06 Feb Booked and blessed
Driving digital visibility for business development
Digital creative Kay Barnes has seen an uplift in business enquiries and bookings for her business, Flux Studio, thanks to attending empowering workshops in brand and finance.
Kay works as an independent videographer and creative content strategist, based in West Cornwall. By taking part in two workshops delivered by TECWomen CIC, Kay has been confidently booking more work, and 2026 is set to be a busy year.
Building visibility through personal branding
In November 2025, she joined a personal branding masterclass as part of the digitalUPLIFT programme. Led by digital marketing expert Lyssa-Fêe Crump, Kay learned how to craft a consistent presence on LinkedIn, and how building visibility supports the sales pipeline.
She said: “The personal branding workshop really helped me get to grips with LinkedIn and how to use that platform to increase visibility of my business.
By putting what I learned into practice, I’m already seeing a huge increase in LinkedIn enquiries and new bookings. It’s started to snowball!
Confidence and clarity around business finance
Earlier this year, Kay attended the Female Founder Finance Brunch in St Ives, part of the founderUPLIFT programme. The session covered business finance, funding and how to build financial sustainability – something that Kay is keen to maintain as a busy freelancer.
“It’s been so lovely to chat to other business founders – it feels difficult to have those conversations about finance and money. So, this has allowed me to be open and feel confident that no question is silly.”
Investing in growth beyond the desk
By honing her marketing and laying the financial foundations, Kay has noticed a steady increase in her confidence as well as demand for her services. In January, she was booked to cover the Cornwall AI in Education Summit, delivered by TECgirls and Digital Futures Cornwall.
“As a sole trader, it feels like a pull to step away from doing the work and earning money, but stepping away and doing these workshops has benefited me so much more than staying at the desk. I’m out there, meeting other people and having human to human conversations.”
I would encourage any business to Power Up their People and check out what other training is available.
Approximately 76% of occupations in Cornwall require digital skills. 85% of businesses in Cornwall agree that training boosts productivity. But 72% have no formal training plan or budget. Ready to Power Up Your People in 2026?
Digital Futures Cornwall is part-funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and led by Truro and Penwith College.
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