Business Evaluation
Sometimes figuring out where you want your business to go requires an objective assessment of where you are. Taking that quite literally, I come to where you are, to meet you in person and review the totality of your current business and get to work with you on a drafting a marketing plan that zeros in on the most effective ways for you to implement and structure your marketing, pricing and staffing.
Through my work with designers for the past 20 years, I have learned to quickly identify the best practices and red flags evident in the largest and smallest firms, and that’s exactly what I’ll do for you. In the broadest sense, I’ll want us to revisit the steps you have taken to get where you are today. More specifically, we’ll drill down on the most important elements of your business, such as:
- Organizational structure and stakeholders
- Existing clients and client relations
- Pricing methodologies, marketing strategy, succession planning
- Current marketing materials
- Client agreements
- Portfolio
- Financial statements (profit and loss – balance sheet)
- Anything else you would like me to be aware of
After we review these materials, I’ll provide you with my assessment, benchmarked against industry best-practices, identifying your business’s strengths and weaknesses. This appraisal will serve as the foundation on which you can build your own marketing plan.
Marketing Plan
If you’re like most design professionals, you didn’t learn much, if anything, in school about the business side of running a design operation, in which case you probably ended up working for someone else, or, after striking out on your own, learning through trial and error. In no area was your education probably more lacking than in what it takes to define and publicize your unique style and services – to market yourself!
I know this because I’ve spoken with thousands of designers just like you. Their stories are all the same. While their clients may be ecstatic about their work, they remain unknown outside their social circle and locale. From meeting designers’ needs for marketing advice over the past 20 years, I’ve created my Marketing Plan consultation program to share my expertise with you on how to:
- Represent yourself to potential clients
- Develop marketing materials (Web site, brochures, stationary, etc.)
- Screen and interview clients
- Negotiate the best deal for both of you
- Leverage completed projects for your client and yourself
- And much more!
We’ll Collaborate on Your New Marketing Plan
Together, we’ll construct your new marketing plan, based on the resources (people, time and money) you’re willing and able to invest. We’ll evaluate the return you are seeking on that investment, and determine what you can realistically expect. Depending upon your choices, I’ll formalize everything in a written plan outlining the best ways to allocate your resources to achieve your marketing goals.
- You’ll learn how to identify and market to your ideal prospective clients through enhanced messaging and brand identity.
- You’ll be able to improve your marketing efforts, by learning new strategies for increasing their presence on the Web through blog development, social media engagement and pay-per-click advertising, as well as the time and place for traditional print advertising.
- You’ll be able to answer the following important questions:
- Who is your ideal client?
- What services do they want?
- How do they want to pay you?
- How do they want to learn about you?
- What do you need to do differently?
- You’ll learn strategies to broaden your reach to potential clients, media, and other referral sources, and the best places to invest your money to get the most bang-for-your-buck out of paid advertising.
Two month’s of follow-up support by phone and e-mail will be provided, as needed, to review the points that we cover in your plan. There is no additional charge for this time.
For $3,500, we will meet at the DMC Los Angeles office, after which you will receive:
- A written business evaluation or marketing plan, usually within 7-14 days
- Follow-up phone and email support for 2 months, after your initial consultation at no additional charge
Your investment in this option can be applied to the full on-site consultation in the future.
Let’s Get Started!
To arrange your marketing meeting consultation:
"After working with Lloyd and receiving the decisive marketing plan he created especially for me, my interior design business has definite direction. I find I’m much better equipped to deal with the ups and downs of a volatile economy with this valuable road map." 