We asked our sellers what they love about Square, and their responses made us feel tingly all over! Many thanks to everyone who shared their passion for their businesses with us. We received 229 submissions on Twitter and Instagram with the #SquareTheLove and #CercleSquare hashtags, and it took a lot of deliberation to pick a winner.
Congratulations to Nicole Beziare of Bell & Brace, a brass and woodwind instrument repair shop in Windsor, Ontario, who, along with fellow technician (and now husband!) Gavin Hoenmans, set the musical scene with their prize-winning portrait of some of the shop’s most important instruments — including a Square Reader. “When musicians bring their instruments in all bent out of shape, we’re happy to straighten them out and #squarethelove,” they wrote. “Offering credit as a payment option is music to our customers’ ears, and the quick transfer times from Square ensure that we’re always ready to tackle any horn that crosses our bench.”
Diversity is a beautiful thing and #SquareTheLove showed us how wonderfully eclectic our sellers are — from food trucks and face painters to beauticians and local business directories. We heard from Square-loving dog walkers, authors, hypnotherapists, DNA testers, osteopaths and more.
Some of our sellers took an especially creative approach and submitted photos of personalized Square Readers like these from Signature Ornaments and TaLii Towels.
For other artistic sellers, Square can help bring order — literally and figuratively — to the creative process. Designer Carolyn Holdsworth, creator of graphic tee company Me&C, told us: “My studio is my creative place … it’s messy and unruly. Square is tidy and organized so my studio doesn’t have to be.”
Driftwood sculptor Dawn Marie MacSporran also enjoys the juxtaposition of her creative process with her practical Square Reader. “As a sculptor who works with irregular-shaped driftwood all day, it’s nice to work with a simple square for a change,” she says.
Square the Love also gave us the chance to hear some of the amazing stories from our sellers. BJ Stewart from Khala Naturals used the contest to describe a wellness journey that culminated in the creation of her soap and shampoo company (she also lost 50 pounds and published several cookbooks in the process!). Read more here about how Square has helped BJ grow her business faster than she ever imagined.
We also heard from entrepreneurs who use Square to help customers at important times in their lives, from make-up artist Lolo B, who gives brides a quick payment option on their big day, to interventionist Linda Lane-Devlin of Interventions on Demand, who makes life easier for families at difficult times.
We can’t resist a photo of a cute baby (who can?), so we were tickled pink to hear that Square allows artist and working mom Sarah Alicia Thomas to spend more time with her new daughter, Rachel.
We also loved seeing Square Readers pop up in some pretty unusual places — from the pirate chest of Captain John Swallow of The Pyrates Image to Be Proud Publishing’s photo of their Square Reader on the top of a mountain. “Square has made payments easy, quick and pain free — just like my clients after receiving a massage,” said massage therapist Carly Holland, who treated her Reader to a little R&R in her entry.
These are just a few of our favourites, and we wish we could show them all. Thanks to everyone who helped us #SquaretheLove! Visit the contest webpage or search for the hashtags #SquareTheLove and #CercleSquare on Twitter and Instagram to see more.