From Corporate to Small-Business Web Designer in (Not So) Easy Steps
- SusiQ
- Dec 2
- 7 min read
Updated: Dec 6
A little about me before we begin…
I’ve spent over 30 years working across marketing, strategy, design, customer experience and business development. I’ve worked in large organisations, with agencies good, bad and unforgettable, and I’ve done the hands-on work myself - every role, every hat, every deadline.
Along the way, I became qualified, experienced and trusted in the world of marketing and digital strategy. But most of my real education came from doing the work, supporting real people, delivering real outcomes and solving real problems. And somewhere along the way - long before I officially became a small-business website designer - I realised I had a knack for making things clear, simple and genuinely useful.
And this is the story of how all of that brought me here - running a small business, for small businesses, doing work I love every single day in the world of small business web design and everything it involves.
The Shift I Never Expected
I didn’t start in marketing. Far from it. I fell into it during a completely different career path - suddenly organising events, running promotions and somehow becoming the “go-to” person who made things look good, run smoothly and actually succeed.
That’s when it clicked:
I understood how to connect people to a message. I knew how to make things work. And I enjoyed it - properly enjoyed it.
From there, my role evolved. Every project, every department, every business I supported sharpened my instincts. Strategy wasn’t a skill someone taught me - it grew from years of helping business owners, managers, teams and boards hit targets, solve problems and reach the people they needed most.
Little did I know it was the perfect foundation for my career change to web design, especially the kind of thoughtful, creative website design that small businesses actually need.
Corporate Life: The Good, the Bad… and the Creative
In the corporate world, I became the creative brain and the calm planner. The one who mapped the roadmap, built the systems, designed the campaign and rolled up my sleeves to deliver it.
I learned how to work with agencies - the brilliant, the mediocre and the “I can’t believe we paid for this” variety. I learned what makes collaboration work, and I learned when to take control and do it myself.
People relied on me because I got things done. On time. Properly. To target.
But corporate life also taught me something else:
I wasn’t built for empire-building. I wasn’t chasing titles. I was happiest when I was creating something meaningful - not climbing ladders.
In hindsight, it was my first clue that I was destined for something more aligned with the way my brain works - something a little more from corporate to creative. I just didn’t know it yet.
The Redundancy That Broke Me… and Built Me Back Better
Redundancy hits differently when you’re experienced. Being told I was “too experienced” or didn’t “fit anymore” after being interviewed (on quite a few occasions) was soul destroying. It felt like being shoved aside simply because I’d grown into someone valuable.
But here’s the part I didn’t expect:
That moment became a positive, life-changing turning point.
I realised I didn’t need anyone’s permission to do great work. I didn’t need another corporate badge to prove my worth. And I didn’t need to shrink myself to suit environments that no longer suited me.
So I backed myself - fully.
I went straight into building something of my own… and earned from day one. That early momentum wasn’t magic - it was simply the beginning of my path into web design for small businesses, the space where everything I’d learned suddenly made sense.
Small Business Life: The Lessons That Changed Everything
The last few years taught me the most important lessons of my career:
Trust your instincts - they’ve always been right.
Don’t try to be everything - focus on what you do brilliantly.
Know your worth - and protect your energy.
Creativity and strategy can (and should) walk hand in hand.
Your happiest work is the work where people actually get it.
And they do. When I create small business websites that meet a client’s needs - strategically, creatively, practically - and they say, “Yes, that’s exactly what I meant,” that’s where I’m happiest.
What Clients Say Behind the Scenes
I’m often told:
“You just get it.” “You understand my business quicker than I can explain it.” “You think differently.” “You go beyond the website - you make the whole business clearer.”
That’s because I don’t build websites for the sake of building websites. I build tools that help small businesses grow, feel confident and show up with clarity.
That’s the heart of small business web design when it’s done well - it’s not about pages, it’s about purpose.
A Highly Active Brain Meets AI: A Love Story
When generative AI arrived, it felt like meeting the business partner I’d been missing.
Fast, clever, collaborative, curious - finally, a tool that moves at the same pace my brain does.
I’ve spent several years immersed in AI, experimenting, refining, pushing and shaping how it can support strategy, content and clarity for small businesses. I use AI to amplify my expertise, not replace it - and I’m endlessly fascinated by what it can help us build together.
I joke that I’m like a kid in a sweetie shop… but it’s true.
Why Kingstown Web Studio and Small Business Web Design Feels Like Home
I’m not building an empire. I’m not chasing fame. I don’t want a huge agency or a team of 30 dotted around the globe.
I’m happiest right here - a small business helping small businesses - making a real difference one website at a time through thoughtful, creative, small business web design.
Every project matters to me. Every story matters. Every business I work with gets my full attention, my strategic brain, my creativity, my honesty and my slightly cheeky, always-on personality.
This is my happy place. This is what all the twists and turns were leading to.
A Gentle Invitation
If you’ve read this far, thank you.
You’ll get to know me even better through Web Wise, where I’ll be sharing the stories, lessons, insights, mishaps and eureka moments that shaped my journey - and the work I do today as a small-business website designer.
If you’d like to follow along, learn with me, and maybe laugh with me too…
Subscribe and join me on the journey. (If you are reading this as one of my pre-launch audience you may also have the opportunity to win a website build - a one-pager powerhouse - simply by subscribing - your link to this great offer is in the subscription confirmation - Get your application in and it could be you!).
TL;DR
What is TL;DR?
It means “Too Long; Didn’t Read” - a quick summary for fast scanning and voice assistants like Alexa or Siri that surface the short version first.
After 30+ years in corporate roles across marketing, strategy, design and customer experience, I realised I wasn’t built for titles or empires – I was happiest creating meaningful work that actually helps people. A bruising redundancy became the turning point that pushed me to back myself and build a small business focused on small business web design, blending strategy, creativity and practical delivery one website at a time. Now, through Kingstown Web Studio and my Web Wise blog, I use my highly active brain (and a lot of generative AI) to design websites as business tools – clarifying messages, supporting growth and helping owners feel proud to show up online. If you enjoy honest stories, useful lessons and the occasional cheeky aside, you’re in the right place.
Blog FAQs
Why did you move from corporate life into small-business web design?
Because I realised I was happiest creating things that genuinely helped real people. Corporate life sharpened my skills, but small-business work lets me use them in a way that feels meaningful.
What do you mean by “Small-Business Web Designer”?
It’s the work I do now – building strategic, creative, practical websites that help small businesses grow with clarity and confidence.
Was the transition from corporate to creative really difficult?
Some parts were tough, absolutely. Redundancy is never easy. But it became the turning point that pushed me toward work that fits my brain, my values and my long-term goals.
How does your corporate background help your web design clients?It gave me decades of experience in strategy, communication, customer experience and planning – all of which go into designing websites that actually work, not just look good.
Do you still use your marketing and strategy skills?
Every day. Good web design isn’t just creative – it’s grounded in understanding people, goals, messaging and clear decision-making.
How does AI fit into your work now?
AI is like the partner my highly active brain always needed – fast, collaborative and brilliant for content, clarity and strategic thinking. It helps me deliver better results for clients.
What makes Kingstown Web Studio different from typical web design services?
I take a small-business-first approach. Every website is built with strategy, creativity and clarity, not templates or shortcuts. Clients often tell me I “just get it” – and that’s what I bring to every project.
Who is this blog for?
Anyone curious about the story behind my studio – especially small business owners who want a designer who understands both the corporate world and the creative one.
Glossary
AI
Short for artificial intelligence. I use it as a collaborative tool to support strategy, content and creative thinking in my web design work.
Corporate Life
The world I worked in for over 30 years – full of strategy, deadlines, teams and agency collaboration. It gave me experience, but not the creative fulfilment I have now.
Creative Work
The hands-on design, content and problem-solving side of what I do – the part that keeps me energised and happily busy.
Redundancy
The unexpected turning point that pushed me to create my own small-business studio and trust my experience.
Small-Business Web Design
The work I specialise in now – building strategic, clear, creative websites for small businesses that want confidence and direction.
Strategy
The thinking behind good web design – understanding goals, audiences and the actions you want people to take.
Web Designer
My current role. Someone who blends creativity, structure and problem-solving to build websites that support a business’s goals.
About the Writer
Susi is the creative brain behind Web Wise and the small business web designer at Kingstown Web Studio who loves turning real-world lessons into clear, useful stories. With 30+ years in marketing and a talent for explaining things in plain English, she writes the kind of blogs she wishes someone had given her earlier: practical, honest and a little bit cheeky. When she’s not building websites, she’s sharing the ideas, insights and lightbulb moments that help small businesses show up with confidence.
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