Marketing is important to every business, no matter how large or how small. But to the self-sufficient small business owner, it’s just another part of her job. She does her own copywriting, creates her own websites, and distributes her own press releases. But what about graphics?

Some small business owners are blessed with artistic ability and can create their own graphics. They are the lucky ones. The rest of us often find ourselves in a dilemma. We see the fancy graphics that our competition is using, but we can’t find room in the budget to have someone create nice graphics for us.

But are graphic designs really necessary? Do they result in greater sales? Are they the key to our business’ success? Or can we get by just fine without them? These are some of the questions that business owners with tight budgets often ask themselves.

There’s no law stating that any business of any kind has to have graphic designs. But they are helpful in establishing a brand. Distinctive logos and graphics help set us apart from the competition and help our prospective clients and customers remember us. They might not have a direct effect on the bottom line, but they can help us achieve greater and more positive recognition.

That said, graphics are less important in some types of businesses than others. If you’re a freelance service provider who is just starting out, for example, you might get clients by responding to job listings. Those job listings probably ask you to send a resume and samples of your work. Although you could use a logo on these materials, you aren’t necessarily expected to. So unless you’re a freelance graphic designer, you could probably wait until you have more money coming in to get graphics done.

If you are manufacturing tangible products, graphics become significantly more important. People expect quality products to have well-designed packaging, including unique logos and images. You might be able to get away with using clipart or a carefully cropped photo and a nice font at first, but you’ll eventually need to invest in professional graphics and layout if you want your products to be taken seriously.

There’s no doubt that having nice, professional graphics is an asset to a business and its marketing. When people associate your business with something that is pleasing to look at, that’s always a good thing. But sometimes getting graphics done just isn’t in the budget. If this is the case with your business, know that it is possible to work around it in the beginning. When you start making adequate profits, you can get graphic designs that will help grow your business.