We recently connected with Skyler Hibicki and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Skyler , thanks for joining us today. Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?

Big Agency Quality, Small Business Heart

That is what SHibicki Designs LLC was built around. Before opening my own business, I spent my high school and college days working for various local businesses, from tuxedo shops to tanning salons to cafes. Aside from learning the role, providing top-tier customer service was always my priority. As a regular local consumer, I always used to think to myself.. “how would I like to be greeted?”, “what would unsuspectedly make my day if I came into this shop to buy my morning coffee?” Bringing a smile to someone’s face over a cup of java, or during their appointment check-in is what fueled my day-to-day. I saw the way connection and empathetic conversation made a monumental difference in positive customer experience and I worked towards spreading that spark of joy for someone, each and every day.

The mission with my web design business is no different: treat them like a VIP because they truly are. We, as business owners, are nothing without our supportive customers. So when I decided to open my business in 2022, I built my mission around providing top-tier service. All of my clients know I am just a phone call or message away.. so reach out to ask me all of your questions, voice your concerns, etc. That’s what I am here for! I try to be on call for all of my clients, if possible, because how freakin’ amazing is it to have someone just do.. it.. for.. you? That’s bliss. That takes a weight off peoples’ shoulders. That’s the entire point!

But on top of great customer service, I also wanted to provide my clients more; more transparency, more information, and more say in their website (versus what I had seen in companies prior to opening my business.) Websites and technology tend to be frustrating topics for so many business owners. There’s website solutions with hundreds of companies. It can be overwhelming for someone who is looking for a website for their business. When I saw that pain point in so many, I took it on as my responsibility to bridge the gap between my clients and vital, honest web knowledge.

In short, my mission is to keep an essential piece of every successful business [website] affordable, easy for the client, and effective. You’ll get big agency quality provided by small business heart. No hidden fees. No contracts. No extra BS. Just beautiful, effective websites built with love.

Skyler , 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?

Hi! My name is Skyler, and I’m a professional web designer and business owner based in Madison, Wisconsin. For a little over three years, I’ve been helping new and budding businesses, freelancers, creatives, and non-profits elevate their web presence with beautiful sites that make high-impact.

My journey to being a designer was definitely not an easy one. As a creative at heart, it was always tough for me to be satisfied with “normal gigs.” Through high school and college, I tried my luck with cafes, tuxedo shops, cafes, retail stores, and even became temporary help to a local investment advisor. But I found myself burnt-out, unmotivated, and dreaded going to work the next day. I needed something that felt aligned with who I was. All I knew was to be truly satisfied, I needed more freedom to create, innovate, and make impact in the “non-conventional ways”.

That’s when I took a leap, applied at my hometown’s tech college (shoutout to Moraine Park in Fond du Lac, WI), and started studying web design. From the moment I went to my first-ever class, I loved studying the field, I loved my professors and peers, and I loved the challenge that web design was and is. There’s always something new to learn and always somewhere to improve. It all felt so right for me. It was my A-HA moment, for sure. It helped that during my last semester, I had an awesome professor who saw my entrepreneurial spirit and encouraged me to start taking clients on, too.

Fast forward three years, now I do take on my own clients. I primarily focus on providing new website builds, website redesigns, and providing long-term care for clients via website maintenance. But, with the desire to make things as seamless as possible for clients, I also offer brand development, creative marketing, and workflow optimization into my services as well. The goal is to be a one-stop-shop for anyone who needs personalized marketing.

I take great pride in building really-well-thought-out sites, from concept all the way to the launch itself. The design/aesthetics are just one piece of the website puzzle, though. The other piece is the technical side; hosting, domains, security, integrations, and overall functionality. With every client, I like to understand how they operate internally, what software they are using/paying for, how they process payments, etc. If there’s a place I can bring costs down for them, then that’s what I’m doing. I’m always busy between the front-end and back-end, but I wouldn’t have it any other way!

Fast forward three years, I’m a lot happier too. I found my niche. I wake up everyday with a sense of purpose. I get the privilege of helping out hard-working, passionate people just like myself. I’m really humbled by it all, and cannot really believe that I’ll be heading into my third year of business in 2025. For as long as I do this, I’ll continue to listen to feedback, learn new things, adjust processes where needed, and keep on keeping on.

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

The nature of my business is a little different than most because I wasn’t your typical brick-and-mortar start up. I knew I could run my business in my home office and fortunately, avoid major overhead costs. Because I chose to do this, I’m able to keep my services at a reasonable, competitive rate.

As far as actually funding the startup costs go, during the time I was opening my business, I relied on my savings from all my odd jobs. It covered the costs of filing LLC paperwork and purchasing the software(s) I needed to bill clients and build sites. I was also still in college at the time which happened to be during the COVID pandemic. My college was offering financial aid, up to $2000, to any student who needed it. I was 21 years old paying for college (and rent) out of pocket, eating buttered noodles and frozen veggies like three nights a week, and trying to open a business, so yeah.. you bet I took up the offer! Because of that godsent, I was able to purchase a shiny new desktop that had the processing power I needed to get to work (and finally retired my poor, overworked laptop that somehow got me through my college courses up to that point.) It all came together, somehow. Back then, I was super stressed about it all. But being where I’m at now, it was all worth it. I feel really lucky for my startup experiences and resources, and the people who supported me from day one.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

Natural networking and getting involved with the community. Cold calling, cold emailing, etc. all feels too sales-y and rigid and never seemed to work for me anyways. I used to go out and just talk to business owners who I knew somewhat personally. If at any point it felt organic/appropriate for the conversation, I’d drop a “well.. hey, if you ever need help with a website.. I’d be happy to help you!” I prefer operating from a place of genuineness – natural networking and community involvement allow me to operate from that place. Connection, even in business, can be uplifting, positive, and fun!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.shibickidesigns.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shibicki.designs/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shibicki.designs
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shibicki/
• Other: Alignable: https://www.alignable.com/madison-wi/shibicki-designs-llc

Image Credits

professional headshot by @arielkassulke
group photo (wearing “no one should be in prison for cannabis” shirts) by @goblin_in_agoodland at James Madison Park
group/virtual meet by @laus_rota
remaining photos by @shibicki.designs