Matilda Wilson Central Coast Creative Agency Owner talks Key Platforms for Start Up Businesses, keeping us informed on our back end solutions so we can concentrate on the front end execution.
As a genuine lover of clever brand communications, design strategy and the role of empathy in such, when I made the choice to leave the world of print publication and operate as my own business, Matilda Wilson Creative, it made sense. Whether that was so calmly adopted due to naivety or due to a clear passion is another story (I’d probably argue it was both!) it has nonetheless landed me in a position where I’m lucky enough to learn from a flurry of businesses each day and in turn, create an impact for both clients, communities, and their audiences alike.
Intrinsically, one of the greatest drivers as a creative and specifically as a graphic designer, is the
breadth of learning available through the sheer quantity of creative expressions being shared every
day across the globe. The role of good design, in everything we do, is to evoke responses and solve
problems, but ultimately, it is subjective to every single person that encounters it, and with that broad
understanding, comes equally as many opportunities to learn from their unique takes on such. Having
the room in your day to acknowledge this and truly immerse yourself into the strategies behind
creative directions, is a fantastic privilege.
The role of good design, in everything we do, is to evoke responses and solve problems
With that in mind and being a core value, I’ve continually evolved processes over time to try and
ensure plentiful room for the above and of course my own creative expression. Which ultimately
means seizing opportunities to become more efficient and streamline activities that aren’t client
centric (in short; less admin, more fun). Whether you’re a creative, a business owner or an
entrepreneur, the areas I’ve mentioned below are trialled and tested, and just might help you too.
Top Tools
Platform: Dubsado
Purpose: Business Management
Why I Love It: The main point of differentiation with Dubsado is that it was made specifically with
creatives in mind and the processes it had available, properly aligned with the work flows I already
had in place. Dubsado counters the need for lengthy email threads and instead offers individual client
portals where invoicing can be integrated through XERO, service agreements uploaded and signed,
and all necessary forms compiled.
Bonus Point: To take full advantage of the platform, sync your digital calendars and accounting
software – one spot for all of your needs, how good!
Automation: Templated Responses and Forms
Purpose: Streamline Lead Generations and Client On-Boarding
Why I love It: In short, it saves so much time. Keep the areas of your emails that require
personalisation and your magic touch within your workflows and create a resource bank of responses,
packages, and processes either within your email platform, business management system or stored
locally. While this free’s up time first and foremost it also leaves less margin for error when drawing up
client contracts and streamlines your workflow as you know exactly what you need to do and when
you need to do it.
Bonus Point: If you’re a creative, your individual packages are going to vary depending on the client.
What I suggest is building these firstly in InDesign or your program of choice and then creating an
interactive PDF, with text boxes pre-loaded for editing. That way you can add specific deliverables
without creating 100 documents and have your final cost text box editable, without touching your other
information.
Platform: Planoly
Purpose: Content Planning
Why I love It: Social media is a well-known cause of procrastination and time wastage, and I don’t
just mean the monotonous scrolling! If you find yourself umming and ahhing over content planning, I
would suggest investing in a plan with Planoly. Their grid style layout means you can drag content
throughout your unposted feed and achieve that all important balance. Plus, you can load your
Instagram stories in, set your hashtags and split your screen with a calendar.
Bonus Point: Streamline your social media even further by strategizing it, identify 4 content pillars
you would like to be known for and alternate your posts based on this. I like to use the rule of 3:
educate, showcase, resonate. Educate: tips like these! Showcase: client profiles and testimonials.
Resonate: Let my own personality come through and remain approachable.
Platform: Asana
Purpose: Team Management
Why I love it: Running your own business is one thing but project managing 20+ clients work with
team members involved, opens a lot of doors for silly mistakes and stress. Asana allows for everyone
to remain on track, felt heard and do their jobs. By segmenting projects, automatically creating tasks,
and integrating timelines, it gives you the
tools to outsource work to your team while retaining a clear
goal and understanding of where outcomes are at.
Bonus Point: Asana does a lot more than team management! While I haven’t personally used it for
marketing or sales, I do know these are available to you, so if you don’t require the creative processes
Dubsado offers, this may be your one stop shop!
Name: Matilda Wilson
Business: Matilda Wilson Creative
Role: Director, and Lead Designer, specialising in Project Management, Branding and Packaging
Studio Services: Art Direction, Branding, Visual Identity, Print Media, Marketing Material, Digital
Design, Web Design, Copy Writing, Content Creation and Brand Strategy