Numerous Web Sites-Logo Ease, say, or LogoMaker will design a free logo for you based on options-you set via a Web interface. The quality varies, but generally you can get the logo for free for online use. The services make money if you want to have the logo in EPS format, which is more suitable for printing on T-shirts and mugs. A Web search for "free logo" will turn up dozens of additional alternatives.

Another, possibly better, approach is to seek an independent designer to make a logo. If you don't need anything fancy, you can find someone to do the job for or less through a Craigslist ad. The advantage is that you get to work with a live person (with genuine artistic skills) to create something unique rather than a cold, computer-generated logo.

As for Web design, you're unlikely to encounter someone who can create an original site for you for a fee within our budget. If you can't afford a real designer from the start, begin with a simple layout and customize it as you go-but try to avoid making incremental changes every day or week. When it's time to redesign, do all ofthe work at once to avoid confusing and alienating your readers for a protracted time.