| If you're like many small business owners, you might be | | | | Their slogan for example, would consistently be in |
| wondering just what a corporate identity package is. | | | | Times New Roman, never a different font or even a |
| And if you already know what it is, you might be | | | | similar font, but exactly the same font, and always in |
| wondering why your small business would need one. | | | | the same proportion to the logo. Spacing is |
| After all, you're just a small business, not one of those | | | | consistent. Spacing between letters and between |
| big corporations. What's in it for you? | | | | lines is also always exactly the same proportion. |
| Just as the name implies, a corporate identity package | | | | Their secret is designing in vector form so their logo |
| identifies your company to potential clients, suppliers | | | | can be enlarged or reduced without changing |
| and the general public. It includes your business name, | | | | proportion. |
| small business logo, your logotype (just a fancy way | | | | Their corporate identity package matches exactly. |
| of saying how things are placed, which font you use, | | | | Their letterhead, envelopes, business cards all |
| spacing, and other things like that) your motto or | | | | match. And if you ordered something from them, |
| company slogan, and associated printed material-- | | | | the invoice and the statement you'd get at the end of |
| your business card, and letterhead, envelope and | | | | the month would match too. Perfectly. |
| forms. | | | | Here's another reason to take a little time to look at big |
| When you started your small business, you might have | | | | corporations' identity packages: you can use what |
| dreamed of becoming more than just another small | | | | they do to create an identity for your own small |
| business. Maybe you even dreamed about becoming | | | | business. What they do works, and they do big |
| a big business some time in the future. And even if | | | | business, so if you want to do big business too, why |
| you're a completely practical entrepreneur and didn't | | | | reinvent the wheel? Copy what they've done. No, I |
| have those dreams, you need to attract customers in | | | | don't mean you should copy another company's logo. |
| order to keep your small business open. A corporate | | | | Just copy the way they've done things. Take their |
| identity package can help you do that. | | | | ideas and use them. |
| Write a couple of big corporations, ask a question and | | | | You probably don't have the luxury of spending the |
| request a business card. They'll send your answer | | | | amount of dollars a big corporation does on their |
| on their letterhead, in their company envelopes, and | | | | identity. In fact, they sometimes spend millions on their |
| include a company business card. If you take a | | | | corporate identity. So how do you get a professional |
| moment or two to look at big corporations' identity | | | | look at a small business price? |
| packages, you'll soon notice a few important things in | | | | You can do it yourself or you can hire a design |
| common. | | | | professional to do it for you, sometimes at minimal |
| Their corporate identity package looks professional. | | | | cost, or even free. Here's one idea. You can |
| What makes a big corporation look professional? I | | | | sometimes find good student graphic designers who'll |
| think one key is simplicity. Generally, a large | | | | design your logo for you in exchange for allowing them |
| corporation has a simple symbol or even just | | | | to put it in their portfolio. In any case, if they do |
| graphically represents their name as their logo. Take | | | | charge you a fee, it will be a whole lot less than what |
| the Coca-cola logo for example. Or Toyota. Or | | | | a professional graphic designer would charge. |
| Cameco Corporation. They're all very simple. | | | | Besides it'll feel good to be helping a "poor student". |
| When you look at their corporate identity package, you | | | | So, why should you have a small business identity |
| see quality. They use only high quality printing | | | | package? What's in it for you? If you do it right; if |
| services and paper. Sure, that's going to cost a little | | | | you have a corporate identity package that looks |
| more, but it'll be worth it in the end because its an | | | | professional, is of high quality, has a consistent |
| integral representation of your small business' image. | | | | logotype, and matches perfectly, you're going to look |
| You could print your corporate identity package | | | | just like the big guys even if you're the smallest |
| yourself using your home printer, lightweight paper and | | | | business in town. |
| business card templates, but how is that going to | | | | And if you look like the big guys, you just might have a |
| look? Will that produce the professional image you're | | | | chance to play with the big guys. And what if, just |
| after? | | | | what if, your corporate identity package helped you, |
| Their logotype is consistent. Big businesses use | | | | even just a little, to realize the dream you had of |
| exactly the same color for their logo and their | | | | someday owning a big business when you started |
| background every time. They use consistent fonts. | | | | your small business? |