With the ever-changing situation regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, I am committed to communicating with my clients, being flexible where possible, and ensuring you know I’m on your team! I’ll be updating this page as more information comes out (please see date headings to get the most current updates).

If you have any questions, please email me: hello@threefifteendesign.com. 

Please scroll to the bottom of this page for new resources and updates. 

General FAQ:

• Q: Will you be working? A: Yes! I am so grateful to live and work in a community that values our first responders and frontline health workers. Because of this, our schools have decided to close, and my family is practicing self-isolation and social distancing. My partner and I have set up an alternating work schedule that allows both of us to keep working, without our work time being reduced by much at all. Please see the updates (sorted by date) below for any changes. I want your business to win, and this means I’m committed to fulfilling your contract.  
• Q: Should I continue my project? A: If you can, absolutely yes! My objective is to keep things consistent with forward-progress, to give you tools that represent your business in the best light possible. As a small business owner, I rely on communication and consistency, and the goal is to maintain that as much as possible. I am confident this will end, and hopefully sooner than later. Having all of your branding and marketing tools ready to go will be super important as business picks back up, and people have confidence in spending more and booking your services. In the meantime, all of the same branding advice and suggestions work – your clients and audience still want confident, professional updates from your business. 
• Q: Can we pause my project? A: If COVID-19 has impacted your family directly, and you’ve experienced a loss of income or financial hardship, I will waive my 20 day pause/delay clause (in our agreement), and will allow clients to pause a project for up to 90 days without any additional expense (I will adjust this as needed). If you absolutely need to pause your project, due to financial reasons related to COVID-19, please email as soon as possible. I’ll send you an amended agreement and more details. If you do not reach out before a 20+ day delay, the originally agreed upon 20-day delay + archive fee will be applied. 
• Q: What if things change and I need to pause longer than 90 days? A: If you need to pause your project for longer than 90 days, I will archive your project until you’re ready to resume. When you’re ready to resume, a $400 archive fee will apply to get your project back on my calendar. You will get a new start date, depending on my availability at that time. Please note: this policy will shift if the COVID pandemic is on-going. 
• Q: What if things change and I can restart earlier than 90 days? A: Totally great. I will have made adjustments to my calendar, and I’ll do what I can to get your project back on as soon as possible. 
• Q: Can I cancel my project? A: As at any other time, clients may cancel their project for any reason. Please note that all previous payments are final, and there might be a “kill fee” (project termination fee) in order to pay the balance due for the work that has been done. If you need to cancel your project, email me asap, and I will send you the information you need to complete the cancelation. 
• Q: If I cancel, can I get a refund? A: No. All payments made to Three Fifteen Design are final. The only exception here is if you’ve made payments for work that has not been completed. This is unlikely, as I collect payments before I deliver the final logos/sites, but the work is done beforehand. The “kill fee” sometimes results in a small refund to my clients, depending on the situation. Please remember, all retainers all final and non-refundable, since I block my calendar off and turn down other clients for that time. 
• Q: Can I modify my package? A: Please reach out of you would like to modify your package to fit your situation. Please note: I offer discounts when you group services together. If you modify your package, the discount will be removed, and there might be a balance to pay before your files are released. 
• Q: How long will you honor previous payments/our agreement if my project is archived? A: My archive policy will allow you to pause your project for up to 12 months, with no changes in our project scope. If you need to pause your project, please refer to the information above regarding any archive fees. After the 12 month mark, if we haven’t re-started, your project will be canceled. All payments will be final. All materials and designs associated with your project will remain property of Three Fifteen Design, until the appropriate “kill fee” is paid. To pick up after 12 months, a new contract will be drafted, reflecting my pricing at that time. Past payments will not be applied. 
• Q: Can I reach out with specific project questions? A: I am on your team. Please reach out with any questions!!! 
• Q: Do you have branding & marketing suggestions I should consider during this time? A: I am working on a blog post on this topic. I have legal resources for my clients, creative ways to use more downtime, and some smart branding tools you can use. I will paste a link to this post in the updates below when it’s published. 
  • Please skip to the very bottom of this page. I will be adding any resources I find (newest towards the top) as I learn about them. If you find helpful resources, please email me, and I’ll add them here! 
• Q: I have a question about the contract, can I see a copy? A: Yes. A copy of my terms can be found right here. 

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March 31, 2020 Update: I’m sure I’m not alone when I declare March as the longest year ever. Now that we’re on week 3 of social-distancing (our family is only going out for groceries and walks in the neighborhood), we’ve found a new normal. My new office hours will be M & W 12,5, T & Th 7-12, and F 12-2 (pacific time). As always, my studio will be closed on weekends. 

Schools in Portland will continue to be closed through the month of April, and my husband I have established the above schedule to allow both of us to have uninterrupted, dedicated work time. In the event my studio is closed, due to illness, I will update on my Instagram story.

It’s listed in the resources below, but there’s huge news for self-employed people: we are eligible for unemployment!!! Details (for each state) are still a bit murky, but I’m hopeful that we can all apply by next week! 

 

March 14, 2020 Update: My family and I are committed to practicing social distancing and only going out for essentials. I found this article from The Atlantic to be really useful. Our schools are closed (pray for me), and our city is asking people to stay home unless necessary. As of today, I have decided my office hours will be M, W, Th from 12-5 pm pacific time. On Tuesdays, I will be working from 12-2 pm pacific time. As always, my studio will be closed Fridays and weekends. 

Reminder of an upcoming closure: Our family is taking time off for our previously planned Spring Break. My studio will be closed March 23-27, as planned. We are not traveling, but we will not be working. I will only be checking email a few times that week and will respond to emails as I can. If you have an emergency with your website, you can chat with Showit directly (app.showit.co – there’s a chat widget in the lower-right corner of the builder). 

As of now, schools are scheduled to open back up on April 1. I have a feeling this will not happen since other schools in the area are closed until late April. In that case, my husband I will be considering a new schedule, and I will update here as that changes. 

If you’re a working parent, let’s follow each other on my personal Instagram. I’ll be posting kid-friendly activities (that fall in line with social distancing) and at-home craft ideas.

We’re in this together! Please reach out with any and all questions. If you think I missed something important in my FAQs or updates, please let me know. 

I appreciate you, and I’m excited to help you launch your project!

 

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BUSINESS RELATED RESOURCES | Updated 3/19

• The SBA has created their Paycheck Protection Program, and on April 10th, self-employed sole proprietors can apply for a loan (with forgiveness if the funds are used properly) that will help you pay yourself, and have funds for other business expenses.  
  • If you’re a sole proprietor with employees, applications opened on the 3rd. Many banks are totally overrun with applications, so if you’re planning to use your local bank, check in with them now.
• The CARES Act is comprehensive (I’m hopeful Congress passes more bills to help people in our country), and includes unemployment payouts for self-employed people!!! Before, most self-employed people didn’t qualify for unemployment. This bill covers self-employed people AND gives an additional fixed amount per week. More details can be found here. 
• For photographers: Pixieset is offering free months of their subscriptions. Please contact them directly. 
• For people who use Showit for your website platform: Showit has an application to defer your site payments for two months.
• The US Treasury Department has announced a deferment of tax payments until July 2020. Please visit the page for more details, and be sure to check with a CPA or accountant to be sure you’re in compliance with all state/federal rules.
• This is constantly changing information, but for the first time, the US has authorized sick leave for a portion of workers, including self-employed people. This article introduces the policy, and as guidelines are updated, I’ll share here.
• My dear friend, Melissa Love, did a Facebook webinar called “Self Employed Survival Strategy”. I watched it and wrote down a few notes I’ll be implementing. It might be helpful for you!!
• Here is a list of resources (from the above webinar). This mostly applies to people in the UK, but my clients in North America will likely find good bits there!
• Freelancing Females has a page dedicated to resources. I love them and was so happy to see this comprehensive list.
• On 3/15, I emailed all of my current clients to relax the terms in our contracts (namely: expanding the ability to pause a project, and offering flexible timelines and payment plans). If you haven’t reached out to your clients, please do!! They are in the same scary place you are – remember, we want our clients to win. Let’s be on their team with communication and grace!

 

HOME RESOURCES for WORKING PARENTS |

• My friend, Jenna, posted a giant list of things to do at home with your kids.
• I’ve collected craft ideas on a Pinterest board for years – this applies to a wide range of ages.
• My husband and I are currently working from home and balancing life with our two kids (2.5 and 6 years old). I’m sharing some of our daily activities over on my personal Instagram account. Follow along!