When to Hire a Brand Designer (and When DIY is Okay)

Are you secretly afraid your business still looks like a side hustle? When you started your business, DIY branding made sense—you needed something quick, affordable, and good enough to get going. Fast-forward, and now you’ve outgrown the “side-hustle” era but your brand still looks stuck there.

The truth is that branding isn’t just about looking good online or on paper—it’s about creating a personality for your business that builds trust, aligns with your values, and attracts the right people. And if you’re business is steadily growing, it might be time for your visual identity to catch up.

So how do you know if DIY branding is still serving you or when to hire a brand designer? That’s what we’re going to unpack in this post.

Why We DIY in the First Place

DIY branding is the go-to move for most new businesses. You’ve already invested in inventory, websites, permits—dropping more on design just doesn’t feel doable. So you open Canva, save a few Pinterest mood boards, and wing it.

When you first start a business, you’re scrappy, moving fast, and making things work with what you’ve got. DIY branding is often the first sign of resourcefulness in a business owner, that’s something to be proud of!

But just like we outgrow old mindsets and ways of doing things in our businesses, we also outgrow old logos. What worked for you when you had 10 customers, won’t work for you now that you’re pushing for 100. There comes a point where you have to ask yourself, does your brand reflect where your business started? or where it’s headed?

The Real Cost of DIY Branding (And Why It’s Hurting Your Business)

Like I mentioned before, starting out, it makes total sense to DIY your brand. You’re starting a business on a budget, so upfront it seems obvious to cut what you can so easily do yourself online. At some point, your DIY branding stops saving you money and starts costing you confidence, opportunities, and dream customers. If your visuals don’t reflect the value of what you’re offering, you’re sending mixed signals without even realizing it.

A brand that doesn’t align isn’t just an aesthetics issue, it’s a trust issue—and trust is the base of any transaction in business. That color palette you found by Googling “branding for beach businesses”? Your competitor found it too. The logo you found on Canva because it included a palm tree? The same design 100s of other tropical businesses have chosen. In a sea of sameness, your visuals are the first impression and what’s going to help you stand out online. If dream clients don’t feel your value in the first 3 seconds, they’re gone.

What a Brand Designer Actually Does

Branding isn’t just about pretty colors or a cute logo. It’s the strategy behind how your business shows up and how people feel when they find you. It’s about messaging, positioning, clarity, and consistency. Making your brand prettier is just a bonus that comes out of it but making it clearer, stronger, and more aligned with your values and mission—that’s the real tea.

A brand designer will help you translate what’s already in your head into something that your dream customers find irresistible. Aside from creating a brand personality that visually and aesthetically aligns with what you and your customers have been searching for, working with a designer frees up time for you to do the things you love most.

What would you be doing with the time you’ve spent on YouTube trying to create your own logo? Would you be creating a new secret menu for your cafe? Sipping a latte on the beach while painting your next masterpiece? What about just taking that extra time you have to unplug by the pool with a good book and just enjoy some of the benefits that encouraged you to start a business in the first place?

Being a business owner doesn’t mean becoming a jack-of-all-trades, it’s about learning to delegate what you’re not an expert at and focusing your time and energy on what you do best and what lights you up the most. Working with a professional brand designer saves you hours and helps you build a consistent, strategic brand that actually connects. What would it feel like to know your brand and website were working for you, even while you’re off the grid for a weekend?

How to Know You Need a Rebrand

There are a few signs your business needs branding (one of them being that you’re reading this article 👀). You might be ready to work with a brand designer if…

• You’re getting more inquiries but not conversions. You’re busy, but your brand isn’t closing the deal.
• You’re overworked and underpaid. You’re ready to raise your prices but your visuals don’t justify it.
• You’re too embarrassed to send people to your website. Or worse, you never send them at all.
• You’re craving consistency, not just in your visuals but how customers experience your business.
• Your visuals don’t match your value. Your brand doesn’t match the quality of what you’re offering.
• You’ve noticed that dream customers ghost you after checking out your social media or website.
• You’re having to sell the hell out of your business because your brand and website don’t.

These aren’t things to be ashamed of, if anything you should be PROUD because what these signs are showing you is that your DIY branding has done its job. It’s brought you this far and helped you build a solid foundation for your rebrand to work off of.

Rebranding might sound overwhelming but you don’t have to start from scratch. That’s exactly why I created my Mini Brand Identity Package. It offers affordable branding for small businesses owners who are ready for a visual identity that actually matches their personality, values, and story.

Still DIYing it for now? Grab my free Get Found Roadmap—it’s packed with tips on how to improve your business visibility, even before a rebrand.

But if you’re just not sure yet what you need and you’re looking for a gut check, let’s chat. I offer free brand consultations for small businesses looking to level up. No pressure, just honest guidance. Fill out the form here to book your free brand consultation.