Company Logos

[Shard1000]

I'm brand new to contracting and have just formed my company. I have secured my first contract which is scheduled to start in a few weeks so just getting up to speed with everything.

I'm familiarising myself with FreeAgent and in the Invoices section there is an opportunity to input your Company Logo for this purpose. I've done a few searches online and it looks like a Company logo is relatively cheap (£25-£35) but wonder if it will actually serve any purpose aside from looking good/professional on the invoices that I will be generating? I have searched in the forums for ideas but to no avail.

Does anyone have any experience or a view regarding Company logos please? If yes and you are able to recommend a specific company I can loo at, that would be appreciated too. Thanks.

[northernladuk]

You don't need one and if you did it will make next to no difference. Focus on more important stuff IMO. Do you know about 24 month rule, IR35 and the coming changes? Are you fully versed with all the expenses you can and can't claim etc... Do you have your contract reviewed? Understand the clauses? Have all the correct insurances yadda yadda

Get that stuff sorted first and bugger about with logo, websites etc later.

If you really want to go down that line why not have a play with some of the logo makers on the web. Some of them are pretty clever, others just a glorified paint. Know anyone with kids doing Design at A level or Uni?

[LondonManc]

I'm brand new to contracting and have just formed my company. I have secured my first contract which is scheduled to start in a few weeks so just getting up to speed with everything.

I'm familiarising myself with FreeAgent and in the Invoices section there is an opportunity to input your Company Logo for this purpose. I've done a few searches online and it looks like a Company logo is relatively cheap (£25-£35) but wonder if it will actually serve any purpose aside from looking good/professional on the invoices that I will be generating? I have searched in the forums for ideas but to no avail.

Does anyone have any experience or a view regarding Company logos please? If yes and you are able to recommend a specific company I can loo at, that would be appreciated too. Thanks.

If you're with an agent who does self-billing, you won't need it then; it'll look nice for the website and stationery that you should get though - business cards etc. Use vistaprint for your stationery but not your website.

[northernladuk]

If you're with an agent who does self-billing, you won't need it then; it'll look nice for the website and stationery that you should get though - business cards etc. Use vistaprint for your stationery but not your website.

Ugh.. Becareful with Vistaprint. Wasn't something rather unsavoury going on there at one time?

[Shard1000]

Thanks all.

[LondonManc]

Ugh.. Becareful with Vistaprint. Wasn't something rather unsavoury going on there at one time?

Like what?

They're fine for basic business cards and stationery, such as letterhead.

[BigRed]

I agree with the others. I think every contract I've had but one was self billing. I managed to get a good relevant company name and email address but in all honesty I don't think that makes any difference either.

I've got as far as designing a logo while commuting on the train but never found time to design a website.

I have business cards with my logo on and sometimes give some out at conferences but again I think getting your LinkedIn profile and CV in good shape is vastly more important.

[LondonManc]

I agree with the others. I think every contract I've had but one was self billing. I managed to get a good relevant company name and email address but in all honesty I don't think that makes any difference either.

I've got as far as designing a logo while commuting on the train but never found time to design a website.

I have business cards with my logo on and sometimes give some out at conferences but again I think getting your LinkedIn profile and CV in good shape is vastly more important.

If you're trying to pay yourself as a business, act like one. Company website, company stationery, etc. All expensable because without your business, you wouldn't need them.

[SueEllen]

Ugh.. Becareful with Vistaprint. Wasn't something rather unsavoury going on there at one time?

Yep they were signing people up who didn't check for a subscription service that took out £x per month.

In regards to logos sometimes you are asked to provide a letter on company headed paper. Having a logo you can copy and paste in a word document and print out means you have this covered. Though I didnt bother getting a logo until 4 months into my company formation.

[BigRed]

If you're trying to pay yourself as a business, act like one. Company website, company stationery, etc. All expensable because without your business, you wouldn't need them.

Expensable isn't the same as free.

I went as far as designing a logo for the reason SueEllen says, but don't think I've ever used it and it was just something to do in idle time on the train. I don't expect to get contracts direct and a CV on a couple of jobsites plus a LinkedIn profile will give me much more return on my efforts.

As you are acting as a business, do you have plush offices with your Incorporation and Insurance certificates framed on the wall?

Regarding a logo, if you have one make sure it uses raster graphics so that is scaleable and that the colours suit being viewed printed as well as on screen. If you are going to have a website make sure it looks really professional as half the IT Contractors websites I've looked at are so poor and/or out of date that they would put me off hiring them.