We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Madison Hager. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Madison below.

Madison, appreciate you joining us today. Can you tell us the backstory behind how you came up with the idea?

I want to first mention, it’s taken me many years to fully acknowledge myself as a “creative.” I always imagine creative people being painters, singers, dancers, etc. To me, web design has been something that I’ve just been drawn to and interested in.

Speaking with you all previously, I mentioned how, when I was younger, I’d dedicate tons of nights during my youth avidly editing my Tumblr page, or curating my MySpace profile, to perfectly encapsulate my style and personality. And then, as I got older and found myself working full-time in Marketing, I was able to once again dip into that work by having the opportunity to work on my job’s Squarespace website.

Having the opportunity to help my employer maintain and, eventually, restyle the website made me realize how truly passionate I was about this type of work, as well as how beneficial and helpful it was for the company. Not only was I able to take work off of my employer’s plate by taking that on, but I was able to create a more fluid, modernized website that fit what the company had grown into over the years.

After being involved in that project, I was able to vocalize how much I truly enjoyed that type of work. And my employer was happy to help me explore this area further, which I’m so grateful for! This opened the doors for me to help her work on a website for a podcast she was featured on, as well as help create a website for a consutlation business she opened up.

Being a part of those projects eventually led to my services being passed by word-of-mouth, granting me limited opportunities to help others beyond my workplace. After helping two more individuals in our networking circle, I was asked about the idea of starting my own business.

For me, starting your own business and being a “business owner” sounds incredibly overwhelming! I think of pricey investments, uncertainty, bankruptcy, and putting everything on the line. Of course, those are all very real experiences and concerns many business owners will face and worry about. I may not have known much, but I knew that business ownership wasn’t for the weak!

Because of that, I told myself that I’d be content with just helping others in our networking circle with any website-related services they needed. It wasn’t until I received interest from individuals across the nation that I realized that my plan wouldn’t cut it, and I’d need some legal protection.

Thankfully, I was able to get guidance from a former web design client about how to go about properly starting my business. I was still super hesitant, and I also recognized that by doing this would be a higher commitment to myself than I had prior. I reminded myself that taking risks is never easy nor fun, and it can be scary! But, once you take the leap it’ll all work out.

And that’s exactly what happened. Since officially starting my business in October 2022, I have been able to provide Squarespace web design services nationwide (and have even helped internationally!) with a new level of respect and dedication to myself and my craft. The transition has truly elevated my work from a side-gig to a full-blown business.

While at first I was hesitant, taking the leap has helped me to really market myself as a reputable brand and make myself a household name. I’ve also been able to book clients for Squarespace projects on a larger scale than I likely would’ve taken on before, and it’s helped me recognize my worth. I’ve realized that in the beginning, I was selling myself and my services a bit short, and I’ve learned to value the work that I do. All of this has really transformed me into an even more passionate web designer who *finally* sees herself as a creative!

Madison, 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?

I am the sole entrepreneur of a Squarespace web design business, offering small business owners nationwide affordable web design, redesign, and website maintenance services. I have over 4 years of working with Squarespace websites hands-on under my belt, and have helped professionals throughout various industries (including therapists, attorneys, podcast hosts, retail store owners, and consultants).

I’ve always been big on providing truly affordable services. As small business owners, especially in this day and age, expenses add up, and cutting costs to stay within budget is something a lot of people consider and follow through with. I often see other businesses operating solely on social media platforms, and refraining from getting an operable website for the sake of saving money. For most, a website is on their radar, but not one they can afford to get off the ground right now.

The biggest thing for me is to do my best to meet my clients where they are. Recognize that costs worldwide are at an all-time high. Because of that, I offer optional payment plans for clients who are interested in splitting up the cost of web design payments into 2-4 month payment plan options, so they can have some financial flexibility.

I also offer quick turnaround time (while always ensuring high-quality work is done), recognizing that most of the clients I work with are startups who need their websites to be public sooner rather than later. When I work with a client, I take into account their particular circumstance, their needs, their vision, and what they expect out of our time together.

I pride myself on creating a very warm and welcoming environment for me and my clients, making sure they leave satisfied with the work I provide, while also feeling like they’re not breaking the bank.

We’d love to hear about how you keep in touch with clients.

I am someone who doesn’t like to immediately discount a certain type of client; however, I also recognize how important it can be for a business to have a niche market.

I primarily work with small business owners in the Maryland area. Although, I have worked with clients as far as the midwest, and have even worked on projects for international small businesses! Generally, however, my clients are located within the state of Maryland, and share a similar career path as some of my previous clients. I typically find that therapists, attorneys, and consultants get in touch with me, which I’ve found fascinating!

It’s always exciting when you find out that your [potential] client is located down the street from you, and it makes you want to foster even more of a connection than you might be able to with someone states away. In the past, I have happily passed along reviews and recommendations for some of my local clients’ businesses, and have shared local articles that include their information so they can get the word out.

Essentially, over the course of working closely with a client, I develop a need to further support them when given opportunities to. I love to follow my clients on social media to see what they’re up to after our time together and see how they continue to evolve and grow, it’s always so fascinating and great to watch!

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

Aside from getting to be involved in one of the most important aspects of an entrepreneur’s business, it’s recognizing my worth and allowing myself to continue to evolve without guilt!

When my web design journey began, I was offering services as a side-gig for a few months to a year. I didn’t feel 100% confident since I was still learning and figuring out the best way to go about certain design aspects, and I wanted to price myself based on that self-observation.

Since I’ve gotten my business license, grown my clientele, and built on my knowledge around Squarespace web design, I see how important the work I do is. I never realized how much I truly take off a business owner’s plate until I heard reviews after my time together with clients. Because of this, about a year into my business I made the decision to increase my rates to reflect where I’m at in this stage of my business.

It was difficult, as I’m always someone who likes to give and not take, take, take; but my clients truly helped me learn my worth. The eye opening moment for me was when I was approached by a prospective client who mentioned that her budget was about $1000 over what I woud typically price those same services for. I was astonished that there were actually people out there who saw web design as an investment, and an important one at that!

While I didn’t increase my prices tremendously (I pride myself on offering affordable services and refuse to ever stray from that!), I am fortunate that I also work full-time for my current employer, so I am able to price accordingly given that privilege. I worried I’d get pushback, or that it’d take a while to get another client willing to pay my new rate, but I found that that wasn’t the case. You truly don’t know what amazing opportunities are awaiting you if you don’t take the leap sometimes, which has definitely been a recurring theme in my business journey!

All that to say, it can difficult to make decisions as a business owner, especially if you’re someone who always liked to offer favors. But taking on this journey will have you evolving in areas of your life you didn’t think you would, and help you develop a new sense of self.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.madisonhagerllc.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/madisonhagerllc
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/madisonhagerllc
• Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/company/madison-hager-llc
• Schedule a FREE Consultation: https://calendly.com/madisonhager/consultation