Articles of Interest and FAQ's

Graphic Design and Business Articles of Interest (FAQ - click here)

Click on each title to access the entire article.

Be Successful with an Effective Business Image: Many businesses get so caught up in the every day promoting and marketing of their products or services that they often neglect one very important item: a quality, consistent business image. Today, with so many businesses competing for the ever-shrinking consumer dollar, a professional image that stands out more than your competitor's becomes even more essential. It is important to be recognized in a consistently positive manner.

Designing an Effective Logo: Make it Unique, Simple and Memorable The right logo, an unique logo, a simple logo and a memorable logo means more business for you.

As a designer I am always amazed when new clients come to me for various marketing material designs and they either have a boring, non-unique logo or they have no idea where their original logo is, who designed it and how they can get a copy. Do businesses not realize how vital their image is and it's importance in branding in the marketplace? I guess not. Don't let this happen to you. It is so important that every business owner has a copy of their logo on disc to use for all their marketing needs today and tomorrow.

Start with Branding Branding must start before you have your logo and business cards designed – it’s more than just developing your logo or corporate ID, it’s about determining what sets you apart and how you plan on hitting that important fact home with your target market. In fact, utilizing a graphic designer's skills will only be useful once you have defined what makes your company different.

Need a Logo? Let's Get Started Do you want the perfect logo that best represents your company?

We can help you Stretch Your Advertising Budget Small businesses and in particular workathome businesses have a much smaller budget than larger corporations do. For this reason it is important that you get the most out of each advertising dollar that is spent to promote your small workathome business.

Business Card and Logo Colours are Important for your Business Image Not all businesses, especially home based businesses take time to consider their corporate image, in particular colour. The colour that is used in your logo creation and business card design is important for your image and branding in the marketplace. A good graphic designer should be aware of the most suitable colours to use in your cards for your business type and its products or services.

Coupon Marketing on Business Cards Before designing your company's business cards stop and consider all the possible uses for that one simple card. Although there are many business card styles to choose from, do any of them utilize coupons? If not, perhaps you should consider them to help meet your marketing needs.

So You Don't Have a Marketing Plan - Why Not? If you think you’re too small to create a marketing plan, think again! You can take your cue from some of the business giants out there in order to take your small or home based business to the next level. McDonalds, The Gap and Coca Cola wouldn’t be where they are today without an incredible marketing plan, pulled together with cohesive marketing communications.

Designing Effective Newsletters A great promotional aid is that of Newsletters. Many businesses use newsletters to promote their services and products as well as their brochures and business cards.

Attitude is Everything, Get Your Business Noticed Once you’ve found the perfect business, how do you get the attention you deserve from those who might be able to use your services? A large part of making money with a successful business is having the right attitude. With it, you’re unbeatable. Without it, you will become just one of the pack. Once you believe in yourself, you can start making things happen for you and your business.

A Workathome Business is Not for Everyone Owning a workathome business is not something for everyone, some prefer to go out and work for someone else and leave all the organizing to the boss. Then of course there are those who think a home based business is exactly the right sort of work to fit in with their daily lives.

FAQs    back to top

Q: How do I choose a graphic designer?

A: If you have never worked with a graphic designer in the past it may at first seem like a daunting task. When we meet with clients for the first time we ask a lot of questions about their business and their market. What is your purpose in hiring a designer and what outcome are you looking for. We talk about all of your needs and then determine honestly if we think our services will benefit you. We are not a fit for everyone, but generally we can work successfully with most companies. You want a designer that you feel comfortable with.

Q: Can we afford to hire a graphic designer?

A: Can you afford not to? You want your business to have a professional image for its marketplace. First impressions count, and you want yours to be the best that it can be.

Q: How much will it cost?

A: All design companies charge according to an hourly rate. At Creative Expressions we base our fees this way too. But we take a look at the job and quote on the job and how much it will cost. It will reflect how many hours we estimate it to take and we always include two sets of revisions in every quote. This way you know exactly what the end bill will be and you will be able to budget accordingly.

Q: Is my information kept confidential?

A: All information that is shared between clients and ourselves is kept strictly confidential. We do not share any of it with another soul. That includes all of your contact information. We wouldn't want someone to do that to us, and neither should you.

Q: Do you bill in USF or CDN funds?

A: We are proudly Canadian and all of our invoicing is done in Canadian funds. We also apply the federal GST and BC provincial sales tax where applicable.

Q: How many changes can I make to the designs as they progress?

A: All quotes include two sets of revisions. More than that will be billed at an hourly rate. This rate is provided prior to starting the project. A change involves much more than a revision of the original concept and will also be billed hourly.

Q: I have never worked with a print shop and don't know what is involved.

A: Fortunately we work with various print shop regularly. Some printers are good for small jobs, but others are best for larger jobs. Creative Expressions is happy to provide you with print quotes and to follow all jobs right through the print stage. This makes it very easy for you as we do all the work and you sit back and get delivery.

Q: How long will it take to do a job?

A: Creative Expressions will provide your designs in a timely fashion. Projects that take longer are usually a result of the client taking a bit longer with their revisions due to their busy schedules. If you have a special deadline, we will meet it or we won't take on the job in the first place.

Do you have other questions that you need answered? Contact us and we'll try to answer them.

back to top