Why Every Small Business Should Have an Email List

Email Marketing

April 25, 2026•7 min read

How to build an email list as a creative business owner (beginner-friendly guide)

If you’ve heard that you “should be building an email list” but you’re not sure where to start - you’re not alone.

It can feel like something you only do once your business is more established.

But you can start much earlier than that.

And it doesn’t have to be complicated.

Why collecting emails matters

Social media is great for visibility - but it’s not something you control.

Your email list is different.

It gives you a way to:

Stay connected with people who are genuinely interested in your work
Share new pieces, launches or updates
Build relationships over time

Even a small list can make a big difference.

Where do I start?

One of the hardest parts when you're starting out isn’t always creating a sign-up page or writing emails - it can be knowing where to begin and which tools to use.

You might be wondering:

Do I need a website first?
What should I use to collect emails?
How do I send emails?
How do I connect everything together?

It’s very easy to end up with lots of different tools that don’t quite work together.

What you actually need to get started

To start collecting email addresses to grow your email list, you don’t need a complicated setup - but you do need a couple of key pieces in place:

1. An email marketing system

This is what allows you to:

Collect email addresses
Store your contacts
Send emails and welcome messages

Some popular options include:

MailerLite
Mailchimp
ConvertKit

These work well, but often involve using separate tools for pages, emails and other parts of your setup.

2. A branded email address and domain

Even if you don’t have a full website yet, having your own domain (e.g. yourbusinessname.co.uk) and a business email address (e.g. [email protected]) makes a big difference.

In fact, most email marketing systems require you to use a business email address (rather than a free one such as [email protected]). This in part helps to ensure your emails have more chance of avoiding spam folders and actually being seen!

This helps you:

Look more professional
Build trust
Create a consistent experience

It also means your sign-up pages and links can feel more like your brand, rather than pointing to another platform.

TIP: If you haven’t done this before, it might feel like a big step - but it’s usually much simpler and more affordable than people expect.

Bringing it all together

When these pieces are separate, it can mean:

Multiple logins
Different systems to manage
Links and pages that don’t quite match your brand

For example, with some email platforms your sign-up page might live on a generic URL, rather than your own domain.

A simpler approach

Instead of stitching different tools together, you might prefer to have everything in one place.

With Donato, you can:

Create your sign-up pages using our easy to use page builder
Connect your pages to your own domain
Collect email addresses using built in forms
Send your welcome emails via a simple workflow
Send subsequent newsletter emails to people on your mailing list

...all in one system - so everything feels connected and on-brand from the start.

A simple way to start collecting emails

Once you have the basics in place, a simple approach could look like this:

1. Give people a reason to join

When someone give you their email address, they’re giving you permission to contact them directly - so it helps if there’s a clear reason to do that.

It doesn’t need to be anything complicated or overly “marketing-focused”. It just needs to feel worthwhile to them.

In most cases, people are happy to join your list if they feel they’re getting something in return - whether that’s value, access, or a connection.

Simple ideas include:

Updates about your work
Early access to new pieces
A small discount or special offer
Behind-the-scenes content

The key is choosing something that feels relevant to your work and appealing to the kind of people you want to attract.

2. Create a simple sign-up page

This is just a page where people can:

Enter their name and email
Join your list

The page doesn’t need to be long or complicated. Just a clear message about what they’ll receive in exchange for giving you their email address.

Here's an example of a very simple page: https://shop.boleynart.co.uk/get-discount
Tip: Always make sure it is clear they can unsubscribe at any time.

3. Share it in the places you already show up

Once you have your sign-up page in place, the next step is simply letting people know it exists.

You can start by linking to it from:

Your Instagram bio
Your website
Your product packaging
In-person events or markets

You don’t need to be everywhere - just be consistent.

TIP: You can also make this even easier for people by using something like a QR code that links directly to your sign-up page. This works particularly well if you:
Sell at markets or events
Include packaging with your orders
Want a simple way for people to stay in touch after discovering your work
One quick scan, and they can join your list straight away. If you’d like ideas for this, you might find this blog helpful: 3 ways to use QR codes in your creative business.

4. Stay in touch with a simple series of welcome emails

Once someone joins your list, it helps to send a few emails automatically to introduce yourself and your work.

This might include:

A welcome message
A little about you and your process
Links to your work or shop

This creates a connection from the start, without you needing to send each email manually.

TIP: If writing a full series of welcome emails feels overwhelming right now, don’t let that stop you from getting started.
You can begin with just one engaging welcome email - and add more over time as your confidence grows.

5. Keep it simple and consistent

You don’t need long newsletters or a complicated plan.

Even:

A short email once a month
A quick update when you release something new

...is enough to start building that connection.

What makes the biggest difference over time isn’t how much you send - it’s how consistently you show up.

It can really help to choose a rhythm that feels manageable for you, such as:

Monthly
Fortnightly
Weekly

There’s no “right” frequency - just something you can realistically stick to.

Planning ahead, even in a very simple way, can also make this much easier.

You don't need a full detailed content plan - but jotting pulling together some ideas so you're not starting with a blank page each time can really help!

For example, you might:

decide what you’ll share each month
decide when you’ll send it
keep a note of ideas as they come to you

It can also help to think about what’s happening at different times of the year. This might include:

seasonal themes (like Christmas, summer, or gifting occasions)
events you’re taking part in
new collections or launches

Planning ahead in this way means you’re less likely to miss opportunities to share your work at the right time.

This also helps you avoid falling into the cycle of sending one email… then nothing for weeks or months… then starting again from scratch.

Instead, you’re building a steady, ongoing connection with your audience.

And remember - your emails don’t need to be perfect. If you miss an email, it doesn't matter! Just focus on getting the next email planned and schedule!

What matters most is that people hear from you regularly and stay connected to your work.

Tip: If you can manage to write a few in one go and get them scheduled that can really help. You might want to block some time out at the start of the month to write and schedule all of the next months emails. Or you may prefer to do one email at a time once a week. If you can, aim to get to a position that you always have at least 2 scheduled as that can really take the pressure off!