Starter guide: your own brand

Creating a recognisable and appealing house style is an important part of branding your practice. Your logo is often the first thing potential clients see of your practice, so it needs to make a strong impression and reflect the essence of what you do.

Where do you start?

Start by thinking of a symbol or image that expresses the core values of your practice. That could be an animal you see a lot, such as a dog or a cat, or something more abstract such as a paw print or a stethoscope. Think about the emotions you want to evoke, such as reliability, care and professionalism.

Colour also plays a crucial part in how your brand comes across. Colours can evoke different feelings and associations. Blue, for example, is often associated with trust and calm, while green is linked to health and nature. Make sure the colours you choose work well together and fit the message you want to convey.

Finding inspiration for your logo

Sometimes it is hard to make a start on a new house style, and it can help to find some inspiration first. A number of platforms let you browse work by different designers:

• Dribbble
• Behance
• 99designs

Doing it yourself

There are also plenty of online tools you can use yourself. They let you try out different ideas, typefaces and colour combinations without spending much money. You can usually get a good sense of what does and does not work for you for free — and you might even create your dream logo yourself.

A few handy free logo makers:

• Vistaprint logo maker
• Namecheap logo maker
• Fiverr logo maker

Try it with AI

Another way to get started yourself is to ask an AI chat tool such as ChatGPT, or a design tool with built-in AI options such as Canva. This does take some experience with writing prompts (describing the task) to get exactly what you want. You also need a good idea of what you would like to see in your logo.

Ask a professional

Consider working with a professional designer who has experience creating logos for animal-related businesses. They can help you develop a logo that is not only visually appealing, but also communicates clearly who you are as a practice. That gives the visual identity of your practice a strong foundation.

It is always a good idea to ask a local professional first. The advantage of a local designer is that it often saves you time, and you can easily ask them for help later with other things, such as your printed material and website.

If you cannot find a local designer straight away, you can look for one on a platform such as Fiverr, or start a design contest on a website such as 99designs. The latter works very well if you want to compare several designs from different designers.

You have found your dream logo — now what?

Once your logo and colours are settled, it is time to carry your brand identity through consistently in all your communication. That means your letterhead, business cards, website and social media profiles should all reflect your new branding. A consistent brand identity helps build recognition and trust among your current and potential clients.

It can also be worth investing in promotional material such as flyers and banners, which you can place at local pet shops, specialist stores and events. That makes you more visible in the area and makes sure owners can easily find your practice when they need you.

Do not forget to share your brand story. Clients often connect with a brand emotionally through the story behind it. Share why you started your practice, which values matter to you and how you plan to make a difference in the lives of animals and their owners. You can tell that story on your website, in newsletters or at events.

By bringing all these elements together, you not only create a professional and recognisable look for your practice, you also lay the foundation for lasting client relationships and a strong position in the market.