Meet Kate Barnes of Solstice Collective

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kate Barnes.  

Hi Kate, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Jane and I began talking about creating a social media management business when we were in college. Having graduated and started different careers, we always kept that idea in the back of our minds. Circa 2018, we really began the process of researching what launching a small business entail and what needs we could fill with our proposed business – we landed on web design and social media management as our two focus areas. We officially launched Solstice Social Media, LLC in 2019 and hit the ground running! During the pandemic, we noticed clients were in need of a lot of different online services, so we decided to pivot a little and focus more on web design. Throughout 2021, we participated in different training and network opportunities, and re-branded in early 2022 as Solstice Collective – this time with a focus on new web design platforms and connecting with other small businesses/building a referral program (the Collective!). We are now focusing on building up our new platform and getting our new name out there. 

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Admittedly, it has not. While we have been lucky to have each other as best friends and business partners, the actual grind of being a small business is hard. From investing our own money to having slow months with little client sign-on, we have had our share of struggles. With that said, we are extremely fortunate to have support from each other, our family and friends, and other small businesses like us. We are also grateful that we have been able to continue our business throughout the pandemic since we are fully online, as we know that has not been the case for many. So ultimately, though there have been tough moments, personally and professionally for both of us, we are grateful for where the business is today! 

We’ve been impressed with Solstice Collective, LLC, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Solstice Social Media, LLC began in 2019 and was re-branded as Solstice Collective, LLC in 2022. Our main goal is to help other small businesses create and maintain a solid and effective online presence while building a strong referral community. We specialize in web design (Shopify, show it, Squarespace) and we work with small business owners to create a new site or revamp an existing site to ensure they have the most effective online profile. We also offer social media management services, which include anything from engagement only to full content creation and management. 

We are a female-owned small business and we pride ourselves on our client service, our attention to detail, and our collaborative mentality. When we work with another small business or organization, our priority is making sure their voice shines through, not ours! 

We have built our business based on our passion for online engagement and the capabilities it offers to businesses all over the world – it allows small businesses and groups opportunities outside of a brick-and-mortar location or presence, while also extending services for those that do have in-person offerings. 

We offer flexible plans and competitive pricing, open lines of communication for clients, and a collaborative mindset to set ourselves and others up for the most successful results possible. 

Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
Our families, our parents, our friends. Other small, female-owned businesses. And each other! Between helping write contracts correctly, assisting with startup funds, and sharing our information with their networks, we are so grateful to everyone who has helped us thrive. We really want Solstice to succeed and knowing we have so much love and support around us is humbling and inspiring. 

Pricing:

• Website Revamp (Package 1): $2,250
• Squarespace & Showit Website Design (Package 2) – $3,000
• Shopify Website Design (Package 3): $3,500

*All services are split into two 50/50 payments.

Contact Info:

• Email: hello@solstice-collective.com
• Website: https://www.solstice-collective.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/solsticecollective_/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/solsticesocial