WiseLove featured in the P&J
I’m delighted to feature in today’s Press and Journal (the North East’s finest newspaper), talking about my business and plans for the future.
I’ve finally convinced my Aberdonian Father-in-law that I have a ‘proper’ job.
You can read the article here or I’ve posted the feature below.
↓
After years working as an independent graphic designer, Aboyne man Pearse O’Halloran decided it was time to turn his freelance work into a fully fledged studio.
Relocating from the Isle of Lewis to Deeside, Pearse set up WiseLove Studio at the Aboyne Business Centre, giving his creative practice a formal identity and a dedicated workspace.
Since then, he has been steadily building the business, drawing on a mix of passion, perseverance and, as he admits, a little bit of luck along the way.
Pearse O’Halloran answered our questions on his journey, lessons learned, and his best advice.
How and why did you start in business?
I’ve been an independent graphic designer for many years.
After moving to Aboyne from the Isle of Lewis, I set up my new office at the Aboyne Business Centre. I had been working under my own name as a freelancer, but felt it was time to think and act like a proper studio and have a proper studio name. I was inspired to call it WiseLove Studio.
How did you get to where you are today?
I want to do a shout-out to Lady Luck. She’s definitely intervened at certain points when I thought pure graft was going to suffice.
I have a healthy passion for graphic design, and that’s kept me going as I’ve built up this studio. I just love doing what I do, which keeps me motivated when I’m facing challenges.
Who helped you?
My wife has been amazing throughout my career, always offering strong support and counsel. I really value her perspective when I can’t see the woods for the trees.
Pearse O’Halloran opened his studio three months ago. Image: FSB
Since arriving in Aberdeenshire, both Business Gateway and the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) have been hugely supportive in plugging me into the local business network.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever had?
Love is wise, hatred is foolish. This Bertrand Russell quote has been a simple philosophical guide, and an inspiration for the WiseLove Studio name!
When making choices, I have to stop and think if it’s coming from a place of good intention. If it’s not, if it’s guided by negatives like anger, jealousy, frustration, then it’s a foolish action and should be swerved.
What is your biggest mistake?
It took me quite a few years as a freelancer to realise I needed proper legal documentation when dealing with clients.
Even simple things like getting Terms of Business signed from the outset could have saved me a lot of heartache in the early years.
How are you managing the rising cost of doing business?
In the service industry, the strategy to address rising costs is to carefully raise our rates and keep our overhead low.
I understand that some of the businesses I want to work with are struggling, so I’ve been open to meeting their budgets to get involved in their exciting projects.
What do you still hope to achieve?
I’m planning to open a shop and throw open my doors as part of North East Open Studios (NEOS) in September.
I also have plans to self-publish, as I want to take my portfolio offline and preserve it in book form. I enjoy writing, so I want to combine the two. It will be a satisfying legacy to have my books on the shelves of my daughter’s future homes.
__
File Under
