This story was written by Jake Staubitz of Dust Village Design Co.
Some live by the motto “go big or go home”, but for others, home is exactly the place where they can make the biggest impact. That’s the mindset of local creative director and business owner Jake Staubitz. After spending the early part of his career crafting design solutions for billion-dollar brands, he started to think small.
In 2015, Staubitz founded Dust Village Design Co., a creative collective that specializes in Branding, Design, Content, Merchandise, & organic social media management. Priced for medium to small businesses. Dust Village is an affordable marketing option for local business owners. They also have an added benefit of having a scalable creative team of freelancers with price points and the right sized team for any project.
One look at the collective’s resume proves the strategy is working. Dust Village’s clients have included, Rhinegeist, Boomtown Biscuits & Whiskey, Urbana Cafe, The Ripper Herb Grinder, Ellison Paint & Restoration, Merritt’s Community Liquor, Cardinal Storage Solutions, to name a few. All are headquartered in Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky.
Of course, owning a business still has its challenges. Like all small businesses, Dust Village struggled when the pandemic hit. At one point, he considered shifting strategies to once again service larger clients with bigger budgets. Fortunately, he says, he had a quick change of heart.
“Small businesses are strongest when we support each other. That’s one of the first things I learned when I started Dust Village. Something inside of me told me to stick with what I believe in and what got me here.”
Now, Dust Village’s mission is even more meaningful. In a world forever changed by COVID, local businesses are learning that in order to survive, they have to find unique, creative ways to stand out. It’s an unprecedented challenge, Staubitz acknowledges. But one that he’ll see through to the end.
“This is just so much more fulfilling than anything I was doing before. I can’t imagine doing anything else.”
Explore the work and story behind Dust Village at dustvillage.com & follow on Instagram @dust_village.
