What does it mean to be a small business?

I wish I could say that I’m about to bestow you the secret to success from one entrepreneur to another. But alas my dear reader, the old adage is still as true today as it ever way. Hard work pays off. Diligence, dedication and determination are the skills we have used to build DoTheDaniel.com into what it is today while working towards what it will be tomorrow. It hasn’t always been easy, but there have been some things I have learnt along the way, even if it was the hard way. So today I wanted to share some inspiring news for small business owners in Toronto that will hopefully help to make growing your dreams into your goals, and it’s right here in Toronto! You’ll have recently seen on our social media accounts that we had the pleasure of joining Vistaprint to celebrate the opening of their first ever store in the world, located conveniently at 720 King Street W in the city I call home. And this is no ordinary store!

[fbvideo link=”https://www.facebook.com/dothedanieldotcom/videos/847101965446105/” width=”500″ height=”400″ onlyvideo=”0″]

I think one of the best decisions I made when I started to network and build my business was to order business cards. This was many moons ago, and many logos ago. But it was an affordable option and helped me to feel slightly more established. You would be shocked to know how many business cards I still hand out on a daily basis, and how many I collect. If you’re looking to set up your own business, you should definitely consider getting some business cards, don’t let anyone tell you that it’s an outdated system. It’s the same with good old fashioned signage. Nowadays, companies can get bogged down with their marketing, but a tangible sign in the right place can draw people in who didn’t even know they wanted what you had to offer. They make a big difference and help to show people that you really care about what you’re doing. I’ve even seen some businesses using water bottles with their logo on to build their brand. Apparently, these can be purchased from companies like Custom Water. Whilst business cards are a traditional method, water bottles are a clever way of getting people to constantly promote your business.

But who has the fortune to spend on such things? Right? Thankfully the varying products that Vistaprint has to offer are all affordable. Which, we all know when starting out, is important. For signage for your company, there are also companies that offer cheap solutions so you don’t have to break the bank to get your product out there, like this company. Don’t be like me and spend money you don’t have! Be smart with your decisions in the first steps of a business and trust the experts in this industry. Of course, it’s important not to overspend, but you will probably want to set aside a budget for marketing and advertising. Without marketing, businesses will fail to grow most of the time, causing them to lose money. No business wants that, so be sure to consider marketing. Many successful businesses often market online as this is one of the most effective and affordable methods of growing a business. By setting up an Instagram page, businesses can gain instagram followers that can view their products and services. Instagram provides businesses with the opportunity to gain worldwide followers, increasing their potential customers. Whilst social media marketing may not be for everyone, many businesses do find it to be extremely rewarding.

There are so many methods of advertising a small business, but you need to choose the one that works for you. As you’ll have seen in the video above, the store is set up to help you better understand yourself. From the amazing Promobox (which I actually just signed up for btw), to the ability to chat with a graphic designer in real-time as they help you build your design and ideas (a complimentary service included in the ordering process while in-store), I was so impressed by the experience, that with the help of the whole Vistaprint team, we redesigned our business cards and ordered some for our entire staff around the world. I cannot WAIT to see what their reactions are when they open the box!

I highly encourage you all to stop by the new store and see this all for yourself.

Don’t forget to share your experience by following @Vistaprint on Twitter and Instagram. Use and follow the #DiscoverAndDesign hashtag to let us know what you discovered about yourself in this integrated design experience like no other in the world!

For more behind the scenes of this and other amazing brands we are working with around the world, make sure to follow along with the #DoTheDaniel Instagram account. We would love to have you join on our adventures!

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Photos: All social media accounts listed above, Vistaprint & Daniel Reyes

Cheers!

Daniel Reyes

Mobile photos are always taken on my NEW Huawei P10 Plus

*Please note that this is a sponsored post – our disclosure can be found at all times by clicking here.