Business logo and image design

[Raccoon]

I've reached that point where I'm satisfied with my work and the day to day running of a business. My yellow pages listings are successful, but I would like to start running some newspaper ads and develop a company image. There's also something missing from my invoices and letter head... and that is a logo.

How did you (business owners) go about deciding on a logo design and type face for your company name? Pad locks and safe dials have been used and reused and regurgitated by every locksmith and his brother, so what was your approach to developing a company image and trademark?

I have a few ideas of my own, but I'd like to share them after I've gotten some input.

I'm also interested in finding someone to actually design and draw a company logo, and select a unique type face to fit my image. I'm in desperate need of embroidered polo shirts and a vinyl magnet sign for the side of my car, but a logo must come first.

[Varjeal]

For locksmiths in particular, your primary image (I feel) starts with three basic things.

#1. You. The way you dress, talk, act, and your work performance speak volumes. The way you present and carry yourself is an important feature, even when your not on the job. I wouldn't necessarily recommend a uniform unless that is what you are comfortable wearing, but standardizing your wardrobe colors and style establishes a consistency to the customer. They will recognize you each time they see you whether you are on a job or not. By standardizing in a professional manner what you wear goes a long way, especially if your print advertising also matches. It sounds corny, but it works.

For my own business I chose the colors black and yellow. All my advertising, including my vehicle and choice of clothes use at least those two colors. This consistency allows a repetitive recognition each time I go somewhere.


#2. Your Vehicle. For mobile locksmiths, your vehicle is your business, and is a rolling billboard. Take advantage of that. My vehicle is bright yellow and black, in theme with the rest of my advertising. Because I do not want stickers on the paint (nor did I want to incur the cost of a fancy paint job on the vehicle that can't really be changed inexpensively) I chose to use a professional service to apply decals the windows of my vehicle. Now when I drive down the road, no matter what side your looking at you will at LEAST see my company name.

#3. The accessories. This is a general category for such things as invoices, business cards, give away items, print advertising, radio, etc. I personally don't use a slogan at present as I feel they are pretty corny and mostly useless. If you do decide to choose one, however, make sure it is short, pertinent, and catchy if you want people to remember it.

My logo design includes a side shot of my vehicle (which is what most people remember) and my wife (a beginning graphic designer who just started her own business) made up my letterhead and type face. Both have received many compliments over the years. More than a few times I've had customers whom I've sent quotes phone me to say something like "We received your quote and btw wanted to compliment you on the nice header on your fax/email, looks very professional."

As mentioned previously, no matter what kind of advertising you do, be consistent across the board, repetition breeds memory.

[bpc293]

i no selling food is not like a locksmith shop but i would like to put my two cents in. i am in a very competitive naborhood i have la novas, mr. pizza and a dozen others around me. there was 3 on the same street as me with in two blocks. i always keep an add in the naborhood news paper on weeks i dont want to i at least put a small one in. i never try to put to much in my adds so that they are very easy to read and not jumbled up with to much info. i never wanted to shell out the cash for derect mailing of flyers. so i would pay kids to go door to door and put them on porches or in the railings but by mistake they put them in the mail boxes which is agianst the law i dont no what gave them the idea to do that but i got the best response ever i couldnt keep up so now i pay for the fliers to be mailed out. when people open up shops and dont advertise i think thats crazy poeple are just suppose to no your there and what you offer i seen alot of small shops of all trades open and close around my naborhood. another thing that helped me i think is doing things for the community almost all the bingo halls sell my pizza because i give them a great price and they love it and say nice things about my place those old ladys can spread the word. i just payed $300 to be a sponcer for the little girls softball league there baseball shirts have my name on them 300 bucks is not alot for what your geting. i give stuff for the chinese auctions
that it seams like every one has all the time churchs the veterins post or clubs and i dont want to but i do it. i give away stuff i hope there going to keep like calanders or t shirts. i guess i try to do what i can for the naborhood that keeps me in business even thow it kills me to give give give sometimes. o yea your business is only as good as your workers are! i will go nuts if i see a worker being nasty or not giving someone there full attention when there dealing with them if i go some where and it feels like i am bothering them to take care of me i dont go there no more. 1 rule in my store is the phone does not ring more than 3 times before someone picks it up. in 8 years i have been open ever day or hour that the store is suppoes to be open. no one likes pulling on a locked door when your hours say you should be open. my day shift doubled when i put a sweet lady at the front counter. black white yellow drunk ignerant it dont matter she still calls everyone hunny and is nice. i could go on and on but i better cut it short. being a presence in your community is good. i think these are just a few resones i stayed open so long. like i said i no locks and pizza are not the same but i think some of this stuff is universal.

[bpc293]

sorry about the bold letters i forgot to turn it off

[bpc293]

sorry i didnt even say any thing about the logo. i am tierd but basicly rip off stuff from big successfull corp. just change it a little

[Raccoon]

Hehe, thanks for the input.

I like the idea of mailers. I was considering an advert in the news paper, but if I can mail out full page fliers of my very own-- this town isn't terribly big-- it shouldn't cost very much.

I do have a logo idea thought out. Since my name is Get In Quick 24 Hour Locksmiths, I want a logo that expresses speed or timeliness. So I'm thinking a gloved cartoon hand holding a stop watch. Simple design. What do you think? I can already picture wearing it on my shirts.

I haven't standardized a wardrobe yet, but I usually wear a polo shirt of some random color.

So, any graphic artists on this site who could draw a cartoony hand holding a stop watch? Should be a perfect disney ripoff.

[bpc293]

i like the stop watch its not the classic lock and key thing. the post office does flyers by the zip code if you make them your self you can have the post office do it or i always just have my printer do everything.

[bpc293]

yep

[bpc293]

some one should take my last post off those disney people are everywhere. a small daycare center for kids painted mickey on the side of there building. disney was on it so fast i couldn't believe it.

do you have a intertainment book where you live those big fat coupon books people buy for 15 dollars. its free and i got alot of return coupons. have one key made get the second one free. there online to. i wish i could spell and make proper sentences i would post more

[Raccoon]

Yeah, I seem to recall a scene with Donald, Mickey or Goofy holding a stop watch for Olympic games. I don't think it's illegal to model a design off a general scene like that, as long as it doesn't include any trademark characters.

It's usually pretty difficult taking screen captures of video in Windows. The only way I know is to use VLC media player (free download) and goto Settings, Preferences, [x] Advanced Options, General Settings, Video, Video Output Module, "Windows GDI video output".

[bpc293]

want me to give it a shot just let me no. i will trie to have it by sunday night or monday.

[bpc293]

i didnt no about the time diffrence. my post said that its sunday where i am its saturday after noon. hay you can change the hands on the watch to skeleton keys

[Raccoon]

fyi, You CAN edit your posts in this forum. One of the reasons I spend so much time here.

I considered something like that, but I think a plain old stop watch will be least confusing and easy to recognize.

[pip]

it's not really a cartoon hand
just a rough idea

[bpc293]

less confusing is good.