Why Your Brand Needs Multiple Logos

Do I need more than one logo? A lot of brands and small businesses think they just need a single logo design. That’s actually not from the case! You should have at least one alternate logo design to pair with your main primary logo.

Now more than ever before we are posting, blogging, and creating content to get our brand name out there in the world. And now we have so many platforms to work with. Within social media alone there’s Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest (more of search engine, but still considered under the social media umbrella), Twitter, Tik Tok, and Snap Chat. Did I miss any? Then there’s your own marketing tools like your website, email signature, watermarks, and business cards, just to name a few.

So what are alternate logos? Alternate logos are similar to your primary logo, but have small changes. Chances are your main logo won't fit on every medium you need it for. For example, if your logo is a longer horizontal design, then that doesn’t really look great as a profile photo on Instagram. Since that profile photo size is round, it’ll shrink your horizontal logo down smaller to fit the width of the area so it’s harder for the viewer to see. So having another logo that is more stacked is perfect for uploading to that Instagram profile photo.

As mentioned, these logos are similar to your primary logo and should always be consistent to stay on brand. The small changes could be color (but staying within your branding color palette), layout, or content. Let’s take a look…

Primary Logo

This is our primary logo, or main logo. This logo is what is on our website. We also use it for our Mail Chimp newsletters we email to subscribers to our email club.

Secondary Logos

See how these secondary logos more stacked than our horizontal primary logo? We use these for our social media profiles and occasionally print marketing. These secondary logos can also be used for your website or email signature.

Submarks

Submarks are great to add to platforms where there is already brand recognition because they don’t spell out your full brand name. Your brand name should be somewhere else on that platform. For example, watermarks, social media profiles, favicon (the little icon you see by your website URL in your internet browser), and email signatures.

It’s very important to choose the right logo designer. Your brand designer should be knowledgeable, skilled, communicative, and have professional software. I know that may seem obvious, but I’ve had many clients come to us for a rebrand with their original logo not vector and their original designer didn’t have the knowledge or capability to create it vector. Yikes! Big red flag. Be weary of those cheap custom logos. Just remember, you get what you pay for unfortunately.

Some of our clients ask, what is vector? Good question! Simply put, vector is when your image can be blown up or shrunk down and the quality will not change. Vector files, such as pdfs, are needed for high quality printing, so having your logo design be vector is a necessity. What if your logo isn’t vector but you don’t want to pay for a new logo? No worries! When you find yourself in this situation, there are resources out there for you. Just ask any graphic designer or email us. There are more affordable resources out there, too such as Sticker Mule. They can actually vectorize an image​ quickly with Redraw for only $29!

All your logos should be presented to you in your brand style guide. More on style guides coming soon! I hope this was helpful for you and if you have any questions, please let us know!

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Free Script Fonts

Check out our favorite free script fonts as wedding invitation designers.

Script fonts are used throughout your brand as headings, signatures, highlight words, even embedded on your website (if it’s a Google font). Here are our favorite script fonts and where to download for free!

Belights: Dafont.com

Chopin Script: Dafont.com

Samamtha: Dafont.com

Red Velvet: Dafont.com

Pinyon Script: Google Fonts

Rouge Script: Google Fonts

Great Vibes: Google Fonts

Monsieur La Doulaise: Google Fonts

Please consider donating to the author and creator of each font upon downloading. (optional)

If you have questions on how to best use script fonts in your branding, please feel free to contact us!

Free Brand Messaging Exercise

Learn how to position and build your brand from a small business owner and creative with previous marketing experience.

Before I started Pink Champagne Designs, I was marketing director for small businesses. I know first hand how hard it is to plan the direction of your marketing tactics. There are so many different directions and routes to take when marketing your business. If you don’t know the base messaging if your brand, it makes it even harder.

So what is brand messaging? Messaging and your visual brand go hand-in-hand. Brand messaging is the language used in your marketing and serve as a foundation to help with copy, media, newsletters, and promotional materials.

Earning a BA in Marketing and Communication taught me a lot, yes. BUT actually applying that textbook terminology and facts you learned in the classroom isn’t as easy as it may look. Can I get an amen?!

Don’t worry… I’m making it easy for you! Get your free brand messaging exercise to assist with your core language, position, and marketing!

Check out more branding and business resources on our blog!

Logo Refresh

Refreshing a current logo is a less drastic approach than a completely new logo design. When we design a logo refresh, we work with the original logo as inspiration and use the current design elements.

Examples would be updating colors, adding copy or messages, or updating the feel or vibe of the logo. Below are some examples of well-known logo refreshes…

And our own small business logo refresh examples. Notice how the colors are the same and fonts are similar, but there’s either added wording or re-formatted design.

Logo Design

A logo design is for new businesses who need a logo or for established businesses who need a whole new look with a logo re-design.

Logos are important to any business: service-based companies, retail stores, entrepreneurs, and even Etsy shop owners, influencers, and network marketing members.

An example of a logo for new business…

And for established business who want a new look for a logo redesign….

And logos for influencers, Etsy shops, and networking marketing…

For more information or questions on your own logo, let us know! We will be happy to offer our professional opinion on which route is best for you.

the details you’ve been waiting for

Our soft launch for brand design is quickly approaching. August 1 is just around the corner! We’ve been excitedly working hard at finalizing details for you about the brand design process. We want this side of our business to be just as smooth, easy, and stress-free as it is for wedding and event design.

Each business and brand is different so we want to treat each client with a unique approach best suited to their needs. Once you inquire and tell us a little more about what you’re looking for, we will put together a custom proposal for you with your pricing and explain the process further including timeline. In general, the basic process for a brand design is:

Discovery. We first get a better understanding of your branding goals and needs. This can be over email or phone. After the consultation, we will email you a personalized strategy with custom estimate and timeline. A questionnaire may be suggested.

Exploration. Visuals and concepts are created to gain a deeper understanding of the direction of your new brand. Mood boards may also be presented. Typically 2-3 revisions are presented in this round.

Refinement. We will refine and perfect concepts from your feedback. Typically 2-3 revisions are presented in this round.

Finals. Final files are delivered to you. We release all files created for you including all formats needed for web and print.

Easy! We will always be in constant communication throughout our time together and update you along the way.

Are you ready? Be one of the FIRST to start your own design process by reserving your place in line by clicking below. We will email you as soon as we launch on August 1 to talk about you and your brand needs. You will also be the first to get all the free business and branding resources! The sooner you reserve, the faster we can begin and get you on our design schedule.

what will you choose to help your business grow ?

Our brand design #dreamteam has designed for Martha Stewart, Disney, Birch Box, Minted, and countless small businesses and entrepreneurs. Our a la carte offerings will get you the level of professionalism all your hard work deserves. 

General Graphic Design. Need a quick image or help with a special project? We can help with that!

Logo Design. Different logo packages will be offered to best suit your needs.

Brand Boards and Style Guides. These guides will help you get your brand consistent throughout all platforms and printed materials, including your website.

Packaging. Have a product idea or need an update on your packaging to gain more sales? We love designing packaging!

Social Media and Website Graphics. Social and web are more important than ever and you want to keep your brand looking professional throughout.

Custom Illustrations. Custom venue illustrations, studio or office maps, and more!

Business Cards. Yes, they’re still a thing! Pass along your card after an important meeting or networking event. A good design will be noticed!

Letterhead Design. Keep your company’s name present on all correspondences

Email Signature Design. You want your emails to convey the same professionalism as your level of service

Website Design. No one books without looking at your website. Make sure it’s up to your standards to book the right clientele!

soft launch pricing

First impressions are so important to your business. What does your brand design say about you? What does your brand say about the service or product you offer? You want to be sure to attract the right clients, inform them of what you do, and tell a story right from the beginning.

As a small business ourselves, we’re right there with you, and we want to offer you special rates before anyone else. These rates start August 1st and end September 1st, so be sure to reserve your spot for your special introductory rate! Trust me… you don’t want to miss out on this!

By following the link above, you’ll also get a brand checklist with important branding terms you need to know. (yay for free stuff!)

We’ll be updating our site over the next few weeks to include this new service addition more in depth. Email me personally anytime for questions at Kelly@pinkchampagnedesigns.com. Talk to you soon! 

Brand Design: How to Elevate your Business

We’re so excited to introduce this new aspect of our business - helping small businesses elevate their business brand.

first impressions

I feel so lucky to be surrounded by so many amazing entrepreneurs and female business owners. Every day I get to watch businesses grow and flourish and frankly, nothing makes me happier or more motivated.

We know from wedding invitations that a good design sets the tone for your wedding. It not only informs guests and indicates formality, but it even tells a story with personality. And it does all this through a single design. This first impression is very important for any event.

And guess what? First impressions are so important to your business as well. What does your brand design say about you? What does your brand say about the service or product you offer? You want to be sure to attract the right clients, inform them of what you do, and tell a story right from the beginning.

As our team grows in size, so does what we can offer you. We have been designing for a select few brands and business for years, and we’re over the moon to announce we are now able to officially launch brand design as a full service offering to you (insert happy dance here)!!

Our entire team has been thinking of this side of our business for a while. Personally, I’ve been dreaming about it for fifteen years! After earning my bachelor’s degree in marketing from Baylor University (sic ‘em!), I was marketing director for two small businesses before starting Pink Champagne Designs. While working at this first career, I dreamed of helping other businesses and entrepreneurs.

Your dream team

So what is brand design? Brand design includes the visuals and feeling of your business: logo, fonts, color palette, icons, marketing materials, and even your website. Brand design is arguably the most powerful marketing tool for your business to attract and retain your ideal clients and customers.

If you’re reading this and thinking you may need a guidance or direction like a logo refresh or even a completely new design, you’re in the right place. You want to feel confident with your business and ensure it reflects all your hard work you’ve put into building it.

Our brand design #dreamteam has designed for Martha Stewart, Disney, Birch Box, Minted, and countless small businesses. As a small business ourselves, we know that each small business is different, so we treat each business uniquely. That is why our graphic design services include packages as well as a la carte so you have any and all the tools you need for success.

Logo Refresh
Logo Design
Logo Design Package
Brand Boards and Style Guides
Packaging
Social Media and Website Graphics
Custom Illustrations
Business Cards
Letterheads
Email Signature Design
Website Design

invest in yourself

We will still and always be your go-to for weddings and events, and we’re so excited to be able to work with you in other ways, too! If you’re ready to give your business the professional look it deserves or if you’ve thought about leveling up your side hustle, now is the time.

We are fully launching September 1 so stay tuned for updates to our site with awesome free branding resources you can download. To be the first to receive, just click below and you’ll get your first freebie: A brand checklist with important branding terms you need to know.

But if you’re reading this, you’re in luck! We are doing a soft launch August 1 to our friends, family, and YOU! Ready for more information? Email us at leads@pinkchampagnedesigns.com. We can’t wait to hear from you!!

Do you ever feel like you’re always on our phone throughout the day? I sure think so.  Like many of you reading this is, I’m usually not doing anything but business-related! Especially those who own their own business, you don’t have time to think about much else during the day.

Here are 5 apps that I use on a daily basis that seriously changed the way I run my business for the better. 

1. Instagram

Let’s start with the obvious one. Insta! I’m always on and off this app throughout the day... (probably more often than we all should be, am I right?!). I use this social media channel most often for business. I schedule my posts and use hashtags strategically. If you’re a business, I encourage you to switch your business handle profile from a personal account to a business account. When using your new business account, you’ll have access to insights not available for personal accounts. This way you’ll know your audience even better than you do now: their age, location, gender, and even what time they’re online a/k/a when the best time for you to post. The key to instagram for business is photo quality, which leads me to my next app below.

2. Snapseed

I love this photo-editing app. It’s by Google and it’s like a mini Adobe Lightroom or Photoshop. It takes a little while to get the hang of if you’re not familiar with the Adobe photo editing systems, but to me it’s been the best photo editor. You can concentrate on a particular area to brighten, erase a part of a photo (i.e- an addresses on an envelope you don’t want to share), and even use portrait modes to highlight faces. I have heard of bloggers using other apps, such as Color Theory, VSCO, and After Light, which gives a predetermined filter of your choice to use so your photos and in turn your feed looks consistent every time; however, in my industry I’m constantly getting photos from professional wedding photographers who do not like it when their photos are edited for social media, so I only edit photos of my own.

3. Google Sheets

I feel like I was late in the game with Google Sheets. It took my younger team members to really educate me on what Google Sheets is, but oh my goodness I’m glad I know! Now I don’t know what I would do without. Google Sheets is similar to Microsoft Excel and lets you update the spreadsheet in real time and other members of your team can also view the same spreadsheet without having to email back and forth. We use our client list in Google Sheets, so we all know the status of each and every client. I can also view the spreadsheet anytime, anywhere via the app so if I need to open or edit a spreadsheet, I don’t have to wait until I get back to my studio… I have it on my phone! This is the same for Google Docs (similar to Microsoft Word) and Google Slides (similar to Microsoft PowerPoint).

4. Notes

This app is automatically downloaded on your iPhones and Mac computers. I’m always writing in my notes app. I have my hashtags I copy/paste to instagram when I post, my to-do lists for business and personal life, random thoughts I have for media, bible verses I want to remember, etc. I use this app every day and have so many notes. I encourage you to take advantage of this one!

5. Calendar

If you’ve read our previous business and marketing posts, then you know how much I love our calendars. I check it every morning and every evening so I know my upcoming schedule. I schedule meetings, personal appointments, workout times, and client deadlines. Everything is color-coded so I know my schedule at a glance. I personally use iCal, which is automatically on your iPhones and Mac computers, but Google calendar is also a great choice I’ve heard and it also has the color-coded feature. These calendars are also free. Who doesn’t love free?!

Bonus: Later or Planoly

I wanted to give you these bonus apps I recommend for social media. These scheduling apps are the best, yall! Do you find yourself saying "hang on, I have to post" way too often? That was me! Anywhere I was, I would pause my life to post when I thought the time was right according to my Instagram Insights. No more! It takes the pressure of figuring out a photo and caption to post every day when the time comes. I schedule all my posts about a month out. At the beginning of each month, I lay on my couch in the most comfortable of clothes, turn on Friends or a favorite show, and take a couple of hours scheduling out which photos to post, when to post them, and what to write for each caption.

These apps let you preview your scheduled posts so you can easily drag/drop the order of photos to see what looks best for your feed. In both Later and Planoly, you can plan out majority of social media apps: Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, and Facebook. I primarily use it for Instagram, but encourage you to explore the other options, too to see what works best for you and your schedule.

We hope these app recommendations save you time and effort while running your small business!

5 Tips for Productivity

Working for a small business, you end up juggling multiple tasks at once! Here are our 5 tips to stay productive and make the most out of your week as a small business owner or employee.

Talking with fellow women in business, one of the top topics of conversation is how to stay productive with a crazy schedule. We're doing all the things!! It seems like there is so much going on in our lives and sometimes it's hard to stay on course, so here are my top 5 tips to stay productive for your weeks ahead.

1. Calendars

I don’t know what I would do without my digital calendar. I love all the colors and every time I look at it I just feel more organized. Google Calendar, Apple iCal, Outlook Calendars… they all have color coding options for events. I have different colors for each category in my life: Client Deadlines, Client Event/Wedding Days, Work Events, Personal Events, and Scheduled Tasks.  I can simply view my calendar colors and know exactly what’s going on this month.

I also have a physical calendar and planner. My current one is from May Designs. I love it because it lets me look at the month as a whole and also weekly. Each week is scheduled according to our daily tasks. You will see we have a client design and production schedule for each client, which I pencil in each day. (I use pencil since this does tend to change from time to time.) Every time I accomplish something, I loooove to cross it off.

2.  To-do Lists

My physical calendar and planner also acts as my to-do list. I’m obsessed with to-do lists. As shared above, you can see each client is assigned certain days for design and production. This helps me know what days I’m working on what and exactly what I need to focus on that day. The weekly pages are also part of my to-do list but a little bit more specific. They tell me my daily to-do’s other than client work. At the end of each day after I cross off my accomplishments, I review what’s coming up the next day as a way to prepare. Can’t get more productive than that!

3. Turn off notifications

Yaaas. This changed my life. Now I can’t stand any kind of notification. Even text messages. Your turn: Turn off notifications from your email and social media accounts on your phone. You have to now open the app to see your email messages, who liked your photo, who commented on your snap story, etc. This eliminates the distraction of our crazy over-stimulated life and allows you to concentrate on the task at hand to lead you to be much more productive.

4.  Routines

Having a morning and evening routine is important to me. I’ve always loved a good routine for as long as I can remember. Routines can be as little as making your bed every morning to strategically planning your days each week. If you’ve read our post from last week, you know allll about how I plan my weeks and why. (Read more about this in our previous post here) Routines make daily tasks much more efficient and you’re way more productive than when you’re relying on brain power or motivation. Examples include waking up early, exercise, eating healthy, checking your to-do lists, etc. and then in turn, you are more mentally organized and you free up room in your day for more planning ahead.

5.  Plan ahead

Planning is the key to being successful in organization.  I like to be able to look at the weeks ahead and see when I will be the busiest and when I will be able to take a little break. This helps me determine if I have time to take on any other projects, if I need to kindly decline proposals, and when I can take a vacation! I like to plan ahead on a smaller scale, too. I always look at my schedule for the next day before I close up shop at the end of the day to see what’s on deck for the next day. This lets me plan accordingly for the next day, even if it’s just mentally preparing.

We hope these tips help you feel more productive and make the most of your time! Check out this full page of blog posts about branding and business we’ve created.

Top 3 Legal Tips for a Small Business from a Former Legal Assistant

From my experience working in a law firm and running a successful small business, here’s what you need to know.

After I graduated college, my first job was a legal assistant/receptionist at a Dallas law firm, specializing in small business. As the firm grew in size, so did my role and responsibilities. Eventually becoming senior legal assistant, I oversaw all paralegal and legal assistant work, deadlines, and drafts. I felt like I was an attorney (without the ethical responsibility riding in my shoulders) with the workload, drafting, courthouse filing, and stress. Ahh! Eventually I moved on, but not before learning a heck of a lot about the legality of small businesses. So I wanted to share the top 3 things I learned and observed all my years in the legal world and with my own small business.

1. Incorporate.

Make yourself legit! File your company with the state to make your company a legal entity, such as an LLC. When I worked at the law firm, this is the first thing I would get assigned to do for our small business clients. Each time I would fill-out a Certificate of Formation (Form 205), complete a $300 check for the filing fee, and mail it to the Texas Secretary of State to be filed. The state will file it and return it to you with a pretty file marked stamp. Violia, you’re official!So why incorporate? Simple answer: protection. Forming this entity protects you personally. For example... Let’s say that you’re a wedding photographer and you’re shooting engagement photos and you tell the bride and groom to stand on a cute dock overlooking a lake. While they’re posing, that dock has a loose plank and breaks (heaven forbid), and the bride breaks her leg. She then tries to sue you since you told her to stand on that dock. Scary, right? If you’re incorporated, no need to over-worry since you essentially have a protective barrier around you. The bride can sue but since you’re incorporated, she can't get her hands on your personal assets; your house, your bank accounts, your cars, etc. are all safe. Chances are this type of thing will never happen, but it’s nice to know you’re protected. And let’s be honest... some people are just crazy.A few things to note about incorporating to an LLC:

1. It’s $300 to file the Certificate of Formation. That’s it! (It may be different in different states, but in Texas, it’s just this flat rate to file.)

2. You need to keep your personal finances completely separate from your business finances. No sharing business bank accounts and credit cards with your personal accounts.

3. You're required to file Franchise Tax Report annually every May. This is actually simple to do and you can file it online when it's due.

Our law firm incorporated companies into LLCs 90% of the time and my own company is an LLC, so this what I’m most knowledgeable on. If you’re operating as a corporation (S-Corp or C-Corp), there’s a whole lot more that goes into a corporation than an LLC. I'm not as knowledgeable on the subject of corporations, but stay tuned for an interview with a professional coming soon!

2. Record Keeping.

Get a bookkeeping system. It will seriously change the way you view your company financially. My bookkeeping system started in Excel, but I quickly realized I needed more. I personally use Quickbooks Online, and I also hear FreshBooks is also a good system. It’s about $20/mo and keeps track of everything for you (expenses, invoicing, balance sheets, income statements, etc.) so you can worry about more important things with your business. It also makes tax time so much easier. I repeat: IT MAKES TAXES SO MUCH EASIER. You can see your P&L (profit and loss statement) with a click of a button. This is used by you or your accountant at tax time, and also should be viewed by you often to get a good feel where your company stands financially. Here’s a copy of our P&L for last year (redacted in all the right places of course), but I want to show you the basic layout of a typical income statement.All my business bank accounts are linked to QBO so every transaction is automatically recorded. Every other Friday, I log into my QBO account and categorize each expense: COGS (cost of goods sold), shipping expense, automotive expense, contractor expense, and so on. Then at the end of each month, I reconcile these accounts.I’m no where near a professional accountant or CPA, but I was actually an accounting tutor in college so I'm comfortable with balance sheets, profit and loss, reconciling, etc. BUT I also use an outside bookkeeping service, Steadfast Bookkeeping. They pretty much take over my reconciling, confirm I’m categorizing my expenses correctly, and they're always there if I have any questions. They have options and pricing for all levels, depending how much you'd like them to handle. I started doing everything myself, but quickly realized my time was better spent on other things in the business, so I'm glad I have help with my record keeping.

3. Contracts.

Have a signed contract with every client, even small jobs. Everything should be in writing. Like an LLC, this protects you and your business. Having a contract also confirms to your clients and potential clients that you are a professional business and should be treated like one!Since I wrote and edited my fair share of legal contacts in my past life, I drafted ours myself, but there are some great resources out there for templates. I hear great things about The Contract Shop by Christina Scalera. She has a template for pretty much every creative profession to download.My contract started as just a single page, and included the simple outlines of the job and payment schedule. Now it’s over four pages and I’m always adding to it. Even the smallest of issues, such as the way we ship items and usual timeframe of our production schedule is included. It's better to include in your contract than not add and regret it later!If you have any questions, I advise you to contact an attorney. Again, I’m not an attorney and don’t have my law degree. There are some small business attorneys more than willing to stand by your side. I hope this helps you with your own small business!

We hope this helps our fellow small business owners!