We had the good fortune of connecting with April Hiatt and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi April, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
My business evolved over time.

After graduating from college, I worked full-time for several years. But as our family began to grow, I decided that I wanted to stay home with our kids (we had 3). So I quit my job and was a stay a home mom (and LOVED it!)

When our son was in high school, he had some very specific mental health needs. I started researching and looked online for help, but struggled to find a company or person that could help him. I found one business that kind of looked promising, but, to be honest, I wasn’t very hopeful. Their online presence and website did not inspire any kind of confidence. However, with no other options, I called them.

Turned out, they were exactly what my son needed, and we loved working with them! After several months of working with this company, I mentioned to the owner that I had almost not called them because his website was so bad and didn’t give me any confidence in their services.

Surprised at this, he asked more questions, and eventually asked if I would be willing to re-do the website since I knew what other mothers were looking for. So after spending a lot of hours learning how to build a website, (I had never done it before), taking courses and learning everything I could about it–I built my first website.

And I loved doing it. I had found something I was passionate about–creating online and feeling like I could help other mothers who were struggling to find services they needed. Plus, the website was good. So good that the owner asked me to build 8 other sites for him for various other programs in his company. He also referred me to others he knew, who then referred me to others, and my business grew from there.

During this time, I only worked in my business part-time because being active in my children’s lives and activities was very important to me. However, my kids were not little. In fact, our youngest was 12 at the time–so I had time during the day while they were in school to work, and I found it incredibly fulfilling.

As I got more referrals, and my kids graduated and moved out of the house, my business grew to a full-time branding and web design agency that I LOVE! I literally wake up everyday excited to go to my upstairs office and go to work!

Along my business journey, my thought was always to have something that I could control. I wanted a business where I could decide what hours I worked and when I took time off. I wanted something that was flexible to my kids’ schedules and allowed me flexibility to do what I wanted and work when it was convenient for me. I wanted something where I could travel if I wanted, where I could work from home, and where I could set my own priorities and do the things that were important to me. Designing and creating websites was perfect for me because as all my kids eventually moved out, and I had more time, I could naturally grow my business. And best of all, I really enjoyed it… and was good at it!

I love meeting new people and feeling like I am helping them–so this business fit everything I was looking for. Plus, the extra money coming into our household during the kids’ teenage years was a huge blessing to our family as it helped pay for all the dance lessons, extra wrestling practices, doubled car insurance when they started driving, and all the extra expenses that come as children get older!

What should our readers know about your business?
There are two main things that set me apart from other website designers–

1. I am a full-service website designer working specifically with coaches, authors and service professionals. This means that I not only build websites for clients, but I include branding, website copywriting, lead generation and sales funnels–integrating it all together in their website. Most website designers just do 1 thing–they design the website and the business owner is responsible for the rest–coming up with images, content, copywriting, lead magnets, etc. I didn’t want to do that. I wanted to give business owners the entire package so they had consistency and cohesiveness in their websites. I took courses and trainings and became an expert in not only the website design process, but also the website copywriting, high converting layouts, lead generation, sales funnels and branding too. I also learned everything I could about websites for my specific area of expertise, and I will say no to projects that don’t fit into that.

2. One of my core values is empowering business owners to run their own business and not be dependent on me or anyone else for website changes and updates. Part of my packages include training on how to maintain your website, how to make updates, and how to make simple changes themselves (or have an employee do it). There is nothing more frustrating for a business than to need a simple website update made quickly, but to have to wait a week to “get on the schedule” for the website designer to do it. I want business owners to feel like they can run their business and can make changes when they need it, so I spend time training them with the skills they will need.

Right now, I am very excited about my Complete Website Template packages. For less than $300, a business owner can get a full, complete website, including a way to grow their email list, and learn how to set it up and customize it themselves. I have complete video tutorials that walk you through everything you need to do it yourself and give you the know-how to grow as your business grows.

I work with a lot of new business owners who do not have a huge budget for a custom website made by a designer. I get that! I know what it’s like to be working within a budget and have to do things yourself. So I created Complete Branding Kits and Complete Website Templates to give business owners a way to look really good online, and not pay thousands of dollars to do it.

Lessons learned along the way:
1. You don’t have to have everything figured out ahead of time to get started. You will learn things along the way in your business, If you try something and it doesn’t work–lesson learned, and try something else. Plus, what you put out there today, or specifically on your website, can be changed. As you learn more and grow in your business, your website and other messaging can (and should) change with it.

2. Sometimes, you just have to go for it! We all have fears and I think we all struggle with imposter syndrome, but we can’t learn if we don’t act. The validation and clarity we are looking for comes as we DO, it comes as we take action and see what works, and what doesn’t. Then, we do more of what works and less of what doesn’t!

3. I have learned that we need to surround ourselves with people that can see our vision and support us in it. That doesn’t mean they will agree with everything. In fact, hopefully they will give us good feedback and point out the holes we need to plug. However, they are the ones that will encourage us when things get tough, will tell you that “yes, you are good at what you do”, and help us move forward. These people are not always family members or close friends. You want to find other like-minded business owners that have been where you are and can see where you’re going. These are the best people to surround yourself with!

4. Always be learning. Learn from courses, read books, learn from others in your industry, learn from your clients, and learn from what didn’t work. We never know everything–so keep learning in your field of expertise. As you do that, you become more of an expert in your field and you can confidently raise your prices and make more money.

5. Set boundaries. Decide what is important to you, and stick to it. For me, my family will always come first. If one of my kids calls me in the middle of the day, I will always stop what I’m doing and take the call (if I can). Nights and weekends are important to me–so I do everything I can not to work past 5pm in the evenings, and I almost never work weekends! Those are reserved for personal and family time! I also have specific types of clients I am very good at working with and if I meet with someone who I don’t feel like is a good fit, I tell them and will refer them to someone else who is a better fit.

What do I want the world to know about me and my brand? I care deeply about my clients and their success. I want the world to see how awesome you are and how you can help others. I have been on the other side of that (a mom desperately looking for help and not able to find it) and I don’t want others to go through that–especially if you have the skills and talents to help someone. If I can help you create a website that shows off the caliber of your business and shows others clearly how you can help them–then everyone wins!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I have been incredibly blessed to have a husband who supports me and my business. When I doubt myself, he encourages me. When I need to work after everyone is in bed, he is okay with that. When I want to talk about my big ideas and where I want my business to go, he listens and gives great feedback and support, and even that little “extra push” when I need it! When I need to brainstorm or get another perspective, he jumps in and participates and gives me ideas and suggestions. And when our family needed extra money coming in, instead of telling me to go find a job somewhere, he helped me come up with other ways my business could bring in more money.

Website: https://www.aprilhiatt.com

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/april-hiatt/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aprilhiattwebsitedesign

Other: email: april@aprilhiatt.com I’m also on Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/aprilhiattwebsitedesign/ People are also welcome to follow my personal profile on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/april.d.hiatt

Image Credits
Image credits: Brit Bennion

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