Without a doubt, the most important image you should have on file is your logo. Your logo is your company's most identifiable mark, and it is found on every marketing piece from your website to your letterhead.
Surprisingly, many advisors don't have the appropriate logo files they need. Many only have low-resolution versions of their logo and rely totally on their graphic designer when a high-resolution version of the logo is needed. This is a sure path to problems in the future.
Your company's brand is too important to not have total control of your logo. Your designer may have created your logo, but you should have full control over these files. This means having versions of your logo appropriate for different applications and owning the rights to use it.
Get scalable versions. Your logo can end up on small items like pens and business cards, but it can also be blown up into larger-than-life proportions. If you need your logo for a tradeshow exhibit, a billboard or just a poster or banner, you need a version that scales up well.
The best solution is to get a vector file of your logo from your designer. Vector images can scale up or down without any loss of quality or even a change in file size. Using one vector graphic file, you can make a one-inch square image for a business card or a 30-by-30 foot image for a billboard. Usually the file will end with an ".ai" or ".eps" extension. You shouldn't be surprised if you can't open these files, because they require special software such as Photoshop or Illustrator to open them. You might not need it immediately, but having a vector file of your logo will save you from headaches in the future.
