How to use Canva to Create your Entire Business!
Introduction
If you’re new to online product or content creation, you may not have heard about the wonderful tool that is Canva.
As a non-arty but very creative person, Canva has helped me create a brand I’m proud of, resources and tools that are continually downloaded and used by other coaches across the world and the confidence that even if design isn’t a strength, I can do this myself!
What I also love is that there are so many templates and designs available out there to help with every aspect of your business – whether you’re a coach, therapist, B&B owner, photographer or teacher!
In this blog, I’m going to explore some of my favourite things about Canva and why I recommend Canva to those I work with.
(*Affiliate links will be included where I earn a small commission at no additional cost to you).
Table of Contents
What is Canva?
Canva is a free design tool created for beginners or those who, like me, struggle to draw a straight line… If you have all the ideas and visions, but putting that into visual art is difficult – Canva is a brilliant tool for you.
It’s a brilliant alternative for you if you need to create content but have little or no design skills.
Canva has a free and a pro version that gives you access to a huge stock of photos, elements and templates that will help you create anything from social media posts to your very own e-Book!
Canva has helped me build my business, grow my audience and create resources that I use within my business every day!
I recently joined the Canva Empower Canvassador Program, where I get to share the latest releases and upcoming additions – to say I’m excited is an understatement!
Canva Features
Here’s a quick overview of some of the features available:
Templates
Templates are ready-made designs that you can edit and personalise with your own branding (fonts, colours, etc.). There are templates for everything – social media posts/Instagram stories/Facebook posts/Pinterest Pins and more.
Whether you’re in real estate, coaching, therapy or a small business, these ready-made templates will save you time and energy and help you create professional-looking designs – regardless of your design skills!
Elements
As you’re designing, you can add different elements into the design – these could be videos, photos, stickers, shapes, tables, charts, frames for photographs and much more.
Fonts
Honestly, the list of fonts is unreal! There are so many you can choose from. You can add different fonts for headings, subheadings, and text. This is great for branding and creating a consistent look for your content and products.
Stock Photos
You get access to a huge library of stock photos that you can use to enhance your designs. If you get the Pro version, the library is even bigger. You can search for templates where photos have already been integrated within the design – but you can change these to suit your needs and preferences.
Videos
As with the stock photos, there are video templates ready for you to create your reels and stories. You can edit these, add audio and text to create your own unique designs.
You can create designs with multiple pages – a lead magnet for your audience growth, an e-book, or a carousel for Instagram. You can create presentations, flyers, and so much more!
What is Canva Pro and is it worth it?
Canva has a free version that gives you access to a tonne of resources. It is the perfect option if you’re just starting out or don’t need the additional features, but I upgraded to Pro quickly because of the extra benefits. Over time, these are continuing to improve with the use of AI; there are so many tools available to you now.
For me, there are 2 features that I LOVE –
- Background Remover
- Resizing Designs
Background Remover:
This is a brilliant addition and allows you to remove the background on any image you upload. It’s great if you want to add an image of you inside a design but without it being in a square background. It’s great for things like creating content on social media – add an image of yourself pointing at some text, or a logo you want to add that isn’t square.
Resizing Tool:
I LOVE this feature so much! If you are juggling a tonne of things and need to repurpose content – resizing the images will save you so much time. You can do this directly within the design you’re working on.
You can now select single pages, so if you're designing a worksheet where you will be selling in different sizes, you can do this within the one design. It's a huge time-saver.
It’s amazing if you create things like templates, e-Books, KDP journals and planners. With a little formatting, you can easily create an A4 version from an A5 design – saving you SO much time!
Why I recommend Canva Pro
I’ve always recommended Canva – long before joining as a Canvassador because of everything you can do with it.
Canva Pro is for me a very worthy investment – the additional features, access to even more stock photos and design elements and fonts, plus the background remover and resizing tool are phenomenal and are tools I couldn’t live without in my business.
Canva Pro means you can create a Brand Kit. This is yet another time-saving gift, as it helps you create consistency throughout all of your designs.
Brand Kit Features
Create and save logos, brand fonts, brand colours, and images in a dedicated brand area. These get added to the editing feature, making it quick and easy to apply them to all of your designs.
It’s great for collaboration; if you have a team or others who create designs for you, all assets that make your brand what it is are easily applied, helping you create that cohesive branded look and feel for your business.
No more going back and forth to add the logo/change elements – it’s all conveniently in one place, which helps prevent distraction and increase your productivity.
As a Pro user, you also get access to the scheduler, which means you can post directly from Canva to your chosen social media platform. Another great time-saving feature, enabling you to keep everything in one place.
There are so many benefits of Canva Pro; I’ve included the link to their pricing and plans below, so you can choose whether the free or Pro version is what you’re looking for. (Affiliate link).
How much is Canva Pro?
Following a free 30-day trial, Canva Pro costs £100 / $120 per year or £13 / $15 per month (per single user).
There are also options for teams and an Enterprise plan as well – find more pricing info from Canva here.
For around £2 per week, you get access to all of these amazing features (including 100 Million+ stock images, 100 brand kits, AI tools and more!).
Do I think It’s Worth it?
In a word – YES! I do, and that’s my honest opinion. Although I am now part of the Empower programme, I have recommended Canva since I’ve been using it in my own businesses.
Yes, the free version is AMAZING – but if you want to invest in something that will enhance your experience, improve your designs and streamline your work – Pro is a no-brainer.
I’d love to know your thoughts on Canva & Canva Pro – how has it helped you create your brand and build your business?
Take a look at some of the products I've created using Canva & Canva Pro in my Etsy store:
Cognitive Distortions Worksheet – Support emotional clarity and build self-awareness with this printable CBT thought distortions worksheet. It's designed to help you (or your clients) challenge negative thinking patterns using practical cognitive behavioural therapy techniques.
Pacing Planner – A printable digital pacing planner includes energy awareness activities, a task (brain) dump page, daily planner page, & 3 sizes (A5, A4, US Letter). Designed to help you manage your daily routine and achieve your goals without burning out.
Grounding Techniques – This guide covers breathing, sensory, movement, cognitive and journaling-based techniques to help you find what works for you. Save this for when you need it.
Goal Progress Tracker – The interactive goal progress tracker is perfect if you love a visual tracker. Bring some fun into your progress and celebrate every win. A simple design, colour in each step as you work through your to-do list. You can write inside the steps, or just highlight them. Also, there's space to record special moments, reflections, and wins along the way!
Meet The Author
Hey there! I'm Lynsey, a fellow entrepreneur, therapist, and accountability business coach. With over 8 years’ experience running businesses and over a decade as a tutor and trainer, I've learned the value of effective time management in creating a thriving business and a fulfilling life.
I'm passionate about sharing practical tips and insights to help fellow low-energy women find their rhythm and achieve their goals while maintaining a sense of balance.
Time efficiency is key to maintaining and growing my businesses. I have lived with chronic illness – ME/CFS since 2011, and since then I retrained as a counsellor, achieved a distinction for an MA in Counselling and Psychotherapy Practice; all while running 3 businesses! I want that for you as well & it is possible with the right support and pathway to success.
