There are so many things that go into a business. You have to be a customer service representative, a CEO, a CFO, an accountant, a marketing specialist, a content creator, and a designer.

Wow! That’s quite a list.

What’s more, you still have a personal life aka being a parent, sister, brother, son, daughter, aunt, uncle, best friend, and any other role that takes time and effort.

In order to assist you in these many roles, I’m laying out a couple “game changers” for you: Tips, hacks, and resources that will allow you to take control of the many responsibilities you have as a solopreneur.

Also, I will be featuring a resource that I find particularly helpful with each Game Changer post.

Today, you will learn how to take control of your own brand visuals and I have included a free video tutorial below to help you get started.

DIY Design For Your Business

If you haven’t figured it out yet, almost EVERYTHING has to be designed for your business. I was once told that “branding” was a big business problem, but I don’t agree.

I think branding, particularly your visual brand, is just as important for the solopreneur because it builds credibility, sustainability, and attract the right audience.

Let’s talk about some key ways to take control of your brand visuals and elevate your brand from where it is currently.

1. Figure Out Your Design Goals

What is it that you will need to create most? Consider the following questions:

Are you a blogger who constantly has to create featured images for each post?
Do you sell physical products from an online store and need amazing pictures to promote those products?
Is writing your thing and you have books that need to be designed and laid out?
Perhaps you are vat of knowledge and you have workshops and courses that need worksheets and workbooks for your audience?
Do you handle social media for yourself or for a brand and need to create quotes, edit short videos and photos, and promotional graphics to share?

There are so many possibilities, but if you can identify with any of the above questions, you are someone who constantly needs graphics.

Knowing exactly what you need to create will help you figure out which design software is best to focus on.

2. Learn some design software. No, really learn it.

Master one first. If you want to take on a Photoshop class then commit to that.

I have a strong belief that

you must be unburdened by the technical in order to flow in the creative.

Being able to hop on the computer and create your own social media image, blog post image, promotional item for your sidebar, etc without having to call someone, pay money, and wait on the turnaround is heaven.

Really.

You have an idea, and you can just make it happen instead of waiting and trying to explain it to someone else.

In my opinion, you can learn from one of three different tiers of software.

Tier A: Industry Standard/Professional

Adobe products (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign) [*Each of these are best used for different types of design, so knowing your goal is key if you choose to commit to more involved software like this.]
Quark products

Tier B: Accessible Super Professional Online Options

BeFunky.com (full review and tutorial below)
Canva.com
Pixlr.com
Piktochart.com

Tier C: Collage Makers/Photo Editors

***Quick Summary***

So, 1) determine what you want to accomplish,
2) choose a platform to do it on and learn it.

***

3. Make a plan for easy execution and consistency

Just because you know the types of graphics you need to make and you know what you will make them with, doesn’t mean you know exactly what you are about to create . . .

. . . so make a plan.

If you are a blogger, then you understand the significance of an editorial calendar.

It sets your themes, series, and blog post topics for the future, so you can create and write as you need to without confusion.

Well, your brand should have its own “editorial calendar” of sorts.

Actually, I’m talking about more of a style guide.

Visual brand development isn’t just colors and fonts. It’s the look and feel that your business gives to your audience and first impressions that it gives to your newcomers.

Developing a consistent visual brand means:

Knowing the type of photography you use
Choosing consistent icons and graphic styles for your designs
Using your brand and accent colors with the majority of your products unless you are creating a sub-brand that requires something different
Allowing the look of your typography to flow into all of your brand collateral
Using patterns and textures that complement your look

I know it isn’t easy to make this happen.

If you aren’t ready to hire a designer to create this consistency for you, consider, you may enjoy my free download, “25 Quick Ways to Improve Your Visual Brand.”

Well, now you know where to start, and I’m going to give you even more support.

Below you will find a tutorial on how to use BeFunky.com. I love this software and chose to share it with you because not only does it have tons of really incredible templates for almost any size or type of graphic you want to make, but it also has blank sheets where you can design from scratch.

2. Brand Visuals DIY is a step-by-step, self-paced course that takes you through the exact same process I use to create a visual brand for yourself. It includes actual lessons on design, resources, best practices, and planning tools. If you want to know more and view the individual sections, check it out here.