I'm Ashli, the owner and lead designer/developer at Basis. We design brands and build websites for ecommerce retailers. In this newsletter, I share weekly small biz reflections and helpful tips and tricks to help you grow your brand.
"The Sandlot" Got It Wrong
A small business is complicated. It often involves just one or two people mixing together an alchemy of customers, processes, product, branding, funding, manufacturing and more to create this perfect little potion that resonates. That can be really, really challenging. My client Ashley at Trade Street Jam Co. recently talked on her Instagram and on CBS Mornings about the realities of small business, and reading the comments shows just how much founders struggle with this. Having a well-designed logo and intuitive, delightful website can feel like the Top Priority for a new brand. And, it should be a priority — I've tracked firsthand how good design improves conversion rate time and again — but it won't matter if there aren't enough customers for that impact to be felt. It's not always a "if you build it, they will come" situation (sorry, The Sandlot fans). Can you find enough customers who will pay you for what you made, and also tell their friends? This is where our successful founders spend all of their time — obsessively trying to answer this question for themselves and their brand. Random Roundup
Have a great week! Ashli |
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The Basis Newsletter
I'm Ashli, the owner and lead designer/developer at Basis. We design brands and build websites for ecommerce retailers. In this newsletter, I share weekly small biz reflections and helpful tips and tricks to help you grow your brand.
Last week was the summer solstice, and with the lengthening of sunlight with each passing month, I have felt a lengthening in my capacity. I mean that in a very literal work-sense: I have more capacity for projects, more time in my calendar. But also feel myself growing in capacity for those less tangible things, too. I have more capacity creatively. My kids are now ten and six... old enough to sleep in a tiny bit, dress themselves, entertain themselves for longer bits of time... and with...
I've been thinking a lot about the Slow Food Snail of Approval. Do you have this in your area? I hadn't heard of it before we moved to Jacksonville, but it's a certification that many restaurants proudly display that shows their commitment to: Sourcing local or sustainably Creating a positive environmental impact Offering cultural diversity in food Being actively involved in the community Providing significant support for staff Holding inclusive business values I was joking with a friend that...
Last year around this time, I wrote a vision for what I wanted Basis to be like in 2023. I just revisited it and am now sitting here teary-eyed. I'm proud to say we achieved 90% of the items laid out in the vision, but even moreso that I didn't waver from it: I knew myself and my desires so deeply that nothing was able to steer me down I path that I didn't proactively choose. For a Type A People Pleaser, this is huge. Some of the highlights from that document included: It’s January 9, 2024....