Fast 15: Kimberly Norris

Kimberly Norris always knew she wanted to have a business.

“My dad had always had a business,” she explained. “So I grew up seeing that and … he was a big encouragement to me in starting and realizing it’s not so unattainable. Sometimes, it feels that way before you do it. I quit my job in January 2020 and started the business.”

But before she started Norris Design, the Springdale native’s first venture into entrepreneurship was in high school. She and her sister started a business as swim instructors, providing backyard lessons for about six years. She and her sister also played volleyball at Arkansas Tech University in Russellville, and Norris earned a scholarship to play there after playing volleyball in high school.

In 2019, Norris graduated from Arkansas Tech University with a bachelor’s degree in graphic design and a minor in business. After graduating, she wanted to earn some graphic design experience, so she joined a marketing agency in Springdale before opening Norris Design in 2020.

Norris said she started her agency to meet a need, looking to help businesses with brand strategy and “making stuff that didn’t just look nice but serves a good purpose and made sense for the client.” Along with brand strategy, her agency’s services include logo design, content writing and marketing services such as social media, search engine optimization and website design.

The agency serves clients in Northwest Arkansas and nationwide across various sectors, including technology, healthcare, nonprofits and e-commerce. The agency has six staff.

In November, Norris and her staff launched BizNWA.com, a directory of area business resources. The volunteer project was developed after multiple clients asked about resources in the area. The website provides a one-stop shop for access to the resources.

An active volunteer, Norris also mentors the Fuel Accelerator program and is a board member and marketing chair for the nonprofit Women in Networking of Northwest Arkansas.

A career highlight has been helping businesses to grow and reach their goals. Norris noted that a client she met with recently reported record-high revenue that continues to rise monthly.

Over the next few years, she looks to grow a specialized team in areas as needs arise.

In her free time, Norris enjoys road biking and gardening.