When you’re starting out as a home stager, there’s a lot to think about. Once you’ve taken your training and earned that all-important certificate, it’s time to set up your business and get to work!
You’ll need to concentrate on marketing, posting on social media and getting the word out there. You’ll need a website filled with stunning images of your work and details of your services.
And for all of these, there’s something very important that you’ll need.
Yes, you’ll need a logo.
Why do I need a logo?
You may not think that a logo is particularly important, especially if your home staging business consists solely of you.
You might think you’ll get along fine just being ‘Jane Smith – home stager’ that word will get about that Jane Smith is the best home stager in the state, but this doesn’t help you stand out from the crowd unless you have a particularly unusual or apt name like Des Igner or Ivor Goodhouse.
A great logo will make people remember you, it also shows a certain level of professionalism.
So where do you start?
You’re a home stager, so you already have creative talent right? You could design your own logo, or you could sketch some ideas and pass them over to a graphic designer to perfect.
Likewise, you could ask a professional logo designer for their ideas too.
The more different concepts you consider, the more likely you’re going to end up with a logo that is perfect for your business.
Get brainstorming ideas
Gather together as many ideas as possible, this will be your inspiration.
Grab a piece of paper and write down as many words as you can that you associate positively with your business.
Add in anything that makes your business unique such as your state, home city, your name, or any special services you offer. What could you incorporate into a logo that would make it truly unique?
Ask friends and family for their input.
They don’t need to be designers to come up with a great idea. It’s surprising sometimes quite where an idea can come from.
Perhaps an uncle well known for his terrible puns will invent a witty play on words for your business, or maybe your little cousin will come up with something so simple it’s actually spot-on perfect.
You can use graphic design websites such as envatomarket to search for “Home Staging Logos” and you’ll find plenty of inspiration you get you started.
Keep it simple
Now it’s time to narrow down the ideas, and it’s wise to dismiss anything that is overly complicated.
In most cases, the more simplistic logos are the most memorable and will look more stylish.
In addition, a complex logo is going to be harder to reproduce on your marketing materials. Think down the line, it’s going to cost a lot more, and be a lot more difficult to have a full-color photo-realistic logo printed on a compliments slip or a promotional pen, than a simple one or two-color logo.
Your logo needs to look good in all sizes, and a highly detailed logo is just not going to work in a smaller size.
Consider color choices
The color of your logo is also important.
Your logo will feature everywhere, on your website, your social media, your paperwork and advertising. You need a consistent feel across your brand, and color is vital for this, so your logo colors need to be reflected across all your channels.
With this in mind, you may want to reconsider the rainbow logo or the vibrant pink and purple logo, unless you’re prepared to use these color schemes across all your branding.
As you’ll know as a home stager, sometimes, less is most definitely more.
Try to be timeless
You don’t want a logo that is going to look old fashioned in a few years.
Try to steer away from anything that you feel could look dated down the line. Don’t go for anything too on-trend, as trends come and go, and hopefully, your business will long outlast any current design fads!
Again, simplicity is usually the key to creating a design that is not linked to any particular style or look that could later be seen as outdated.
Choose a legible font
When it comes to fonts, it must be easy to read at a glance.
There’s no point trying to be clever with a sophisticated, arty font if no one can actually read what it says.
You might think it portrays luxury and elegance, but if a potential client is left thinking your business is called Elephant Home Staging, rather than Elegant Home Staging, all because you chose a confusing and overly complicated font, it’s not going to be great for business! (unless of course, they run a zoo, which is unlikely).
If in doubt, hire a professional
Your logo speaks volumes about your business.
The world of design is full of unwritten rules, and logo design is definitely no exception.
If you’re not trained and experienced in logo design, it could be risky to create your own logo. What you think looks great, might just look a little unprofessional to those in the know.
Your logo needs to be perfectly balanced and aesthetically pleasing. It needs to ooze quality, style and sophistication.
If your logo is poor quality, then potential clients will presume that your work is also substandard.
So if you want a perfectly designed logo, then work with a professional designer to get the results you need to be a success.
You need to love it – don’t settle for second-best
This logo is going to be part of your life for a very long time.
While you may redesign it from time to time, as the years pass, fundamentally, it’s best for the overall concept of the design to remain the same, to keep continuity for your clients, so they can differentiate between your business, that they know and trust, and other businesses, perhaps with similar names that they have never worked with.
So this process is incredibly important and should not be rushed.
We know you’re eager to get your business up and running, and your web designers are hanging on waiting for your logo so they can build you a brilliant website, but don’t be hurried.
Take your time. If you don’t yet have the inspiration you need, keep looking.
If the artist you hired to create your logo just isn’t getting your vision, don’t settle just because you want to get on with your job. Hire another designer and keep at it until you see a logo and love it.
You’ll know when you’ve found ‘the one’.
