#perthblog

Stylish. Original. Simple. That's Hayley from SOS...Designs's mantra, and she applies it to every piece she designs for clients who need a little bit of brand saving. Her clean lines and miminalist aesthetic have helped build the brand identities of a number of Perth businesses, and an exciting new venture makes her designs available to us all... Hayley has designed the new The Perth Collective website that launches next Friday.We have been so impressed and we can't wait to unveil it to you all! 

Tell me a little about yourself... 

I am in the last year of my 20s, and finally chasing my dreams. I grew up in the southern 'burbs with my parents and my older sister, and now live with my partner Jarron and our two French Bulldogs, Franklin and Ralph. I love to travel and no number of visits to New York will ever be enough. If I could sing/act/dance I would do musicals in a heartbeat haha! What was your background before starting SOS Designs? Were you a designer before? I have always had a creative streak in me that was encouraged by both my parents. When I was young I loved to paint and draw (sometimes on walls, windows and furniture, much to my mum's disgust) and when it finally came to decide what I wanted to be when I grew up, my knack for technology and creativity pointed me to design. SOS Designs came about in the final year of uni, and we all had to set about branding ourselves. I have now been designing for over eight years, with SOS Designs always being my side project/hobby. I have always loved what I do for work, but always found working corporate jobs became mundane - and my desire to have creative freedom reached breaking point late last year. So I lay the foundations for me being able to be dedicated to my hobby full-time.

Tell me a little more about your services for small businesses?

I specialise in branding and marketing for small businesses and start-up ventures, but also work with established businesses to rebrand or work on marketing collateral. I believe in helping get businesses off to the right start by not only creating an identifying feature for their brand (their logo) but also making sure that it is followed through with the basics to get them out into the world of business. I offer anything from just logo design, to full packages which include logo, business card design and print, email signature, letterhead design and basic website set-up. I understand that each business varies and has different requirements and so every package is customisable to suit what is needed. I also offer social media marketing, invitation design, print management and custom design projects to name a few.

You recently left your full-time job to focus on your small business, SOS Designs. How have you found the experience?

I am absolutely loving the experience, to go from working for someone else and building their business to finally having the opportunity to build my own has always been a goal of mine. It hasn’t been without its challenges though. As technology fails me, and clients go MIA, there have been moments where I have thought, 'Why am I doing this to myself?', but I am lucky enough to be surrounded by some amazing girl bosses who pick me up and give me confidence that I am doing what I am meant to be doing. Plus, who doesn’t love the freedom your own business gives you?

What would you describe as your style of work?

I would describe my style as boutique. Having worked with many brides over the years, I have definitely developed a knack for elegant, stylish boutique looks. However when it comes to websites I love them to be clean and bright, easy to navigate and simple!

We'd love to see your work! Could you link us to some of your current clients?

In the last four months I’ve had the privilege of working with so many amazing girl bosses. I work on a regular basis with KC Fit and also Chiara Anne Floral Couture, assisting them with anything from stickers to eBooks, online shopping systems to marketing ideas. When I take clients on board, I am more than happy to assist once the project is finished and really love watching them grow. 

What has been your favourite project to work on?

I love working with small businesses and getting to see them come to life. It's always an honour to have someone trust me with their brand and their visions. I don’t work for clients, I work with them, because I want them involved as much as possible to ensure that the end product is 100% them.

You are in the process of expanding... What can we expect to see on your website soon

SOS…Designs will soon be launching a collection of pre-designed invitations that will be available to purchase online that will give clients the opportunity to have beautiful invitations without having to pay the price tag of a completely custom design. My aim is to make the process as simple as possible with customers choosing the design they love, entering the details for their event and checking out! They will also have the option to have custom names for each invitation, custom addressed envelopes, multiple stock choices and additional complementing stationery.

Where did your business name come from?

The word SOS came from a brainstorm while I was at uni. My business aim is help other businesses – assist their cries for help with branding - and so I came about SOS designs. It stands for Stylish, Original and Simple – the 3 things I believe are the basis of every design.

What do you find is the biggest challenge when owning you own business?

The biggest challenge I have found is being accountable for everything that makes my business run, from replying to emails, to print runs, post runs, meetings, client artwork plus building on my own brand. There is definitely a knack to getting it all falling into place and as the months go on it gets easier, habits and schedules are forming – but that’s all in the fun of running the show.

Your best moment so far in your business?

It’s really hard to pinpoint one. I get little bubbles of excitement every time I get a new enquiry, or get to meet a client for the first time and hear about their plans and dreams. I invest myself in each and every business I deal wit, allowing the freedom to give them the best advice I have for them, and to stop them making mistakes I have learnt from. Each time I have a client come back and say ‘I love it’ absolutely makes my job a dream.

Most memorable challenge you had with a client or stockist? 

The biggest challenge with a client would have to have been the launch of KC Fit. In 3 weeks we managed to plan an event, launch a website, get flags printed, shirts designed and printed and - call us crazy – photograph all the workouts for Project 3030 and design the layout for the 60+ page eBook. It was absolute madness, but I wouldn’t have changed it for the world – it truly showed what is possible when you’re determined.

Your favorite quote or mantra:

Go the extra mile, it’s never crowded.

Who do you look up to for inspiration or admire for their business growth?

I definitely look up to the illustrator Megan Hess. Her work is absolutely stunning, and the quality is flawless – definitely someone I would love to do a course with and learn some more illustration techniques. Also a huge fan of Lisa Messenger, her experiences in business and where she started from definitely have some similarities.

What is your advice to WA women who want to start their own business or turn their hobby into a small business?

Pre-plan your costs and what you need to cover the basics (mortgage, food, bills etc). If you can cover that, then take the leap of faith! You will make mistakes along the way, but once they are made it becomes a lesson - just pick yourself up, dust yourself off and keep going. Also, I highly recommend connecting with other girl bosses who are just starting too – it has been a huge help having that support network and connecting with others who are experiencing the same things you are.

What is your vision for your business? Eventually I would love to be able to move out of the home studio and into a small office space and have a couple of others on board to support the business as it grows. By the end of the year, the online store should be busting with a large collection of not only pre-made invitations but also gifts and prints. The wonderful thing about design is that it never stops growing or evolving so the possibilities are endless…

Favourite WA Coffee: Kent Street Deli

Favourite WA Fashion Label: Anika Basics

Favourite WA Homewares: Frisky Deer

Favourite WA Bar: Sneaky Tonys

Favourite WA Restaurant: Rusticos

Favourite WA Instagram Account: @MeganHess

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Drooling yet? The sweet creations from Cake Lovin are as delicious as they are decadent  - and all crafted by self-taught owner Wella in her very own kitchen. We chat to her about the power of creativity, the women who inspire her, and why aspiring business owners should just f***ing do it!

Tell us a little about yourself...  I was born in the Philippines and came to Australia when I was 8 with my mother.  I was always creative from a young age with a drive to make things myself (to draw, sew, glue things together, cook, write poetry...) and I spent a lot of time fantasising about everything magical. I am 32, a wife to an amazing man,  and a mother to two gorgeous school-aged boys, Hayden and Christian, and two fur babies, Harper the British Bulldog and Harley the Basset Hound. I like to eat, food is life!! But not liquorice - it just taste funky.  

How did you come to make cakes as a business? 
An avid DIY girl, I started making cakes when I had my kids. Around the time my first son was born eight years ago, family members and friends started having kids too and they requested cakes from me. I've always spoken about making the business official so last year I finally got myself into gear and organised all the licenses so I could cater to the growing demand of enquiries from the public.

Tell me a little more about the cakes you create?  Whenever someone orders a cake, I always make it clear to them that I can never replicate the design and that I would always add my flair to each piece. It's not just about copyright but personal touch. I find making cakes so relaxing. I can have multiple cakes due on one given weekend, plus be doing school runs and soccer drives for my eldest and guitar lessons for my youngest (while being a FIFO mum for nearly two years) and still….there's nothing like rolling fondant and creating, even at 2am in the morning. It makes me happy…Stressed crazy happy.  

What inspires your baking?  The very fact that I love being creative is what inspires me. I am the type of person that cannot function if I cannot create. Secondly, my clients inspire me. Without them, I wouldn’t have this opportunity to put my creativity into motion.

Do you have a background in food?  My mother was an amazing cook. She cooked a lot of traditional Filipino dishes which are very Spanish-influenced,  but also ventured into making up her own creations. I always loved watching her cook. I've also worked in hospitality and wouldn’t hesitate to go back to it if I needed to work. I'm always surrounded by people who love to cook  and we all love to eat the food we make!

What is your current favourite cake you have created?  I don’t even have a favourite to be honest. Each cake I have done has always been quite unique and I always change it up.

What is the most popular cake flavour at the moment?  Everybody loves my white chocolate sponge cake. I use good quality white chocolate. It's probably because I love white chocolate that the most love goes into that batter.

Where did your business name come from?  I wanted something simple- nothing too cakey or girly or pink or ordinary (for me anyway). Cake Lovin seemed fun and just short and sweet. 

What do you find is the biggest challenge of owning your own business?  Juggling family life and the business.  Being a creative crazy-head, I am also in the works of doing other projects. The cake business was easy to start because I do it from home so it has low overhead costs - but juggling and balancing everything else can be very challenging at times.  

Do you do this full-time?   Yes, I do the cakes fulltime.

Your best moment so far in your business?  I couldn’t isolate ONE exact moment really. Every cake is an adventure and to be honest I am always very nervous each time I do a cake because I am self-taught. I rely on YouTube, Pinterest and lots of tutorials. Each time I complete a cake is a “best moment” for me.

Most memorable challenge you've had with a client or stockist?  Making my cousin's wedding cake in 2012 was very challenging. My boys were very small and were still at home. I had to make over 300 handmade rolled fondant roses and maybe double that amount of mini flowers. I used about four or five seven-kilo boxes of fondant, three massive blocks of Styrofoam fake cake, and a normal cake on top. The cake was just over half my height and weighed god knows how much. But by the time each layer was covered in fondant and half of the cake covered in the roses, we needed to use a trolley to take it in the ballroom for the wedding. My hands, wrists and arms were so sore and for the week after I felt like I had been hit by a bus!

Your favorite quote or mantra:  Michelle Bridges: “JFDI". I'll let you figure that one out!  

Who do you look up to for inspiration or admire for their business growth?  My mother is my inspiration. She was very simple but she did a lot of things that proved a lot of strength in a woman. She left her hometown in her 20s with a little girl in tow (me), came to a foreign country (Australia), worked hard, and eventually brought my little sister over and raised my little brother with so much love. She continued to provide for her family in the Philippines all these years . Everyone she met became so close to her and were always happy to be around her. She inspires me because she was the true definition of LOVE and HARD WORK. I hope I can be like her - love, work hard, and make people happy. In life you don’t need materialistic things or fame to validate your existence. Loving people and working hard for what is dear to you is what defines you.

What is your advice to WA women who want to start their own business or turn their hobby into a small business?  JFDI!!! There's no time but the NOW to do what you want. Over-thinking and self-doubt is something that will destroy a creative. If you're passionate about something then why not just do it? What better way to show the world your talent ? Share your creativity! I read a lot of Lisa Messenger's books. She has a whole array of books that are bold and uplifting, and she basically just tells you to do it. If you can feel it in your gut, then go for it. Surround yourself with like-minded people who are going to support you, and take crticism well - study it and allow it to help you improve your way if it's positive. What have you got to lose?   

What is your vision for your business?  My vision is to continue to run my business from home. I have had a lot of people offer me retail space to open a shop. But I am a control freak when it comes to my art, so expanding to hire staff just isn't in my books. I do have help from time to time from friends and family but committing to a shop is a big step.   I watched a program about Poh (Masterchef contestant). She sells food at her local seasonal markets with a small team- mainly her family. Her goods sell out quick and are very popular. She has been told constantly to expand and hire staff but she was firm on the notion that creating food was more a passion for her, and not just the business of making money. The moment she decides to enlarge her project, she would lose control of creating her food because she would have to delegate tasks to someone else. I feel very similarly. For me, cakes are an art. It's about creating and being satisfied with every creation I make myself.  Once I've settled (this year has been insane for me - I'm in the middle of moving into our new home), I would like to venture into offering different types of desserts, and also would like to try some seasonal markets for experience.  I am also working on taking cake classes to better my skills so I can expand into adding more details to my cake creations. Another thing I would like to do is offer basic skill classes to people - especially mums - so that they can start somewhere and see where their passion leads.

Favourite WA Coffee: I'm a hybrid , I drink tea :) I have high blood pressure.

Favourite WA Fashion Label:  Aurelio Costarella. I wore one of his pieces as my wedding dress. 

Favourite WA Homewares: The Furniture Gallery 

Favourite WA Bar: My best friend's house :) I don’t go out anymore, as  I have the kids in tow and my husband is away for four weeks.  

Favourite WA Restaurant: Trangs Café- best Vietnamese in perth !!! 

Favourite WA Instagram Account: The Perth Collective, my one-stop account to check out other inspiring females in my hood !

20% discount exclusive to TPC for all 2016 bookings confirmed by the end of May. 

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