Logo design
Logo design for small businesses that need a mark which still works at the size of a map pin. Every concept is tested where your customers will actually see it: a Google listing, an Instagram avatar, a van door, a stamped invoice. You approve what works, not just what looks nice on a big screen.
Free: a 30-minute call, an action plan and a price range in writing.
A logo package
that covers real use
Main logo
The full version with name and mark, for your website header, signage and documents.
Compact versions
Stacked and horizontal layouts for tight spaces such as a mobile header or a pen.
Icon
The mark alone, for profile pictures, favicons, app icons and Google Maps.
Colour variants
Full colour, single colour, black and white, and reversed for dark backgrounds.
File formats
Vector files for print and signage, PNG and SVG for web, ready-made sizes for social profiles.
Basic usage sheet
Colours, clear space, minimum size and a few do's and don'ts on one page.
One brand
from logo to ads
Logo, colours and typeface come together into a system that works on your website, in ads and on your sign.
- Logo in several versions
- Palette and typography
- Social media templates
Logo design
step by step
Brief
Your business, customers, competitors, tone and where the logo will be used most.
Sketches and concepts
A few distinct directions, each shown on a phone, a card and a sign.
Choice and refinement
One direction developed with up to three rounds of revisions.
Tests
Small sizes, one colour, embroidery-friendly lines, dark and light backgrounds.
Files and handover
All formats delivered, rights transferred in writing, a short call on using them.
Logo design
cost
Logo design is quoted individually in Canadian dollars, depending on the number of concepts and versions.
Your business, your current logo if any, and what the new one must do.
Book a call→Concepts, refinement and full file package, with my trusted design partner.
- 3 rounds of revisions
- All formats
- Rights transferred to you
Put the new logo to work on a page that brings enquiries.
See landing pages→What makes a logo
work for a small business
Logo design starts at the smallest size
Most people first meet your logo very small. It is the round avatar next to a review on Google, the tiny pin on a map, the profile picture beside an Instagram comment, the favicon in a browser tab. Good logo design for a small business starts there. If the mark turns into a grey blob at 40 pixels, it does not matter how beautiful it looks on a poster.
That is why every concept I present is shown in real use before you choose: on a phone screen, as a social profile picture, on a business card, on a sign or a vehicle. You decide based on how it will actually work.
Five qualities of a useful logo
- Simple. Few shapes, few colours, no fine detail that disappears when printed small or embroidered.
- Distinctive. Not another house with a roof for a realtor, or another tooth for a dentist.
- Readable. If the name is part of the logo, it must be legible on a phone and from across a street.
- Flexible. Works in full colour, one colour, on dark and light backgrounds, horizontal and stacked.
- Lasting. Not tied to a trend that will look dated in three years.
The best small-business logos are often surprisingly plain. Their strength comes from being used consistently for years, on every invoice, truck and post, until customers recognize them without reading a word.
Common logo mistakes
- Too literal. A wrench, a hammer and a house all in one mark.
- Too many colours. Expensive to print, hard to embroider, messy on a van.
- Thin script fonts. Elegant at large size, unreadable at small.
- Raster files only. A JPG from years ago that every printer struggles with.
- Copying a big brand. It looks derivative and can create legal trouble.
Thinking about where the logo will live
Before design starts, I ask where the logo will appear most. For a trades business, it may be the van, uniforms and job site signs. For a restaurant, the storefront, menus and packaging. For an online store, the website header, product packaging and social profiles. For a service business that wins most clients from search, it is the Google Business Profile and the website. The answer shapes proportions, detail level and colour choices.
In Quebec, a tagline may need a French version, which would come from your own team or translator, since my work is in English. It is easier to plan that from the start than to retrofit it.
From logo to full identity
A logo alone does not make a consistent brand. Fonts, colours, photo style and layouts for common materials turn it into a visual identity. For many small businesses, a logo plus a short usage sheet is enough to start; a fuller identity can follow when you have more materials to produce. If you have no name yet, start with business naming. Once the logo is final, business cards and print are the natural next step.
Ownership and files
You receive vector files for print and signage, web-ready formats and pre-sized social images. Rights to the final logo are transferred to you in writing once the project is paid, so you can register it as a trademark and use it anywhere without asking permission. If you later want a trademark, a lawyer or agent can file using these files.
How it is delivered
Logo design is delivered with a trusted design partner. I write the brief, review every concept against your real marketing use, and manage the contract and deadlines. Three rounds of revisions are included, and you talk only to me.
Next steps
Logo design FAQ
Why not use a logo generator?
You can, and for a test business it may be enough. The problem is that generator logos are built from shared icon libraries, so similar marks show up for other businesses, and you usually cannot register them as a trademark. For a business you plan to grow, an original mark is safer.
How many concepts will I see?
A few distinct directions, not dozens of variations. Each is shown in real situations so you can judge it fairly. Too many options tend to lead to a compromise that nobody loves.
Can you just tidy up my existing logo?
Often, yes. If the logo has recognition but technical problems, such as thin lines, too many colours or no vector file, a refresh can keep what customers know and fix what does not work. If it needs more than that, see the rebranding page.
Do I get the vector files?
Yes. You get vector files for printers and sign makers, plus web and social formats. Nothing is held back, and the rights are transferred to you in writing once the project is paid.
Who designs the logo?
A trusted design partner I work with regularly. I write the brief, review concepts against how your marketing will use them, and handle the contract and deadlines. You deal with me throughout.
Ready for a logo
that works small?
Send me a few lines about your business and, if you have one, your current logo. I reply within one business day.