If you’ve got a side hustle, you’re in the biggest club in the country. A survey of 1,028 Australians by Omnisend, run in March 2026, found that 33 per cent currently have one. For most of them, the logo is an afterthought, usually made in a free app at midnight and never touched again.
Why people start
The survey, published by Omnisend in May, makes it clear that this isn’t hobby territory. 80 per cent started for financial reasons, 55 per cent to cover bills or essentials, and only 9 per cent cited a passion or hobby. Ecommerce, including resale, leads at 47 per cent, with freelance work at 23 per cent and content creation at 18 per cent.
Among those selling online, 22 per cent sell handmade or custom goods and 17 per cent sell digital products. Facebook Marketplace and eBay are the top platforms.
That mix matters. Somebody reselling vintage jackets, a candle maker with a tidy Instagram and a freelancer designing wedding invitations all need to look like a business, but they need it in different places and at different sizes.
Starting small without starting cheap
Not everyone has hundreds to spare, which is why the qpano.io budget logo option exists alongside the fixed packages: you set the amount you’re comfortable with, describe what you sell, and the work is scoped to fit that figure. Anything beyond it is discussed with you first, so there are no surprises on the invoice. Fuller packages sit above it, adding extras such as a colour palette. Whichever route you choose, you can pay in AUD, EUR or GBP, and the finished logo arrives as vector files, which means it’ll stay sharp on a website, a sticker, a shop sign or a van.
Think about where yours will actually live. A candle maker needs it on a label and a social avatar. A freelancer might need it on an invoice and an email signature. Different homes call for different sizes and files, so mention all of them in your brief.
Time and money are short
Most side hustlers spend fewer than 20 hours a week on them, and 41 per cent earn $500 or less a month. When a business is that small, every decision has to justify itself, and spending hundreds on branding feels extravagant.
But a logo does a bit more than decorate. It makes a Marketplace listing look like a shop. It shows up on packaging, invoices and an Instagram avatar. And it lets repeat customers recognise you, which matters when they could buy from anyone.
There’s a quiet confidence effect, too. People who feel their business looks the part tend to talk about it more, show it to friends and put themselves forward for markets and collaborations.
Match the logo to the platform
Your customers probably meet you on a phone, in a grid of tiny pictures. A mark that’s lovely at poster size can fall apart at thumbnail size. Simple shapes, strong contrast and a name that reads clearly are your friends.
Australia Post’s eCommerce report notes that 82 per cent of households shopped online in 2025. That’s a lot of eyeballs, and a lot of competing listings. Recognition helps you stand out, particularly if you sell something that many other people also sell.
Your first customers will check you out
Before a stranger buys from a Marketplace listing, they do a quick scan. Is there a real name? A photo that looks like it was taken on purpose? A profile that matches the other places you appear? A logo that appears the same on your page, your parcel label and your invoice is a small signal that you’re consistent, and consistency is what makes a new seller feel safe to buy from.
A one-page brief
You don’t need a big process. Write down what you sell, who buys it, three brands whose look you admire, colours you’d rather avoid, and where the logo will appear most. If you’ve got old versions, include them, even the embarrassing ones. They show the designer what you already like and dislike.
Then give the designer room to do their job. The more specific you are about the problem, the better the answer tends to be. “Make it pop” tells nobody anything. “It has to be readable on a 3 cm sticker” tells them a lot.
Treat it as a tool, not a trophy
The Omnisend numbers show most side hustlers want to keep going, with 83 per cent planning to continue for at least a year. A logo that’s sorted early saves you from changing it later, when you’ve got stock printed and customers who know your old look.
If you’re unsure, start with the smallest option and grow into the rest. A logo you can use today beats a perfect one you keep postponing.
It’s also worth saving the files somewhere you’ll find them. A folder with the logo in a few formats, named clearly, saves you hunting through old emails the day a printer asks.
It won’t build the business for you. But it’s one of the few jobs you can finish properly in a week, and then forget about.
