Before I had a digital planner, my life was pretty disorganized. I had post-it notes stuck to everything and several half-filled notebooks that I would lose. I would miss appointments and just lacked a general sense of control over my schedule. 

I decided to launch a digital planner business because adopting a digital planner changed my life. I felt in control of things and on top of my meetings, client work, and projects. Not only that, but I was also able to plan ahead and take the next steps instead of always feeling like I was catching up. 

I didn’t know much about starting a digital planner business when I got started and honestly, I was frustrated on not finding any resource on how to start a stationery business, but I learned as I went. I used to enjoy designing presentation slides and knew how to use the hyperlink in Keynote and PowerPoint. I absolutely fell in love with UX and UI design and spend several hours a month learning about user experience, app design, and developing a solution based product. 

It’s not easy to start a business from scratch. I was often overwhelmed about what to work on next because I didn’t have a plan, strategy, or system. That meant I put a lot of effort into things that just weren’t working until I managed to design a system that did work.

If you’re looking to start your own digital planner business, then here are the 4 lessons I wish I knew before I started my digital planner business.

Lesson 1: Systems are everything

Since I mapped out a design system, I’m able to design much more efficiently. When I was getting started, I used to waste 2+ hours a day just looking for my files. I once ended up designing the same products twice because I didn’t have a reliable filing system. Now, I use Airtable to set up my Products HQ including digital planners, all my digital products, collections, testimonials, social media, launch plans, finances, family travel, collect forms, and more. I have designed over 200 products and Airtable saved my business. Here’s a sneaky link to check out my course Scale with Airtable.

In the beginning, I didn’t have project management tools. I just winged it. Now, I use Asana to manage my day-to-day tasks, teams and projects, including quarterly plans and launching new courses. Asana has a simple platform that’s intuitive to use and allows me to automate tasks and even maintain workflow organization when I’m out of the office.  

And lastly, I have learned the value of SOP’s. Having documentation is essential. It frees up mental space so that I can work on my project and not waste time thinking about what I should do next. 

Lesson 2: Finding your niche is important

Having a clear niche that resonates with me has helped me be crystal clear with my business goals. When I discovered what niche was right for me, my business really took off. That’s because I knew exactly what I was doing and who I was designing for. I went from having this wide scope and trying to design something for everyone and ended up wasting time and money. Finding your niche is an essential step to marketing your digital planners. 

Now, I can target my customers and design products they actually want and need. I can survey their pain points and find solutions that help them. I keep designing better and better products because I have a well-defined customer niche. 

I’m able to work in my zone of genius and scale quickly by working with brands that have the same niche and goals. When you work generically in an attempt to fit in everywhere, you find out pretty soon that you don’t really fit in anywhere. When you find your niche, you find your tribe and once that happens, you have the right network and connections that will help support your business growth. 

Lesson 3: You don’t need to be a designer, you just need to be willing to practice

You don’t need to be a designer, you just need to be willing to practice

Before I started my digital planner business, I spent days trying to figure how to:

• Understand planner design and page structure. Yes, I love planning but never really actually thought about how planners are designed!

• Systematize the hyperlink. If you designed a planner before you knew that the page design is only half the battle because adding hyperlinks is next.

• Streamline my design process. I used to get frustrated when I made a mistake with linking to the wrong page or numbering the dates wrong on the daily pages. Because that means I have to go through over 400+ pages to find the source of the error. Now I have a system where I can spot a mistake at a glance and not waste hours and sometimes days on the same planner. I share the exact system in my course, Digital Planner Design.

You don’t need a design tablet or hundreds of dollars in software. You really only need a computer to get started. There are tons of free resources and programs that allow you to create stunning digital products. 

If you know the basics of digital and product design, you’ll master it in no time. It really isn’t rocket science. Anyone can learn how to do it. If you want an awesome step-by-step process on learning how to design a digital planner that makes it all simple and accessible, sign up for my course. 

Lesson 4: Building a website and scaling past Etsy is really important

While Etsy is a great platform for getting started, at some point, you will need to move beyond Etsy and get your own website. When you have your own website, you can build a community with your customers and connect directly with them. You can create content, courses, and tutorials based on their specific needs. You can build relationships with customers over time whereas, on Etsy, it’s not guaranteed that a customer will ever buy from you again. 

When you have your own website, you can also capture and nurture leads. With Etsy, it’s all too common for your store to draw people to the site, only to have them purchase a product from a competitor instead. With your own website, you can offer a more robust shopping experience, catering to the needs of your customers and expressing your taste and style through your branded site. 

Finally, you can build funnels that generate sales on auto-pilot which is never a possibility with Etsy.  Click here to read my blog post on how your digital product business to scale beyond Etsy.

Lesson 5: Protect your products!

These things aren’t talked about enough and it’s only after you’ve seen your originally designed products being copied and sold by others that you realize how important this is. I’m telling you from the start that it’s important for you to copyright all your work. 

Include a disclaimer on your website - A disclaimer will protect your business against legal liability by stating that you are not responsible for how others use your site or content. 

Be clear in the language you use about the product description, usage, sharing, and license. Being as specific and explicit as you can ensure that you’re protected and that your customers are aware of what they’re able to do with your product. 

Final thoughts!

Having a digital planner business has changed my life. I get to do something I love and make passive income. I get to enjoy a flexible schedule that gives me more time with my family. I don’t suffer from burnout from constantly creating new ideas. My work works for me. I wouldn’t trade it for the world. 

If you want to start designing digital planners or you already are a digital planner designer and want to get better at processes and scaling, then sign up for my Digital Planner Academy. You’ll establish clarity about your business and gain confidence with your designs and business plans. You’ll gain access to ready-made templates, systems, and resources to help make the process as easy as it can be. Sign up today!

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