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Welcome to Harper Design Studio's first newsletter!
I decided to create this newsletter to help keep my mind and skills active in Lockdown Three. Unfortunately, due to exhibitions being cancelled my design time has been greatly reduced. I want to try to include topics and useful tips that are relevant to not only my business and life but also to my clients, friends and family that will hopefully benefit us all, especially in these strange times!
So grab a cuppa, sit back and have a break while you read on!
Or return to my website for more details on my services
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“I can’t change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination.”
– Jimmy Dean |
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Lockdown effect on small home-based businesses
Like many other home-based small business owners since lockdown, not only has work decreased but there are now new non-work related demands on my time (the dreaded home schooling to name the worst offender!) It is hard to create a balance between work and the home normally but times are far from normal!
The quote above from Jimmy Dean is so relevant for all of us at the moment. We can not change the circumstances that are happening to us. Lockdown is a reality and the effects on us all are very real. While some have lost their loved ones, their jobs or their sanity; others have lost their link to family and friends or their sense of freedom. In our own little “bubbles” these losses are important and can affect us all, in how we live and work.
As the quote states, we can not change what is happening to us but we can adjust what we do, so we can get through this. This maybe a hard thing for some, change can be hard (hell getting up sometimes can be hard!) but if you make a small change. Take it one step at a time and your course will change and eventually you will head back to the right direction. |
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This is true for work life too. The lockdown has affected so many small businesses. Closures or lack of work can have a BIG impact on the smaller business. If things continue a lot of businesses will be lost and this is not acceptable.
So we all need to adjust our sails and change course!
Below are some tips on how a small business can survive and hopefully grow in these troubling times: |
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Referrals from clients, families and friends:
Referrals are key to getting more business so you need to keep existing customers happy. A referral reward scheme - offer your clients a free service if they refer you to their clients. Find new referral partners - link with other businesses in similar lines to you or with someone whose client base overlaps yours. Friends and family referrals - are important too. Ask friends to like and share your social media posts, comment on the post and cheer you on. It all helps! |
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Make use of free tools to promote your business:
Google my business - helps you get found quicker on google, you can post updates and clients can leave reviews. Yelp/Yellow Pages - register your business on these sites and it helps your audience find you in online searches. YouTube - has a large captive audience! You can set up a business channel and post videos to promote yourself or your products. I can create animated adverts or can advise on content and I plan to write about YouTube advertising in a later newsletter. |
Revamp/create your website:
Create/update a website - as it raises your credibility and makes you easily accessable. I can help and advise on what you could do or even create/revamp it for you. Sell online -now is the time to build an online shop to sell products. This can be daunting but I can help or there are several online platforms (such as WIX or Wordpress) that you can use to build a eshop yourself. |
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Increase your social media presence:
Online presence is so important for the small business, especially right now. You need to stay active and aim your ads at the right audience for your business. So research and post on groups that your clients or potential clients may be on. A consistent brand of advert builds an audience awareness but repeating the same advert will lose interest. Videos and photos have more impact and get more engagement than just text, with FaceBook Live getting 6x more engangement than a static post. |
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Shout out to Everydayz Dog Walking
I am happy to send a shout out to Everydayz Dog Walking a local dog walking and boarding company run by Karen. She offers your pooch a friendly and fun one on one "Doggy Treking Adventure". My doggy loves her! To find out more click on the link below to visit the website.
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Small Local Business Deals
I always try to help local businesses with lower priced design packages here are some of my deals!
New business design package (inc. logo, business card and web design) - Only £150 (design costs only)
Small local business deals 10% off design projects in January to March.
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