Designing a logo

Pink Ribbons. The Golden Arches. A slightly bitten apple. You recognize each one, don't you? Whether it's a cause, a fast food restaurant or a computer conglomerate, you can see them in your head, right? That is how important a logo is. So I too wanted something that is unique, something that sticks in peoples heads, something that represented my product and something that maybe will be remembered.

My first thing was to search the web and see what other people had done. In doing this, I found numerous websites and programs that offer to design your logo for you, free. Yup, they all say free. Of course the kicker is: after you have designed the logo. You can't do anything with it unless you pay. In other words, design all you want, but unless you fork over the fees ranging from about $60 - $130 you don't get to use the logo. I wasn't about to pay.

But what this did for me was help me narrow what I wanted to do. So I fiddled with the programs, looking at what they offered for logos and the designs that are available. So it's still a good creative process.

In the end, I used Word Publisher and come up with my own. I chose the basic leaf format because it's simple and it represents nature. I found a bunch through clip art and on the web. But I had to be careful I wasn't using an already registered drawing.

Once I came up with a bunch of logo options, it was time to move on to the slogan. Now that's tough. Let's play the game again: Just do it. Can you hear me now? So easy a cave man can do it. Did you get them all? I bet you did.

There are slogan generators to. You just put in a key word and it spits back a phrase. Crap. All crap. This part I was on my own. A slogan should do two things; 1) represent the product and 2) Be catchy.

So I did my best and when all said and done, I designed four different logos with four different sayings and written in four different fonts. Sent them off to some of my friends and family and asked that they pick one.

And this is what we have:



Of course, it's subject to change.....

Finding a Product

No matter what the business is, there is always a product. In some cases the product is a person or a service. In other cases it's both (insert Elliot Spitzer joke here). But let's not confuse what my business plans are, I'm selling a product.

It's simple really. I don't have that many criteria for the product I want to sell. Except it has to be all natural, not tested on animals and not too expensive. After all, I want to be able to sell to the average Jane and Joe.

Everyone I have spoken to about this business have had some wonderful ideas on what I should sell and offer. But in the beginning I think it's important to keep things limited. Don't spread yourself too thin or you may wind up buying more then you are selling. Since I had already chosen bath and body products it was only a matter of picking which products I want to put in my store. Lucky me...I have a few connections. Two of my friends have made it an important part of their lives making natural bath products. This was a no brainer. I trust these people, I trust their integrity and I trust their product.

But even though these are friends, it's important to remember this is still a business deal. I want them to make money and be happy, but I need to do the same. And in any business transaction, it's imperative to lay it all on the line up front. Communication is the key. Don't be afraid to be candid about your needs...after all it's just business. And if you find that maintaining a friendship and a business deal is to complicated, then take your business elsewhere and save the friendship. I'm hoping this won't be the case with my friends!

So how do you find product to sell if you don't have the connections? Product that perhaps, you have never tried before. This is simple too: the Internet. Isn't the world wide web great? There are so many sites to find handmade and natural products. Etsy.com is one such place. Not to mention Ebay. Actually, there are so many sites out there I had to ask my mother to stop emailing them to me. It was too much!

Just remember to do your research. Check out the person. Don't be afraid to email them, talk to them and get a sense of who and what they are. Because in the end, that product is representing you. And you are representing them. It's a balanced relationship.

Try the product. If you aren't happy with it, you won't be able to sell it. And sometimes you just have to risk it. Every business goes through a little trial and error. It's a learning process. Just like life, we learn and we move on.

The high road is a tough road

For those of you who have been following my travels know that the road will end in Rochester, NY. Hence, the high road. As in latitude, not morals. Once I stepped upon this road I knew it would be a slow journey. But this tough?? Already?? I haven't even opened the business yet.

My first priority was to find a place to live. I armed myself with a few houses and apartments to check out and flew north. Then I grabbed my mother and dragged her all over the east side where the mix of dwellings ranged from "you've got to be kidding me" to "hey, this is nice".

I wasn't sure yet whether I wanted to own or rent but I knew I needed some place to lay my head. I've owned my own home now for over 2 years so the experience of being a home owner is not new or a dreamed up fantasy. The wins and pitfalls are well known to me. Everyone says it's better to own. For the most part I agree. I love the fact that owning mean it's mine. I can put a nail hole anywhere I want. I can paint any color I want. And since I purposefully chose a neighborhood with out a home owners association, I can plant anything I want too.

On the other hand, when something breaks I have to fix it. It's either a trip to the home improvement store or a phone call to some professional. Either way it won't be cheap. If I was renting, I could just call the land lord and magically it's fixed without an extra dime from my pocket. But I have had some rotten land lords. Ones who have ruined my things, show up unannounced while I'm only partly dressed or don't believe me when I call to say my apartment is flooded because a pipe burst. It's a risk you take when renting. The quality of your land lord.

But most of all owning a home means that it's my space. No one comes in that house unless I let them in. No coming home to find a note that the maintance man or bug guy just happened to stop by while I was out. That's a very creepy feeling, I might add. But on, the other hand, there is the convenience of renting.

Wow, the high road is full of moral dilemas.

The Nay Sayers

Negative energy can bring anyone down. And it always seems to surface when you tell some one about your idea. Especially an idea that involves money, starting a business, buying a house or anything that people think they are experts in.

And let me say this: you will encounter these people. My best advice is to listen, smile, thank them for thier suggestions and then change the topic of conversation. I was speaking to another small business owner the other day and he said it as best as I can "DO NOT listen to these people". That's right. Don't let them bring you down. Don't let them steer you away from your dream.

Surround yourself with positive energy, Yeah sayers and a good support system. With that, you can take on the world!

disclaimer: If you try to take on the world, the writer of this blog takes no resposibility, liabilty or fault for any out comes pertaining to the super human powers you think you may have that allows you to actually take on the world and its inhabitant.

How am I going to pay for it all?

I guess that's my first road block. Nay, not just a block but a brick wall. And honestly I have no idea. Recently some one asked me if I had a business plan. "A what?" Of course I said that internally so not to embarrass myself. And sadly admitted that I had no idea what a business plan was. But apparently, it lets me know just how much money I'm going to need.

My first slap of reality. I have no money and no plan to go with it.

At one point I thought I could just get a business loan. That would work right? I would waltz into a bank, pitch them my idea and be sure I had my business plan in hand. But what if that doesn't work?

This is where my Internet hobby comes in. Well, a little bit more then a hobby, perhaps a small addiction. I make money on the internet. Yes, I really do and can prove it if you don't believe me. It costs me nothing. It's free. And I've met some wonderful people.

It's the world known as GPT, or Get Paid To. You get paid for reading emails, doing surveys, signing up for free stuff and competing in contests. It's a whole BIG world out there that so many don't know exists. It does. Just waiting for me so I can make my money and support my business. Ok, that was a stretch. I probably won't support my business, but I can at least put food on the table and gas in my tank.

There are a lot of sites out there and you have to be careful. Some sites are owned by not so upright citizens, if you know what I mean. But here I list a few sites that have paid me. That are owned by honest people. That are fun to do. And did I say have paid me?

Mycashhoney

Low $5 payout and daily spelling bee makes it easy to rack up points that you can trade in for cash

Squishy Cash

A $3 sign up bonus. It's like free cash, whenever. Contests galore and an easy to use site.

CravingCash

Another one with a $3 sign up bonus. Nothing like instant money! Plus this is a great site owner and lots of contests that can help boost your earnings.

Need to know how to do it all? Click here

So there you have it. My business plan for making money includes the vast world wide web. I wonder what the bank would say to that?

The high or low road?

Many of us face this very question in our life time, however it is usually a moral dilemma. In my case, it was a literal question of where to start my business. I knew that in my present location, it was not an en devour I wanted to take on, for several reasons I won't get into here. And since they always say the most important part of any real estate is location, location, location I knew it was going to be a very important decision.

The high road would take me to Rochester, NY. Better known as my birthplace. I grew up in Penfield NY, suburbia USA, right outside the larger metropolis of Rochester. There I was familiar with the lay of the land. My parents are still there. A few childhood girlfriends remain. And many friends of the family have taken shelter against the cold winters. I knew I would have lots of moral, emotional and even physical support in Rochester, but would have to face the cold blistery winters once again. And being that I have lived in the south for 12 years now, this was a terrifying thought.

The low road would take me back to St Petersburg, Fla where I lived for five years before moving to my present location. There was sun shine. There was the ocean. There were girlfriends who I have come to love. A slightly different support group, but a support group none the less. But in Florida I would also face higher real estate and insurance prices.

The only way to solve such a dilemma is to do the research. And that is what I did. I traveled to both places. I checked out possible retail space. The price, the area, the size. I talked with people. I weighed the pros and cons of both places. But most importantly, I let my gut feelings lead me. Is this the best when it comes to starting a business? I'm sure many will tell you absolutely not. But I knew that if I was going to take on the world, it had to feel right.

In the end, the old saying "home is where the heart is" stands the test of time. And I find myself packing the sweaters to travel the high road back to Rochester NY. Now that I think about it, ever since I left that winter wonderland 12 years ago, I never did stop calling it home.