Does My Practice Need a Logo?

Do you have to have a brand/logo designed prior to opening your practice?  If you are on a limited budget and not sure if you should allocate some of your start-up funds towards advertising your practice or designing a logo this may help shed some light on that for you.  Even if you are no longer considered a startup there seems to always be a question around branding.  This is a great topic, especially if you operate as a sole practitioner.  It is true the branding and marketing experts will tell you how important it is to have a logo before you open shop but if you’re operating on a very thin marketing budget (and honestly what startup business isn’t) then really consider your options. 

My short answer to the question is no, you do not need to have a branded logo designed prior to opening your practice.  In fact, there are many cases of businesses starting up without logos.  For example, most of the Ebay multi-million dollar merchants did not start with a branded logo.  With that being said, it is easier for people to relate to your service if you have an identifiable image (logo) and you have a clear message as to who you are and how the people benefit from your services (brand).  There is a difference between a logo and a brand. 

What I absolutely recommend 100% is that you have to have your brand figured out.  What kind of business do you want to be?  You aren’t running a practice, it is a business.  What is your end result?  What is your identity as a business?   Even if you are only one person right now having this identity will help you in the future; not only 3 months from now or 3 years from now, also the long term.  If you ever plan on selling your practice then make sure your name is separate from your brand or understand that you may need to invest for some expert help when the times comes.   It is very difficult to sell Stephanie’s Massage if there isn’t a Stephanie.  That sounds silly right?  But think about it.  What would Tony Robbins’ courses be without Tony?  We have clients that we have helped transition their brand image because they have built their brand on the owner’s face as the company.  These successful continuing education providers that we are now transitioning that brand image to focus on the fact that the quality of service is provided whether the owner is teaching the workshop or not.  It takes some finesse to now lend that owner’s credibility to other educators without losing the standard of quality in the customer’s eyes.  When starting as massage therapists you are promoting yourself and adding new clients and the unique difference YOUR clients receive by getting treatment from YOU.  Consider this; there is a daily limit as to how many treatments you can perform.  When you want to grow your practice, more than likely you will need to “clone” yourself.  If you have built your practice around you; understand it will take some specialized marketing to shift that brand or image to get people to “trust” that they will receive the same quality of treatment if it isn’t from you.   

A logo is more of a symbol of what your company is about.  If you have a logo then it is easier for people to remember you.  Who doesn’t look at a “swoosh” now and think Nike?  A logo is not a prerequisite to start your practice but it will help a lot in the long run.  It can also be an extra edge against competitors.  When considering a logo think about what image matches your brand identity.  Does that image really translate what you are providing to your clients and patients?  Nike didn’t just start with a “swoosh”, the name Nike was always with the “swoosh”, but no one knew what Nike meant?  They paid BIG money to connect their brand identity to some of the top performing athletes.  It took many years and lots of dollars to get to the point they are today where we see a “swoosh” and we know it is Nike and to Just Do it! 

So, when you are selecting a logo, understand that is more than just using an image of a lotus flower, stack of river rocks or photo of the spine.  Each of those symbols has so many variables and definitions to each person.  Therefore I recommend defining it for them.  If you don’t have the million dollar budget like Nike, then a less expensive way to is to have your company name or the tagline provide a crystal clear view of the benefits clients receive by doing business with you.   There are copyright and trademark laws around using images too.  You open yourself up to penalties when you download an image from the internet to promote your company.  You are better off working with a designer or a crowdsourcing site like 99Designs or a logo create site to assist you.  You can modify your logo, nothing is set in stone.  And if you think a good design is expensive, imagine how expensive a bad design is!

Hopefully this gave you some “food for thought”.  If you have questions about branding or logos be sure to post it our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/SRBSolutions and I will personally answer it for you. 

If you need help crafting  your identity or creating a logo, we can help too message us on www.SRBSolutons.net