Had to pick between a custom logo and a template for my side gig

I started selling handmade cutting boards last month and needed a logo. The custom designer wanted $400 and a 3 week wait. The template was $29 and ready in 10 minutes. I went with the template because I was impatient and broke. Now every time I see that logo next to someone else's identical boards on Etsy, I kick myself. Has anyone else regretted cheaping out on branding when you were just starting?

2 comments

2 Comments

gonzalez.phoenix8d ago

Oh man, I totally feel this. I literally did the same thing with my little candle side hustle. Got a template logo for like $15 thinking it was fine, and then I saw the exact same design on three other shops within a month. It felt so awful watching people scroll past my stuff because it looked just like everything else. I mean, now I'm stuck with it and I don't have the cash to redo it yet, so I just kind of cringe every time I see my own shop banner. It's one of those things where you don't realize how much it matters until you see it hurting your sales, you know?

ray2108d ago

Wendy's logo cost them like two bucks back in the day. A template can work if you modify it enough. Slap a unique color gradient or crop it differently and it becomes yours.