This History of kimtown
Kim Townsend is a busy woman. The 30 something mother of three is not only an accomplished photographer, she has also taken her web and design business, kimtown, from a small business offering only splash pages, to a web and design powerhouse with clients worldwide, almost 200 products, three designers working with her, and a team of programmers in less than two years. Her brand is known throughout the photography industry as a leader in web design solutions, and her reputation for excellence is matched only by her creativity and energy.
kimtown started on July 19, 2007 as Simply Splash, offering only splash pages. Shortly after launching, Kim brought in designer Jessica Dittmer, another well-known photography industry leader, as an exclusive designer for a limited edition line of splash pages, and expanded Simply Splash’s offerings to include blog headers as well. Kim knew that reaching out to her peers in the industry as a colleague and partner invested in their success was going to be crucial to her own success. She started featuring photographers on her blog, and ran monthly contests to support the photographic community.
Only three months after launching Simply Splash, Kim added html websites to Simply Splash’s offerings, and three months after that, she added her Splash Yourself! kits, a “do-it-yourself” option for those looking for an economical alternative that still has the look of a professionally-designed page.
By late March, 2008, Simply Splash had joined forces with Appnitro/Machform, and the full list of offerings in the Simply Splash Shoppe included custom splash page design, custom blog header design, custom favicons, custom branding sets, html website design, Splash Yourself! kits, Simply Textures, custom website backgrounds, forum installation and blog installation and customization. By June, 2008, Simply Splash had a client list of over 200 and a waiting list of three months.
Along the way, Kim stayed in contact with clients and friends, new and old, via Flickr, Facebook, LinkedIn and more recently, Twitter, as well as online forums geared specifically to photographers. Her intimate knowledge of and relationship with the industry makes her offerings uniquely suited to photographers’ needs and has been a huge part of her phenomenal success.
In October 2008, Simply Splash was renamed kimtown & Co. Just a month later, kimtown & Co.’s website was changed to a blog+site, and kimtown & Co. started offering blog+sites as a regular product in the shoppe. kimtown & Co. ended 2008 on the same innovative note it began the year on, by introducing Mobile Mini websites for the iPhone and iTouch.
As the third calendar year of her business began, Kim brought in designer Jenica Lemmons, and added Blog Suits and Client Information sites to kimtown & Co.’s already robust menu of offerings. Shortly afterwards, Kim dropped the “& Co.” and the business became simply “kimtown”, complete with a brand-new logo designed by Jessica Dittmer.
In March 2009, Kim teamed up with Tennille King of TK Business & Design to offer client sites with a complete client communications package. Never one to rest on her laurels, Kim anticipates adding several more freelance designers to her stable soon, and is excited about what the future holds for the photography business and for kimtown. With her unparalleled creativity and business savvy, and her passion for finding just the right solutions for the photographic community, kimtown is destined to be a major player in the industry for many years to come.
-This amazing article was written by Anne Raker
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Jessica Dittmer, Photographer and artist living in rural southern Iowa. Self-taught and always experimenting and learning. I create something each day. In
business for myself for 6 years. Mother of two boys that keep me busy. Working on a 100 year old home as a studio for my business.
Creator of Wish You Wells, a unique and imagination-inspiring artwork known for it’s “Storybook Look”®.
New line of frames and boxes out for DEMDACO, found in Hallmarks and gift shops around the United States.
My name is Kori Clark, but I have been blessed with many titles – Designer, Artist, Wife, and (my favorite) Mommy. Ever since I was old enough to hold a pencil, I have been drawing and designing. I graduated college with a degree in Graphic design, and I have been very blessed to work on a wide range of designs, from logos for major corporations to a stationery line. Currently, I am a partner in a company that designs templates for professional photographers, Kori & Kate, while also continuing my freelance career, making snacks and getting sippy cups for my young daughter, and preparing for the birth of my second child. I am overly thrilled to now team up with kimtown to offer graphics for her amazing websites – life just keeps getting better!!