The Word Engine network
Here’s your chance to find out about the experts I work with and the people I trust to help me with my own business.
I know all these people personally and admire their work!
Feel free to contact these experts directly or get in touch if you’d like me to put a team together to build your website.
Susan Branigan
Illustrator
After over 20 years in sales and marketing, I retrained as an illustrator fulfilling a lifelong dream of art and design. My speciality is blending that knowledge and experience and coming up with the perfect visual for your vision. I call it the art of attraction!
Julia says: “I couldn’t believe my luck when Susan decided to expand her already significant illustration skills – she was exactly the person I needed to create the images for my website. Her extensive marketing experience meant she easily understood the messages I wanted to convey with these lovely drawings.”
Connect with Susan:
susan@susanbraniganmarketing.co.uk
+44 7970 210713
Lucy Davies
WordPress developer & designer
Lucy is a creative geek – she loves good design and creative problem-solving and has a mind that thrives on the technical stuff! Lucy specialises in WordPress development, website design and maintenance, and Search Engine Optimisation (SEO).
Julia says: “I’ve lost count of the number of websites Lucy and I have created together. I rely utterly on her to let me know what’s possible, what’s best and what’s to be avoided! When the time came to create my own website, after many years of writing for other people, Lucy was my choice of designer. Check out Lucy’s portfolio.”
Discover Lucy’s talents and services:
07814 303 352
Joyce Hardie
Sourcing and writing tenders to grow businesses
After a long career in the financial services sector, I set up my own business in 2014. I write all types of documents to help owners grow their businesses, including grant applications, tender bids and business plans to help secure investment. I’ll run searches for grant or tender opportunities for you and write the policies and procedures you need to support your applications.
Julia says: “I met Joyce at a networking event and immediately thought “Here’s the person I need to write the things I’d rather not have to — everything from grant applications to policies and procedures and tender bids.” (Funnily enough, she’s since told me I write the type of things she’d rather not do!) Her range of specialities is impressive!”
Connect with Joyce:
Rhiannon Louden
Brand storyteller
Rhiannon is a brand storyteller: working with independent businesses to effectively communicate their message with the right audience. With a background in Communications & Marketing and over twelve years’ experience as a professional photographer she provides a well-rounded perspective on brand identity building, social media and content strategy and brand photography.
Julia says: “Rhiannon and I share the same passion for supporting small businesses. Her superb podcasts are designed specifically for the small business community in Scotland and have provided me with inspiration and practical advice when building my own brand.”
Find out about Rhiannon’s services:
Andrea McDermott
Logo designer
Over 25 years’ design experience. I love bringing business to life with a custom logo design. From floristry to finance, I can turn my hand to any business and provide affordable, bespoke solutions.
Julia says: “Andrea is the person I turn to when a client needs a logo. Have a look at Andrea’s portfolio for examples of her talent. (Guess who designed the awesome Word Engine logo!)”
Find out about Andrea’s services:
07765 087126
Rachel Mess
Accessible web design
Hey, I’m Rachel, and I design and develop custom websites you’ll be excited to send your leads to. The best part is that my sites are designed with accessibility in mind, so they’re super user friendly for all of your clients! Curious? Book a 121 for chat.
Julia says: “Accessibility is so important for a healthy society and for your website’s success. Getting started on the right track doesn’t have to take a huge effort, though, especially if you follow Rachel’s valuable LinkedIn posts. This woman is on a mission to spread the word about accessibility and she has my whole-hearted admiration and support!”
Connect with Rachel:
calendly.com/rachelmess/discoverycall
www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-mess-accessible-web-design
Julie Neilson
ViDEO Coach and Producer
Having joined BBC Television back in 1987, Julie knows a thing or two about ViDEO and about how effective it can be for your small business.
Whether you want to showcase your products and services, increase brand awareness, reach more clients or overcome camera shyness, Julie is there to help — whether that’s with bespoke ViDEO production in the Edinburgh area or all the support you’ll need to create your own ViDEOs.
Julia says: “As well as creating great videos (you can see some of her work here), Julie is passionate about supporting and encouraging people to use video.”
Get in touch:
Denise Strohsahl
Brand & marketing consultant for small businesses
Denise is the mind behind Edinburgh-based sandstonecastles marketing, a brand and marketing consultancy for small businesses. She helps small businesses stand out from the crowd, create engaging content and generate more sales. She has a small business marketing blog with free advice and tips.
Julia says: “There’s no-one like Denise for getting to the heart of what makes a small business great. If you need help defining your unique selling point, she’s the one to go to. You’ll also find loads of sound advice – in down-to-earth language and for free – on her marketing blog.”
Get in touch:
Claire Watson
Commercial Photographer
I love working with all types of businesses and people. Capturing clear photography that captures your business and connects with your customer.
Julia says: “The speciality I most often recommend Claire for is her super-natural portrait photography. If, like me, you hate having your photo taken, working with Claire is the answer! She excels at helping people get over their dread of being photographed and showing them how to look positive and confident in their images. Discover Claire’s services.”
Connect with Claire:
07763 092 221
Helen Wyllie
Designer and illustrator
I’m a designer and illustrator, mostly operating where the two disciplines meet. I love a flowing line, a good impending sky, and a flock of seagulls. My design work tends to be clean but with warmth, often quite informal. My illustration takes two forms – completely vector, or with collaged textures which I gather from life.
Julia says: “Helen designed one of the very first client websites I wrote and created beautifully soft, gentle illustrations that perfectly suited the client’s character and business. She continues to supply new illustrations for the client’s blog posts and I absolutely adore her work! Check out the full range of Helen’s services.”
Contact Helen:
07846 086 304