It's probably true that entrepreneurs think differently, which is why they can invent things or discover new approaches. But how do they think?

"Ignore the noise", "listen to your crazy ideas", and "ask for more than what you think you are entitled to" are just a few nuggets of wisdom cited recently when Business Insider and Chron asked young, successful entrepreneurs about their thinking. But entrepreneurship doesn't begin and end with great ideas. Nor is personal inspiration all that makes businesses take off.

Most entrepreneurs typically do have money on their mind. Though it is not the only thing that drives small and medium-sized business (SMB) owners to get up every morning and put in long hours, most do think to some degree about what they get for each dollar. To ultimately be successful, it's critical for them to consider the money invested in their businesses, from inventory to marketing.

Along the same lines, when thinking about our marketing services — for suppliers to distributors and decorators, as well as for their end customers — we always hav one question top-of-mind: "How do we provide the most value for their marketing dollars?"

A Logo Saves the Day

Last month promo marketing Magazine highlighted one business that has used its logo to boost business and ultimately its revenues in a unique way. A hospitality sector technology firm called HotelTonight offers an app that lets travelers book short hotel stays at reasonable prices.

Initially, HotelTonight’s inkling to actually put their logo to work came from some snags customers were having. In particular, some users are accidentally booking stays unintentionally on their mobile devices.

"As people started calling [HotelTonight] complaining about accidental bookings," promo marketing writes, "the company had to issue refunds, which, of course, hurt its bottom line." To fix the problem, the small app provider decided to make its logo a defining part of its actual sales-confirmation process.

Coincidentally, the elongated lower-case H that was the firm's logo also looked like a bed. It also looked like an element familiar on every iPhone and hundreds of other apps — the feature known as the slide bar.

To fix the problem, "HotelTonight engineer Ray Lillywhite came up with the solution to make the elongated “H” logo a slide bar that users have to trace their finger along to book a hotel."

Certainly the act of transforming HotelTonight's cool logo into a user-friendly solution to a technical problem might seem the like the domain of tech nerds. But it did demonstrate one example in which a logo can become synonymous with the company itself and what it offers clients.

Perhaps the moral of the story is that for smaller entrepreneurial businesses, a good logo is more than just something that goes on a business card. Whatever the type of business -- high-tech or low-tech -- SMBs should invest in developing brands with good logos and then use them consistently.

Likewise, one major difference between small companies that are "brands" and those that just have names on their websites is visibility. Spending some of their marketing bucks to have expert partners design their logos is a great start. But then what should they do with them?

Great Logos Should Get Around

First off, there are plenty of classic means by which businesses get their names out and their logos recognized. Obvious places to put logos are on business cards and letterhead, as well as the signage on front doors and throughout places of business. It may sound "old hat", but these are essential steps to developing brands. Of course, SMBs shouldn’t stop there.

Certainly, most don't have the capital to run TV ads, purchase billboard space or run extensive print advertising campaigns. That's okay, as many businesses don't benefit from that type of promotion.

Social media is a powerful tool for SMBs. It's not just for posting photos of friends and reading news. Rather, businesses should be using their logos to help establish and maintain brand consistency. Better yet, they can encourage their ideal customers to engage with them and their brand identities — logos and all — on a constant basis.

If your customers are new businesses that need logos or existing businesses that have outgrown their original logos, help them get cost-effective, custom logos developed by a dedicated creative team. Our Custom Creative services allow you to provide solutions, deliver value and earn healthy profits — all while delighting your customers.