THE REAL FUNDAMENTALS OF RUNNING YOUR OWN BUSINESS
The Blog for the Small Business Owner
Being a business owner means we're always learning. We're so excited to share our knowledge with you! These articles are inspired by FAQs you have and common issues/myths we hear and see in the design and marketing industry.
Explore to find tools, resources, and more to understand how to grow your business the right way!
Featured Blog Posts
The Ultimate Health & Wellness Brand Shoot Guide
A strong brand shoot is more than just professional headshots—it should capture the full essence of your health and wellness business, including your approach, environment, tools, and client experience. This guide will help you create a strategic collection of images for your website, social media, and marketing materials.
The Ultimate Mental Health Brand Shoot Guide
A strong brand shoot is more than just professional headshots—it should capture the full scope of your real estate business, including your personality, expertise, and the buying or selling experience you offer. This guide will help you create a stunning and strategic collection of images for your website, social media, and marketing materials.
The Ultimate Interior Designer & Home Stager Brand Shoot Guide
A well-planned brand shoot for your interior design or home staging business should capture more than just headshots—it should showcase your creative process, styled spaces, and brand personality. This guide will help you plan a shoot that provides a strong visual identity and a content library for your website, social media, and marketing materials.
The Ultimate Medical Aesthetics Brand Shoot Guide
A brand shoot for your medical aesthetics business should go beyond headshots—it should tell the full story of your brand. From the client experience to the tools of your trade, this guide will ensure you capture the essence of your business and create a powerful library of images for marketing, social media, and your website.
The Ultimate Design & Build Brand Shoot Guide
A professional brand shoot for your design and build business should showcase more than just finished projects. It should capture the full scope of your expertise, process, and brand personality. This guide ensures you walk away with a powerful collection of images for your marketing, website, and social media.
The Ultimate Beauty Industry Brand Shoot Guide
A successful brand shoot for your beauty business should showcase more than just headshots—it should highlight your artistry, expertise, client experience, and the ambiance of your space. Whether you’re a salon owner, makeup artist, hair stylist, wax specialist, or spa owner, this guide will help you create a diverse and powerful image library for marketing, social media, and your website.
The Ultimate Athletics Brand Shoot Guide
A brand shoot for athletics-based businesses—dance studios, yoga instructors, fitness trainers, martial arts schools, and other movement-focused brands—should capture the energy, expertise, and atmosphere of your business. This guide ensures you get a dynamic collection of images that reflect your brand identity and engage your audience.
The Ultimate B2B Brand Shoot Guide
A brand shoot for B2B professionals—business coaches, marketing experts, creative directors, life coaches, and consultants—should go beyond standard headshots. It should capture your expertise, working style, and the experience of collaborating with you. This guide will help you create a dynamic and strategic collection of images for your website, social media, and marketing materials.
The Ultimate Realtor Brand Shoot Guide
A strong brand shoot is more than just professional headshots—it should capture the full scope of your real estate business, including your personality, expertise, and the buying or selling experience you offer. This guide will help you create a stunning and strategic collection of images for your website, social media, and marketing materials.
The Ultimate Finance, Accounting, Legal & Insurance Brand Shoot Guide
A brand shoot for finance, accounting, legal professionals, and insurance brokers should go beyond traditional headshots. It should communicate trust, professionalism, and expertise while showing your personality and approachability. This guide ensures you capture compelling images to elevate your brand and marketing efforts.
Your Brand, Website, Images & Copy: The Non-Negotiable Foundations of Your Business
If you’ve been thinking about updating your website, redoing your logo, or maybe just ‘fixing’ your copy, I need to stop you right there. Because none of these things exist in a vacuum. Your brand, website, images, and copy are a package deal—each one working together to make your business look good, sound good, and feel good to your ideal clients.
Why Your Brand Might Be Missing the Mark (Even If You Have a Logo and Colours)
Many business owners have a logo. They’ve picked colours and fonts. They might even have a website. And when asked, they can confidently list their values, ideal audience, and mission. But here’s the problem…
What Grade Is Your Business In? And Are You Investing at the Right Level?
Just like your age dictates what grade you're in at school, your years in business should dictate where and how you invest. But unlike school, where there's a curriculum guiding you, entrepreneurship is a free-for-all. No one is handing you a syllabus saying, "Hey, it's time to upgrade your brand and website now."
Why Branding and Website Costs Vary Wildly—And What You’re Really Paying For
Let’s talk about the elephant in the room—sticker shock. If you've ever received a quote for branding, website design, or photography and thought, "Why is this so expensive?"—you’re not alone. The truth is, these services vary dramatically based on what’s included (or not included). Comparing prices without understanding the depth of each offering is like comparing a fast-food burger to a gourmet meal—they might seem similar, but the experience, quality, and results are worlds apart.
Why Investing $10K in Your Brand is the Smartest Business Move You'll Make
And no, we aren’t suggesting a $10k logo.
When small business owners hear a $10,000 investment for branding, website design, professional copywriting, and brand photography, the initial reaction is often sticker shock. But here’s the truth: this isn’t just a website or a logo—it’s a foundational investment that will pay for itself (and then some) when done right.
Does Your Brand Look Cheap, DIY, Amateur, or Just Plain Bad?
We get it—strong branding is a big investment, and you might have thought a DIY approach was “good enough” when you started. But here’s the thing: Your visuals are the first impression potential customers have of your business. If they look cheap, amateur, or poorly thought-out, you might be losing trust—and sales—before you’ve even had a chance to speak.
Your Brand Says Everything Before You Do
If your business is positioned as premium or luxury, your brand and website need to look the part. It’s like dressing for the role you want—you wouldn’t show up to a black-tie event in a wrinkled t-shirt, so why let your business show up with DIY or cheap-looking assets?
Understanding Print Colours: CMYK, Pantone, and Why Print Looks Different from Digital
When designing your brand’s colours, you’ve probably come across terms like CMYK, HEX, and Pantone. But what do they all mean, and why do your colours sometimes look different in print than they do on your screen? Let’s break it down.
Why Your Logo (and Brand) Needs Design Principles to Thrive
Design isn’t just about making things look good—it’s about making them work. When we talk about principles of design, we’re really talking about the secret sauce that makes your logo memorable, your brand cohesive, and your business successful.
Your Final Quarter To-Do List: Wrapping Up the Year Strong
Whether you’re feeling on top of things or scrambling to catch up, these last few months are crucial for setting the stage for your business’s success in the new year. Here’s your essential to-do list to ensure you’re closing out the year with intention, focus, and a little bit of flair.