Birthday sparks business makeover

Birthday celebrations are always a good excuse to get dressed up.

So, over the last few weeks, I’ve been giving Creative Calligraphy a bit of a makeover ahead of its second birthday.

Some elements of my business have been the same since day one and were in need of updating.

hollie ellis business cardsOne of the first things I tackled in my ‘spring clean’ was my business cards.

I wanted them to do the job of both a business card and flyer, featuring images of my work as well as my contact details.

With lovely new product images from Foto Couture, I’ve been working on the visual side of things.

I was also keen to incorporate the workshop element of my business, which has grown over the last year thanks to my involvement in the Cultural Spring.

I called upon the services of Hollie Ellis Design and explained my design brief over a coffee.

I was delighted with the results, both in the quality of the design and the print finish from Elliott Print and Design.

I wanted to move away from the glossy feel of most business cards and have something more tactile, so I opted for card stock with a more textured, hand-made feel.

Hollie also encouraged me to take the plunge with something that I’ve been putting off for a while – joining Instagram.

I have more than 600 likes on Facebook and more than 700 followers on Twitter, which are the social media outlets I tend to use the most.

But Instagram is very visual and has proved a successful platform for other calligraphers, so you can now find me on there. I’ve also given my Pinterest page some TLC.

 

Birthday sparkle

The motivation to tackle my social media also stemmed from a discussion about all things digital with Nicola and Jen from Sparkle Communications.

sparkle sofa birthday

Me (left) with Nicola from Sparkle Communications

I felt reassured about many things after taking advantage of one of their free ‘Grab an Hour’ slots.

As well as getting some positive feedback about my social media and tips about things like Yoast, it was nice just to have my business strategy validated.

When doing as much as you can around two young children, it means a lot when someone tells you it’s absolutely fine to do it that way.

Everyone’s business journey is different and you’ve got to do what’s right for you.

When Creative Calligraphy launched in May 2014, the aim was to have everything in place for my youngest child, Sophie, starting school in September 2016.

As the business celebrates its second birthday, I think I’ve laid quite a sturdy foundation and I’m looking forward to seeing what the third year brings.

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