Logoworks – Built from scratch and using multiple designers, this is a slick outfit that produces some great logos for a fraction of normal design costs (starts at $299).
Graphic Design
From clever Word templates, to stock design, there are a number of options here for very little investment if you have the time to play with them. If you don’t have the time, then a good graphic designer is worth their weight in gold. They usually charge around $60 – $70/hour and can complete miracles on a simple one-pager in 3 – 4 hours! I have become hooked on outsourcing this component of my biz.
Word Templates – Definitely the cheapest, but most time consuming option. There are some great designs however. If you can only afford this “do-it-yourself” option, please make sure that you maintain colours and fonts, logos, and key messages throughout ALL of your promotional pieces to build a strong and consistent brand.
StockLayouts – This is a great site for graphic design. They can produce material in a variety of medium depending if the end use is for print, email or online. Have a look. It’s a great middle ground for professional looking pieces.
Professional Images
A picture says a thousand words. So if you are developing your own pieces, make sure to have at least one strong photo that portrays the key message of your piece. People love to see pictures of people so, where possible, try to include at least one live body.
Please, please DON’T steal images from the internet. It is illegal and will be very embarassing if you get caught.
iStockPhoto – I love iStockPhoto. In fact the picture I used today is from their site. I find it easy to search, easy to download and this pic cost me a whole $1 and I can now use it as much as I want. It’s a no brainer!
The Perfect Words
It’s important to spend time and money on your copy. It is usually the part that delays the project or can cause the piece to be the least effective. Spend some money here unless this a talent of yours. Remember to watch where your talent comes from. If you are marketing from Canada to the States or vice versa there are subtle spelling differences such as colour to color or center to centre that your writer needs to be cognisant of.
Elance – Elance is an interesting American site. You can find writers with varying skill sets and also see their earnings to date (from the site).
Local Talent – I also recommend searching locally for copywriters. I find it is great to have more than one as some are strong at web writing, while others write great sales letters or are gifted in creating the perfect advertorial copy.
Professional Copywriting – This is a Canadian site, with prices all laid out for you for various types of copy requirements.
Printing on a Budget
With digital printing, gone are the days of mandatory high volume printing. Consider designing and printing nice templates and then running them through your own colour inkjet or laser to give you flexibility on copy. Use colour…even if it is just one colour, and use high quality paper. Remember your image!
Shop locally for a good printer that offers both digital and offset printing – it will save you the time it takes for freight and delivery, but also look at some of the online houses that have some eye-popping prices.
PrintingforLess – Based in the States, this online powerhouse has great pricing. Quality is “nice” not exceptional, but a great budget option. They will also deliver to Canada.
VistaPrint – Available in both Canada and the USA – www.vistaprint.com or www.vistaprint.ca
This is another “nice” not exceptional online service.
Source: Hubspot
