One of the biggest problems that occurs between a small business and a freelancer is that instructions were not made clear enough from the onset – and what was eventually delivered (called deliverables) were not what the business expected or needed. As a small business owner you know what you want – but you may not have been clear enough with the freelancer regarding specifically what you need from them in the first place.
One of our virtual office clients decided it was time to re-brand and hired a graphic artist to come up with a number of design concepts. The look and feel of the concepts were great, but the final deliverable files were not useful to them because the format was wrong. While the designer was wrong to give unusable files, the client had not given them the specifications and format requirements when they gave the designer the job.
A professional logo designer should know that logos need to be designed and delivered in a vector format, rather than a rastor or bitmat format, because vectors can be scaled and bitmat images pixilate (break up) when enlarged. You do not want to end up with a logo that has limited usages because you cannot scale them.
As a small business owner, you are not expected to know the technical aspects behind everything in your business. That is why you hire experts and have people who do specific jobs for you. When you bring in a branding expert to design a new logo or other marketing materials, be sure to consult with the people who will be using them. Find out what type of deliverables they will require to work on your image. This means asking them what specifications and file formats they need. Also discuss what the final product will be used for – a letterhead, flyer, website, large POP (Point of Purchase) display or even billboard.
When hiring a consultant, freelancer or a vendor of any sort, be sure that you know what it is that you really need from them and that your instructions are crystal clear. Even if you are ordering green hats for a promotion, be sure to know the name of the shade of green you want. You do not want to buy 1,000 green St. Patrick’s day hats, only to get them all in mint green instead of dark green.
Basically, the more details you provide to a freelancer or vendor from the beginning, the less likely for potential problems or misunderstandings. Dealing with problems before they become issues will make for a smother transaction and give your small business less stress. Thinking ahead of what could go wrong with an order might sound like micro-managing, but it is more about making sure you get exactly what you ordered.
1. Jennifer Smith
General Manager
The Omni King Edward Hotel
37 King Street East
Toronto, ON
M5C 1E9
Tel: 416-863-9700
Website: www.omnihotels.com/hotels/toronto-king-edward
2. Mark Perry
General Manager
Executive Hotels and Resorts (Boutique)
8 Colborne Street
Toronto, ON
M5E 1E1
Tel: 416-350-2419
Website: www.spazen.ca or www.cosmotoronto.com
3. Emeline Boul
General Manager
Hotel Victoria (Boutique)
56 Yonge Street
Toronto, ON
M5E 1G5
Tel: 416-363-1666
Mobile: 647-574-5832
Website: www.hotelvictoriatoronto.com
4. Omkar Sawant
Reservations Manager
One King West Hotel
1 King Street West
Toronto, ON
M5H 1A1
Main: 416-548-8100
Reservations: 1-866-470-5464
Website: www.onekingwest.com
5. Van Nguyen
General Manager
Cambridge Suites Toronto
15 Richmond Street East
Toronto, ON
M5C 1N2
Direct: 416-601-3757
Hotel: 416-368-1990
Website: www.cambridgesuitestoronto.com
1. Michael Pagliaro
Carisma (Italian)
15 Toronto Street
Toronto, ON
M5C 2E3
Tel: 416-864-7373
Website: www.carismarestaurant.com
2. Patti Shaw
Terroni (Italian)
57 Adelaide Street East
Toronto, ON
M5C 1K6
Tel: 416-203-3093
Website: www.terroni.com
3. Declan
Restaurant 20 Victoria – Michelin guide approved
20 Victoria Street
Toronto, ON
M5C 2A1
Tel: 416-804-6066
Instagram for reservations: https://www.instagram.com/twentyvictoria/
4. Mana
Nami (Japanese)
55 Adelaide Street East
Toronto, ON
M5C 1K6
Tel: 416-362-7373
Website: www.namirestaurant.ca
5. Restaurant Lucie
100 Yonge Street
Toronto, ON
M5C 2W1
Tel: 416-788-9054
Website: www.restaurantlucie.com
6. Niam H
Cantina Mercatto
20 Wellington Street East
Toronto, ON
M5E 1C5
Tel: 416-304-0781
Website: www.cantinamercatto.ca
7. Siva Sathasivam
Uncle Tony’s
38 Wellington St E
Toronto, ON
M5E 1C7
Tel: 416-455-6650
Website: https://uncletonys.ca/
8. Pizzaiolo
104 Yonge Street
Toronto, ON
M5C 2Y6
Tel: 416-860-0700
Website: www.pizzaiolo.ca
9. Robin Singh
Woods Restaurant and Bar
45 Colborne Street
Toronto, ON
M5E 1E3
Tel: 416-214-9918
Website: www.woodsrestaurant.ca
1. Thom Tullo
Morpheus8 by Inmode
47 Colborne Street
Toronto, ON
M5E 1E3
Tel: 416-863-6564
Website: www.amanspa.ca
2. Altitude Athletic Training
56 Colborne Street
Toronto, ON
M5E 1E3
Tel: 416-366-3838
Website: www.altitudeathletictraining.com
3. Physioheath Studios
33 Victoria Street, #130
Toronto, ON
M5C 2A1
Tel: 416-368-2525
Website: www.physiohealth.com
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