Yes, that means our full name is Kaleidoscope (Small Business) International. Hi, nice to meet you. Our friends just call us Kaleidoscope.
Seriously, though, we aren’t just here to make pretty stuff. We actually really love small business. Let us count the ways…
1.) We bleed business.
Small business has just always been a part of me (Christina). I grew up in the business world, answering the phone in my best professional voice and taking messages for my father’s various businesses from the age of 7 or so. As I grew older, being homeschooled enabled me to be involved in the family business on a daily basis. David’s love of business has been greatly developed in over the years as we’ve slowly grown this from a side job on evenings and weekends and dreamed about various other parallel ventures we hope to add in the future.
2.) We aren’t just looking for a paycheck.
As small business enthusiasts, we actually get excited discussing and brainstorming ideas with you beyond just the design aspects. To some extent we become students of you/your line of work/your business, and we let ourselves get caught up in your vision – we become cheerleaders for team You simply because we love to see you succeed! 🙂
3.) We ask why.
The story of the ham illustrates perfectly the importance of knowing why you do what you do. Small businesses do not grow and become successful on a large scale without knowing these answers because it’s too easy to get bogged down in what are sometimes inefficient and wasteful methods.
3a.) We think outside the box. We really, really do.
Actually, we’ve just found that “the box”, contrary to popular belief, doesn’t have only four sides… Having very strong ties to homeschooling as well as being big advocates of the common sense espoused by Dave Ramsey makes us a little “weird” by many of today’s standards. It’s funny how often the popular way of thinking doesn’t really do you any long term favors. Small businesses that get ahead are often the ones who redesign the box to work for them.
3b.) We are resourceful.
We describe ourselves as Creative Solution Specialists because we love to find solutions for your business that go beyond the realm of graphic design. Small businesses usually can’t afford all the fancy schmancy software and tools big businesses are able to utilize, but there are often inexpensive or free alternatives and we are on a constant lookout to discover those things, many of which we already have bookmarked to pull out and put to use for you!
4.) We are students.
Small businesses with the hunger to succeed are never content to just coast along. We are constantly reading and studying time-proven methods and principles as well as searching out current and emerging trends in design and social media/networking.
5.) We care about our clients.
One of the best things about good small businesses is their customer service. We take care of you and we go the extra mile. A lot of times being “good” is really just that simple.
6.) We are real.
We don’t really have the time of day for putting on airs or slathering on the fake when we get ready for the day. We’re just us, and we think most people like to be just them, so we find that makes relating with clients a lot easier. Authenticity is very important in small business. It’s a huge part of your credibility.
7.) We see what could be.
Like Zig Ziglar says, if you aim at nothing you’ll hit it every time. This is certainly no less true in small business. As is common with small business entrepreneurs, we are constantly inspired with new business ideas. We have learned to develop actionable goals that keep us moving forward.
8.) We work HARD.
Because we love the work we do, “free time” is a mostly foreign concept to us. We do try to maintain a holistic outlook and make time for family, friends, and health, but if we’re not eating, exercising, or sleeping, chances are we’re in the middle of a big project. We like to live and breathe business and mesh it right in with the rest of our life. Small businesses don’t survive with a halfhearted effort.
9.) We have “old-fashioned” values.
We are not just out to get ahead at any cost. We care about the way we get there. True integrity is missing in so much of the business world, but we believe small businesses do themselves no favors by cutting corners.
10.) We don’t believe “good enough” is good enough.
Our goal is to always be improving on what we are already doing or have done. This means that sometimes we make upgrades to client projects on our own behind the scenes. Small businesses that stand out are the ones that go the extra mile.
Ready for us to get to work on your next project? Go ahead and contact us now!