Website Overhaul/Creation and Custom Plugin Development

We are at a point of change in our business where we are looking to branch what we do into two distinct directions - a high end luxury product line and a DIY product line. These two branches have very different target markets. Our current website combines everything together and the branding doesn't suit both audiences.Our main goal is to create separation between our high end products and DIY products under two different names - YYC Beeswax for the DIY products and The Abelo Collection for our high end products. We already own both domains and, of course, YYC Beeswax is already a fully functioning e-commerce website. We would like to develop The Abelo Collection and revisit our design for YYC Beeswax giving it a much needed refresh. Depending on how technical you'd like to get, we have a couple of custom plugins we'd like developed that will help our customers and potential customers with their DIY projects (a wick calculator and a beeswax conversion tool).

Custom Plugins for e-Commerce Website

There are two parts to this project - working on a new plugin and fixing bugs in a current plugin for our Wordpress website. As a software developer, I had fun creating a custom plugin and starting a new one; however, I do not currently have time to fix the last few bugs to get both fully functioning and useful.Part A: Bug Fixes for an Existing PluginThis plugin is already part of our Wordpress website (see it in action here. It's the hexagonal grid in the description). However, it has a few bugs and needs updating.Part B: Working on a New PluginWe formerly used an embedded resource to provide our customers with a weight and volume converter for beeswax. It was not perfect, so we decided to create our own solution. Our calculator is one of the most popular pages on our website, so we want to make it super simple and easy for our visitors to access. The plugin has been started, but needs the final touches to make it functional (mostly Javascript debugging issues).

Small Business Rebranding

As we continue to grow and evolve, our original plans don't quite fit with where we're heading next. We're exploring options for restructuring and rebranding. Here are a few of the tasks we're looking to accomplish as part of this project:Rename to reflect our new directionCome up with a new branding strategy including logo, updated packaging, updated website, updated social media/newsletter strategyDevelop a strategy and plan for new product launches, blog posting, social media and newsletter schedule, podcast, and moreUpdate our packaging to reflect the quality of our productsAt the end of this project, we're looking forward to growing our reach with a more international friendly brand reflecting the quality of our products. Personal BackgroundI grew up in rural southern Alberta where I worked on the family farm as well as at a local apiary. Working at the apiary helped me get over my fear of bees (kind of). Yes, I was afraid of bees when I started working with them. I came to Calgary for university.During my studies, I volunteered to make rolled beeswax candles. I loved it so much, I found a beeswax sheet supplier so I could make more. The result was way too many candles to burn in a reasonable amount of time. When I started selling the candles on Kijiji, I found many people had a hard time finding beeswax sheets. Something so simple shouldn’t be so hard to find and access! Thus, I started carrying beeswax sheets.Fast forward a couple years. I decided to try my hand at running a business. I knew I could put my software engineering to use to help people find what they needed online! From there, things expanded. I started offering supplies including solid beeswax, wicks, and more. I started to teach workshops. I also had fun experimenting and grew the product line.I love sharing my knowledge of bees and beeswax with others. It’s important to respect the process from the hive to the finished product. It’s not a huge leap to bring art and science together, and I love highlighting the interdependence.There are two things that make my day. First, I love the excitement of a customer who has finally found what they’ve been looking for. Second, it’s priceless to teach someone to make a candle and see how proud they are of their creation. It’s especially satisfying when they tell me how non-artistic they are to start.Since coming to Calgary, I have been able to explore many new areas of interest including yoga. I’ve also gained better access to the fine and performing arts. Music is a huge part of my life and I teach and play flute as often as possible as a soloist and in ensembles.