Yes, that’s me in my home office where I use WordPress software with magical HTML, CSS, PHP and Javascript code to create the websites my clients envision.
Based in Dallas, Texas, I am a one-person shop providing virtual WordPress web design and webmaster services to small businesses, solo professionals, and private practitioners nationwide. After spending a couple of years learning web design and working for another design firm, I officially went out on my own and launched Bear Data Services in 1998.
Why I Design Websites for Small Businesses
As a solo professional myself, working one-on-one with small business owners makes communication easier, resulting in a more personalized service for my clients. Before becoming a web designer I worked in administrative and office management positions for small businesses, so designing websites for them is a natural fit for my detail-oriented skills and experience.
My Business Goals
I am committed to providing web design services that are:
- Affordable
- Professional
- Customized to meet your goals
- Responsive to your needs
How It All Began
I designed my first website in 1996 when my handwriting analysis teacher, aware that I was also studying computer programming at the time, asked if I could figure out how to help him build a website to sell his books and courses on the newly expanding Internet. Intrigued by his ideas, I found resources from which I taught myself to code HTML. What began as a fun website design experiment turned into an exciting new career!
Always Learning
Online and web design technologies are constantly changing, so upgrading my skills is a necessity. I attend in-person and online classes and workshops. I am a member of local and online web design groups, a few of which are:
I follow industry-related experts, companies, and colleagues on social media, and subscribe to numerous blogs and newsletters to stay current on web design news.
In the Media
I was honored to be one of 50 women business owners interviewed by Caitlin Friedman for her book, The Girl’s Guide to Starting Your Own Business (Revised Edition): Candid Advice, Frank Talk, and True Stories for the Successful Entrepreneur.
An excerpt from the book:
“When it comes to directly marketing your web site, Sylvia Tooker, owner of Bear Data Services, an Internet consulting and design business, advises entrepreneurs to, ‘ask yourself, what are my customers’ interests? What are they searching for online?'”
A Few Random Facts About Me:
- I am an INTJ (Introvert / Intuitive / Thinker / Judge) — “The Mastermind” — according to the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. That makes me quite rare (or strange, according to some who know me!) because women with this personality type make up only 0.8% of the population. But that analytical thinking ability makes me good at finding the right solutions to meet your online needs, as well as wrangling the many parts that make up an attractive and well-functioning website.
- My purse must be large enough to carry a book or my iPad — or both.
- I am a certified handwriting analyst.
- In my much younger days, I danced competitively as a member of the Dallas Push Club. (Dallas Push is a swing dance.)
- I started collecting souvenir spoons when my grandmother gave me part of her collection, including one of the first she collected that is now nearly 100 years old.