Choosing your colour palette for your business isn’t like being a little kid at the toy shop and screaming ‘I WANT A PURPLE ONE!’ because you like purple.

It’s a touch more complicated than that. Colours are very powerful, and when people look at them, they can feel certain emotions. Emotions that make them happy or sad. Feelings that make them want to throw their hard earned cash at you and emotions that make them want to seal their wallet with industrial strength glue and never give you a cent of their money ever.

It’s definitely something you want to get right.

Here’s a guide to choosing the perfect colour palette for your business…

BLUE

Blue is a colour that evokes feelings of calm, focus and intelligence. Lighter blues work well for businesses who want to elicit feelings of peace and serenity in their potential customers, and darker colours are often used to denote trustworthiness and power which is why dark blue is commonly used for banks and insurance companies.

Consider blue if… you’re a meditation guru, a massage therapist, a low-risk financial advisor or a dolphin.

GREEN

Green is the colour of harmony. It’s fresh, earthy and restorative. Lighter greens are often used by health food businesses, and darker greens are favoured by banks to denote wealth. Mint greens are often seen as a neutral colour which is great for companies with non-gendered customers bases.

Consider green if… you’re an online chef, your company is ethically conscious, or you want to evoke feelings of growth. Green is said to be the most calming of all the colours, so if your business is about energy and excitement, green may not be the colour for you. Also green can very quickly go from ‘lovely’ to ‘looks like vomit’ so be wary of that.

YELLOW

The happiest of all the colours, yellow is optimistic, confident and bright. It’s a warming colour that stimulates the mind, so it’s excellent for brands who want their customers to be inquisitive and engaged. Be careful using dull and muted yellows as they’re often associated with disease or decay.

Consider yellow if… you’re in online education, your products are aimed at kids, or you sell honey. Or bees. Or the sun.

ORANGE

Orange is a very powerful colour. It’s passionate, creative and friendly. Orange can be an overwhelming colour but softer shades of peach can be gorgeous and punchy mandarine, and carrot orange can be real show stoppers.

Consider orange if… you work in the fitness industry, you sell things at an affordable price, or you sell oranges. Der.

RED

Red can seem overwhelming sometimes, but it’s actually a hot, energetic, loving colour. It’s fabulous for drawing the attention of your customers and can really help your brand stand out. Lighter reds are great for beauty brands, and darker burgundy colours are perfect for brands that demand authority or are steeped in tradition like whisky or leather goods businesses.

Consider red if… you’re in the business of love, if you’re selling something beauty related or you’re a vampire with a blood obsession.

PINK

Pink is a romantic, soft and sweet colour although it’s not as girly as people think. Traditionally pink was considered a very masculine colour, and it wasn’t until the early 1900s when mass marketing properly kicked in that it was labelled as a feminine colour.

Pink is fabulous as an accent colour and can make for a powerful branding combination with a more relaxed tone.

Consider pink if… you’re a life or business coach, you’re a heart centred brand, or you like strawberries.

PURPLE

Purple is the colour of royalty and nobility. It also has strong connotations with magic and mystique. A favourite amongst spiritual business owners, purple is a powerful and emotional colour that draws people in with its strength and mystery.

Consider purple if… you’re magic-minded, you want to denote luxury, you work in the alternative health sector, or you’re a wizard.

BLACK

Black is a very powerful, luxurious colour. It denotes wealth and influence.

Be careful with using black as your primary colour though as it’s also the colour of greed and deceit. Many people report negative feelings when they see the colour black in branding so using it as an accent colour might soften the presentation of this dark hue.

Consider black if… your brand is very high end, you sell luxury items, or you’re James Bond.