With the rise of freelancers and side hustlers taking their dream job into their own hands, there has been an unnoticeable rise in new businesses, and startups. YAY if that’s you!! Definitely excited times ahead!

From creating a logo and brand, through to setting up a website, and creating a marketing plan for your new venture. You will have lots to think about and lots to do.  That being said, I want to help you name your business.  So today, I will be sharing my top tips on how to name your business.

Now, being a self-taught designer, side hustler, freelancer, and more, this question struck a note with me.  When it comes to my business I’ve always wanted to make sure I give the best impression, and so today I want to share a blog post to help all those that have also asked: “how do I make my business look more professional?”.....

So you have your logo, your brand and even your website in place. What’s next?  Maybe some social media banners, maybe some blog post templates, but did you think about any print collateral you may need, in particular, a brochure…

John contacted me a few weeks after our consult call and told me he and his client, Mark, were very impressed and that they wished to move forward with starting the project.  Naturally, I jumped at the opportunity as I have never created a brand or website for a scientist who works with pharmaceutical and biotech companies.  This was going to be interesting, and exciting at the same time! I couldn't wait to start!

Not so long ago I shared some great tips on  Why You Need A Professionally Branded Email Address.  Today I want to show you how to create a professional email signature in Gmail as it’s so easy and can make your emails look a lot more professional and on brand.

I use Gmail as my email application for my business, it's such a great tool it has definitely made my life easier to manage.

Right, let’s get to the step by step instructions...

With the rise of self-employment, freelancers and side hustlers wanting to take their business to the next level, there are a few common questions they all ask:

• How do I find a web/graphic designer?

• What do I look for in hiring a web/graphic designer?

• Where do I find a web or graphic designer?

Let me share a little secret with you.

Well actually it’s less of a secret, but more of a simple list of things you should ask yourself and what you should look for if you ever find yourself asking the questions above.  So, today I wanted to give you a heads up into how to find the right designer for your project.

Hopefully, after reading this post, you will walk away feeling calculated and confident about your next steps.

Not so long ago I was merrily browsing in a Facebook group and the topic of websites caught my eye.  Now, being a Digital Designer, I just had to stop and read the comments.  

A small business owner was asking why she would need a website.  My initial reaction was “what a crazy question!” - especially in this day and age where technology is literally at our fingertips.  Then it slowly dawned on me that not every business owner sees or understands the relevance of a website.

So in today's post, I thought I would keep it short and simple and give you 5 excellent reasons why your small business definitely needs a website.

Confused by Squarespace blocks? Well worry not my friend, I was once in your shoes - confused and new to Squarespace - and it took some time to understand what Squarespace blocks actually are.

It's one of those things you learn along the way and so to save you time, here's a detailed post to help you learn more about Squarespace blocks... Keep reading to find out more >

A while ago, Tim from Draft My Story contacted me and we hit it off straight away!! His down to earth approach and friendly manner really came through as I read his emails.

His personality really shone and it became apparent to me that his words were another layer of his branding.

After a few emails back and forth I asked Tim if he would write a guest post on my blog for my readers. I was totally over the moon when he agreed, and so today I'm sharing an article written by my buddy Tim who is here to talk about the importance of Storytelling in the development of your brand.

It's a fantastic topic and one that every small business or startup really needs to consider!

As a fellow business owner, lots of clients have expressed how confused they are about how they can brand themselves and their new business. And that got me thinking that they can't be the only ones curious about personal branding.

So it's time to share some tips and help guide you on how to create a your own visual branding >>

As we step into a New Year, I wanted to share my goals for the year ahead and my learnings from the year just gone >

I was a newbie to the industry when I started, and I was a self-taught Designer. Fast forward to today, and I've now been in the creative industry as a Designer for little over 16 years.

With 11 years of design knowledge and experience, I want to share 5 truths of being a Digital Designer, with 5 takeaway learning tips. Find out more >

Earlier this year I was a finalist in the Cambridgeshire Digital Awards 2016 in the Creative and Marketing category. When I found out I was a finalist I had mixed emotions, I was over the moon, but I was also nervous, scared and a little worried if I am honest.

What do I say? How will I introduce myself? Other finalists are in teams, I will be all alone, will anyone talk to me? - All these questions ran through my head and as an introvert I am awful at networking, especially when it comes to talking about my business, so I decided this is something I need to work on.

That is where this post comes into play. I can’t be the only introvert, or the only person to struggle when it comes to networking, so I wanted to share my tips on how I overcame, or rather dealt with, the issues and how you can as well.

As much as I love being able to create a new brand and website design from scratch, I really enjoy the challenge of redesigning or revamping an existing brand and website.

After working on the WellbeingZone brand and website I was asked to redesign the logo and website for Revitalised.

Obviously, I wasn't going to decline! - It was my pleasure to give the Revitalised brand and website design (coming soon) a new look and feel.

As a small business owner you probably have your logo and brand elements in place, using them in various places - your website, business cards, invoices, and much more. Things are going well and you are keeping busy running your day to day tasks, networking and finding new clients. As time progresses you realise your business branding may need a revamp or you may need to rebrand altogether. You are just not sure!

Sound familiar?

Quite a few small business owners have come across this dilemma and so today I wanted to share a few do's and don'ts of rebranding.

When I first started blogging I fell in love, I was writing articles whenever I got the chance. I had so much to share I wanted others to learn what I had learnt too. I slowly noticed I gained a following. All of this was unintentional at the time.

I continued as I started and was offered a guest author position to write articles for a leading online magazine and resources site for designers and developers. At this point, I was over the moon as something I enjoyed doing was helping others.

Since then I have revamped my brand and website, and have even taken on a guest post on my own website as well.

I set up my website over a year ago on Squarespace and I haven't looked back. Squarespace is just such a great platform I can't rant and rave about it enough. Many moons ago I used Wordpress for my website, but I got bored and found it tedious to continuously keep with.

YAY!! My freelance side hustle business - Krishna Solanki Designs - is a finalist for Marketing and Creative category in the Cambridgeshire Digital Awards 2016. Read more about the categories here >