1.    Utilization of Resources

A good alternative to adding a new department or creating a costly task force to complete a specific function is outsourcing. Some tasks may take up an inordinate amount of an employee’s time. By outsourcing, companies can free up their employee’s time which would allow them to do the important day to day function in a timely manner. This increases overall efficiency and improves employee morale.

2.    Reduces Operating Cost

Companies that try to do everything themselves may incur very high research, development and marketing expenses.  Keeping an employee trained and up to date with within certain fields can be costly too. Outsourcing the secondary functions to experts whose only function is one particular task can be much less expensive in the long run. Additional costs, such as SS tax, WC benefits and health insurance, are all part of hiring a full time employee. A company will not incur these cost with outsourcing to experts.

3.    Access to Experts and Specialists

Outsourcing firms are comprised of highly trained and very experienced specialists who know how to handle all aspects of that particular project. For difficult tasks, this allows for many companies to manage those complex projects. The employees will have more time to do their aspects of their job which would increase productivity and customer service. By outsourcing these projects, the company will not be confined to their geographic location.  The company will  have access to even a greater pool of experts by outsourcing through North America. (We are not talking about outsourcing outside of our borders. We want to keep the jobs within the USA.)

4.    Improve Customer Service

When an employee is bogged down with lots of tasks to complete, he/she is less capable of providing excellent customer service. Outsourcing permits a company to redirect its resources from non-core activities toward activities that serve the customer.  The level of customer service will increase because time and resources are being focused on that area.

5.    Improve Efficiency

Cost, quality, service and speed are critical measures that a company must aim for in improvements. This need to increase efficiency directly conflicts with the need to invest in the primary focus of the business. By freeing up time and resources, the company is able to concentrate on making money and growing the business.

What makes a professional web designer is their ability to listen to the client and suggest the right business solution. Even though that solution may not be something the “Designer” does. A true professional should tell you what you need and not just what you want to hear. Most clients don’t know their meta tag from their link exchange, but it’s your web designer who should.

It does Studio490 no good to design and develop a web solution that never exceeds its clients business expectations. That simply makes a unhappy customer and they don’t return.

The Client

Just as it’s important to hire a professional web designer, we believe it’s important for the client to know what they are asking for. If they don’t, then be open to feedback from that professional. Know when you’re asking for a Lexus on a Yugo budget.

Spend some time learning what you will need to ask for before you find someone to provide that service. Look for a professional who has references, testimonials and samples. Ask about qualifications and how they do business. A professional will be more than happy to talk about their company.

Know what’s included and what is not in the scope of the project. Project Creep is very common in web development and it’s best to define what the cost will cover.

A committed web professional and a educated professional client is a winning combination. You can see our references to see.

Tj and Dana Todd

Studio490

Then you realized that your company logo should be more than just words. And so you brought the topic up in a sales meeting and the guy who sells stuff on eBay was the most creative person in the group. So he whipped up a logo using Paint Shop Pro over the weekend.

Next thing you know, the logo is in your power point which was put together by your Sales Manager.

Three weeks later, you are attending a conference and your secretary has been working on a brochure/calendar combo and you say, “hey, drop in our new logo and print out 100 for the show.”

I paint these situations because this is just what happens everyday in business. May I suggest you print out all of those materials and lay them out on a table next to each other.

Do they look the same?

I’d bet a Venti Mocha Frap that 7 out of 10 are not. They were made by different people at different times with different reasons. Not to mention that none of these very skilled and willing people were Creative Professionals.

That disjointed look you now see all throughout your Client Facing Materials are what your clients see everyday while dealing with your company. Your brochures look different than your email blasts. Your business cards look different then your website. Your powerpoint look different than your closeout materials. When they get some project materials from a SA they look different still.

What is this saying to your client?

Is the process of your business this disconnected? Are my orders being handled properly? Am I paying to much to a company who is spending more time on my project than they should be?

This is where a Creative Professional such at Studio490 comes in and asseses the single brand of the company, adjusts all materials that are not company branded and develops a process for employees to follow to avoid future disconnects.

Having a single brand applied to all client facing and internal facing materials will streamline the development process of communicating with your client. After all, you want a sales person to be selling and not trying to design your next newsletter.

Contact us today and let us exceed your expectations.

You can see some of our work at www.studio490.com and our references from clients we helped fix that broken road.

Tj and Dana Todd
Studio490

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Times passes….

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You get your trade show graphic and it’s perfect. To be sure the size is right, you set up the table top in the conference room and put up your new trade show booth in all it’s glory. Someone walks in (or you invite them to see the beauty) and they say, “hey, I thought we stopped using that vendor?”

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Change is the only thing not constant. And while that is good for printing companies, it’s not good for those of us who want some closure. So, I’ve developed a process which I call “Supportive Panels”. I design my trade show booth to allow me to use or not use these panels. They are usually designed on a 11 x 17 inch panel which is then printed out in color and mounted on foam core. We simply attach them to the trade show booth graphic to address specific trade show events.

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When the supportive panel is not needed, it is removed and the message underneath is used. We also use these on easels to put on the table next to the main graphic.

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11 x 17 works well because they are a cost friendly size. One panel usually cost about $14.00

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Contact Studio490 today and let us provide services such as Tradeshow Materials and much more. Come see how customer services was meant to me.

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Tj & Dana Todd
Studio490