Wow, what a year! I always love reading about how other small businesses do things, which is why I wanted to put together a recap of the last year. It’s been exciting, busy, and at times exhausting, but we’ve learned a ton and have big plans for 2022!

You’ve put in the work, launched your new web site, and now you’re wondering how the heck SEO (search engine optimization) works (i.e., “How do I show up on Google?”). It’s a complex topic, but we wanted to share some additional tips (in addition to the basic SEO work that we do on our client sites) for improving your chances of showing up higher in search results over time.

It’s that time of year again! And we’ve got gift ideas for all of the freelancers, small business owners, and entrepreneurs in your life. Whether it’s something for your business bestie, clients, or even, ahem, yourself, here are some of our favorites!

We are so excited to begin offering Design VIP Days and couldn’t wait to share some of the exciting things happening behind the scenes! First up is Ms. Anna Lee, a fine artist, fashion designer, and creative guide (through her incredible chakra portraits!) based in the Minneapolis area. Anna did two half day VIP sessions so that we could focus on two key areas: getting her new Squarespace site up and running, and building out a social media strategy to promote her upcoming offerings.

Isn’t this why we got into business in the first place?

“Instead of wondering when your next vacation is, maybe you should set up a life you don't need to escape from.” ― Seth Godin

You’ve probably heard some variation of this quote before, and now that I’m squarely in my forties, I feel like I truly understand it. I’ve started to look at this idea from a few different angles…

As a long-time solopreneur I always shrugged off the idea of hiring help. I was used to doing it all myself, and it seemed like I never quite had the margins to pay someone yet (let alone take time to train them). Once 2021 got going, my perspective quickly changed. I was buried in deadlines and knew it wasn’t sustainable, especially if I wanted to scale.

Perhaps you’ve noticed over the years that web design has become more responsive and flexible to help it display well on a variety of devices, like your desktop monitor, iPad, and phone. What does this have to do with your logo? Well, as technology and use cases evolve, your logo should too. Very rarely does a one-size-fits-all logo work equally well across multiple media any more, and the new digital landscape we live in has made it even more necessary to have a beautiful logo that is flexible enough to adapt across them all.

We get this question a lot from new business owners, and honestly, it depends! Most people rely on a cell phone (vs. a landline) now for both personal communications and business. If that’s the case, how do you feel about clients having your phone number?

Maybe it’s the extra hour of daylight or the new blooms on our daily walk, but spring always feels like an opportunity to refresh your surroundings and shake the dust off. The same can be true for your business! Our latest blog post shares some of our thoughts on spring cleaning for your small business.

Every once in a while, we get a client who has a really solid business idea but for whatever reason hasn’t landed on a good business name yet. This can hold things as up, as you need a business name potentially for your business filing (LLC, etc.) or DBA status, the wording used in your logo, and your web site domain, custom email addresses, and social media account handles.

Holy cow! It’s March 2021 and we’re about one year into the COVID-19 pandemic. Looking back at the last twelve months, we’ve seen a lot of pivots and shifts with small businesses as well as creative solutions from our clients and others figuring out how to make it work. Here are some of the ways we’ve seen businesses adjust their offerings to accommodate the everchanging rules and keep their customers safe.

Plants can be great for bringing a little nature and clean air to your work space, as well as the rumored benefits of lowering stress and increasing creativity. Meg here! Maybe you’re like me and terrible with plants. Or maybe you’re like my friend Andrea, who is a pro at house plants and keeping them alive. I’ve asked Andrea to impart her wisdom by sharing the best plants for your office set up and how to keep them healthy.