Guelph natives and best friends since high school, Rachel Woodcock and Theo Peirson teamed up, with the shared ambition to open up their own agency together. As graduates from OCAD University in Toronto, both with Bachelors of Design degrees in hand, they were ready to take the world by storm.
With countless hours of freelance design experience between the two of them, coupled with a degree in a Graphic Design for Rachel and Theo in Advertising, they knew exactly what they wanted to do. Each bringing their unique set of design skills and industry knowledge to the table, they decided to combine their crafts and open up their own design firm. When determining where to establish themselves, Theo and Rachel looked back home to find the perfect location for their new business. They soon discovered that their agency's offerings filled a need that was present in Guelph. In February of 2022, Balance Design Agency was born, with the mission of, “communicating ideas visually, telling compelling stories through creative design and most importantly, creating opportunities in our day to day lives where people feel inspired and happy by what they see.”
Being from Guelph, both Theo and Rachel have worked for local businesses and experienced Guelph growing up. So, transitioning into helping the very businesses that they grew up utilizing and enjoying makes their job that much more gratifying. They have always had a passion and a flare for design and expressing a brand’s values visually. However, this was the first time that either of them had ever run a business. They knew that they needed help navigating the challenges of running a new company.
While scrolling through social media, their answer appeared; the Business Centre of Guelph Wellington. They signed up for the Business Centre’s newsletter and eventually registered for the Stepping Into Business Workshop.
From there, they were recommended to join the Starter Company+ Program. Their time in the program benefited them and Balance Design Agency immensely. Firstly, the program helped them to understand that because they are so focused on building other brands, they weren’t taking the time to build and grow their own. Their Business Advisor, Olga pushed them outside of their comfort zone by suggesting that they go to networking events and engage with their community, which allowed them to connect with other businesses in need of support. Finally, Starter Company+ gave Theo and Rachel a support network of fellow business owners at different stages of business development that they could lean on for advice and support.
The grant money that Balance Design Agency received through the program will be used to purchase new equipment to help increase the efficiency of their work. They are also looking to devote some of the funds to increasing their marketing efforts to build brand awareness around Guelph and beyond.
The growth of Rachel and Theo as entrepreneurs throughout their time running Balance Design Agency is clear. When asked what they would tell themselves when they first started the business, they exclaimed, “value everything that you do for your business. Not just the things that are making you money.”
So, if your business needs help with branding and design, contact Balance Design Agency. They will use their design expertise to bring out the beauty of your brand.
"The Business Centre has had such a positive impact on our business and has given us the support and guidance that we needed as new business owners to excel in our field. The confidence gained from our participation in both the Stepping into Business and Starter Company+ programs have allowed us to work smarter, think bigger, and be bold." — Theo Peirson and Rachel Woodcock