04 Mar Stuck in a rut!

Stuck in a rut!

Who hasn’t had moments where you’re wondering what the heck you’re doing? With a bit of luck, you haven’t had too many of them. But at times it’s better to be honest with yourself and to admit that you have no clue as to what you’re doing.

You’re a small business owner or have a start-up. Have a small budget, or none at all. You want to promote your company but have no idea how to do this. You search the internet and see what the competitor is doing and think ‘Oh I can do that too’, as in myself… Of course, eventually. But is that what you want? And why would you do it yourself?

Oh, I’m just like you, wanting to save costs by doing things myself. But there are some things I just don’t feel like doing or have absolutely no idea how to do, and that’s when I hire someone else to do it for me. Now we all have our own expertise which means we don’t have to outsource everything. But when you start investing time into something that’s not your expertise, aren’t you actually taking time away from the things you’re good at? Because every minute you spend on something that’s not your main job is a minute you’re not earning. One to think about there.

I admit that I have a profession where a lot of people say, ‘Oh nice, I want to be able to do that too’. And then dive into the various online tools and start creating things. And yes, you might create some nice things. But, besides the fact that everyone uses the same templates to create designs (thus you’re not unique), I wonder if you actually know what you’re doing. You might think it’s a beautiful piece of art you created but don’t realise that this can cause damage to your company’s reputation. You come across as sloppy and customers won’t take you or your company seriously. Why?

Because design isn’t just about creating something beautiful

When designing, there are quite a few things to think about. You must pay close attention to colour, fonts, spacing, alignment, and image, but composition is also very important. Let alone all the technical specifications. Then you need to pay attention to whether your images are sharp enough. And did you know that an image taken from the internet is not only copyrighted, thus you’re not allowed to use it, but also not high enough in resolution for print? And that’s where a lot of people make the biggest mistake. These are just a few items you need to think about when it comes to design, and I haven’t even scratched the surface yet. Never mind the fact that most people don’t have ‘an eye’ for design and make big design mistakes that can actually do more harm than good for the success of your company.

Okay, a bad image doesn’t mean that your company will fail, but it will certainly have consequences for your reputation. Do yourself the pleasure of taking the appearance of your company seriously, isn’t that how you want to be seen?

Yeah yeah, you just want me to hand over the assignment to you…

Ha, you may think that, but what matters to me the most is that I try and tell people that everyone has their own expertise. How would you feel as a bookkeeper if I chose to do my administration myself? It might cost me more time, but no money even though I might lose money due to not knowing the current rules and regulations. Or that I cut my own hair instead of coming to you, the hairdresser? It might not be straight, but hey, who cares right?

We simply need each other. And to make optimal use of your own time it’s wise to outsource expertise. And yes, I too find this hard at times as certain services cost a lot of money. But in the end, it pays off because the time you’ve saved by outsourcing can be spent on a paying customer that again covers the expenses you’ve had to make. And not forgetting that you’ve your time on fun tasks instead of figuring out how to put together a website. Because what I find more important for your company is that you’re found online and that your appearance represents who you are. Be honest, you visit a client wearing a tracksuit, do you? You also want to look professional, right? So why should that be any different to the image of your company?

What’s the advantage of hiring a designer?

Besides the fact that you now have your hands free to do what you’re good at (your expertise) you save many unnecessary hours of research. Think back to the time when you were figuring out how to create a social media post in an online programme like Canva.

A designer knows exactly how to present your company. Which style suits your goals the best and wishes and how to translate your corporate identity across all aspects of your company. She’ll provide the guidelines for you to work with.

I do this by offering online templates designed in your corporate identity which can be used on all social media channels. These templates are built in Canva so all you need to do is change the text and image and you’re ready to go. Or grant your online marketing expert access to these templates so she can use them for online advertising.

It might be a big expense when you look at the price tag, but at least you know your appearance to the outside world is correct. This will make you come across as professional rather than when you’ve put something together yourself that might look ‘nice’. In time these templates can then be converted to templates for newsletters or flyers.

Give yourself time

And give yourself the time to focus on the things you’re good at by bringing someone else in!

Do you want to know how?

Book the Style Scan and I will gladly take you through the possibilities. And if you want to learn more about my social media templates? Check out the Social Packs page for more information and the option to order your templates.