friends about a positive experience and is even more likely to keep coming back to buy more of your product.
As a freelancer with a small business, you will need to guarantee great customer service as it leads to increased sales, thus growing your company.
10. Keep Your Day Job Separate
If you are starting out with freelancing on the side and you currently have a full-time job, don’t jeopardize your employment.
Yes, it may be tantalizing to just jump headfirst into freelancing and let your full-time employment fall to the wayside, but as of now, your day job is a steady source of guaranteed money and in some cases, it’s probably funding your side business.
In addition to that, there are a few lists of things that you want to consider with your full-time job:
Do NOT breach any contracts or agreements you’ve signed with your employer.
Do NOT work on your freelance business during company time.
Do NOT use company resources, computers, or paid for blogging tools within your freelance projects.
And more… 
