SCOM Alumna Victoria Carlton’s Carlton Creative Co. is Certified as a Woman-Owned Small Business and Woman Business Enterprise

Posted by Michael Walsh on

Written by Katie Connell

At the beginning of 2022, SCOM Alumna Victoria Carlton founded Carlton Creative Co., a fully remote digital marketing agency, which is now certified as a Woman-Owned Small Business and Woman Business Enterprise. Victoria graduated from FSU with a bachelor’s degree in Advertising and a master’s degree in Integrated Marketing Communication. After concluding her studies in 2019, she became a freelance communications specialist, working with a diverse client base. Eventually, a few mentors encouraged her to launch her own communications firm.

The Lakeland native talks about her journey and what certification as a Woman-Owned Small Business and Woman Business Enterprise mean for the future of Carlton Creative Co.

 

Q: What inspired you to start your own communications firm?

A: I was a freelance Communications Specialist for a few years servicing clients across many different industries. As things began to grow, I experienced a snowball effect. Many of my clients were referring me to new clients and many of my mentors, like Dr. Merle at FSU and Professor Parker at UGA, encouraged me to open my own firm. In order to take on new business, I needed to build a team who could support me. Naturally, this was challenging at first because, although I had the industry knowledge and skills to service my clients, I lacked the expertise in owning or running a business. For example, I never knew how to hire new team members, balance business accounts, run payroll, invoice clients, or run other typical business operations. As an ad major, math was never my strong suit!

Q: What does certification as a Woman-Owned Small Business and Woman Business Enterprise mean for your agency?

A: As a certified Women-Owned Business, Carlton Creative Co. has greater access to opportunities across the public and private sector. Many companies are looking to work with minority businesses and certification is one way to locate and verify their status. It also helps us find and connect with other like-minded businesses so we can discuss and share best practices. Speaking with other women-owned businesses has been another huge resource for us.

Q: What does the future of Carlton Creative Co. look like?

A: Carlton Creative Co. has a bright future ahead. We continue to grow every day. With that growth, comes the ability to expand our team, benefits, and diversity of services offered. There’s a lot of things I’m excited for in the next couple of years. One of the projects I’m most looking forward to releasing is our small business guides on digital marketing, a critical element to any business today. Many business owners have little to no communication and marketing budget or expertise, making it difficult for them to figure out where to start. It’s extremely important to share knowledge and enable others to find their own success. I want Carlton Creative Co. to provide this resource to help small businesses thrive. If there’s ever an opportunity to help others, I want to do so. In addition to our traditional services, these guides are another opportunity for Carlton Creative Co. to help new businesses succeed.