Lesson 3.2: Printable Calendars & Planners

Many people love to use printable calendars and planners to organize their lives. They are simple to design in Canva and are a great product to sell online. In this lesson, we’ll create two types of printable templates that your customers can download and print at home.

The Opportunity: Why Printables Are a Great Business

Creating and selling digital products like planners and calendars is a fantastic business for a Kenyan entrepreneur for a few simple reasons:

• Low Cost, High Profit: You only need your phone and the free Canva app. There are no production costs or expensive machines needed to get started.

• No Stock, No Storage: Since the product is digital, you never have to worry about storing inventory or running out of stock. You create it once and can sell it an unlimited number of times.

• Always in Demand: Students, parents, professionals, and small business owners always need a way to organize their tasks, goals, and daily life. You can design products that help people solve a problem.

By making a simple, beautiful template, you’re selling a solution. Your customers just need to download the PDF, and they can print it as many times as they want!

Creating a Simple Monthly Calendar

1. Start a New Design: From the Canva home screen, tap the plus (+) button and search for calendar.

2. Choose a Free Template: Look for a free template that has a simple layout you like. You want one that is undated, so your customer can use it for any month or year. An undated calendar has spaces for the days of the week and dates, but the numbers and month are left blank.

3. Customize with Your Style:

   • Change the colors of the template to colors that you like.

   • Change the font of the days of the week (like Sunday, Monday, etc.) to a font that is easy to read.

   • Add a simple design or element, like a small flower or a pattern, to the top of the page.

Creating a Weekly Planner or To-Do List

A to-do list is even simpler than a calendar and is a great option for a first product.

1. Start a New Design: Tap the plus (+) button and search for weekly planner or to-do list.

2. Choose a Free Template: Look for a free template that has boxes or lines where people can write their tasks.

3. Make it Your Own:

   • Change the title to something like “My Weekly Goals” or “Daily To-Do List.”

   • Add a simple decorative element to make it look unique. For example, a checklist icon or a fancy border.

   • Ensure the colors are clean and simple, like shades of gray, blue, or green.

You have now created two more products for your portfolio! In the next lesson, we’ll design something that’s perfect for a small business: bottle wrappers and product labels.

Is this new version better? Are you ready to continue to the next lesson?