My career as a freelance graphic and web designer started with a phone call and a leap of faith.  It was 2006.  I was working at a real estate business and the most valuable tool I had was this  threadbare little local phone book.  It was the only copy we had in the office, it was very outdated and falling apart at the seams.  I had already phoned the book’s publisher a few times over the past couple of years to find out if we could advertise in the next edition.  He said the Hangklip-Kleinmond area was too quiet and he had no interest in the local market or in publishing it again.  He ended the conversation by saying: “Why don’t you do it if you love it so much?”  As his words kept ringing in my ears, I discovered the first rule of successful sales – If you believe in the product, you can sell it.  I knew from personal experience how often I use the book and how much I wanted a new one with all the new businesses in it.  I knew there must be other people who felt the same.  I resigned from my job with immediate effect and a singular mission in mind – Update The Book.

By 2023, I will have published 17 annual editions of the Hangklip-Kleinmond Book. Over the years I have established the book as a valued household companion and turned it from a stapled together black and white copy with outsourced maps to a glossy quality publication with full colour throughout. I have had the experience of doing business with thousands of advertisers from all walks of life including individuals with startup businesses in their garage, so-called ’bakkie builders’, and the marketing departments of big corporations.   I have always offered free design services to the advertisers in the book.  Having experience with providing print-ready materials, I received commissions to design advertisements for other publications, book covers and large format signage. Now, my services include designing websites, business cards, email signatures, logos, brochures, editorial design including magazine layout, and dealing with the printers on your behalf.