diff --git a/config/loggerConfig.js b/config/loggerConfig.js
index f2097e35..df81d7e5 100644
--- a/config/loggerConfig.js
+++ b/config/loggerConfig.js
@@ -25,12 +25,11 @@ function LoggerConfig () {
     });
     // test all the log levels
     logger.info('testing winston log levels...');
-    logger.error('Level 0');
-    logger.warn('Level 1');
-    logger.info('Level 2');
-    logger.verbose('Level 3');
-    logger.debug('Level 4');
-    logger.silly('Level 5');
+    logger.warn('Testing: Log Level 1');
+    logger.info('Testing: Log Level 2');
+    logger.verbose('Testing: Log Level 3');
+    logger.debug('Testing: Log Level 4');
+    logger.silly('Testing: Log Level 5');
   };
 };
 
diff --git a/index.js b/index.js
index 74e913e8..a812a220 100644
--- a/index.js
+++ b/index.js
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ const loggerConfig = require('./config/loggerConfig.js');
 const mysqlConfig = require('./config/mysqlConfig.js');
 const siteConfig = require('./config/siteConfig.js');
 const slackConfig = require('./config/slackConfig.js');
+const createDatabaseIfNotExists = require('./server/models/utils/createDatabaseIfNotExists.js');
 
 function Server () {
   this.configureLogger = loggerConfig.update;
@@ -81,8 +82,11 @@ function Server () {
     const db = require('./server/models');
     const PORT = siteConfig.details.port;
     // sync sequelize
-    db.sequelize.sync()
-    // start the server
+    createDatabaseIfNotExists()
+      .then(() => {
+        db.sequelize.sync()
+      })
+      // start the server
       .then(() => {
         this.server.listen(PORT, () => {
           logger.info(`Server is listening on PORT ${PORT}`);
diff --git a/server/models/utils/createDatabaseIfNotExists.js b/server/models/utils/createDatabaseIfNotExists.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d8ab0e02
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/models/utils/createDatabaseIfNotExists.js
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+const Sequelize = require('sequelize');
+
+const createDatabaseIfNotExists = () => {
+  const {database, username, password} = require('../../../config/mysqlConfig.js');
+  const sequelize = new Sequelize('', username, password, {
+    dialect         : 'mysql',
+    logging         : true,
+    operatorsAliases: false,
+  });
+  console.log('username:', username, 'password:', password);
+  return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
+    sequelize.query(`CREATE DATABASE IF NOT EXISTS ${database};`)
+      .then(() => {
+        resolve();
+      })
+      .catch(error => {
+        reject(error);
+      });
+  });
+};
+
+module.exports = createDatabaseIfNotExists;