Every business needs a logo. It’s the visual representation of your company and while no company has ever lost business because of a good logo, there are plenty that have lost business due to a bad logo. In other words – your logo is important, so don’t screw it up! There are a lot of different options out there when it comes to choosing how you will design your logo. While some prefer the cost effectiveness and flexibility of logo design software, designing a logo yourself is not necessarily the right move for every business. There are circumstances where it makes sense to bring in a professional logo designer and here are a few situations where going pro might make more sense:

You’ve got the money

It should come as no surprise that hiring a professional logo designer is a more expensive option than creating a logo yourself. A good logo designer will have invested in education and experience that will help set them apart from the competition and that experience will cost you more than the best logo design software.   Average costs for a good logo design will range anywhere from $250 to around $1,000, which may be equal to the entire marketing budget for a lot of new businesses. However, if you have the budget, there are benefits that a professional logo designer brings to the table that can certainly make the experience worth your money.

You’ll accept the cost even if you don’t love the result

It’s a fact of life that sometimes things just don’t work out. You could end up hiring a designer with a great portfolio, fantastic references and a style that you love, but for whatever reason, you just never get on the same page about your logo. Most professional logo designers will allow a certain number of reworks, but occasionally it becomes apparent that you and the designer might never agree. When this happens, you may have to shell out a “kill fee” to terminate the contract. It will likely be less than the total cost of what a final logo would be, but you’re still paying and receiving nothing in return. Every design contract is different though, so just make sure the terms are clear up front.

Your field is highly design-conscious

There are certain industries that require a higher level of sophistication in a logo in order to compete. Think about graphic design, art, architecture – all these fields have a perceived level of experience that the logo needs to show. If you operate in one of these fields, you may be better off hiring a professional to design your logo, rather than attempt to make a go of it on your own. Hiring the right professional will ensure that you have something truly unique that will be sophisticated enough to make the right impression in your competitive field.

You’re starved for ideas

While there are a lot of resources to help you get inspiration for your logo, if you’ve tried to design your logo and are struggling to find the right look and feel, it might be time to call in a pro. A good professional logo designer is going to be creative by nature and should be able to provide you with a variety of ideas that would work for your company’s logo.

You don’t mind taking advice

When you hire a professional logo designer, you’re not just hiring them for the end result, you’re also hiring them for their expertise. An experienced designer will have specific ideas and suggestions about what you should and should not do with your logo. If you’re open to taking advice and direction about the look and feel of your logo, hiring a pro might be the right way to go. Note that the logo design process needs solid input from both the client and the designer to work effectively, so communication is the key to success when a professional logo designer is hired.

You have limited time

If you’re like most small business owners, time is the one thing that you’re always running out of. You may think that you don’t have the time to sit down and design your own logo and if you aren’t comfortable using a computer, or don’t feel comfortable doing it, you may be right. Hiring a logo design professional can take some of the burden off your shoulders and free up some of your time. Keep in mind that while you won’t actually be spending the time designing the logo, it’s going to be vitally important that you spend enough time working with the designer you hire to make sure that he or she understands what you want and need out of your logo. In closing, remember that your logo is an important part of your business. If you’re going to hire a professional, take a good look at their portfolio, request references and remember that when it comes to design, you often get what you pay for. If you don’t have the budget to support hiring a pro, your best option is to actually design that logo yourself using intuitive software like Logo Design Studio Pro.