- How are you different from other web/design companies?
- How long have you been doing what you do? What makes you a marketing and design expert?
- What do clients love most about working with you?
- How did you become a marketing and design expert?
- Who are your clients exactly?
- What is it like to work with you?
- How do we start a project?
- How do you charge and invoice?
- Who do you work best with and what is expected of me?
How are you different from other web/design companies?
What makes me different from other web designers is that I am selective of my clients, taking on only a few at a time so that I can be fully focused on your project and your business. Rather than trying to take on and push out as many sites as possible, I am able to turn your website around quickly while spending the right amount of time in marketing strategy, design and programming so that it does what you want it to: get more customers and grow your business.
My greatest strength is I understand all pieces of the design/marketing/programming project to bring it all together in a cohesive whole. It means that as a designer, I understand programming; as a programmer, I understand marketing; and as a marketer I understand design. Having built my business myself over the last 12+ years, I have been hands-on through all of my projects. I’m the type that I just get the job done, no matter what it takes, to do it right. Often that means that I have had to learn a new program, or technique to help finish the project correctly.
Essentially, rather than passing each step of the project to a different set of hands to handle it, I ensure that the project is completely cohesively as I handle it all myself. Because of my business model, I work with a smaller quantity of clients so that I can offer the best service and quality.
Many clients tell me, that it is unique that I am not only very personable, but that I am also responsive to my emails and phone calls as a web designer. This is my standard business practice and my aim is to give my clients’ priority & my full attention.
How long have you been doing what you do? What makes you a marketing and design expert?
I have run my own business, Designflair, for over 12 years now, but spent my lifetime building up to this career…
I was very artistic as a child and grew up drawing and sketching on anything from sketch pads to the corner of my notes in school. I would ‘go to bed’ then secretly turn on my light and continue drawing well past my bedtime. Fast forward a few years, at 12 years old, I decided it would be fun to build my own website and taught myself HTML so that I could create a website that featured the content that I wanted.
Just in time for college, I realized that design was my passion. I earned a degree in Computer Graphic Design, with Honours at the University of Waikato in New Zealand. Even in college, I branded my own company (Designflair) and was already taking on freelance design and website projects. Much of what I know is self-taught, but college helped provide the foundation for the skills I couldn’t build on my own. Technology is constantly evolving so it is up to me to ensure that I know the best methods and trends to keep my clients top of mind for their clients.
Design (logo design, graphic design, web design) and marketing are so intertwined that you cannot create effective results in one without utilizing the other.
What do clients love most about working with you?
After the initial call, clients tell me that they love how excited I get about their project! I love being able to apply my skills in a fun new way. In addition, they love that I see their business and messaging from a new angle. In fact, I just got off a call with a business owner who was so excited that I love marketing and opened her eyes to new ideas. She markets to grow her business, but her passion is offering her services to her clients; for me to take over her marketing and implementation (website design, landing pages, brochures, flyers, etc.) is a huge weight off her shoulders!
How did you become a marketing and design expert?
Marketing, website design and graphic design have always been a passion of mine. Although I majored in computer graphic design (with courses in marketing), I feel that this is a lifelong learning process and I am always researching and staying up to date on the latest trends…because I enjoy it! And because I want to offer my clients the best services that I can.
I’ve always loved psychology and understanding how people think, and this ties in perfectly with marketing, where I can ensure I am an effective designer creating the right message for their ideal clients. In college, and even after college, I have continued to invest $1,000s of dollars in myself by studying additional courses in marketing, SEO and website design practices.
I am an expert because I thrive on learning more and sharing it with my clients. I take proven marketing strategies and apply them to my client’s business in the best way that they are relevant. I have made a commitment to help my clients receive the best results possible for the effort they make to marketing their business.
Who are your clients exactly?
I work with clients in a wide variety of fields but especially enjoy working with self-employed professionals and small businesses with up to 50 employees as I can create the greatest impact in companies of those sizes.
Since I use proven marketing strategies and thoroughly research my clients each time we begin a project, I am able to create unique solutions to all fields. My personal passion projects are tied to the automotive field (as I love cars) and for business owners who are passionate about their business (their excitement moves me as well!)
What is it like to work with you?
As a boutique design studio, I have focused on my core competencies to provide the best service for you. I prefer to work with fewer clients and provide a higher quality of work, rather than having a larger volume of clients and being constantly rushed. You have direct contact with me, and as I am the one creating your designs and implementing your website or marketing projects, can apply immediate requests or provide updates with the status of projects.
I have a team of expert resources, and if there is anything I need support with, I am able to rely on them to provide the best results for your project.
How do we start a project?
First we will have an initial get-acquainted call to determine your project requirements, create a scope of work and an estimate of the work. I will send a proposal that includes all of these details and you are welcome to have questions or edits to the project. Once that is approved, I will send the proposal for digital signature to initiate the project.
For print or branding projects, I require a 50% advance to begin the work with the balance due on final completion (or in project stages if determined).
For website projects, I require a 40% advance to begin the work, with the next 40% due upon design approval to initiate the programming. The final 20% is due on final completion of the site, as the majority of the work in completed in these first 2 stages.
How do you charge and invoice?
I focus on creating the right solution for you business. I quote on a project basis so that you know the cost of your project before we begin. I will clearly define the scope of work and the project so that we are both clear from the beginning. If there is any uncertainty in scope, or change in scope, I will address this ahead of time.
For monthly projects, such as marketing consulting or SEO, we will have a list of activities for that month. Invoices are to be paid at the beginning of the month for recurring projects.
Who do you work best with and what is expected of me?
I work with business owners who are serious about growing their business; they understand that my expert advice will take a load off their shoulders so that they no longer have to worry about growing their business and can focus their attention on running their business.
Being a high achieving go-getter myself, I’m known to work best with other high achieving go-getters who are super-ready to get going and want to do exactly the right thing to get new clients.
I want to ensure that your investment with me makes a difference in your business and life.
