I’m a big fan of Canva, and it’s a crucial tool in my business arsenal. This versatile design platform enables me to create a wide range of content and assets that help drive my company forward. If you’re just starting out with your blog or business, or if you’re already an established entrepreneur looking for a reliable design solution, Canva is definitely worth considering.
In this post, I’ll be sharing the fundamentals of Canva, as well as eight practical ways to leverage its capabilities and a step-by-step tutorial for newcomers.
What is Canva?
While Adobe Photoshop is a powerful graphic design tool, Canva stands out for its user-friendly interface and vast library of pre-made design assets. As someone with a background in graphic design, I still opt for Canva when working on projects for my small businesses. Its ease of use and time-saving features make it an ideal choice for creating professional-looking designs without the need for extensive training.
With Canva, users can create everything from logos to websites, journals, and more, making it a versatile tool for any design project.
Is Canva free?
One of the first questions that may arise is whether Canva offers a free version, and the answer is indeed yes. Not only does it have a complimentary option, but also a paid version with enhanced features for those who require more capabilities. The free edition, although limited in its offerings, still provides an impressive array of tools, including over 250,000 templates, a vast library of free images and graphics, as well as collaboration features that cater to small businesses.
For many users, the free version proves to be a valuable asset on its own. My personal experience with Canva began with the free edition, but its versatility and effectiveness soon led me to upgrade to the Pro version, which offers significantly more templates, over 100 million additional graphics and images, and several other features that have become indispensable to my workflow.
Some of the standout advantages of the Pro edition include background removal for effortlessly stripping away white backgrounds from images, a brand kit for streamlining font and color usage across projects, as well as social media scheduling capabilities.
What is Canva’s pricing?
Canva Pro’s annual subscription costs $120, while the monthly fee comes out to $13. To help you decide if it’s worth the investment, Canva offers a 30-day free trial that lets you get started and test its features without committing to a purchase. When it comes to pricing options, Canva caters to businesses of various sizes. For small businesses, Canva Free or Pro usually suffice.
However, larger organizations with teams of 25 people or more should consider the Enterprise plan, which starts at $30 per person per month.
Can I use Canva for commercial use?
Canva was specifically designed to accommodate commercial usage. As a result, any visuals, videos, or elements accessible through the platform are fair game for commercial purposes. This means you’re free to utilize them in content, products, and marketing materials for your small business. However, it’s crucial to acknowledge two key limitations:
Firstly, you cannot resell Canva elements as-is; some form of alteration is required.
Secondly, if you upload external media (like fonts, images, or videos) to Canva, ensure you have the necessary licenses for commercial use.
For more information on what’s permissible and not, we recommend reviewing Canva’s official website.
8 Ways to Use Canva for your small business
By leveraging Canva’s versatility, small business owners can unlock numerous benefits that drive growth and success. Here are eight key areas where Canva can make a significant impact:
Make a website with Canva for your small business
If you’re looking for an innovative way to build your small business’s online presence, Canva might be the perfect solution. One of its lesser-known features is the ability to design and publish entire websites! While it’s not a full-fledged website creation tool like Shopify or WordPress, Canva’s website builder is surprisingly powerful and easy to use.
With Canva, you can create beautiful landing pages that link out to social media profiles, Etsy shops, bio links, and even event-specific websites. The possibilities are endless! Plus, all Canva users – including free ones – have access to this feature. To get started, simply select a website template from Canva’s vast library or design your site from scratch. Canva’s templates are incredibly versatile and can be customized to suit your unique needs.
Once you’ve chosen a template, the process is similar to designing any other visual project in Canva – just drag and drop elements, adjust text and images, and voilà! You’ll have a stunning website up and running in no time. While Canva’s website builder does come with some limitations, such as single-page websites only, it’s still an excellent option for small businesses or individuals looking to create a simple yet effective online presence. And the best part?
It’s free for all users, with optional pro features like custom domains and multiple site creation.
Use Canva to create your social media posts
When it comes to creating social media content for my small business, Canva is an indispensable tool. One of its most valuable features is the ability to craft posts for various platforms, including Instagram stories, Facebook updates, and Pinterest pins. With a vast array of templates at my disposal, I can effortlessly produce new social media content without worrying about dimensional discrepancies.
This streamlined process saves me precious time and allows me to focus on other aspects of my business. Canva’s comprehensive template library includes graphics and images that are readily available for use in your posts. Moreover, the platform offers an impressive range of multimedia elements such as videos, animated graphics, and animation settings, enabling me to create dynamic content that captivates my audience.
I often combine these features by using a template as a starting point and then customizing it to fit my brand’s unique identity. This approach allows me to strike the perfect balance between consistency and creativity.
Create a logo for your business with Canva
One of the standout features of Canva is its adaptability to suit businesses at various stages of development. Whether you’re a startup in need of a logo or an established company looking to revamp your visual identity, Canva’s extensive template library has got you covered. With hundreds of customizable logo templates available, you can find inspiration that resonates with your industry and color scheme.
From fashion-forward designs to industrial-inspired logos, Canva’s vast collection offers endless possibilities for creating a unique visual representation of your brand. And the best part? Each template is fully customizable, allowing you to fine-tune every detail until it perfectly reflects your business’s personality.
Canva mood boards
Mood boards are a powerful tool for defining your brand’s visual identity and theme. Essentially, they’re curated collections of images, colors, and words that evoke a specific emotional response or ‘mood’. By creating a mood board, you can gain clarity on your brand’s aesthetic early on in the development process, making it an invaluable resource for both established and emerging brands.
What’s more, Canva offers an impressive array of pre-designed mood boards to draw inspiration from, showcasing just how much thought goes into crafting a visually appealing brand – from the nuances of color theory to the artful pairing of fonts. With a mood board, you can develop a captivating visual identity for your brand without needing extensive design expertise.
Use Canva to define your Brand Kit
By having a defined logo and mood for your brand, Canva enables you to harmoniously assemble the various elements that make up your identity. This is achieved through the creation of a comprehensive brand kit, which serves as a valuable resource when producing content for your brand in the future.
A well-crafted brand kit outlines essential details such as logos, colors, fonts, and more, providing a clear understanding of how these elements should be used consistently across all branding initiatives. This cohesive framework ensures that every visual representation of your brand is aligned with its overall tone and aesthetic.
One of the key advantages of utilizing Canva for creating a brand kit lies in its ability to allow you to save and reuse styles, streamlining the design process and ensuring consistency throughout your future designs. As you can see from my own reusable brand kit within Canva, this feature enables me to easily access and apply these styles in each new project I undertake.
Use Canva to Design Digital Products
Canva’s versatility is a game-changer for entrepreneurs who sell digital products. With hundreds of pre-made templates for items like planners and journals, formatting tasks that would normally take hours can be completed in a fraction of the time. I’ve designed numerous digital products within Canva, including gratitude journals with up to 100 pages, and exported them as PDFs to sell on my website or Etsy.
The platform’s user-friendly interface makes it easy to create custom designs, while the export settings allow for printer-friendly versions that cater to customers’ preferences. Beyond creating products, I use Canva to craft listing materials like photos and videos, streamlining my Etsy shop management process. Additionally, Canva offers templates for shop banners, ensuring a professional look for my digital storefront.
In short, Canva is an indispensable tool for running a successful Etsy shop, handling everything from product creation to marketing materials.
Use Canva to create products like t-shirts, stickers, and mugs
One of the most appealing aspects of Canva is its versatility when it comes to designing. This flexibility makes it an ideal choice for small business owners operating print-on-demand stores. For those unfamiliar, print-on-demand allows entrepreneurs to sell custom-designed products such as t-shirts, stickers, and mugs without holding inventory.
By uploading a design to their supplier (I recommend Printful with Shopify) and integrating it with either a Shopify or Etsy storefront, they can easily manage orders and let the supplier handle fulfillment. With Canva, designing for this model is seamless. The tool’s export capabilities allow for designs to be saved in various formats, including PNG and SVG, which can then be uploaded to the print-on-demand service of your choice.
How to Use Canva for beginners
While you may already be convinced about the numerous benefits of using Canva for your small business, we’re going to dive into the details of getting started with the platform. For those who are new to Canva, this is where the journey begins. Whether you’re looking to create eye-catching graphics, design social media posts, or craft stunning presentations, Canva’s user-friendly interface and vast array of features make it an ideal tool for small business owners.
Step 1: Visit the Canva website and create an account
Sign-up for a Canva account is straightforward and accessible via the Canva website, allowing users to quickly establish their profile and begin exploring the platform’s extensive features.
Step 2: Download the Canva desktop app
When working on a project, I find myself relying on Canva’s desktop application for my Mac. This allows me to keep all my files organized without having to navigate through multiple tabs in Google Chrome. Once you’ve set up your Canva account and downloaded the app, you’ll have access to an extensive range of template options to choose from, making it easy to get started on your design journey.
Step 3: Browse Canva templates
With a vast repository of over thousands of customizable templates, Canva offers an unparalleled level of creative flexibility for entrepreneurs and small business owners alike. Whether you’re crafting marketing materials, designing visual content, or simply looking to revamp your brand’s aesthetic, Canva’s extensive template library is the perfect starting point.
Step 4: Choose a template & Familiarize yourself with Canva’s key features
If you’re still undecided about what to create with Canva, that’s perfectly fine! In this case, selecting a template that piques your interest can be an excellent way to get started and learn the ropes. The user-friendly interface of Canva makes it easy to explore its vast array of features, even for those who are new to graphic design. To make the most of this experience, I recommend taking some time to familiarize yourself with Canva’s capabilities.
One of the standout features that I’m particularly fond of is the extensive font library. With hundreds of fonts at your disposal, you can elevate your designs and give them a unique touch. This is especially exciting when compared to the limited options available in other design tools. To access the font library, simply click on a text element in your design or navigate to the ‘Text’ panel on the left-hand side of the screen. From there, you can browse and search fonts by name, type, and more.
Canva also offers recommended font pairs that can help you create visually appealing designs with minimal effort. In addition to its vast font collection, Canva allows users to upload their own custom fonts for added personalization. To do this, click on the ‘Text’ panel and select the ‘Upload a font’ option. You’ll then be able to add a . ttf or . otf file to your design. Another feature that I appreciate is the ability to remove backgrounds from images.
This allows me to create professional-looking graphics with ease, without being limited by the square background of individual images. For example, when creating designs for beauty products like lipstick, removing the white background can make all the difference in giving my work a polished look. To remove a background in Canva, click on ‘Edit image’ and search for the ‘Background remover’ feature. Select this option, and your work should be complete.
If the results aren’t quite what you had in mind, you can use the ‘Erase’ and ‘Restore’ features to fine-tune the process. If you don’t see the background remover feature in Canva, it may be because you’re using the free version of the tool. This feature is available for Canva Pro users, but I believe it’s well worth the upgrade.
Curve text in Canva
The trend of curved text is currently taking the graphic design world by storm. While curving text in software like Adobe Illustrator can be a daunting task, Canva makes it an effortless process. To achieve this stylish effect in Canva, simply select the text element you wish to curve and navigate to the ‘effects’ tab in the top toolbar. A side panel will appear, allowing you to choose the ‘Curve’ option. Once selected, you can fine-tune the curvature to suit your design goals.
With Canva’s user-friendly interface, curving text has never been simpler.
More Canva tutorials for beginners
I’m thrilled to share with you some of the features in Canva that I use repeatedly. They’re essential to my workflow and help me create stunning designs. If you’re new to Canva or looking for a refresher, I recommend checking out these beginner-friendly tutorials: The ‘Canva 101’ YouTube video, which clocks in at 1 hour and 40 minutes, is an excellent resource. Alternatively, the Canva Design School offers a wealth of knowledge for those just starting out.
Closing thoughts on Canva for small business owners
In conclusion, this post has hopefully provided valuable insights into the numerous ways Canva can empower your small business to thrive. As a crucial resource, Canva is second only to the internet in terms of its impact on my own entrepreneurial endeavors.
Its efficiency-boosting capabilities and streamlined workflow are indispensable assets that have revolutionized my approach to running a small business – and I genuinely believe it’s an essential tool for any entrepreneur seeking to streamline their operations and maximize productivity.
