Running a small business is not easy. Sure, you get to be your own boss, but you also “get” to be everyone else too.
The truth is that your 9-5 has probably become a 24/7. You’re juggling everything at once: managing operations, handling customer service and marketing, and so much more. When you’re struggling to do it all, its inevitable that something is going to suffer. Whether its a mess of paperwork, falling behind on supply orders, or social media that looks like a ghost town, odds are that something is slipping through the cracks.
Then there’s design. Designing flyers and Instagram content, updating your website, formatting your materials…it just never ends. And trying to do everything yourself forever is a steady path to burnout and lack of focus on what really matters.
Well, you don’t have to do it alone. Here are 3 reasons that hiring a professional designer can help free up your time, boost your brand, and ultimately help your business thrive.
1. Do what you do best
You started a small business because you have a specific skill or product to sell. You’re great at it – you bring a unique value and service to the market. And that’s where your focus should be.
You can do your own design, and you may even enjoy doing it. Platforms like Canva make it simple and fun!
But that doesn’t change the fact that there are only so many hours in a day. When you need those hours to be doing the things that only you can do, sitting playing with design becomes a waste of your particular talent.
Design is a specialized skill, with effective design requiring know-how and strategy. This isn’t just about visuals, it’s about how your small business presents and interacts with your audience. Your time is valuable! The last thing you want is to stretch yourself thin and be presenting materials that don’t perform.
Here’s an example: I’ve been lucky enough to work with several professionals presenting at national conferences. Their knowledge of the subject matter is unmatched, but between doing the research and creating the presentation, their regular work, their family and personal commitments, they’re just not winding up with a final product that is attractive and easy to follow. They just don’t have the time. This is where I come in; I proof for errors, reformat to best use the space, make stylistic changes for accessibility, and then make it brand consistent and overall pleasing to the eye.
By hiring a designer, you free up time to focus on doing what you do best, whether that’s creating a product, interacting with customers, presenting, or building relationships.
2. Quality design leads to stronger branding and increased trust
Branding is about more than looking pretty. It’s about presenting a cohesive and carefully considered experience of your small business. Part of it is visual, but part of it is experiential, and it takes planning to present a well balanced brand identity that is consistent and clearly communicates your unique value proposal.
Weak or inconsistent design can be a killer – it doesn’t matter how great your product or service is if your branding looks unprofessional. Don’t forget, you’re swimming in the great wide ocean that is the internet and anyone can say anything. You don’t want to be mistaken for a fly-by-night company because of your branding or website. You want your content to build recognition and trust, making your audience more likely to choose your small business over another.
Whether it’s building an existing logo out into a visual brand identity, developing a brand voice, designing a website that is accessible and easy to navigate, or developing marketing materials that shine, working with a professional designer supports your goals.
When customers see high quality, consistent design and branding, they’re more likely to trust you. That trust very often converts to sales.
3. Save time and avoid mistakes
As a small business owner, you have two finite resources – time and money. Sometimes you can save both, but most often an increase in one comes at the cost of another. Sometimes the wisest thing to do is figure out where to invest each.
Spending time can save you money (unless you’re short on time, in which case it’s just a struggle). Spending money can save you time (within a reasonable budget, of course).
You may think you’re saving time by doing everything by yourself, but you may be wasting valuable time and energy on design work that takes longer than expected or that could be more effectively created by someone else.
Time gets wasted in many ways, including:
- trial and error that doesn’t lead to a satisfactory result
- a lot of time invested for an end product that doesn’t look right
- marketing that doesn’t communicate the right message
Money can be wasted also. Ways can include:
- not understanding dimensions and submitting an ad wrong, or printing a document in the wrong size
- missing opportunities with an unoptimized or inaccessible website
- making branding choices that hurt your image
An experienced designer has tools and knowledge that helps avoid these costly mistakes. Their experience offers you an efficient, effective solution that helps you save time and avoid errors that waste your resources.
But what about the cost of hiring a designer?
As I said above, sometimes the wisest thing you can do is balance your resources (time and money) and decide what you can spend and where. Professional designers are available at different rates, and may offer sliding scale rates too – I pride myself on flexibility, and encourage small business owners who I am consulting with to bring their needs and concerns to me so we can come to an agreement that works for both of us.
Plus hiring a designer isn’t like hiring an employee. You, the small business owner, have fewer legal responsibilities and pay only for the time you need.
Are you ready to take your small business to the next level and consider hiring a designer?
Contact me to discuss your needs (an initial call is always complimentary, so please feel free to reach out). I’ve worked with realtors and attorneys, mental and physical health professionals, educators, and so much more. From developing a suite of materials to make all your platforms coordinate to proofreading and beautifying presentations, I’ve supported small business owners in so many ways. I can’t wait to learn about your small business!