Business Dating for Dummies 101: How to select the right company to do your creative work

Finding your creative firm is similar to finding “that special someone.” There is more than just outer appearance involved in the decision making, however, that typically is the first impression that draws you to them. More importantly, what you should be concerned about is finding out how knowledgeable and experienced your contacts are. Make sure to find companies who specialize in branding, not just offer it as one of the “extra” things they do. Here is where the homework comes in; research the firms who created the brands you most admire and those who also have similar qualities and interests to those of your own business. If you are a pharmaceutical company, using a firm who is notorious for branding alcoholic beverages, fast food, or retail would not be helpful. Finding companies who are experienced with in multi-lateral range of brands is a good place to start. In addition, make sure they are reputable for their originality and creative style. In the instance that your company is very conservative or traditional, this wouldn’t apply to you; find your own waters to call home.

Once you’ve found your niche, make some phone calls and start testing their business etiquette. Are they timely, motivated, excited to help, preoccupied…? When you receive your inquiry callback, is it from a sales rep, or from a partner…? This is the very instinctual part of the starting-up-the-relationship process. Meet with a few “potentials,” listen to your heart and trust the chemistry. The laws of physics will not fail you. If its not the right match, keep looking.

Be aware of your own etiquette as a potential client. Make sure to ask each company about their process; however, make sure you are targeting your questions to the work you are inquiring about. For example, if you are having a custom logo designed, then you would want to ask about numbers of revisions, cost per revision, time frames, and to see a portfolio of some of the recent work they have produced.

After your homework and meetings are over and done, put out your sensors. Monitor the facts the company gave you with their actual implementing of them. Did they respond in the amount of time they quoted, or are they not calling you back until a week later..? If the habits are bad to begin with, you can bet that they will only get worse. See how similar this is to “dating” in the real world…just follow your intuition.

Common Mistakes Start- Up Businesses Make

If you are an entrepreneur, it’s guaranteed that there are a million things running through your head while starting up your business. Most of your time is spent planning, networking and spending money. The last things you want to waste are your time and money. For this reason, be sure to avoid getting into situations and making decisions that can cost you either of those two precious commodities. There are three mistakes that are commonly made when launching a business. Learn about them here to help educate yourself, so that they don’t become mistakes of your own.

Mistake #1:

The Necessary Expense is Often Not Spent.

For many, this is a hard check to write because there is hardly an immediate and visible return; however, in time, this may be your most important investment. Vital items such as website, business cards, and a custom logo design are without a doubt three of the very first projects that need to be completed before the doors to your business can be opened. While it is natural that many entrepreneurs want to instantly jump on creating revenue for themselves, it is important to assess the market place first. With technology rapidly advancing, simply having a website is not enough anymore. Congratulations, you are now one pumpkin in the entire patch! This is where you need to make sure you are chosen over the rest of your competitors. Optimizing your website can be done in a number of ways: key-word richness, updating meta-data, and using back-links are a few of the common strategies that businesses use for successful results. For clarification of any of these terms, you can contact a helpful representative at: webmaster@methodologymarketing.com.

Mistake #2:

Not Doing Your Research Homework

When introducing a new product in a market that is already saturated with its type, is a forecast for disaster. Sometimes it can be hard to swallow our pride when we think we have something really innovative, but if it means saving your pockets from huge holes, it should become an easier notion to accept. The other extreme to avoid is presenting a product or service to a market for which the product is too far ahead. Imagine trying to introduce the internet to our grandparents when they were our age… a lot of them are still having a hard time conceptualizing its magnitude. Premature introduction of a product to a market that is not ready for it can almost guarantee a catastrophe. If you believe that knowledge is power, then why deprive yourself and your business of unlimited strength? Educate yourself and your company about resources that can be invaluable, such as existing businesses and suppliers in the industry, your chamber of commerce, trade associations, and potential customers.

Mistake #3

Forgetting to Plan, Prepare and Plot.

One of the most rewarding feelings you can give yourself is that of pride. The day will come when it is all ready and the revenue is filling your pockets; the challenge is getting to that day with as little complications and tribulations as possible. There are numerous resources that exist to help you through the brainstorming and building steps. At Methodology Marketing, our experienced and creative staff delivers award winning advertising and marketing plans. For even more helpful information, please contact the webmaster@methodologymarketing.com.

Agency Dating

Business Dating for Dummies 101:
How to select the right company to do your creative work.

Finding your creative firm is similar to finding “that special someone.” There is more than just outer appearance involved in the decision making process, however, it is typically the first impression that draws you to them. It is more important to find out how knowledgeable and experienced your contacts are. Make sure to find companies who specialize in branding, not just offer it as one of the “extra” things they do. Here is where the homework comes in; research the firms who created the brands you most admire and those who have similar qualities and interests to those of your business. If you are a pharmaceutical company, using a firm who is notorious for branding alcoholic beverages, fast food, or retail would not be helpful. Finding companies who are experienced within a multi-lateral range of brands is a good place to start. In addition, make sure they are reputable for their originality and creative style. If your company is very conservative or traditional, this doesn’t apply to you; find more traditional waters to call home.

Once you’ve found your niche, make some phone calls and start testing their business etiquette. Are they timely, motivated, excited to help, preoccupied…? When you receive your inquiry callback, is it from a sales rep, or from a partner…? This is the very instinctual part of the starting-up-the-relationship process. Meet with a few “potentials,” listen to your heart and trust the chemistry. The laws of physics will not fail you. If its not the right match, keep looking.

Be aware of your own etiquette as a potential client. Make sure to ask each company about their process; however, make sure you are targeting your questions to the work you are inquiring about. For example, if you are having a custom logo designed, you want to ask about number of revisions, cost per revision, time frames, and to see a portfolio of some of the recent work they have produced.

When your homework and meetings are over and done, put out your sensors. Monitor the facts the agency gave you against their actual implementing of them. Did they respond in the amount of time quoted, or are they not calling you back until a week later..? If the habits are bad to begin with, you can bet that they will only get worse. See how similar this is to “dating” in the real world? Just follow your intuition.