5 Profitable Online Business Ideas with Canva for Beginners

Today, starting an online business is easier than ever, especially with tools like Canva. Whether you’re a beginner or familiar with basic design principles, Canva’s powerful, user-friendly platform empowers you to create stunning visuals for various business purposes. Whether social media graphics, marketing materials, or creating digital products, Canva provides everything you need to kickstart new businesses with minimal effort.

One of the best things about Canva is its easy-to-use feature – you don’t need to be a graphic designer or any expensive software to get started for your small businesses. Canva drag-and-drop design features and its vast library of pre-made templates allow anyone to create professional-quality designs in just a few clicks. Whether considering sell canva templates on Etsy, offering social media management services, or even designing and selling design elements, Canva can help you turn your good idea into reality.

In this blog post, I’ll share 5 profitable online business ideas that anyone can start using Canva, even with little design experience. These business ideas are ideal for beginners looking to make money online while leveraging Canva’s vast resources. Let’s explore how you can transform your creativity into a successful online business using Canva.

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No 1: Selling Digital Products

The first small business you can start is selling digital products, which can generate anywhere from $1,000 to $10,000 for me monthly. Digital products include digital planners, artwork, journals, online courses, and more. 

Let's say you want to begin with online courses :

  • Find a specific information or niche that your passions or skills
  • Create an online course in that niche with Canva. 
  • Canva's recording function enables you to record your screen and yourself. You can easily create a tutorial for any niche you want to create an online course and then enhance it with graphics or text. All can be done with a Canva Pro account easily.
  • Teachable is a great way to help you upload and sell your course.
  • Promote your course on social media accounts to drive sales. 
  • For example, I love Canva, so I can create courses with helpful canva tips and sell them to my potential clients. 
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Selling digital products on Marketplace, such as Etsy, Creative Market, Gumroad, and stan store, is popular nowadays, and many people make extra money as a side hustle as well with this method.

  • Search for trending items like planners, notebooks, or journals on Etsy to get ideas. 
  • Use Canva to create your digital products, leveraging its pre-made templates
  • Start with 5 to 10 different products and narrow down as you get comfortable.
  • Etsy will drive traffic to your products, but use free social media traffic to scale up. 
  • Post content on all social media platforms to increase sales. 

These simple ways can help you start your business as a small startup. 


No 2: Print on Demand

Print-on-demand is another excellent business model in which you sell custom products without holding any inventory. Platforms like Printify or Printful allow you to create your own designs and list your products on your own website. When a customer makes a purchase, Printify handles the production and shipping, so you don't have to worry about inventory management.

You can design various products with unique designs, such as t-shirts, mugs, and hats, but custom artwork tends to sell the best. This model is easy to set up and makes thousands of dollars per month business.

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Here are a few steps to kick-start your print-on-demand business with Canva and Printify 

  • Start by creating an Etsy account to sell your products and a Printify account to design them.
  • Use AI tools to create your artwork or text quotes. 
  • If you give a prompt to Canva Text to Image, you will receive a high-quality generated image within a second. 
  • Once your design is ready, upload it to Printify, finish your canvas, and start selling on Etsy. 
  • Printify will be responsible for the whole printing process until delivery, so you only need to focus on marketing the product.

No 3: Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing is another lucrative income stream for me that generates over $5,000 monthly. It involves promoting a brand's product or service with a unique link and earning a commission for each sale made through your affiliate link. 

Pinterest affiliate marketing is an excellent option for beginners as it doesn't require showing your face; you only need to post Pinterest graphics that can engage with your audience.

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  • Start by picking a niche you're interested in
  • Look for high-paying affiliate links on platforms like Impact.com and Clickbank.com
  • Creating your custom website with blog posts showcasing your affiliate links can make you look more legitimate. 
  • Promote your affiliate links by posting content on Pinterest. You can also run Pinterest ads to boost your reach.
  • Consistency is vital; post 3 to 5 images promoting your affiliate links daily.  Create these images using Canva, which takes about 5 to 10 minutes. 
  • Over time, this consistent effort will start generating income.

This business model offers a scalable way to earn passive income with minimal upfront investment.


No 4: Starting an Agency (Canva Creator Agency)

Starting an agency is another profitable business model. As an agency owner, you provide and get paid for a service. For example, a video editing agency edits videos for clients. 

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  • To start, choose a service you're skilled at, such as video editing, logo design, business cards design, writing, or scripting. 
  • For example, since I am skilled at design, I could start providing graphic design services, such as design logos for business owners.
  • The next step is to Budget your startup costs; initially, you can do everything yourself to save money.
  • Determine your pricing by researching what others charge. 
  • Create a business name and a website, which you can build using Hostinger. 
  • Social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and Pinterest are always important to marketing your service.
  • Look at what other agencies are doing and emulate their strategies.
  • Another way to get clients is to email potential customers from your email list, explaining your services and how you can help them. 

Once you land your first client, focus on keeping them happy and scaling your business by hiring more team members. This business model requires effort but offers significant long-term rewards.


No 5: Freelance Canva Designer

Freelance Canva Design is a straightforward business, especially with the help of AI and Canva. As a freelance designer, you can provide services like creating social media content, YouTube tutorials, and video sales letters. You can also use tools like Canva to simplify the design process.

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  • To start, market yourself on platforms like Fiverr and Upwork. 
  • Look at how other freelancers advertise their services and do something similar. 
  • Initially, you may need to offer lower prices to attract your first ideal clients, but you can increase your rates as you gain experience.
  • Remember to promote your product on social media. This will definitely help you get more clients. 

This business is in high demand and can easily earn six figures annually. It's a no-brainer if you're looking for a simple yet profitable business.


Conclusion

The five identified successful business ideas show how business owners can use Canva to start a successful online business. For instance, if you want to design digital products to sell on Etsy, create packages for your social media management services, or even launch custom merchandise, everything becomes easy with Canva due to its multiple resources and templates. Thanks to its low price and relative ease of use, Canva is ideal for first-time entrepreneurs who do not possess the necessary design skills and want to save money on better software.