A year ago, my friend Nichole Kelley decided that it was time to stop dreaming her dream and start doing it. If that isn't gutsy, I don't know what is! Through a combination of hardwork, talent, and serious people skills, I'm excited to say that on the first anniversary of starting Flash & Flare Photography, she's a huge success, one of the most popular photographers in her area, and that there's no sign of having hit her small business' growth ceiling. So I asked Nichole if

I work daily with small business owners who are not only looking to establish or grow their business, but are also willing to share how they've overcome the obstacles in their path to success. It's touching! And learning the ropes myself, I am always on the hunt for good advice from a salty veteran of the boundless, deep, and at times turbulent Small Business Sea (okay, maybe their saltiness is from sweat and tears rather than water). Lately, I've been e-hanging with the love

I like to think of branding as a marriage of sorts. You have to come into it having considered what you need to be successful for the long run. You have to understand that it is an on-going, constantly evolving process. And last but certainly not least, good intentions and lots of love at the beginning aren't enough; you have to keep putting in effort. Some people opt to get pre-marriage counseling to make sure that they are on the right (and same!) page. We need to get you a

There's been a lot of talk about the Google mobile-friendly update that came out on April 21st and was going to take about a week to go into full effect. We, my friends, have lived through "mobilegeddon" and lived to tell the tale. Responsive web design has long been a buzz phrase and important component of site planning, but it is more essential than ever now. LET'S GO WAY, WAY BACK...TO JANUARY OF 2014. If that seems oddly specific, that's because it is. January of 2014 was

Let's just say that this took quite a bit of narrowing down because while I have only been doing this a bit over a year, it sure seems like I've made more than a year's worth of mistakes. Let's hope that you can learn from my example and not have to set a bad example of your own. 1. ALLOWING TOO MANY COOKS IN THE KITCHEN Whether it is running your own small business or trying to help others with theirs, this is a valuable lesson that I learned the hard way. Everyone wants to

DESIGN SHOULD BE INTUITIVE. DESIGN SHOULD BE BEAUTIFUL. LET'S MASH THEM TOGETHER. I'm the kind of person who wants to carry all the grocery bags in on one trip and I will do anything to make it happen. (As long as the bread goes on the top; we're not animals, people.) I'm lazy, so lazy that it is a creative art form in and of itself. I like the challenge of making a single thing, sometimes myself, do so much heavy lifting - literal or metaphorical - that it requires a well th