One of the big things you need to think about when starting any sort of business or side hustle is a logo. If you don't have graphic design skills and can't afford to hire a graphic designer, you could use a free online tool to create your logo.

There are some serious caveats to consider when choosing this approach. Most significant is that you run the risk of creating a logo very similar to one created by someone else who used the same tool. This could dilute the identity and branding of your logo.

On the other hand, if you simply can't afford to put any money towards this part of your business and want to get things off the ground, here are three options.

The Easy Option

The Shopify Logo Maker is very easy to use and consists of only two elements: your business name and an icon. The icons, unfortunately are not searchable, but you can scroll through them to find the one you want to use.

You can change the color of the text and icon, and can add a frame around the icon. You can also adjust the size of the icon and text, as well as the placement of the icon in relation to your text.

You will have to enter your email to receive the PNG file to download. The PNG file means your image will have a transparent background so you can use it in any design without having to worry about a white background. You do not have to create a Shopify account or store to use the service.

The "More Options" Option

If you want a little bit more control over your logo, SquareSpace's logo maker could be what you're looking for. You can enter your business name, tagline, and search for icons (which are powered by The Noun Project). Click on individual elements to move them, change their color, and size.

Once you're done with your logo, you can download a low-res PNG at 400 x 400 pixels. If you want a high-res 5000 x 5000 pixel version, you need to either be a Squarespace member or pay $10.

The "Full Control" Option

If you want control over just about every element -- size, placement, font, colors, and more -- your best bet is Canva's logo maker. You will have to create a free Canva account to use this service, but in addition to creating your logo, you can also use the service's templates to create social media graphics, flyers, and much more to promote your business.

Canva's logo maker includes pre-designed layouts that you can customize. You can edit the text, change colors, and replace any icons or images with the elements of your choice. When it comes to the text you can adjust the font as well as letter spacing, a handy way to make text fill up a desired amount of space.

Once you're done, you can download your logo as a PNG, JPG, or PDF. There are some restrictions when using Canva's services for free. Pro users have access to more images and can download PNGs with transparent backgrounds, which is key for a logo.

If you don't want to pay $12.95 per month, you can download the image as a PNG with a white background and use LunaPic's Transparent editor to automatically remove the white background.

Which of these three services would you use to create a logo? Or do you think that paying a designer to do the logo is an essential part of starting a business? Let us know in the comments.