Why Should Small Business Owners Hire a Designer

Do you want your small business to stand out from the competition? The professional edge a graphic designer brings to the mix helps you compete with other smaller brands in your industry. You also get to keep pace with larger corporations.

Around 30.7 million small businesses exist in the United States, making up around 99.9% of all companies. You’re all competing for the attention of local consumers, meaning you must find a way to stand out from your direct competitors. Advertising inundates people, so you’re also battling against all other larger establishments to grab user attention.

A professional designer gives your company that added benefit other small business owners might not have. There are multiple reasons why hiring a designer can help your small company succeed. Here are some of the reasons for hiring in-house or freelance:

1. Build Your Brand Image

An in-house graphic designer ensures you present a consistent image to the outside world by designing a brand style guide and a company logo for your business. They’ll also check that the tone of voice used in online posts and traditional advertising matches. A professional designer can see the big picture as well as the fine details, guaranteeing that everything is cohesive.

2. Secure an Image Manager

There will be times when even an in-house designer can’t do every aspect of your marketing. You’ll need to outsource here and there, but if you have an in-house designer in charge, they can make sure all your content matches your brand image. Your graphic designer becomes the point of contact for the freelance designers you collaborate with. Instead of having people spread here and there, you can have a central manager who oversees consistency.

3. Find Creative Solutions

Small business owners are typically great at developing new ideas. However, a professional designer will bring fresh concepts to the table. Because they’ve likely run other campaigns and worked with numerous businesses, they’ll know what does and doesn’t work in your industry. They’ll also know the best methods to use to foster creativity, such as working in 90-minute intervals or keeping the multitasking to a minimum.

If you’re on a tight budget, an in-house designer can pay their salary’s worth by coming up with inexpensive advertising ideas for both online and offline channels.

4. Focus on What You Do Best

You are probably great at customer service and figuring out ways to grow your business. You have a real passion for what you do. You may not be as adept at planning marketing campaigns and outreach projects, however. If marketing isn’t in your wheelhouse, you may spend more time trying to create content than you would on any other aspect of your business.

Hiring someone good at promotions frees up time for you to focus on what you do best. You can grow your business while leaving the marketing aspect in a professional’s hands.

5. Increase Your Sales

Bold, beautiful graphics bring people into your store. If you have a brick-and-mortar location, you may compete against other businesses in a strip mall or a local area. A well-designed sign helps you stand out from others and brings foot traffic into the shop.

You can also use internal signage to direct people to sale items or new arrivals. An eye-catching display could also bring customers to your checkout area.

6. Make a Good First Impression

If a lead hasn’t done business with your company before, they have no reason to trust you. Professional graphics give you an edge and help you make a good first impression. If someone is on the fence about whether you’ll provide excellent service for them, an aesthetically pleasing website or set of sales materials may give them enough confidence to move forward.

7. Hire Someone As Needed

Perhaps you can’t yet justify hiring a full-time graphic designer or marketing professional for your small business. You can always hire a freelancer as you can afford it to give your advertising a little extra boost. At a minimum, you should use a designer for your logo, printed materials and signage. When you can afford it, have them revamp your website to give it a branded look.

8. Tap Into Unique Talents

Each designer has a niche area where they specialize. Maybe you have an in-house designer who works well for most purposes, but you want to create a video campaign on Facebook and Instagram for a new product line. You can always hire someone on contract to help with just that campaign. As mentioned above, your primary contact should work with them to ensure consistent branding.

Reap the Many Benefits of Working With a Designer

Almost any business can see advantages from working with a professional graphic artist or marketer. If you are a startup or small company, you’ll need even more help than an established brand with in-house designers and access to expensive PR firms. When planning next year’s budget, don’t forget to add in funds for hiring the right people to represent your brand