DIY vs. Professional Branding: When to Hire a Designer
Before we start, I want to get one thing straight: DIY branding isn’t necessarily a bad thing!
It’s actually often the scrappy, resourceful starting point that so many small business owners begin with - and rightly so!
You’re at the kitchen table, figuring things out, testing ideas, googling “how to remove white background in Canva.” You don’t need a fancy visual identity right away because the chances are, you’re still working out what your business actually is.
But eventually, there comes a point when you outgrow your DIY branding.
And when that happens, you need more than just a cute logo and a colour palette - you need a brand that actually does something.
So, how do you know when it’s time to hire a designer?
DIY branding is great when…
• You’re just getting started.
• You’re testing your offers and trying to figure out who your people are.
• Money’s tight and you’re not quite ready to invest.
• You just need something to get your idea out there.
In this phase, your branding doesn’t need to be perfect - it just needs to be enough to get you moving. So you can be learning, tweaking and evolving as you go.
You’re ready for a designer when…
You’ve nailed your offer: You’re no longer changing direction every five minutes. You know what you do, who it’s for and how it helps them.
You’re getting serious about growth: You’re thinking about wholesale, pitching to retailers and getting stocked IRL. At this point, your brand needs to look the part - retail-ready packaging design that meets requirements like barcodes and warnings, plus a strong visual identity for small businesses that makes buyers go “oooh, we want this on our shelves!”
You want strategy, not just the nice visuals: A professional designer doesn’t just make things look pretty. They build a branding strategy, thinking about your goals, your audience, your values and how to turn that into visuals that sell.
You’re overwhelmed doing it all yourself: You’ve spent longer choosing fonts than actually marketing your product. If you’ve hit that “this isn’t working” stage, it’s probably time to stop DIYing and look at when to hire a brand designer who can take your indie beauty or lifestyle brand to the next level.
You want consistency across the board: You’re done with mismatched Instagram posts, unclear packaging and “meh” first impressions. You want a confident brand presence across all platforms - from your shelf display to your Shopify store.
A designer doesn’t just make things look good, they solve problems like:
• Blending into the shelf and getting lost next to your competitors
• Feeling unsure how to visually represent your brand in a way that actually connects with the right people
• Holding yourself back from pitching or promoting because everything still feels half-baked
These things will stall your growth, knock your confidence and keep you playing small even if your product is amazing.
A professional designer can help you get clear on what your brand stands for and translate that into visuals that actually work.
But also, know that branding isn’t a magic wand..
It won’t make up for a weak product, poor customer service or no marketing plan.
But when done right, branding for small businesses can be the catalyst that makes everything else work better - especially if you’re trying to grow a beauty product brand or stand out in a crowded lifestyle market.
TL;DR?
• DIY branding has its place. So don’t feel bad for starting there - most of us do!
• A designer is worth the investment when you’re ready to scale.
• Branding isn’t just about looks - it’s about strategy, connection and selling your product.
If you’re at that next level stage and you’re ready for branding that actually works for you (not just looks good on your feed), let’s chat!
