We recently connected with Katelyn Ice and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Katelyn thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s start with something countless entrepreneurs have had to figure out on the fly – how have you dealt with the rise of remote work?

In 2023, Ice Design Studio was awarded grant funding to hire employees and invest in education opportunities to grow our service list. Being a one-woman shop for 5 years, I was beyond excited to diversify products and grow our talent pool. There were a few in-demand skill sets I was lacking, thus feeling forced to decline project pitches from existing clients. I knew I needed to grow my team because I couldn’t do it all…there wasn’t enough time in the day to keep up with the demand. I immediately hired part-time employees, growing my team from one to five. Two of my employees are fully-remote working from Savannah, GA and Muncie, IN. The rest of us work locally in Vincennes, IN, but because the other two have full-time jobs/school schedules, they don’t work during normal daytime hours. Team members are able to work whenever and from wherever is most convenient for their schedules. I do not require specific active work hours, so it’s important that I communicate expectations up front. And the expectation is that as long as the work gets done, it doesn’t matter when they work. I’ve found that my team appreciates this flexible approach because some of them prefer to work on the weekends while others prefer to work in the evenings. They find pockets of time as their schedule allows, and it works great for all of us. We schedule bi-weekly Zoom team chats and email updates to ensure we’re all on the same page re: project progress. We all have access to team folders in our shared iCloud account, and we track project assignments in Google Sheets.

Remote work definitely isn’t for everyone, but if you can find employees who can prioritize and have excellent time management skills, they (most likely) won’t require much oversight.

One non-obvious benefit I’ve noticed is…if I’m working during normal business hours, one employee is working evening hours, and another is working weekends, then the work never stops. We’re all collectively working 24/7 to get the work done, so I’ve noticed our turnaround times are getting faster. The faster we get, the more work we can take on!

Katelyn, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

After having my first baby in 2018, I knew my schedule needed a change. I no longer saw myself working a 9 to 5, so I began freelance work from the comfort of my home. One client quickly turned to two, and the word-of-mouth referrals came flooding in. My freelance gig became a business where I not only wanted to offer graphic design work but I grew to also manage social media pages, consult on fundraising committees, write marketing copy, and craft email campaigns for targeted audiences.

Most of my clients struggle with messaging. They have the tools, quality photography, a great product/service, they just don’t know how use their strengths to increase sales, donations, or awareness. We help small businesses communicate how their product/service solves a problem.

Instead of saying:
>> “This is what I do. This is what it does. This is why it’s cool.”

We say:
>> “This is what you’re facing. This is how I can help you solve that. This is what differentiates me. This is why this product is right for you. This is our promise.”

We’ve found this approach to attract the client’s ideal customer and build brand loyalty.

I didn’t always see myself in marketing though. I thought for sure I would be running my own Target store by now (I worked there for 7 years!), and then a nurse, a news reporter, followed closely by… well you get the picture.

While I love working from my home office, I find my most productive work comes from my time spent at The Pantheon, an historic 1920s theatre turned co-working space and business incubator. Since becoming a member a year ago, I’ve tripled my book of business and added 3 part-time employees to my team. When I’m not at my desk, I’m cutting vinyl for my latest Cricut creation or looking up DIY tutorials for a home improvement project that has WAY too many steps to knock out in a day. I could also be passing snacks to the back seat while taking my little humans to the park or planning our next family vacay on my Airbnb app. I can almost guarantee that Taylor Swift is playing in my Airpods (ride or die Swiftie since 2006). I live in Vincennes, Indiana with my husband Roy and our two kiddos – Lockhart (5) and Elsie (2).

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

My business experienced slow growth for the first five years. I never officially took it full time until 2023 when I became a co-working member at The Pantheon Business Incubator. I was learning so much about our local business community and when I heard about The Pantheon’s no-cost business advisor office hours, I thought they were for more “established” entrepreneurs. I didn’t realize the benefits of having a business advisor at ANY stage in business. I was introduced to Indiana SBDC Advisor Julie Folz and thought, “what the heck, I’ll schedule an appointment.” I knew it would only help. And boy did it!! After hearing my growth goals, Julie sent me information about a small business grant opportunity, and although I was skeptical if I could ever win something like that, I submitted an application (if only for the grant writing experience). Three months later, they called to tell me I had won, and I was completely shocked. Without Julie’s help, I’d probably still be stuck running my business solo while turning away work due to the fact that I was doing it all – the work, the finances, the billing, the marketing, the meetings, etc. With the grant funding, I was able to take my business up a notch. I hired 4 employees and very rarely have to turn away work.

Imagine where I would be today if I would’ve sought out a business advisor from the start? I recommend every entrepreneur contact their local Small Business Development Center for no-cost services. Their goal is to help you grow, so go meet with them, tell them about your challenges, and let them guide you to solutions you didn’t know were possible.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

The absolute best source of new clients for me has been referrals. Ever since I moved my business operations from my home office to The Pantheon Co-Working Space & Business Incubator, I saw a HUGE jump in client inquiries. The sooner you can insert yourself into the business community, the better. I saw the benefits of networking so I also became a member of the Knox County Chamber of Commerce. I attend professional development workshops, even if I don’t have a specific interest in the topic. It’s likely I’ll meet someone who has either heard of Ice Design Studio, knows a client, or recognizes my name and asks about my family. Always choose to network with other business owners because those connections may turn into future business.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.katelynice.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ice.designstudio
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/katelynicedesignstudio
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katelynice/

Image Credits
Bonnie Bowman, Aaron Pea