This is just an image (not a tiny website).

Just this month, Volume One launched a new website aimed at connecting people with local freelancers and creative companies – people looking for help on creative projects ranging from small, one-off tasks to big, longer-term projects. Basically, local freelancers and firms can get listed in a web-based directory and potential clients can search through it. Pretty simple.

Is this a weird thing for Volume One to do? Yeah, it kind of is.

But as weird as it may seem to you, the need is there. Behind the scenes, we are constantly contacted by local people looking for good writers, designers, artists, programmers, you name it. And while we do our best to connect people with local creatives, it’s just not something we have a ton of time to focus on. So in an effort to better serve what appears to be a sizable need, we just went ahead and created a "Creative Services Directory" to cover the Chippewa Valley area. Check it out: VolumeOne.org/CreativeDirectory

Let’s be honest – many local businesses and organizations are spending their precious cash on uninspired, out-of-date, and/or poorly executed creative work. Or they’re wasting their own precious time trying to do it themselves, with even worse results.

The thing is, there are a lot of talented freelancers in our area. And there are a lot of people and businesses that could benefit from hiring these people to make better websites or posters, or to take better photos or write better press releases – any number of creative tasks. Let’s be honest – despite their proximity to countless creative individuals, not to mention two major Wisconsin colleges with strong English and art programs – many local businesses and organizations are spending their precious cash on uninspired, out-of-date, and/or poorly executed creative work. Or they’re wasting their own precious time trying to do it themselves, with even worse results. Or they’re getting their under-qualified nephew to do it for free. Take your pick.

Hopefully, this new directory of ours can help with all that. Local clients can get quality work done and local freelancers can get paid for their talent. We want to see the creative community thrive, and we think creating this connector is part of the solution. The entire community will be better off if creative workers are supported, and if those who need their services know where to look.

So if you know people in need of creative work, or if you know a creative worker, let them know about the Creative Services Directory. It costs nothing to browse through it, and there’s only a small fee to get listed.

In case you missed it: VolumeOne.org/CreativeDirectory