Everyone wants to save money, especially new businesses — unfortunately they do this by launching without a real logo, having a friend build their website and making cards and brochures in Microsoft Word or Powerpoint. This is a shame because three years later after trying to do it all themselves they say, "We really wish we had spent the money in the beginning and just hired a professional."

Starting a business without professional marketing materials is a lot like building on a weak foundation — if it doesn't fall down completely, it will eventually have to be jacked up so that things can be put right.

New businesses can save money on graphics — but first they should invest in the professional marketing tools necessary to get them going. Then they can save cost by updating their own custom website, making digital newsletters, imprinting their new letterhead and using social networking to drive traffic to their website.