Graphic and web designer, professional blogger. These are the confessions of a grace-loving geek: on home, parenting, cats, gadgets, frippery and coffee. Hi!
Willow Lane Creative provides small business solutions for social media management, graphic design and print projects. I'm Maria Thomas. I have a full time job in a ministry which I LOVE and wear many hats for, but this side-hustle business is just the fun stuff for me! I love creating graphics, helping turn ideas into tangible printed goods, and managing social media for small business owners. If
you're running your business and don't have the capacity to learn yet another blessed thing, I'm here to help...but I'm dyslexic, so don't ask me to keep your books, even though I have a degree in accounting. With over 10 years of experience in blogging, web design, merch creation, large scale print jobs, and social media management, I've got a little bit of knowledge about a lot of things! I'm married to a small business owner (my husband is a realtor) so I've learned through helping him, the struggles of small business owners who are trying to run a successful business, keep the books, make the reels, serve their clients and 1,073 other things. Send me a DM and let me know how I can help you!
Being able to work with such fun and sweet friends like the team is my favorite! The website is stunning and I’m so pleased with all the custom touches we were able to add so it would be exactly what she wants and need! Go check out her link.
Sometimes you need a little help getting your great idea turned into a physical product. If you’ve had one brewing on the back burner, I’d love to help you make it become a reality. From finding the right product, to creating the design and working with brand standards, to proofs and packaging, it can feel a little overwhelming. But it doesn’t have to be!! Loved helping my sweetie, put together his promo items for an upcoming golf tournament he’s sponsoring to raise funds for our church’s new community counseling center.
Thinking of hiring someone to build a website for your business or ready to overhaul an existing website? It's important to make sure that your web designer knows what they're doing, but it's also important to look at the work, understand how they will communicate and what kind of pricing structure they have. Here's my list of 10 questions to ask before you hire someone: https://willowlanecreative.co/questions-to-ask-a-web-designer-before-you-hire-them/
p.s. If you're looking for a web designer I would love to work with you. ;)
Does your branding scale? Does it work for everything you need it to? What is the psychology of a brand identity? Do colors matter? Fonts? Icons? Whether you're in a physical location or everything you do is digital, it's important to have a brand identity that will serve you well and scale to meet your needs. Today, I'm sharing a list of questions to ask before you ever start working with a graphic designer or branding expert.
My friend has some great info about why professional product photography is such an important investment for any product-based business. If you're looking to update your website or raise the impact of your online presence, take a quick read and then reach out to me or to him to take the next step for your business. We would love to help you!
Very quietly for the last few months I’ve been working on a new business venture and it is finally ready to launch. Meet WillowLaneCreative.co. There are no subtractions in my life…I love my job at my church! So if you know me, don’t panic…I’m not going anywhere. This is my bonus business…my side hustle.
I’m a perfectionist (albeit a mostly thwarted perfectionist) so I have been my own toughest critic. But I set myself a deadline to launch on January 1. So here we are. The first has come and nearly gone. My website baby is (mostly) ready to make her debut on the internet.
I have this lovely plan for my semi-retirement to be able to travel and work remotely and have lots of time for adventures with my husband. That kind of business doesn’t come into being overnight, and God kept putting people in my life who showed me the time to start is now.
You’re not looking at the internet’s newest influencer. While I may share things I love along the way, you won’t find me sharing my favorite outfits or recipes. You will find ideas and services and products to help small business owners have a better online and in-person presence. I’m a behind the scenes kind of girl and that’s where I mostly plan to stay. 😉
So if you have a friend who is struggling to run their small business and make all the internet/logo/print needs happen too, tell them you know a girl…me!
Little by little the pieces are clicking into place. I love a good puzzle.
Colors matter right? When I was choosing colors for my brand I wanted people to feel at peace when they landed on my website so I chose greens and natural botanical colors. I also have Willow in my business name so I wanted to connect that in a subtle way. I love how all the pieces are coming together!
Brand photography tip…if you’re nervous bring a friend who makes you laugh and can help you shake off your nerves.
One of the main building blocks of a website for a personal brand is photos of YOU. Can it be a little stressful if you are a person who doesn’t like to be the center of attention? Of course! Is it worth is? Absolutely! Stay tuned for more behind the scenes as I build my site and get ready to launch my new business.
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