Square Secrets Business by Paige Brunton - an Honest Review
Updated for fall 2025
Peeks nervously from behind a partially open door… am I too late?!
This is a seriously overdue review of Square Secrets Business™ from Paige Brunton…
I took Paige’s course back in 2020 after having flip flopped and sat uncomfortably on the fence for a good time beforehand…
Why? Because at the time, the investment was HUGE. I couldn’t fathom how people would be spending into the several thousand dollars on an online course (almost the amount one year of my university degree cost me way back in the early two thousands!
So how did I make the decision to invest in Square Secrets Business™ , was it worth it, and would I do it again?
In case you’re having the same thoughts, here’s whatcha need to know…
Oh and Paige is running a FREE 3 day Web Designer Bootcamp from September 22nd 2025!
Learn everything about attracting dream clients, raising your prices, organising your workflows for a more profitable set up whilst meeting the nicest community around!
It’s a great way to get a sense for her & her teaching style to see if it’s a fit.
This post may contain affiliate links. These are denoted by a *. If you make a purchase via one of these links I may get a small kickback. I only recommend products and services I use and love myself! Thanks in advance :)
Before I jump in, what is Square Secrets Business™ and whooooo is Paige Brunton?
Paige is the original Squarepace expert. Hailing from Toronto (yep she says hoose for house, and oat for out… cute!) she DIYed her way to a multi 6 figure Squarespace web design business & then went on to create a course - Square Secrets™ to teach others how to do the same.
That first course - Square Secrets™ covers everything you need to know to create a Squarespace website (it’s regularly updated & improved as Squarespace evolves) and is the perfect starting point for anyone who’s building their first website, or, new to Squarespace (in fact even if you’re not super new to Squarespace you probs wanna check it out - I learnt sooo much that I didn’t know I didn’t know!)
After Square Secrets™ had been going for a lil’ bit, our gal Paige noticed something interesting… those students who had taken it, often to build a site for their new businesses, realised they loved building sites more than they loved their biz, and started asking questions about how they could make their new found website building skills & passion into a web design business of their very own!
Square Secrets Business™ was born from that! An everything you need to know guide, training & ready to swipe resources to equip you to set up your own web design business. Oh, and this one isn’t just Squarespace based, it’s perfect for a web design biz using any platform - truly a gamechanger!
Pre S… Before I get to the review, I should say that I briefly worked in Paige’s team alongside running RTC a year or so ago ! This review isn’t sponsored, affiliated or anything else, and I paid in full for the course when I took it back in 2020… but in the spirit of full transparency I wanted to be up front about my connection to team PB before I jump into the review!
So why did I decide to take Square Secrets Business™?
Back in summer 2020, I’d built 3 or 4 websites and knew it was a business I wanted to pursue… but running my own business… well that was something I had not a clue about, despite having been in senior leadership and management for over 8 years at that point - starting my own biz was still a leap into the unknown.
So like most new business owners I spent a good proportion of my life on google, and whose name kept coming up in answer to my Squarespace and web design questions? Paige Brunton!
It seemed to me, that there wasn’t a topic she hadn’t written about, and so that summer I binged a bunch of her blogs, using them to help me with everything from adding a custom font to Squarespace, to how to structure a blog post. Her site was legit a gold mine of information.
I knew Paige had created a course, but, at the time the investment seemed just too much… so what led to me deciding to bite the bullet & buy?
In the end it was time - the blog posts I was reading would give me a part of the puzzle, but not the whole thing, and it took me ages each time to find the right information. Plus I was nervous that I was missing something important - you don’t know what you don’t know hey? So by the end of 2020, I was making enough money (and losing enough time!) in my new Biz that the time was right to buy the course.
First Impressions of Square Secrets Business™
The very first thing I thought when I clicked on the course in Teachable was… shoot, I should have bought this sooner. In the first couple of modules Paige covered (and gave templates & swipe files) for things I’d spent weeks creating from scratch!
It’s absolutely true that setting up a web design business does not need to involve reinventing the wheel (something I’d been dedicated to for the previous 6 months) & straight away I saw what a time saver SSB would be!
My second impression was how organised the course is and what an awesome teacher Paige is - you feel so supported as you work through everything. Now I knew this before to some extent from her blogs, but the course was next level! It’s also really fun to follow along with, and made things I’d found stressful before, suddenly seem simple and manageable.
What does Square Secrets Business™ cover?
SSB is truly a one stop shop for everything you need to know & do when setting up your own web design business. From how to market yourself, to client processes to how to get good quality copy (including copy templates you can just take & use) and even how to get great testimonials, Paige covers the A-Z.
To be sure of all the deets on everything included in the course make sure to check out Paige’s site.
My favourite thing about Square Secrets Business™?
For me there were three things I loved the most about SSB!
The monthly Q&A calls (which you have lifetime access too) and community facebook group is gold dust - I had so many questions answered by kind souls there which helped me out so much at the beginning of my biz.
The guest expert interviews covering different marketing techniques. Although they won’t teach you the exact how to for marketing, you get an awesome range of different voices, preferences and approaches that really helped me figure out what marketing approach would be the best fit for me.
The templates and swipe files - these were just the best time saver!!
Speaking of templates … if you haven’t had a peek at my freebies (takin’ a leaf outta Paige’s book) make sure you do & fill your boots before you go!
What does Square Secrets Business™ not cover?
SSB doesn’t cover how to build a Squarespace website, or any website for that matter. It’s entirely focussed on how to run a web design business, and not on technical web design skills. This is important to know if you haven’t ever built a site before - you’re gonna wanna get Square Secrets™ too (which handily you can buy in a bundle to save a lil more $$$) or develop your web design skills before you can set up a business as a web designer.
Although there’s a module on the legalities of a web design business, SSB doesn’t include the contracts you’ll need to have set up, or any legal advice on setting up or running a web design biz.
Why?
Because this varies country to country and state to state (plus, although she has a guest expert who is a lawyer, Paige isn’t one and so sticks to her zone of genius for when she’s teaching, which is a skill in & of itself!)
What do I wish Square Secrets Business™ covered that it doesn’t?
Honestly the course is so incredibly in depth that it’s hard to add to it, but if pushed …
In a dream world I’d have loved a deep dive into structuring your week as a web designer, how long to spend on different things and managing the feedback process from clients (in the form of a real life case study/ call recordings).
Nowadays I have a good grasp of all of that, but at the time I definitely wondered if I was doing everything right, prioritising well and setting reasonable but clear enough boundaries. I get though, that this is flexible and will depend a lot on the web designer to decide so perhaps isn’t as easy as you might think to “teach” & maybe something you just need to go through & create for yourself.
I’d also have loved some form of 1:1, mentoring call or something (not with Paige - there’s only one of her!!) but with a vetted coach or mentor who could have given me some specific feedback or input on my approach at the beginning. Having said that - the facebook group is so full of incredible web designers at this point, that you can pretty much self-select a buddy & get that kind of support from someone (or a group of people) who are a lil ahead of you in the process.
Oh… and I’d have loved something on VIP days too… but I *think Paige sometimes offers a bonus on this now, so it’s worth checking when you sign up!
When shouldn’t I invest in Square Secrets Business™?
I think it’s important to say that I do think there are some scenarios whereby SSB wouldn’t be a good investment…
The obvious - if you don’t want to be a web designer! This course teaches you how to become a web designer, and so if that’s not you… it’s probably not a good fit!
If the financial investment stresses you out. The course isn’t cheap, having said that it’s incredible value and it’s paid me back more than 50 fold on my investment… and there’s a pretty sweet payment plan that allows you to spread the cost.
But if you’re worried about making rent, or putting food on the table, wait until you can comfortably afford it before investing - no good business is born when the person behind it is stressed out.
You don’t know how to build websites. If this is the case - learn first! You can grab Square Secrets™ (or the two together in a Bundle to get the best savings) or any other web design course for your chosen platform. Remember this course is how to become a web designer, not how to build sites.
How can you get the most out of Square Secrets Business™?
There are a few tips I have for making the most of the course!
Make sure you know how to design websites first! Learning both at the same time I think would be tough, so if you grab the Bundle, take your time over Square Secrets™ to learn the skill of web design and maybe create a couple of sites before you jump into SSB
Make time to go in depth in the course material. Paige has a session at the beginning on a course creation game plan - don’t skip it! Make sure to plan out how you’ll tackle the course & give it enough time so you can really make the most! Don’t be afraid to watch lessons more than once, or take notes, apply and then move on to the next stage so you can soak in and implement all of the useful material!
Attend (or catch up on) all the Q&A calls & make use of the course community facebook group - it’s gold dust!
Don’t wait too long - if you already have a web design biz, or are thinking about starting one, I highly recommend just getting started - so you don’t end up like I did, having reinvested the wheel for things Paige will give you in the course!
Finally - don’t Forget that Paige is running a FREE 3 day Web Designer Bootcamp from September 22nd 2025!
Learn everything about attracting dream clients, raising your prices, organising your workflows for a more profitable set up whilst meeting the nicest community around! Get your spot here
Thinking about becoming a web designer? Then you’re gonna need a clear idea on your ideal client first!
Grab my FREE ideal client workbook which walks you through every step you need to take to get crystal clear (including questionnaires, scripts & fill in the blanks thought prompts) - it’s the foundation to everything that will come next!
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