FunctionFox News
Design Industry Business Pros Answer the Toughest QuestionsVictoria, British Columbia, May 2009 - An international panel of creative industry business experts recently joined forces for a no-holds-barred Webinar that answered the most challenging questions about what it takes to run a successful business today. Consultant to Creative Professionals, Emily Ruth Cohen; FunctionFox Founder and Suburbia Advertising CEO, Mary-Lynn Bellamy-Willms; and Chief Executive of the United Kingdom's Design Business Association, Deborah Dawton tackled tough issues submitt ed by Webinar participants, ranging from blacklisting clients, to reducing fees to gain work, to motivating lackadaisical staff. The experts cautioned that business owners should never compromise on pricing, should definitely get rid of bad clients, even in a tough economy, and they should take decisive steps to really understand the nuts and bolts of how profits are made in their businesses in order to make sound business decisions. The Grill the Experts Webinar, sponsored by FunctionFox Systems, Inc., focused on the creative services professions – from graphic designers to advertising agencies and public relations firms. The answers are enlightening for small business owners in services industries of every stripe. Following are highlights of the toughest questions and answers that emerged. Video clips of each topic are available at: http://www.functionfox.com/events/Grill-The-Expert Should we reduce fees? The experts agreed that compromising on pricing is not an option. “Reducing fees sends the message that you were too expensive previously,†said Bellamy-Willms. Cohen noted that when firms cut back fees after 9/11, they still haven’t returned to previous levels. How can we work with difficult clients? "Fire difficult clients," said Dawton, who argued that bad client relationships can infect the entire company culture. Cohen advised that setting expectations upfront, working with the head person and never missing a deadline can be effective in turning difficult clients into better ones. Are there any sure-fire ways to win new business? Forget mass-mailings and clever website updates, make five to ten new business contacts each week, said Cohen. "Case studies are key," said Dawton. These should demonstrate the work and, more importantly, the results. "Return on investment outweighs anything spent on advertising," she added. How do you motivate unchallenged staff? "Unengaged staff comes down to a question of leadership," said Bellamy-Willms. Even the smallest firms need structure, such as performance reviews, to enable staff to understand how they fit into the big picture, see their contribution and determine whether or not they’re in the right job, the experts agreed. To read or hear answers to additional questions in the Webinar, go to: http://www.functionfox.com/events/Grill-The-Expert About the Experts: Emily Ruth Cohen has been a consultant to creative professionals for over 20 years. She offers expertise to creative services firms and in-house staff on implementing effective staff, client and process management strategies, conducting client surv eys, and writing winning proposals and contracts. Emily is a frequently requested speaker on business-related issues for the creative industry and has spoken at the HOW, MYOB and InHOWse conferences, as well as at numerous AIGA events. Mary-Lynn Bellamy-Willms, as the Founder and CEO of FunctionFox Systems, Works with thousands of small creative companies to help them improve their businesses. As Suburbia's CEO, Mary-Lynn's primary role is to drive strategy and direct the creative process. As a result of her leadership, Suburbia has been recognized with over 450 national and international awards for both creativity and results. Mary-Lynn's focus on innovation and creativity has led to an entrepreneurial culture that helps drive sales for clients located across Canada and the U.S. Deborah Dawton is the chief executive of the Design Business Association, the trade association for the design industry in the UK. The association's mission is to build the performance and improve the prosperity of design agencies. She is focused on developing best business practice for creative firms and, raising the profile of design and its capability for wealth creation in business. ABOUT FUNCTIONFOX FunctionFox is the leading provider of time and project tracking software for small creative companies. TimeFox, its web-based timesheet and project management software, is the number one ranked time-tracking system in North America. Graphic design, advertising, communications, marketing, multimedia, public relations, and interactive firms all choose TimeFox as their web-based time and project management application. TimeFox is currently used by thousands of customers in Canada, the US, Europe, Asia, Australia and New Zealand. For more information please visit http://www.functionfox.com or contact: Corina Ludwig, President FunctionFox Systems Inc. #2-415 Dunedin Street Victoria, BC, Canada V8T 5G8 Toll Free: 1.866.369.8463 Telephone: 1.250.479.1285 Fax: 1.250.479.1285 info@functionfox.com |
Corina Ludwig, President |
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