Megan King, founder of Click Collective is our 2020 WA-SA Emerging AusMumpreneur gold award winner.
A mother of three, designer, photographer, brand strategist, and multi-business owner! Born in Perth W.A, raised in a family of artists and makers, Megan was destined to enter the design world. After Studying Fashion and textile design and Bachelor of Arts – design, working as a professional fashion photographer in W.A working with fashion designers, agencies, and magazines. Megan went on to work in multidisciplinary positions within marketing and engagement, graphic design, events, and is now a creative director and founder of her business Click Collective. Click Collective is an award-winning branding agency. Offering holistic, human-centric brand strategy, Brand identity, and brand mentoring. Giving businesses the power and confidence to tell their brand story through connection.
When did you start your business?
Click Collective was founded in 2018.
What was the inspiration behind starting this business?
The inspiration behind Click Collective is to help start up businesses and established businesses with their brand strategy and Identity. To understand their ideal customer and to know how to tell their brands story through design and photography.
What are you most excited about in your business?
I love the diversity in my business. Click Collective offers business strategy mentoring, brand identity (graphic design, logo design, website design, print design etc), Personal brand photography and product photography. So with all these elements there is certainly no time to be bored! 🙂 I get to work with SME all over and get to deep dive into their businesses and help them succeed.
What has been the most challenging thing about starting your business?
The most challenging thing about starting a business is all the back end stuff! The finances, bookkeeping, socials, branding, business plans and strategy, creating a business that stands out from the crowd and once that delivers an outstanding product that your ideal client wants! The next hardest thing is isolation. At times you can feel isolated so it is so important to network and connect with like-minded people.
What advice would you give to other women thinking about starting a business?
I have this conversation on a daily basis in my co-working space and I think the best advice is don’t be naïve. Don’t go in expecting it to be a quick fix and that it’ll be easy. Starting up a business is hard work, starting up and maintaining a successful business is even harder! BUT…. the rewards out way it all. The feeling of accomplishing goals in a business you created and you worked so hard for is one of the best feelings you will ever feel. Making sure you network as much as you can, collaborate with others and ask for help..
Why did you enter the AusMumpreneur Awards?
My friend nominated me for the AusMumprenuer award. After reading all the details and what it was all about I thought that it would be an amazing thing to be a part of, so I gave it a go!
What did you enjoy the most about being part of the awards?
I loved how much Katy and Peace emphasised the networking between each other, it was a great way to connect with like-minded people. I also enjoyed the opportunity to really focus ON my business as we are always so focused IN our businesses it gave me a different perspective and an opportunity to improve too! The excitement of the awards night was wonderful, getting dressed up and seeing all the strong and passionate women who have all created such amazing businesses. I was just happy to be a finalist next to these women so I didn’t write a speech, as I thought there was no way I’d win!
What surprised you most about the awards?
What surprised me the most was the calibre of amazing businesses involved. Hence why I didn’t think I had a chance at all because the businesses were AMAZING! I was very impressed with the awards process. Very professional.
How did the awards help you in your business?
After I received the Emerging business award The feeling of accomplishment gave me the confidence to keep doing what I’m doing. Having an award-winning business has improved my status and reputation in a regional city and nationally and the connections that I have made with other women who were a part of AusMumprenuer awards is priceless.
What advice would you give to others mums thinking about entering the awards?
I say GO FOR IT! I was nominated by a fellow business woman in my region and at that time, I didn’t think much of it (I certainly never thought that I would win) but I thought, why not give it a crack, so I put myself out there and what do you know I was accepted as a finalist. As a sole trader I never had anyone to pat me on the back and say ‘well done’ so when I was recognised as a finalist It felt so wonderful to feel that all that hard work was seen.
What has been the best thing about starting your own business?
The best thing about starting my own business is most definitely the flexibility to work around your family and the ability to call your own shots! The feeling when you have accomplished a goal in your own business, that you created is overwhelmingly AMAZING!
What’s happening next in your business? Any big plans for the future?
My plans for the future are full steam ahead. Having opened up a new company Ideation Co. not long after my Emerging business award, myself and two other nominees founded a co-working and networking space for female entrepreneur’s. After helping me to set up the company and get it rolling Natasha and Emily have now exited the company to take on their own goals and dreams, leaving myself as the sole proprietor and director of Ideation Co.
I have my office for Click Collective in our amazing loft style space and I am looking at scaling them both together. The synergy between my Business, Click Collective and my company, Ideation Co. work so well together. My ultimate goal is to help people in business tell their story and do this through their Brand strategy and Identity. Running corporate workshops for companies needing to have a re-fresh and be seen. And one-on-one consultations to help small businesses with their strategy. Taking the step to move more into the consultations seams to be going well as it leads into the brand identity and opens up an opportunity for me to then design their logo, websites, ect… I have also been accepted as a Commonwealth Small business advisor, making it extremely affordable avenue for small business owners and start ups get the mentoring and consultation they need to push their business into the online world. Ideation Co. will be the go to hub for female-identifying entrepreneurs in the Great Southern for connection, business advice and programs, and networking with like-minded people. Ideation Co. is paving the way for a safe and welcoming environment to connect and collaborate. We want to offer scholarships for young women that will be awarded yearly so they have a space for their start-up businesses free for a whole year to help them push their business without the overheads of an office. I am looking at raising funds, applying for grants and partnering with potential key stakeholders to get the funding needed to push this and establish an even more comfortable space for our members.
To learn more about Click Collective, please visit their website, Facebook, LinkedIn or Instagram.
SAVE THE DATE – 2021 AUSMUMPRENEUR AWARDS!
Nominations open Monday 3 May 2021.
AusMumpreneur Awards Nights 8-10 September 2021
Conference and Awards Presentation 14-16 September 2021.
>> Join the Waitlist here <<
