Eleanor is the founder and managing editor of Designerly Magazine with a passion for sharing business leadership and branding strategies. She’s also a web design consultant with a focus on customer experience and user interface.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly changing the business landscape. Developments in these technologies have improved efficiency, streamlined tasks, and enhanced decision-making by optimizing processes, increasing productivity and delivering accurate insights. However, as beneficial as it has been, researchers and corporations are concerned about the technology’s carbon footprint.
Earth Month in 2025 is an opportunity for you to lead with purpose. People pay attention to how brands show up, and they expect more than just a green logo or a recycled social post. Your customers want to see action, not just talk.
You don’t need to be a global giant to make an impact. Whether you run a growing business, design for ethical brands or manage marketing campaigns, this month is your chance to do something real — and make it stick long after April ends.
Choosing the right location for your company headquarters is one of the most critical decisions you’ll make as a small-business owner. It can boost operational efficiency, attract top talent and position your company for long-term growth.
However, with so many factors to weigh — ranging from the surrounding community to the building itself — it’s essential to approach this decision strategically. To help you navigate this process, here are seven key considerations to keep in mind when selecting your company headquarters.
Small to midsized businesses (SMBs) often offer internships to build talent and foster growth. These programs usually benefit the organization and college students, enabling companies to leverage the most current skillsets while giving tomorrow's workforce real-world experience.
Many SMBs wonder if providing these opportunities is a good idea. With remote and hybrid options becoming more common post-pandemic and evolving legal and ethical considerations, they must weigh the pros and cons. However, you can boost your brand's reputation with the right approach and support diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) objectives.
Trade shows open doors of opportunity to growing businesses much more than months of cold calling can. They offer a concentrated environment to put your company out there, engage with potential customers and connect with industry peers. While it’s an exciting venture, first-time exhibitors often underestimate the preparation necessary and overestimate the walk-up interest of the crowd. This can make them miss out on simple opportunities that knowledgeable competitors readily seize.
Before committing your time, budget and reputation to your first expo, here’s what you should know.
Choosing your company’s most beneficial data collection type can dramatically improve your marketing strategy. Client information can help your small business’s design and marketing team better understand your customers, which can boost growth and create more effective engagement.
Finding a suitable service for your small business is extremely important. You must consider the pros and cons of first-, second- and third-party data collection to determine what’s best for your company.
Nearly every business with a physical location needs signage to guide customers and employees and comply with legal requirements. From restrooms to emergency exits, signs ensure people know where to go and how to respond in critical situations.
Agencies like OSHA and the ADA mandate specific signs to promote safety, accessibility and compliance. These regulations are the result of years of research and real-world experience, designed to protect people in emergencies and everyday scenarios. Signs make life easier by sharing valuable information, indicating accessible entrances or providing instructions during a power outage. Small business owners should prioritize signage to create a safe, welcoming environment for all.
Federal policy pushes public sector workers back to their desks, commercial landlords cheer each new badge swipe and investors ask private companies to make the space pay. For small and midsize businesses (SMBs), designers and marketers, the decision is more than a real-estate play — it shapes recruiting reach, brand reputation and daily cash flow. The following 10 considerations show where a strict mandate can strengthen results — and where it may undercut them.
You might have nailed your local delivery strategy, but taking the same approach to national or global markets can lead to serious headaches. What works for neighborhood drop-offs or regional partnerships does not always scale when you are shipping across borders, navigating customs or trying to meet international demand. It is essential to understand how distribution shifts as your reach grows.
Each level brings new logistics, compliance and customer expectations. Here are a few examples of how global distribution compares to nationwide strategies.
As a small or medium business owner, you are consistently asked to do more with less — less time, less budget and fewer hands on deck. Every decision can impact your bottom line and your bandwidth. One of the biggest choices you will face is building an in-house team or bringing in outside experts.
In-house teams give you closer collaboration and deep brand familiarity. However, outsourcing can offer flexibility, lower costs and quick access to specialized skills without a long-term commitment. Striking the right balance goes beyond cutting costs. It involves making wise decisions that help you grow without burning out.
White label and private label both let you place your name on a product you did not invent from scratch. The key distinction is control — white-label goods arrive fully baked, while private-label lines give you room to adjust the recipe, specs or story. Picking the right lane shapes your margins, timeline and customer loyalty, so it pays to weigh the trade-offs before you place that first purchase order.
The choice of an open plan versus a traditional, closed office is a hot topic of debate among business leaders, designers and employees. Both options come with distinct advantages and disadvantages that influence productivity, communication and well-being. As more workers return to full-time office work in the post-pandemic era, which layout is best suited to today’s diverse and dynamic workforce?
Small-business owners have likely read about using a firewall for their websites, installing antivirus software on computers and insisting on strong passwords. However, the most serious security threats may not come from where you think they will. Sometimes, everyday risks pose the biggest danger.
In addition to the massive technological changes with artificial intelligence (AI), criminals look for any slight advantage to gain access to data or your physical location. Here are some hidden areas you might not have considered before and how to secure them today.
