I had a client come to me recently wanting to rebrand his family business. They’re moving into the next phases of the business, where the son is taking over from the father and expanding the business into a range of new services, which is going to be great for the family and great for the son. However, he wants to keep the existing business name, and it got me thinking about what’s in a name.
Read MoreKAYLA + LEWIS WEDDING STATIONARY
I love working on weddings. As a graphic designer, normally something I produce is the first indication of the style of the event that guests are invited to, and that’s a pretty special thing. It is an incredible opportunity to be part of someone’s dream day, whatever that looks like and to help alleviate some of the stress around weddings.
Read MoreGinkgo Bar & Dining
I am very lucky in that I get to work with amazing brands and agencies who create great stuff. Because of that, I often get great opportunities to go along and experience new venues, different events or product launches in some truly stunning locations, just as a little perk of the job.
Read MoreShould you work for free?
When you are first starting out as a graphic designer, everyone is desperate for work. Whether you’re still a student and you need pieces in a portfolio to get that first job, or whether you are wanting to start a freelance business – everyone has done a free gig at one time or another.
Read MoreYou have to want to be in Business.
I am very lucky in life that I have been raised by two people who have run their own businesses. My mother has run multiple businesses over the past 40 years, most notably when she ran a plant hire business in Wollongong, employing 5 staff and with plants placed in all major hotels, pubs and clubs; her most recent endeavours The Secret Garden and My Productive Backyard and when she conned my sister and I into selling veggies for her in our neighbourhood (we were cute sales people and made more money that way). My father has run his own financial planning practice, Innovus Advice, for the past 10 years but ran someone else’s practice for years before that as a partner and managing director. Why am I telling you all of this?
Read MoreWhere have all my followers gone?
There have been a lot of conversations lately around the watercooler about social media engagement. About how brands are getting less and less of it, the platforms are charging you more and more to reach your audience (in the form of advertising) and the penalties that come after advertising. There is a reasonable amount of fear going on, that brands have lost their followers, and they are right to be afraid.
Read MoreWhat the hell is social media engagement?
Engagement is one of the most tossed around terms in marketing. No longer is it just a phrase we use in digital marketing, now we are talking about the engagement at events, the engagement with printed collateral and the engagement of our spouse with the dishes (I have the data – the engagement is none). But what does it actually mean?
Read MoreHAIR BY PHD WEBSITE AND BRAND REFRESH
If you have been hanging around these parts for a while now, you would know that I have worked with the team at Hair by Phd for the past 4 years, managing their social media accounts and blogging, growing their platforms to showcase their amazing colouring and style work. When Sarkis from Hair by Phd approached me about a complete overhaul of their website, I absolutely jumped at the chance to redesign their site and refresh their overall digital presence, bringing it more in line with the premium service that they provide to all customers.
Read MoreHOW TO TURN YOUR SIDE HUSTLE INTO A BUSINESS
I took the not-so-conventional route to growing my side hustle into a business, and now my major source of income. Or maybe it is actually a more conventional route. I started freelancing as soon as I knew I could do design. I had originally gotten into graphic design because I wanted to one day own my own business and have the flexibility that that brings – so I went into this experience eyes wide open knowing that running my own business was in my future. The vision with the side hustle was to start small and work my way up. Get a book of clients together, enough to cover my salary, and then when I got there, quit the corporate job and go legit. And I guess it kind of worked out like that – but there are some things I did well, and others I didn’t do so well that have taught me a few things about the change from nights-and-weekends side hustle to all-encompassing small business. Start small, but make a start Get your side hustle going, whatever that looks like for you. Start an Instagram and talk about what you’re doing, or start trading your services with your mates and go from there. Be serious about it as future business, register yourself for an ABN, speak to a financial advisor about how to work this into your tax and create a brand. However you choose to start is completely fine, but make a start and do it intentionally. Build it up slowly No-one is going to go out and tell you to quit your day job and make candles full time. And if they do I think that’s really crappy advice. Yes, if you’re loving your side hustle more than your job and you KNOW that’s what you want to do full-time, then have that as a goal. But that takes time of the side hustle being just that – so don’t just go and pack everything in so soon. Work out whether the business model is sustainable, work out whether it’s truly something you can do for a career and not get sick of it, work out how you are going to cover your monthly expenses. Get your ducks in a row. Use the time while the side hustle is that to work out kinks – are you any good at chasing invoices? No?…
Read MoreWHY EVERYONE SHOULD HAVE A SIDE HUSTLE
When I got to my third year of design school, I distinctly remember taking on my first ever freelance client. It was my roommate at the time, and she and I traded a logo design for her burgeoning fashion business for a dress she made me for my cousin’s wedding. And pretty much since then, I ran a nice little side hustle as a freelance designer.
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