
Startup advice: When to hire professional branding/logo design - mellavora
We&#x27;re building an eHealth startup marketing to individuals. The team is three engineers&#x2F;scientists, so we have great tech-- and limited graphic design or marketing skill.<p>We&#x27;re getting ready to push out a beta version, and realize that our corporate image is terrible. We need a name, logo, color theme, etc.<p>Minimum price from decent brand agencies seems to be around 1,500.<p>99Designs&#x2F;Upwork can give us something for a few hundred, but it isn&#x27;t the full package, which means inconsistencies and lower quality.<p>How would you frame the question?
======
kennyasare
*I will preface this with the statement that I came into tech from running a creative agency - so take this for whatever its worth.

I think that image is just as important as tech, and those that can put the
two together will have a much easier time finding users/customers, and
partners.

The cost to have your brand built-out, by a creative agency actually worth
paying is in the $15,000-$25,000 range. The math behind that is basically:
good agencies work for about $200 per hour (per person) and typically a job
like a brand buildout will require 3 people, for about a week. That is 120
hours of work @ $200 per hour, or about $25k. I can tell from experience that
you can find deals - sometimes; but I would go into with my eyes wide open,
and look into groups that work at that level/rate.

Edit: I did not answer your actual question. The answer is, as soon as you can
put together the money to do it.

~~~
mellavora
I completely agree that image is as important as tech, if not more so.
Likewise, that it would be 15000 well spent (noting that this figure is 10x
the budget in our original post)-- if we were close enough to product/market
fit that we could afford it.

------
warewolf
If you're just in need of a brand kit $1,500 sounds pretty reasonable if it's
a profressional agency. Specially if that covers a name, logo, icons, colors
and fonts.

I would stay away from 99Designs because if you're launching a beta you'll
need someone to also help iterate any changes based on feedback. So quick and
close communication is important.

if you need any further input on what kind of things you should be looking for
from a designer send me an email.

I've helped over 12 startups with branding including 2 YC startups.

~~~
mellavora
Thanks.

~~~
warewolf
Sorry emails in my bio.

~~~
mellavora
no worries :)

------
mellavora
The question is 1500 vs 300/400, under the assumption that whatever we do will
need to be redone in 6 months.

------
doozy
$1500 pays perhaps one day of salary for your team of 3. What kind of business
has problems affording that?

~~~
mellavora
A business funded out of the founders savings, where we aren't making 500
bucks per day each.

~~~
doozy
So your "business" has not enough capital to pay its founders a below market
rate salary nor to pay a graphics designer.

Don't take this the wrong way, but it sounds to me you don't have enough
capital to start even a pizza joint. Are you sure you should be doing this
startup of yours?

