Today’s post on The Methodology Blog is from Denise Speer, founder and owner of c3-indy. As a marketing specialist and entrepreneur, she knows the exhilaration that comes with building a company, but doesn’t deny that certain projects can be more difficult than others to accomplish. Her advice: don’t be afraid to consult experts.

EXPERTS ARE WORTH THE PRICE

Being a new business owner definitely has some challenges and one of the first ones you encounter will be a “logo” for your business. While I had an idea of what I wanted to convey, it wasn’t until I spoke with a Graphic Designer that I understood all of the different elements to consider.

I had spent numerous hours trying to draft a logo which contained my three “c” words (Connect, Communicate, Collaborate) which drove the naming of my business to c3-Indy. All together, I estimate that I utilized at least 8 full hours playing around with the words, design, colors, etc. When I finally achieved a couple of samples, I promptly asked several of my entrepreneurial peers to review them and provide feedback. One of those providing feedback was Robby Slaughter from Slaughter Development. While Robby was considerate to my novice graphic samples, he advised me to speak with a Graphic Designer regarding the logo. Having already invested several hours into these drafts, I was torn between investing even more time or taking his advice. I quickly decided I didn’t want to spend another minute on the work, which was outside of my realm of expertise by a long-shot!

I promptly called Sam Bean from Bean Graphics and forwarded my thoughts and color dislikes to him. Within a few hours, Sam provided me with several logo options that were eons ahead of where I had taken them or could have ever hoped to have taken them. We tweaked one of them to perfection and I gladly paid for the expertise. Robby’s advice saved me much more production time and, thus, money; however, the best thing it resolved was the fact that I now had a professional logo that aided my company’s branding. I never would have achieved that milestone without the help of an expert in his field and I thank Robby for steering me in that direction.

So, if you are struggling with doing parts of your business yourself, please consider your per-hour rate should you have focused that time on client work instead. Your value will more than pay for the expertise needed for your project. I guarantee you’ll be glad that you let them handle it!

Denise Speer is owner of c3-Indy a company specializing in innovative marketing techniques for consumer-based businesses.  She is a 1995 graduate of Indiana University, Bloomington. www.c3-indy.com

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