The Design & Creative Checklist for Starting a New Business ft. Thomas Smith

In this Lunchtime Topic, we’ll discuss the easiest and most cost-effective ways to accomplish your startup brand guide. Startups need a good design foundation to set the tone for their brand. The difference between a good design and a bad design is your customers seeing you as a multi-million dollar empire vs. joe schmo’s garage business. Establishing your identity the right way at the offset will save you expensive changes in the future. About Thomas Smith: Thomas Smith is a local creative entrepreneur and SCAD alumni. He began his career by working corporate design jobs in the Greater NYC area before going solo as a freelance designer and becoming a digital nomad. He returned to Savannah in 2018 and took a job as Creative Director for a tech startup (Candor USA) in the healthcare space. Since leaving Candor, Thomas has been busy. He founded a creative agency called Anchor Point Collective where he currently serves as CEO, he runs a freelancing/entrepreneurship blog called Motmill, and he will be serving as the Chief Creative Officer (CCO) for a San Francisco-based cryptocurrency startup. In his free time, Thomas enjoys cooking the best dang pasta sauce in Georgia, hitting up the gym, and sipping cocktails at his favorite bars around Savannah. Learn more about Anchor Point Collective at https://anchorpointcollective.com/. ________ About the Creative Coast Our Mission Our Mission is to catalyze the innovation economy in Coastal Georgia. The Creative Coast is here for the entrepreneurial, technology & creative community of the Savannah region. We build and support the creative economy in Savannah through education & social programs that connect and foster local innovation in both large and small companies. Our Vision Propelled by The Creative Coast, Savannah will be transformed into a vibrant hub for creative and innovative businesses, organizations, and individuals. Our History The Creative Coast was founded in 1997 by the Savannah Economic Development Authority (SEDA), Chatham County and the City of Savannah to create/foster the creative technology and entrepreneurial ecosystem. Through our activities, we strive to make an economic impact on our community, our city, the region and our state, through the creation of high-wage, high-tech and creative jobs. Learn more at https://thecreativecoast.org.