Innovative Designer Helps Businesses Pivot During COVID-19

Cherry Hill web and graphic designer Leslie Blau-Berlin is an entrepreneur who has tapped into her strength, figured out how to pivot and is seeing some “silver linings’ during the past six months of this global health pandemic that can inspire us as we move forward.

Her positive outlook comes amid reports that more than 100,000 small businesses in the nation (or 2 percent) have permanently shut their doors as a result of the lock-downs since the Coronavirus pandemic was declared in March.

These staggering statistics are according to a study from economists at the University of Illinois, Harvard Business School, Harvard University, and the University of Chicago.

While so many of us are grappling with a myriad of issues from COVID-19 –medical concerns, job losses and cutbacks, concerns over finances and more – a myriad of experts agree that it is always wise to take a deep breath, find some positivity in our lives, and establish a plan to help you and your business not only survive, but also to thrive.

Blau-Berlin has found innovative ways to offer her products and services to new and existing clients in a meaningful way, and this, in turn, has helped them attract new business.

She is also successfully pivoting, inspiring others, and eager to share what she has learned personally, and professionally, during this difficult time for all of us.

Here is a window into how she operates and what we can learn from her:

Leslie Blau-Berlin

Owner/Creative Director

LBB Design, LLC.

In operation since 2016

Cherry Hill, N.J.

https://leslieblauberlin.com

Leslie Blau-Berlin is a visual thinker, and as such, she is using her myriad of skills to help entrepreneurs, small businesses and non-profits clarify their marketing needs with logos, website design, brochures, booklets and more.

After freelancing for various clients for several years and leaving a job as a newspaper graphic artist in 2010, she turned her passion into a business when it became an LLC a few years later.

One impetus for starting LBB Design was a self-survey from AARP which indicated that she would be happy being self-employed in her 50's and 60's, rather than working at a job or retiring.

With a strong background in art and advertising design, she is also a teacher. Many of the web design agencies that are technology-oriented, she eagerly embraces being called “an artsy geek.”

With some of her clients having limited digital skills, like her landscaper client Mike Larkin, who feels like a dinosaur with a computer, she explains that he had to “get with the 21st century and get a website. It took a while to prove it, but I’ve seen a noticeable uptick in views to his Facebook page and website. If he gets more calls and new clients, I believe I’ve helped.”

The company motto says a great deal: "Sharp solutions for smart people!"

Blau-Berlin helps new clients clarify their brand as she delves into designing their logo and choose their color scheme after a thorough discovery session. “I help entrepreneurs move up from their “DIY” website and branding to look as professional as the more corporate brands they may be competing with,” she explained.

“For long-time clients, I offer updates to their websites like a custom ‘Before & After’ portfolio slider, and always push for promoting their businesses on social media. I also offer ongoing website maintenance which many non-techy and/or busy folks appreciate.”

When Blau-Berlin heard that nearly everyone would be in lock-down during the start of COVID-19, she jumped on the chance to register for designers’ boot camp, an online course, and also found ways to network and build her business.

While many people may complain about all the Zoom meetings rather than in-person get-togethers, she has found a ‘silver lining’ that makes it an advantage. “A lot of conferences, networking meetings, and book clubs are now all online. Although there may still be a fee to ‘attend,’ the geographic barriers to getting there are now eliminated. As long as you have a good internet connection, you can connect with individuals across the globe.”

As a self-employed home-based graphic designer, she has been able to continue to work on my projects during this on-going crisis. "As long as I have my iMac or laptop, Adobe Creative Cloud, and a number of other cloud-based platforms, I am able to work from home."

Even though she eagerly looks for ‘silver linings,’ she admits there have been tough times during this pandemic. “There is so much uncertainty about the virus and when it will be over. She has drawn on her faith and meditation, as well as checking in with friends and family for emotional support. You can see who your true friends are when they reach out during times of trouble.”

When she is not hard at work designing company logos, graphics, and websites, Blau-Berlin loves the beach, hiking and other outdoor activities with her family: Ken, her husband of 30 years, and their two grown children, 28-year-old Mitchell, a design engineer; and 23-year-old Elana, who is in graduate school, and of course, their beloved Calico cat, Sammy.

While she always maintains a professional demeanor, Blau-Berlin says that she thoroughly enjoys educating her clients "who feel like close friends or family members."

Blau-Berlin believes that this pandemic could forever change the economy and how people do business. While previously, numerous corporations were reticent about allowing employees to work remotely, but since it’s been working out so well during the lock-down, a lot of companies are considering more remote work arrangements. Also, Zoom and other digital conferencing platforms have become the norm for meetings.

“I believe there are opportunities to change and flourish for those who think outside the box,” says Blau-Berlin, “which I encourage all of us to do going forward!”