Design & Marketing Essentials
for Small Businesses
Save a fortune, create amazing designs and you’ll never need to hire a graphic designer again…
This 6 week course teaches you step-by-step how to create professional marketing material, that grabs your customer’s attention and grows your business!
Launches Summer 2022
You owe it to your business to know more about design and marketing so you can attract more customers to your business! This is an investment in your business and your team.
How your business shows-up, attracts and connects with your audience is critical for growth!
1st impressions count.
You might have a great product, you might have a great message but if you don’t have ‘great’ design – you won’t sell your stuff!
Why as a business owner you should take this course:
- Marketing should be at the CORE of your Money-Making-Machine!
- Design is a CRITICAL element in your business because it catches your customer’s attention – it stops the scroll.
- Imagine if you knew more about this stuff so you can make a BIG IMPACT in your business?
- ‘Good’ design attracts the right people, with the right message in the right way…
- What opportunities are you losing out on because you don’t have ‘good’ design in your business?
AND you’ll have your very own design tutor supporting you every step of the way on this 6-week journey – what other course offers you this?
Sign-up and learn all about Design and Marketing – so you can start making a difference in your business!
Testimonials
If you say "Yes that's me" to any of the points below - this course is for you...
- You've been running your business for a while, and knows the marketing material is not great - in fact it's embarrassing... but you don't know what to do about it!
- Watching YouTube videos and experimenting with Canva, feels like a waste of time when you don’t know what ‘good design’ actually looks like – or how to put colours, fonts and images together so that they look professional.
- You've tried copying or adapting other people’s social media posts because their posts get loads of engagement but yours don't and you don't know why...
- You're apologising as you hand over a business card or flyer because you know the design doesn’t reflect your business or the excellent service or products you offer.
- You are a budding solopreneur who is just starting out and wants to know the basics of how to connect with your customers and promote your business and be in control of your budget.
- You baulk at the idea of paying a designer every time you need a social media post or a new flyer for a one-day event.
- You just want to know HOW to make your designs look better without having to spend hours in front of your computer or spending a fortune hiring someone else to do it.
- You don't want to be a designer - but you know things have got to look better, so your marketing connects with your customers, it grabs their attention, so you sell more stuff, grow your business and get you the success you deserve!
...you are in the right place!
With only 2-3 hours commitment from you per week at the total cost of £9.55 per week – this course will give you the tools, inspiration and support you need on your design and marketing journey, so you can confidently create your own professional-looking marketing material for your business. Saving you time and money!
Look What's Inside
Throughout this course you will be using Canva which is free and great online design programme - perfect for non-designers! The content of this course is designed to give you an in-depth understanding of design and marketing so you can do it yourself, stop wasting time, take control and grow your business.
Week 1: Setting Goals and exploring Canva
This first week you’ll set yourself a goal to be able to create in the Implementation week during week 6. This could be a flyer, a series of branded social media posts or templates, produce your own branding style guide that makes it easier to ensure all your internal comms are consistently branded in future. You’ll be able to go through the Design Fundamentals using Canva (free bonus masterclass) to introduce yourself to this online design programme or brush up on your skills, as we will be using Canva to create your design and marketing materials throughout the course.
Week 2 Module 1: Design Theory
This module will set you up for success with the rest of the course, as you’ll learn the fundamental rules of design in more detail, what to do and – crucially – what NOT to do. So you’ll recognise what makes a good design and bad design, and how to make your designs look better. By the end of this module, you will have used Canva to produce great-looking graphics, know your brand style, fonts and colours for your business that you’ll be able to use straight away.
Week 3 Module 2: Business, Branding and Marketing
Building on the design theory you learned in module 1, you’ll learn how to apply it specifically to your business and make any refinements to your branding as necessary. You may already have a clear vision of what your business stands for – but times change, as do your customers’ habits. That’s why it’s good to review your business’s branding and messages to make sure these continue to resonate with your customers. By the end of this module you will have a complete set of brand guidelines, confirmed your values and goals with a business reference guide you can refer to when creating marketing materials for your business.
Week 4 Module 3: Design for Print
The next step is learning to design for print – your own business cards, flyers, leaflets, handouts or internal comms etc. You’ll learn how to be consistent with your brand’s colours and fonts, so that people start recognising and engaging more with your brand and how it ties in your marketing strategy. By the end of this module, you will have created a series of designs for printed marketing materials, which you will be able to develop and adapt as you need them and learn how to send your design to print.
Week 5 Module 4: Design for Web
In the final module you’ll use the skills and experience you gained in the previous modules to create designs for blog posts, social media posts and newsletters. You’ll know how to optimise the design of your social media business pages, and how to produce the headers and branded graphics for your profiles. By the end of this module, you’ll have the ideas and the tools you need to fill up a content calendar and could have all your planned social media content for the next 3 months.
Week 6 Module 5: Implementation week
During the final week of the course, you’ll combine your understanding and new design skills and put everything you’ve learned into practice with the support from me by your side. Your aim is to achieve the goal you set at the beginning of the course by creating and refining marketing material that you can use straight away to promote your business. You will be able to show off your designs in our last week’s Design Clinic, to celebrate your design journey and success on the course.
You’ll feel confident and excited about doubling down on your marketing efforts, as you’ll have far more clarity about your business, your brand and how to incorporate this into your marketing materials. AND you could have your very own content plan, branded templates or a great flyer design all ready to go and start promoting your business.
And you’ll get ALL of this...
Launches Summer 2022
- 5 modules and 20 video tutorials led by me, a professional designer and qualified design teacher, showing you EVERYTHING you need to know to start designing amazing marketing material to promote your business like a pro!
- 16+ free Canva design templates that you can use to create your business cards, flyers, posters and graphics for multiple social media channels as well as your brand guidelines and marketing style guide
- PDF lesson summaries, worksheets, checklists and cheat sheets that you can print out and easily refer back to
- Step-by-step, over-the-shoulder Canva tutorials where I’ll share my screen, demonstrate the difference between good and bad design, and show you how to design your own social media posts and banners, website graphics, flyers, posters and business cards. So you’ll be able to produce at least one design for your business by the end of each module
- Email support and a weekly Design Clinic LIVE with me, where you can share your work, ask any questions and I can give you feedback, and offer support via Zoom if you’re feeling stuck or need help with any of the module tasks
- Your own content plan and marketing strategy for 2022, so you can put your marketing straight onto autopilot
- Lifetime access to the course, so you can study in your own time, watch lessons again and have access to all future updates
You’ll get access to 1 module per week every Monday, except for the final Implementation Week, where you’ll spend the week consolidating your knowledge and skills, practising what you’ve learned and complete your design goal.
This saves you from overwhelm and the temptation to rush through the whole course in one sitting! When you focus on one module at a time, you spend more time practising each of your new design skills. I’ve found this is the best way for students to learn, and for me to give you the individual support you need along the way.
Your goal will be to complete the course with a set of effective, branded marketing materials you feel proud of, look amazing and can start to use immediately to promote your business.
...and you'll get at least these 3 Bonus Modules
- DME Bonus 1: Design Fundamentals with Canva 1hr Masterclass which enables you to become familiar with the 10 Design Pillars and the basics of how to use Canva - which is a great opportunity to learn these basic skills before embarking on the modules. (Real value £145).
- DME Bonus 2: Private Design & Marketing Essentials Facebook Group. Connect with Sarah and other students and get full support inside the members-only DME Facebook Group, ask questions when you get stuck, and share your projects and celebrate your wins. So you’ll have support and accountability every step of the way for 6 weeks, giving you the best chance of getting over the finish line! The more you put in - the more you get out of it! (Value £375)
- DME Bonus 3: 6 weeks of Live Q&A Design Clinics. On Thursdays you’ll have the opportunity to meet with Sarah, your designer and teacher, and the group in a LIVE zoom session, where you can get your questions answered or feedback, guidance and advice on any of the topics covered each week, during the 6 weeks of running the course. (Value £495)
10 Day Money Back Guarantee
If you’re a small business owner and you’re committed to moving your marketing to the next level by designing your own professional-looking marketing materials, Design & Marketing Essentials teaches you EVERYTHING you need to know. Plus you’ll have support from me, your professional designer and qualified design teacher, during the course whenever you need it.
After 10 days of the course starting, you will have taken the Design Fundamentals Masterclass and have been introduced to the first module: Design Theory which gives you an insight into how and why design is important in your business to connect with your customers.
You’ll feel more confident knowing more about design, and you’ll be able to use Canva to create your first graphics.
However, if after 10 days you’re still feeling lost, and you’re not feeling confident and motivated to learn more, get in touch to show me what you’ve done so far. I will give you guidance to help you get back on track, and if you’re still not feeling satisfied, I will be happy to refund your course fee.
So this really is a risk-free investment for you!
Your Burning Questions Answered
Yes, I have made this course with beginners and non-designers in mind because you need ‘good design’ on your business in order to stand out and look good!
If you’ve dabbled in Canva or Publisher, but have not yet produced any designs that you like or that you think are good enough then you will learn a lot on this course to help you develop your skills.
I know you don’t want to be a designer – you just want to know how to design things better and this course will go through all the fundamentals of design and marketing so you are equipped and more knowledgeable to market and promote your business better!
I have been teaching design and marketing for over 15 years and know I can teach anyone the basic design skills and
No, that’s the beauty of this course – you can use the free version of Canva throughout, which will allow you to do everything you want to do. There’s no need to pay a fortune for complicated programs like Adobe.
Realistically, if you spend 2-3 hours (half a day) each week on each module, this will be enough time to watch each lesson once, do the task or create the designs.
But if you want to improve your design skills, then practice makes perfect. The more time you spend going back over the lessons and practising, the more familiar you’ll become with the tools and techniques, and the quicker and more confident you’ll become at creating designs that you and your customers will love.
And if you’re short of time one week, don’t worry. You have lifetime access to the course, so you can go through the modules any time you want. You’ll also have an implementation week at the end of the course to catch up on the modules from previous weeks, and ask any questions that come up along the way.
The Design & Marketing Essentials course is an investment because you are gaining knowledge and skills about how design and marketing can make a huge impact in your business.
If you were to pay a professional designer to create each of the following materials for you it would cost you a lot more than going on the course!
Branding guidelines (£75), letterhead and business card (£135), 8 branded social media posts (£85.00), social media banner (£45), a flyer (£150), a poster (£90) – take a look at my design website to see for yourself sarahbatesdesign.co.uk
The skills you learn on this course will mean you can create all of these marketing materials yourself without spending hours (or a fortune) on each one and be able to create them to a good standard because I am there – your designer adviseing, supporting and showing you how to do it!
Plus if you use the Sarah Bates Design Facebook group and use the hashtag #askSarah then I can help you, give you feedback on your design so you’ll continue to get the support even after the live course has finished.
Investing in this course – is investing in yourself, your staff and your business!
Yes – you will have an understanding of what good and bad design is and have more confidence using Canva to be able to experiment and explore designs. You will know the design process and be able to apply this to your own designs.
However Canva is just a programme and it will take time and practice as with any skill to get better and improve.
If you get stuck during any masterclass tutorials – join the private Design and Marketing Essentials Facebook group and drop in a post in there, using #askSarah, and then I can help you directly, or if it’s something I think the everyone may need help with, I will jump on Facebook Live to run through it.
Ultimately, if you want to make change happen in your business, you need to decide now if you’re committed to completing the course, so you can take your business and marketing to the next level with professional-looking designs you’ve created yourself.
People often give up on courses when they get stuck. With live weekly Design Clinics where you can ask questions and unlimited email access to me during the course, you’re guaranteed the support you need whenever you do get stuck. You can also get peer support in the private Facebook group, which is a great place to share your thoughts, pains and wins!
I know that life can get in the way and that unforeseen events can come up, and everything can get a bit overwhelming. That’s why I’ll be releasing one module each week, and you’ll have a week at the end to catch up on anything you need to.
As you’ll have lifetime access to this online course and be able to log in whenever you want, you’ll be able to access and refer back to the materials and modules anytime, from anywhere. This gives you the time and flexibility to learn in your own time.
I know you’ll finish this course. Because you know that by making this investment, you’re investing in yourself and in your business.
If you want to hire me or pay me a retainer to help with your design and marketing then give me a call and we can have a chat! Head over to my Sarah Bates Design website and you can take a look at the kind of designs and clients I have, read what I have to say and if we are a good fit – I’d love to hear from you.
But I honestly believe for the small everyday stuff – the social media posts, email graphics, blog posts you can do this yourself within your business, I know because I have taught 100s of business owners before!
As with anything skills take practice to get better at them – so keep practicing and you will get better.
If something is beyond your ability right now, then that’s ok and it’s why I offer The Design Solution, so I can do the designs for you, work with you on getting the everyday stuff sorted, train you and your staff if needed and being able to advise and design the bigger stuff when needed.
This is my specialism, this is where I am an expert and if getting me in to do the bigger stuff, like your logo or a rebrand, brochure or leaflet design works for you, then that’s great – please get in touch.
I like to work with my clients longer term, as I can really get to know your business and so the design bit gets easier and we get to work together on your business. and the whole process is more effective with better results!
This course runs twice a year, the next opportunity will be summer 2022.
However the price of the course goes up whenever the next course runs.
But as part of the alumni, you have life-time access to the course and so you can keep coming back and revisiting the modules, learning at your own pace.
Plus you get access to any updates as part of my commitment to you – so you have got nothing to loose!
If you do not value design or understand how critical it is to your business in attracting customers.
Or maybe you think it is just putting a photo and a bit of text together without any thought and if this is the case then this course will teach you about how important GOOD design is in grabbing your customer’s attention – but you have to be prepared and want to learn.
If you think you can learn this design and marketing stuff yourself without any professional help or input, and just keep watching free YouTube tutorials.
You are not prepared to put the ground work in and commit to developing your design awareness, understanding and skills!
If you don’t want to learn or understand why design or marketing are critical for business growth.
I can help to support you, guide you, teach you but I cannot make you do it, so you should come on this course because you need and want to understand more about this design stuff in order to make your marketing material more effective and to know how to make it look good, so you can grow your business!
Change will only happen with effort.
Sarah says...
First impressions count. In an image-bombarded world, you have to make sure your business ‘shows-up’ to engage our customers and attract potential leads and you can only do this if your marketing material looks good. Every business needs good design!
Your commitment:
- Time: 2-3 hours per week going through the module’s lessons and the activities
- Join the DME private Facebook group and the Design Clinics as additional support, where you can get your questions answered, and feedback on your designs as you go through the course
- This is an investment for you, your team and your business and with life-time access it’s a no-brainer!
You’ll have the underpinning knowledge and skills, to be able to use design effectively to attract the right audience, create professional looking graphics – with the support of me for 6 weeks! So you’ll learn and grow and start designing like a pro!
Sarah x