Award win and new direction for Zebra Design
Lisa Singleton, the owner of graphic design company, Zebra Design, based in Tedburn St Mary, is thrilled to have won the Natwest Venus Award Devon for Home Based Business and picked up her award at a glittering ceremony last week. The successful evening was held in the Great Hall of Exeter University and was hosted by Tara Howard, founder of the Venus Awards and Celia Delaney. Tara Howard, Managing Director of Langtry Manor Hotels, started the awards to celebrate and recognise the growing number of women in business and take place currently in Dorset, Southampton, Brighton and Devon but will soon by expanding to Bristol and Birmingham.
Zebra Design was started in 2010 by busy mother of two boys, Lisa Singleton, who had been designing since graduating from university with a Graphic Design degree in 1995. With a handful of clients, Lisa took the plunge and set up her own business. Lisa says, “Starting Zebra Design was the best thing I ever did and it is wonderful to be able to fit my work around my two children while ensuring my clients are happy and get what they need when they need it. Being passionate and enthusiastic about your career, to love what you do and to have clients returning again and again, keeps me focused on growing the business and providing the very best service I can”.
Zebra Design now has a loyal client base of over 30 customers and offers graphic design for print, logos and branding along with marketing material accompanied by a very personal and friendly approach. Lisa’s long career in magazine publishing means she specialises in high quality brochures and larger projects and would love to get involved with more companies who produce their own business publication. “Clients love working with me, and I try and make the whole process fun, and the other reason they return is the fact that we always deliver on time. It is that flexibility, quality of design and attention to detail that is key to the success of the business”.
Lisa added “To have reached the semi-finals in the two categories of Home Based Business and Business Mother was an achievement in itself and then to be announced as a finalist was simply fantastic. I was in complete shock when my name was called out as the winner at the awards ceremony on Thursday night and to be one of the 12 winners from Devon felt incredible, in a room full of so many talented and inspirational women”.
What's next for the business?
Zebra Design has remained busy with profits increasing steadily over the last three years despite starting up at the height of the recession. So what next for the business? Lisa intends to expand the business to offer a consultancy service. She went on to explain “Small to medium sized businesses often can’t afford to have their own in-house design department but would benefit greatly from having somebody who knows and understands their company and branding well enough to produce high quality marketing material, brochures and flyers in a consistent corporate style. I will take my computer in to work within the client’s office as part of their team offering anything from one day a month up to perhaps one week a month for larger firms. This enables the client to control their budgets and to get a high level of skilled graphic design done at a reduced cost to their business. I already have one client benefitting from this service and look forward to promoting this side of Zebra Design more in the coming weeks”.
If you would like to speak to Lisa about Graphic Design or her new consultancy service please email lisa@zebra-design.co.uk or telephone Zebra Design on 01647 61580.
