Your Business Has Grown, but Has Your Look Kept Up?
I was sitting down with a bloke named Dave a few months ago. Dave runs an air conditioning business out in Ipswich. He’s a top-tier technician, his team is professional, and they do fantastic work. But Dave had a problem: he was struggling to win the big commercial contracts he wanted.
He showed me his business card. It was a DIY job from ten years ago with a clip-art snowflake and a font that looked like it belonged on a primary school newsletter. Then we looked at his van—the peeling stickers barely matched the logo on his shirt.
Dave said to me, "Mate, I know my stuff, but when I walk into these big office buildings, I feel like a cowboy. I think they see the van and think I’m just a 'one-man-and-a-ute' operation."
Dave’s problem wasn't his skill. It was his "brand." Now, before you roll your eyes at that word, let’s be clear: your brand isn't some artsy-fartsy concept. It’s simply the gut feeling a customer has when they see your business. If that feeling is "cheap," "outdated," or "unprofessional," you are losing money every single day.
In this post, I’m going to show you exactly when it’s time to update your business look, how much it should actually cost, and how a refresh can lead to more phone calls and higher-paying jobs.
The "Trust Deficit": Why Looking Old Costs You Gold
Most Brisbane business owners I talk to think a new logo is a "nice to have" for when they have spare cash. That’s a mistake. Looking outdated creates a massive barrier between you and a potential customer’s wallet.
Think about it. If you’re looking for a plumber to fix a burst pipe in your New Farm Queenslander, and you find two websites: 1. One looks like it was built in 2005, doesn't work on your phone, and has blurry photos. 2. One looks sharp, works perfectly on your phone, and shows professional photos of a clean team.
Who are you calling first? Even if the first guy is cheaper, you’ll probably call the second one because he looks like he’ll actually show up and do the job right. We see this all the time where a lack of trust kills a sale before the business owner even gets a chance to quote.
5 Signs It’s Time to Refresh Your Business Look
How do you know if you need to spend money on a refresh or if you’re just being bored with your own logo? Here are the red flags that actually matter for your bottom line.
1. You’re Embarrassed to Give Out Your Business Card
This is the most common sign. If you find yourself saying, "Ignore the website, it’s a bit old," or "The logo on the van is the old version," you’re already losing. If you aren't proud of how your business looks, you won't sell with confidence. Your customers can smell that hesitation a mile away.2. You’ve Changed What You Do
I worked with a landscaping crew in Coorparoo who started out just mowing lawns. Ten years later, they were doing $100k outdoor kitchen installs and structural retaining walls. But their logo still had a picture of a push-mower on it.They were wondering why they kept getting calls for $50 lawn mows instead of the big construction jobs. Their look was attracting the wrong customers. If you've added new services, you need to make sure you aren't building separate silos that confuse people about what you actually offer.
3. Your Prices Have Gone Up (But Your Look Hasn't)
If you want to charge premium prices, you have to look premium. You can't charge $150 an hour for consulting or trade services if your website looks like a $50 DIY project. A refresh allows you to justify higher rates because you look like the expert you are.4. You’re Not Getting the Right Kind of Leads
If your phone is ringing but it’s always people looking for the "cheapest price," your branding is likely to blame. Cheap-looking businesses attract price-shoppers. Professional-looking businesses attract value-shoppers. If you want customers who pay on time and don't haggle over every cent, you need to look the part.5. Your Website Doesn't Work on Phones
This isn't just about looks; it's about functionality. If a customer in a Brisbane cafe tries to look you up on their iPhone and your site is a mess, they’ll click away in three seconds. Google also hates this. If your site doesn't work on phones, you’re basically invisible to half your potential customers.Case Study: The Electrician Who Doubled His Quote Win-Rate
Let’s look at a real example. We worked with "Sparky Sam" (not his real name). Sam had been in business for 8 years. He had a decent reputation, but he was stuck. He was winning about 3 out of every 10 quotes he sent out.
His branding was... well, it was non-existent. Different fonts on his invoices, a logo he bought for $20 online, and a Facebook page that hadn't been updated since 2019.
We didn't just give him a pretty picture. We did a full refresh: A Professional Logo: Clean, modern, and looked great on a hi-vis shirt. Vehicle Wraps: We turned his white van into a moving billboard that looked like a million bucks. A Simple Website: One that actually showed his face, his team, and his real work in Brisbane suburbs.
The Result? Within four months, Sam was winning 7 out of 10 quotes. He didn't change his prices. He didn't change his pitch. He just looked like a professional company that people could trust. He told me, "People stop me in the Bunnings car park now just because the van looks so sharp."
What Does a Refresh Actually Cost?
I’m not going to give you some "it depends" marketing answer. Let’s talk real numbers for a small business in Australia.
The "Budget" Route ($500 - $1,500): This is usually just a logo update and maybe some business card designs. It’s better than nothing, but it won't move the needle much on your sales if your website and vans still look like rubbish. The "Professional Growth" Package ($3,000 - $7,000): This is the sweet spot for most Brisbane tradies and small shops. This usually covers a proper logo, a simple but high-performing website, and designs for your uniforms and vehicles. This is where you start seeing a real return on your money. The "Market Leader" Overhaul ($10,000+): This is for businesses doing $1M+ in turnover who want to dominate their local area. It includes everything above plus professional photography, video, and a full strategy to make sure they are the first name people think of.
Is it a waste of money? If you spend $5k on a refresh and it helps you win just two or three extra mid-sized jobs, it’s paid for itself. For most of our clients, the investment pays for itself within the first 6 months through better lead quality alone.
How Long Does It Take to See Results?
Marketing isn't magic. If you update your logo on Monday, you won't have 100 new customers on Tuesday.
However, the change in "perception" is instant. The next person who visits your website or sees your van will immediately have a higher opinion of you.
Generally, here is the timeline: Week 1-4: You feel more confident. Your team feels more professional in their new gear. Month 2-3: You notice people stop questioning your prices as much. Your "close rate" on quotes starts to climb.
- Month 6+: You start getting referrals from higher-quality clients. You might even find it easier to hire good staff because people want to work for a company that looks like it’s going places.
What Should You Do First?
If you're sitting there thinking, "Yeah, I probably need to do this," don't try to do everything at once. It’s overwhelming and you’ll end up doing a half-baked job.
1. Audit Your Touchpoints: Walk out to your driveway and look at your van. Look at your last five invoices. Open your website on your phone. Do they all look like they come from the same professional company? 2. Fix the Big Stuff First: Your website and your vehicle/shopfront are your two biggest sales tools. Focus there. A fancy letterhead doesn't make you money; a website that turns visitors into customers does. 3. Get Real Photos: Stop using stock photos of generic people in hard hats. Spend $500 on a local Brisbane photographer to come out for two hours and take photos of you and your real team. It builds more trust than a fancy logo ever will.
The "DIY" Trap
I see a lot of business owners try to save money by having their niece who "is good at computers" design their logo.
Look, I’m sure your niece is lovely. But unless she understands how to make a logo look good on the side of a moving truck, on a tiny embroidered shirt, and on a high-speed website, she’s going to cost you money in the long run.
Bad design is expensive. You’ll end up paying to have it fixed in two years anyway. Do it once, do it right, and then get back to running your business.
Summary: Will This Make You Money?
Yes. A brand refresh isn't about being "pretty." It’s about removing the reasons people have for NOT hiring you.
When you look like a pro, you can charge like a pro. You stop competing on price and start competing on reputation. For a small business owner in Brisbane, that is the fastest way to grow your profit without working more hours.
If you’re tired of losing jobs to competitors who aren't as good as you—but look better than you—it’s time to fix your image.
Ready to stop looking like a "small" business and start looking like the market leader?
At Local Marketing Group, we help Brisbane businesses get more phone calls by fixing how they show up in the world. No jargon, no fluff—just results.
Contact us today and let’s talk about how to make your business the one everyone wants to hire.