Corporate identity may seem like a high-level problem for medium- and large-sized corporations, but this cannot be farther from the truth. In fact, at the risk of sounding biblical, each business is created equal. In other words, big or small, each is considered its own, separate legal entity. Just as each individual has its own birth certificate, each business has its own Articles of Incorporation establishing its "birth." And since each business is considered its own entity, would it not stand to reason that each business have its own face or personality? All Fortune 500 companies have their own face and personality, which appear in the shape of a corporate logo.

For small businesses and entrepreneurs, the idea of a corporate logo may seem like a daunting concept. Some small business owners have no interest in creating or designing a logo and rely instead on a steady stream of word-of-mouth traffic, arguably the best type of sale to book. But for these types of businesses, when those sales slow or cease entirely, all that will remain is a name stenciled in a window and a simple white pages listing.

In order to establish an image, the business owner needs to create a corporate logo for the company. Depending on the owner's level of competent creativity, the corporate logo may be designed in-house. The keyword, however, is competent. Many business owners might scribble a logo and run with it, but have no clue just how unprofessional the so-called corporate logo really is. In instances where the owner wants to design the logo in-house, 3rd party opinions should be sought. Former clients who have nothing to gain or lose by providing an honest review is an option, just as testing the logo on a webpage is. But prospective clients and employees should not be used to critique the work. (Sometimes, a spouse might even provide honest feedback, but we normally urge against consulting a spouse -- 3rd party is always best).

Business owners and entrepreneurs who opt for the services of a professional might lose steam or get discouraged once they realize just how many providers are willing to offer their services, let alone how complicated the process might seem. Typically, the first stage involves the owner completing something called a creative brief. This document identifies the business and what it does, as well as asks the business owner a series of questions that will allow the designer to get a feel for the company's personality. While the process might appear administrative and cumbersome, special care should be taken in ensuring the brief is completed as honestly and accurately as possible. From the responses provided, the designer will develop a series of sample corporate logos.

Next, the designer drafts the logo. While it may seem a simple process with the designer following the creative brief in the same way a chef might follow a recipe. After all, the designer will draw on the creative brief information to illustrate a sample of logos that fits your company specifically. The aim will be to exceed your expectations with more than one logo.

Lastly, a decision for a final logo will need to be made based on the sample. With your final logo sample chosen, a few final tweaks might take place and you will then be prepared to incorporate the corporate logo in everything related to your business, from invoices to business cards to signage.

The quality of service ranges (just as do the prices). Low end corporate logos can usually run $50 to $250. Often, the quality is something most business owners can live with but as their company evolves, they will normally find themselves evolving their corporate logo and image as well. The second-time run may cost a little more as the business owner realizes just how important the quality should be. Higher end corporate logos can cost upwards of $2,000 - 5,000 (ouch).

Quote Stork Solutions recommends two logo design companies. One, at the lower end, is VistaPrint. With VistaPrint, you can design your own generic corporate logo with their help of their website. The benefit with VistaPrint is that their cost is quite low (Free if you opt to order stationery through their site). This option works best for companies that do not need to rely heavily on a corporate identity. Most companies, however, will rely on a corporate logo becoming the face of their business. For these companies, Quote Stork recommends using LogoWorks. At $299, LogoWorks will create a high-quality corporate logo that will have an enduring quality over time. While steeper in price than VistaPrint, LogoWorks's gallery (see it on their website) matches the quality produced by designers who charge ten times more. Like VistaPrint, LogoWorks also offers stationery sales.