Graphic design platform offers free marketing templates for MSMEs

Graphic design platform Canva launched Canva for Negosyo to help entrepreneurs take their negosyos (businesses) online.

Canva for Negosyo has free resources—including branding video tutorials, informational blogs, and customizable marketing templates—useful for designing and managing a small online business. Fashion and food images, curated based on the common needs of MSMEs, are available too for those with a limited budget for photography.

Creating an account is not necessary to access these resources.

“We want to be the Filipino entrepreneurs’ ally and give them a headstart as they take their businesses online,” said Maisie Littaua, head of growth for Canva Philippines. Many micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) are transitioning their businesses digitally to keep up with the times, but find themselves in an unfamiliar environment where they have little to no experience.

BusinessWorld reported that “the Department of Trade and Industry tallied 839,444 business registrations between January and early November, outpacing the 2019 full year by 32%. … Online business registrations totaled 82,870 from the start of the lockdown in March to Nov. 4. There were only 1,753 registrations for online businesses in January.”

Five toolkits available on the Canva for Negosyo page represent businesses that are among the most popular with entrepreneurs: lutong bahay (home-cooked meals); manufactured skincare products; DIY laundry shops; electronics; and cafes.

“These are the types of businesses that can also scale up so there’s a need for consistent branding to grow their business, so these toolkits are made for that,” said Ms. Littaua.

Canva for Negosyo has a Facebook community where entrepreneurs can interact and collaborate with fellow users. Some of the most common queries asked in the group include those in relation to design improvement plus requests for specific business templates. Canva is open to expanding its collection based on the needs of Filipino business owners.

Apart from Canva for Negosyo, the design and publishing platform also offers Canva for Education, a creativity and collaboration tool with education-specific content for teachers. A series of webinars acquainting Filipino teachers with the tool led to the creation of a similar support group on Facebook for educators. — Patricia B. Mirasol

Green Modern Process Infographic