Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in web design but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Blayne Goldwasser, Owner of BG/D - Blayne Goldwasser Designs, located in Portland, OR, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
I design websites for small businesses and individuals looking to refresh their current site or start a new one. My customers are typically small business owners, but I work with individuals in various fields, including fashion, photography, wellness, and more. In fact, I just finished a site for a Jewish Day School!
Tell us about yourself
I studied Fashion Design in college and have been working in the industry as a Technical Designer for the past 10+ years. I started the web design business around 2018 to have a creative outlet, learn a new skill, and help small businesses that might not have as big a budget to update their online presence. I fell in love with not only the creativity in the design process but also with exploring what I can achieve through custom coding. I took an online course and got my certificates in HTML & CSS, and I enjoy diving deeper into what I can achieve with these tools. I stay motivated because I love helping people with smaller budgets get their dream site. It brings me a lot of joy when the site is complete, they see the final product, and they love the outcome.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Being interviewed for Subkit Go Solo! I have kept my business pretty small over the years, doing a few websites a year, so being recommended for this was such a pleasant surprise! It's always nice to be recognized, and I hope people are able to discover my work and want to use my services.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
For me, it's carving out time for organization. I've wanted to gather all the CSS code I've used over the years and make a reference document, along with many other things that would help streamline my business. With this being a side business, finding time outside of my day job, building sites, and also just trying to have some downtime, these things get put on the back burner. I've learned to be ok with that and just do my best. It will get done someday!
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Focus on the positive aspects of what you do. I would recommend finding that joy in your business, even if it's just organizing an excel file. It makes it a lot easier on the tough days when you're tired or not "feeling" it.
- Try and stay relevant in your field. I check design and typography blogs and look at design trends to help inform what I do. It helps me stay inspired.
- Utilize your network! I started out doing websites for my friends for free, and that helped build my portfolio. Then my friends began referring me to paying clients, who referred me to their friends, and so on, which helped build my business even further.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://blaynegoldwasserdesigns.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/blayne-goldwasser-b3669020/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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