You might want to try to cut some costs with DIY logo done on the cheap. But for small companies that don’t have the resources to hire professional designers to make logo files to fit every site and social media platform out there, it can be tough to find a DIY solution that also offers quality. That’s where FlashMarks comes in. The logo tool offers low priced logo files made to fit a variety of circumstances. Read more about the solution and the company behind it in this week’s Small Business Spotlight.
What the Business Does
Offers a DIY logo maker.
Owner John Williams told Small Business Trends, “We are a DIY logo tool that helps small businesses create a brand that stands out in today’s digitally driven world where smartphones, tablets, and smartwatches command everyone’s attention. We give away low resolution logo files free and sell high resolution, vector files, and “flashmarks” for social media for a low price, ranging from $19-$29.”
Business Niche
Providing a quick and easy solution.
Director of Marketing Debra Carpenter adds, “FlashMarks is the only DIY logo tool that instantly gives business owners access to a complete family of marks. They can make a logo within minutes and we’ll provide the rest: High and low resolution logos, vector files, and a specialized set of social-optimized flashmarks that are sized and ready to upload as the brand’s social media profile picture.”
How the Business Got Started
After years of work in the industry.
Carpenter says, “Our founder has been in the DIY logo business for decades, and having sold past sites to companies like Web.com, he’s applying all the best practices and learning from what those companies lacked. One thing that wasn’t out there – a DIY logo tool built mobile-first and optimized for use on mobile devices. Most of them have to be used on desktops, which people just aren’t doing anymore. Not only does our tool work perfectly on mobile and desktop, but the logo symbols in our library are all 100% original and designed to easily scale up or down. This means they’ll look great in the tiny flashmark space on social media or blown up to appear on a billboard. They’re that versatile!”
Biggest Win
Building a tool that benefits customers.
Williams says, “The biggest win so far has been developing a functional, versatile DIY logo tool that exceeded our expectations. From the design and functionality to the vast symbol library and positive reception it’s getting from users, we’re just so proud of the result.”
Biggest Risk
Creating a new tool from scratch.
Williams says, “The biggest risk was developing this tool from the ground up — there’s nothing like it out there. Based on our research and experience, we felt strongly that it would be well received and that we knew the direction it should go, but in life there are no certainties. So it was a risk, but one we were more than willing to take.”
How They’d Spend an Extra $100,000
Investing in various growth opportunities.
Williams says, “We’d hire a couple full-time employees to help us as FlashMarks grows, invest in making our process airtight across the board, and would like to invest in developing more tools for small business owners.”
Secret to Success
Remote communication.
Carpenter says, “Our team is distributed across the US, working from Texas, California, Tennessee and Connecticut. We do our brainstorming sessions over the phone and through Slack. We’ve found that staying in touch is what helps us stay on the same page and really work well together.”
Favorite Quote
“A designer knows he has achieved perfection not when there is nothing left to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.” Antoine de Saint-Exupery
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Images: FlashMarks, Second Image: Founder John Williams and his son
I am seeing tons of tools that can do this but there is always limits on the color and the items you can add to your logo. I hope Flashmarks is different.