You've seen other business owners who have websites and social media feeds and email newsletters that just look so. dang. professional...and you're dying to get to that level, too!

You've been considering trying to learn Illustrator or Photoshop to improve your branding. Or perhaps you've thought about buying a professional camera to get better photos. You wonder if you should just hire someone to help you make your handouts and materials look better.

But when will you have the time or budget to do that?

Here are some of my favorite free resources for folks who are just getting going and need something to step up their branding game in a hurry.

Issue: My design skills are non-existent

Try: Canva

Canva is a free resource that helps you design posters, flyers, and graphics for social media without needing any special software or design skills. Use one of the templates (see below) or choose colors, fonts, and add logos for brand consistency.

Issue: I need great stock photography

Try: Unsplash or Kaboom Pics

The options for free stock photography keep getting better. Whether you need a background image for a banner on your website or an image for a blog post, using free stock photography is great way to go. Kaboom Pics even lets you search images by color scheme to get just the right look.

Screenshot of just a few options when searching for "cake"

Issue: I need to make videos quickly and easily (with as little tech as possible!)

Try: Loom

Loom is a free and easy way to make videos to put on social media, to embed on your website, or just to share with a client. You can make a video of just you talking, or you can record your screen at the same time. This isn't a way to make flashy videos, but it's a great way to make videos that are ready to share instantly.

Screenshot of a Loom video I made for a client!

Issue: I need make my client forms more professional

Try: Type Form

I love Type Form for making good looking forms for things like client intake forms, contact forms, applications, questionnaires, sign up sheets, you name it! The basic plan is free and perfect if you're just getting started. You'll feel way more professional when you send these out to customers.