Myths

• Clients always care about the tools and technologies an agency has to offer
• Thinking people/companies are perfect, and they don’t make mistakes

Talk about timeline, scope, and budget every week

TL;DR | Takeaways for Building Right Relationships

• It’s easy to get distracted by our technology rather than having personal conversations. However, that one on one connection builds relationships further than any piece of tech could.
• It is ok to mess up! Transparency is key to good communication with a client. When mistakes happen try having a mindset of continuous improvement and lean on your coworkers for support.
• The core of a great business relationship is transparency, trust, and honesty. This builds stability and shows your clients you have their best interest in mind.
• “There is a lot of potential reward in being a hyper-specialized company. But the risk of course is choosing an industry. If something happens external to your group then all your marketing is focused on that niche.” ~Ben Callahan
• Bring different voices to the table when looking for solutions. “Have a workplace that has a lot of different perspectives, different experiences because that is going to bring a lot of interesting solutions to the surface.” ~Ben Callahan
• Career advice from Ben Callahan, embrace the leader within you.

This time we’ve got a rather intense session on interactivity and connectivity. Joining us in the ATB virtual booth is Phillip Tiongson, Founder and CEO of Potion, an independent studio dedicated to transforming the world of interactivity. The team of ATB comprised Varun Bihani and Casey Cheshire.

Philip shared some great insights about the world that exists at the intersection of physical and digital. We’ll get to that part but first, let’s bust some myths.

Myths

• We have just as much value and connection from miles away as opposed to being in a physical place at the same time.
• If it’s free, it ain’t valuable

Phillip started with how he got into the business of designing interactive experiences. He tells us with his personal stories that determined his trajectory to become the founder/CEO, Potion, one of the most unconventional agencies in New York.

Unlike the agencies that have shown up on our previous episodes, Potion’s sites exist in a physical plane rather than a digital one. Which presents a different set of challenges in every aspect of running a business during a pandemic.

Varun was quick to get the ball rolling with one of the ATB classics.

So, how do you acquire new clients in a socially distanced pandemic?

To which Phillip added:

It’s all about the existing relationships; with your partners, competition, and clients. When starting a new and important project, you always turn to the people you trust the most. You have to nurture these relationships and invest in them. Because like we all say in this pandemic, we did business with people with whom we have engaged on some level, instead of a stranger.

Apart from the business side of the topic, the trio went on to discuss the present use cases and the future of interactivity.

And did we tell you that Casey, Phillip, and Varun love Rock Climbing and if you’re into that, you’re in for a treat! Find yourself among the fellow climbers discussing business.

There are some interesting analogies about interactions and connectivity throughout the podcast which is better heard or watched on our podcast and YouTube channel.

TL;DR | Takeaways for Interactivity and Connectivity

• How do we communicate our unique value in a way that scales, is surprising, is reciprocal, and truly accessible? These four qualities are important to keep in mind with the call for connection in a technologically demanding environment.
• The physical world is rich with sensory interactions. However, that does not mean the digital world does not have a deep impact as well. Digital interactions have the power to cultivate metamorphic experiences through design and storytelling.
• The relationships that you build with partners, whether they are collaborators, competitors, or clients, are where new business comes from.
• In the future, how we relate to each other is going to evolve. “I think of Zoom right now as the iPhone 1. This is going to explode into many different special use cases and expressions…on how we send ourselves [digitally].”
• Career advise from Phillip Tiongson – It is easy to mistake achievement for enjoying your work. Take time to appreciate everything and everyone around you.

Myths

• There’s no work out there
• If you show them how to do it, then they won’t need you
• Clients only want to hear what’s great about their product

1. Bounce and find somebody who needs you
2. Find a new way to do things for the same audience. Reinvent yourself

TL;DR | Takeaways for Flexibility and Focusing Forward

• In today’s climate, it is important to cater to your clients’ evolving needs and be flexible with them. How can you create a better relationship in the current world?
• Generalists are what everyone wants out of individuals, but Specialists are what they want out of organizations. The most successful companies are those that are generalists but promote themselves as specialists.
• Position yourself as who you want to become versus who you are right now. This will help grow your business, company, and community.
• If you have to change the fabric of who you are to accomplish something then you have lost part of yourself.” Double down on what makes you different as a company and an individual.
• Don’t always tell clients what is great about what they have. Sometimes it is better to show them the stuff they don’t want to hear.
• Career advise from Carl Smith, Nothing matters as much as it feels like it does. Leslie Peters said, “Life is a quest, not a text.”

Hey! We’re back again with the brand-new episode of Agencies That Build. This time around helping Casey with his hosting duties is Varun from Galaxy Weblinks as the co-host.

The latest episode highlights the need for independent contractors and offshoring. We are in conversation with Entrepreneur and Strategic thinker, Jason Williams, Co-founder & CEO of a one of its kind Boulder-based Digital Experience Agency Dfuzr.com. They harness the power and individuality of independent contractors/collaborators to build, deploy, and distribute amazing products.

Before diving further into the session Casey brought out the Mjölnir for some classic myth-busting. Here are some of the myths that Jason busted for us:

Myths

• To have an agency you need W2 workers, not independent contractors.
• There is less commitment from freelancers/contractors!
• Offshore/near shore, the boundaries are becoming irrelevant! Choose the best person/ team to get the job done.

You give people a long rope, and they use it

Jason Williams

On one of the issues that Varun highlighted about establishing a culture in a distributed environment, Jason summed up culture for a distributed team something like this:

• Culture creates and self corrects itself
• Do what you said you were going to do
• Deliver it on time
• Show up for meetings
• Communicate

The trio went on to dig deeper and uncover the secrets of working with offshore agencies/Independent contractors and how it’s actually more efficient than working with W2 full-time employees.

“How do you find the right contractors?”

• Strong network of people
• Vetting comes collaboratively through this network of people
• Background checks
• Efficiency and quality is gauged even before you start talking

Offshore/Onshore, boundaries between those have become irrelevant. You work with whoever is the best person to get the job done.

Jason Williams

On the future of technology, Jason added –

Just like the Internet connects the world, APIs will help establish an interconnected network of businesses that provide services.

For a better experience we highly recommend you give the Agencies That Build Podcast a listen. We’re also on YouTube if in case you prefer video over other mediums.

Takeaways:

• Using a contractor model allows businesses to scale up or down as there is a need
• Invest in contractors as well, give them access to agency attorney and accountant, so they can take charge of their finances
• Using a subscription-based model, customers know that the job will get done in a certain amount of time, given a certain level of service, within a certain capacity

In this ever-changing and highly competitive technological landscape, people swear by the Hustle Mentality. “One needs to work 18 hours a day to be successful”. Well, our guest here thinks differently!

In the first-ever podcast by Agencies That Build, we invited Jay Owens, CEO – Design Extensions, a flourishing Florida-based Digital Agency to be our guest speaker. With Thor’s Mjölnir in hand, Jay Owens busted this and other interesting entrepreneurial myths with us.

In this episode, the ‘Agency Whisperer’, Jay Owens talks about his journey as an agency owner and striking a balance in personal and professional life. We also talk about the best ways to achieve business goals, giving optimum value to the customers and banishing uncertainties around outsourcing.

Jay says and we have to agree – “The customer is not always right, that can be enabling.” He has a way with words and the experiences he brings to the table are very relatable.

He shares that when you know that your customer is making an error in judgment or taking the wrong decision, you don’t ‘yes man’ them. You tell them the best way to address the problems and get them back on the right track. After all, that is why they hired your services!

Jay stressed on the value you are providing while building the solution for your customers. The agencies need to ponder, “what is the product that you are good at producing, that provides real value for people, that you are excited about selling?” Then get a system in place to sell it.

In the quest of maximizing the value you provide to your clients, you may need to bring in the right development partners, and if needed, outsource to the devshops overseas. Clients may be a little skeptical! But, you know that for quicker turnarounds and the best quality of work, offshoring to development partners is the best bet; so you ease them into it.

After all, everyone is just trying to get the job done. No matter where they are geographically based.

Some of the other key highlights of the podcast –

• You need to physically write down your goals, what you want your life to look like in 1 year, 3 years, and 10. Then ask, “what needs to be true today for that to be true tomorrow? What needs to change?”
• Be intentional about relationships and the people around you- have great people to look up to, people standing beside you and you need someone to look up to you, to mentor.

Our podcast will help you put your outsourcing fears to rest, as Jay Owens takes you through his journey as an agency owner. Listen to the podcast here!

There’s also a YouTube link to the podcast!

Sponsored by Galaxy Weblinks

Galaxy Weblinks is a software development partner of Digital Marketing agencies. We use cutting edge technologies, mature processes, and proven methodologies to build future-ready digital solutions. Contact us today!

Your business is growing and your team is doing their best to meet the tight deadlines and increased workload. You may be exploring the idea of outsourcing some of your web and mobile design and development projects. The next logical question is to outsource to a digital agency, or hire a freelancer?

I’m sure you’ve pondered over these questions while considering your design and development partner –

Which option among the digital agency or a freelancer will be the most cost efficient?
(Note – not “cheapest.” but “cost efficient”)

You might save some money by hiring a freelancer to manage one particular module of your product development lifecycle. However, you’ll soon realize that one person cannot do it all. You’ll very likely need an entire team of freelancers if you are looking for end-to-end design and development. This may lead your project to go over-budget while missing some critical deadlines.

Many factors should be considered while choosing between a freelancer or a digital agency. In this article, we will discuss how a digital agency can prove to be more economical vis-a-vis freelancer/s.

#1 Quality Of Work

Your freelancer may try and deliver the best quality of work but it may not be in line with your expectations, especially when the scale of the project is big.

On the other hand, a digital agency takes complete accountability of your project and maintains consistency in the quality of services they offer. They can arrange a single point of contact to facilitate all the coordination work. Thereby, you can focus on the larger picture. They also provide stringent quality checks and testing before your web/ mobile application is launched to avoid any nasty surprises.

#2 Project Involvement

Freelancers rely on you for direction! You might risk endless back and forth if there is any miscommunication in defining your requirements. You will need to invest a lot of time and effort while working with a freelancer.

Digital agencies are more equipped to understand your business needs as they may have more domain experts. They can convey your exact requirements to their in-house creative and technical team. Your project manager has the onus to ensure that the project runs smoothly.

For example, Project managers at an agency will assist you and your team in the most tricky questions related to your new product and the main features of a detailed specification for business tasks. Whereas, not every freelancer could single-handedly undertake all the tasks performed by the project manager and his team.

#3 Engagement Models

Among the biggest decisions you are going to make about your project is how the development of your dream product is going to pan out. For that, you’ll need an engagement model.

This is one of the biggest factors that you miss out on if you hire a freelancer.

The successful development and implementation of your project are facilitated by flexible engagement models as they ensure client satisfaction and transparency.

It involves engagement types like:

• Fixed price: This is ideal when the client has clear expectations in terms of the project outcomes and timeline. A Fixed-price contract is ideal for relatively smaller projects with determined deadlines, fixed budgets, and MVPs.
• Time and Material: Ideal for a long term project with dynamic requirements and uncertain deadlines. The pricing is determined based on the hours spent on developing the project and resources needed. The model is flexible to accommodate changing project requirements and new features.

Why does it matter for you to have the right plan?

Choosing the right engagement model for your project can help avoid undesirable outcomes, such as friction between you and your outsourcing partner, dissatisfaction with the final product, delayed deliveries, and loss of profit.

#4 Technology Infrastructure

Freelancers often lack the skills and resources to adopt new technologies and tools in case of emergency or ad hoc situations.

Whereas, agencies invest in the latest technology across their entire range of services. They have the best subscriptions, platforms, and most up-to-date technology; ensuring that your project is developed using the best of the resources.

#5 Scalability

Generally, businesses switch to outsourcing to scale their business in terms of revenue and services offered.

But, if you hire a freelancer, he may have his limitations when it comes to the quantity of work he can offer. The scalability he offers also depends on the projects he is serving and his time of availability.

On the other end, a well-established digital agency has a big team of different skill sets and expertise areas. In the case, your requirement grows, or you have to meet urgent deliverables, an agency can extend its team of dedicated resources for your project.

#6 Skills

You need to think about the range of skills required for your product development before deciding to choose among a freelancer or digital agency.

The benefit of choosing a digital agency over a freelancer is you’re not responsible for building a team all by yourself based on your project requirements. For instance – IKEA hired separate freelancers for Web developers as well as UI/UX designers just to figure out that they would need mobile app developers, as well.

Alternatively, you can save your time just by hiring a digital agency with a large pool of professionals who have diverse skills – all in one place!

#7 Reliability And Commitment

Freelancers are usually reliable and accountable for the projects they undertake. However, due to the lack of a legal contract, there may be instances where they do adhere to the committed deadlines or couldn’t deliver the project as per your specifications.

Digital agencies swear by their processes that are built up over the years. This makes them accountable for what they do and allows them to make realistic commitments to their clients. Plus, there is always a Plan B in place, in case there are any unexpected glitches to ensure that the project goes on as planned.

#8 Communication Is The Key

Communication remains one of the most important factors to consider while opting for an outsourcing partner. Freelancers are usually easily accessible and easy to communicate with. Different time zones may hinder communications if you choose to outsource your work to an offshore freelancer.

Your digital agency partner will always provide a consistent communication channel. Generally, professional agencies follow a standard communication and reporting procedure, that is discussed initially with the client. Even the time zones are factored in here.

Digital Agencies deliver the required expertise and ensure an efficient work process as a service provider.

#9 Security And Legality

As a company, they’re able to follow proper documentation that offers you protection from legal risks or copyright infringement lawsuits in the future.

Whereas, freelancers hardly offer protection from potential legal risks regarding copyright infringement.

Conclusion:

Choosing the best option between a freelancer and a digital agency can prove to be difficult! While we all want to keep the costs in check, we also do not wish to compromise on the quality and go-to-market.

Choose a freelancer if the scale of your project is small and you do not seek multiple skill sets.

With an agency, pricing is typically based on individual services and projects. They are expensive but they account for every minute they work on your project. We recommend using an agency if you want end-to-end development of feature-rich and intuitive web and mobile solutions.

Galaxy Weblinks, a leading technology consulting firm, acquired Biz Solutions 365, last month. The much expected announcement came amid the news of partial lift of lockdown in India. Biz Solution 365, was previously a technology backend partner for Kalmstrom. Since their recent split, Biz Solutions 365 was looking for new partnership when the offer came in from Galaxy Weblinks about 4 months ago.

Galaxy Weblinks is a technology consulting firm that helps companies accelerate their ability to innovate, grow, and deliver better digital products and services. It specializes in software development services across the entire product development lifecycle;  strategy, design, engineering, QA, training & support.

They have now acquired Biz Solutions 365 that had a niche market for SharePoint plugins and expertise in cross-platform applications within other Microsoft Technologies including Outlook, Azure and Office 365. According to market sources, Business Productivity Tools (including SharePoint) make up ~30% of Microsoft Business Division’s revenue, resulting in an exclusive need for plugins and service experts.

With this acquisition, Galaxy Weblinks has diversified into SharePoint development and its plugins. The company has absorbed most employees that were working for Biz Solutions 365 into its fold to be able to take on the larger projects. The organization structure, says Anand Damani, the CEO of Galaxy Weblinks will remain the same and there will be no changes in the roles of the top officials as well.

This acquisition has brings a new adventure for Biz Solutions 365. It brings in 10+ years of SharePoint experience and expertise to the table. Galaxy Weblinks has an established team in Java and PHP and welcomes this expertise. It is indeed a win-win for both companies. Since the lockdown, all employees will continue to work from home and the on-boarding will also be virtual.

Sources are pretty tight-lipped regarding the amount of settlement and this information has not been made public. According to Varun Bihani, the Managing Partner, more acquisitions are planned over the next few years, to further enhance its sales and revenues.

Here at Galaxy Weblinks, we know it’s difficult to promote and sustain your brand-new company’s success while also creating new and innovative solutions for your clients. That’s why we’ve been specializing in building high quality web and mobile apps since 1998. Our first and most important job is to help our clients understand and actualize technology and harness its power to support solutions that fit their needs.

We have over 1000 projects delivered and have over 200 happy clients around the globe. We provide technical expertise 24/7. We specialize in creating mobile apps, open source development, web development and design, as well as network support and maintenance. We stick to your budget to help your company strive against its competition.

In recognition of our efforts, we’ve been named a top B2B service provider in India, according to Clutch! Clutch is a market research firm that leverages a unique ratings methodology to compare and contrast global leaders in industries across the world.

We recently received a five-star review on our profile from Fast & Light LLC, a digital marketing agency. They needed us to build an e-commerce website, which we completed on time and within budget. Our efforts freed their internal team to attend to other company matters. They especially loved our efficient workflow and proactive team dynamic. Please take a look at their recent review below:

We love receiving feedback in all forms from our clients. It helps us strengthen our processes and improve our services. We especially love when clients leave us client interviews on our Clutch profile. They take the time to engage with business analysts to gauge our impact and rate us according to our cost-effectiveness, attention to project timelines and overall quality of service. In reflection of our efforts, we’ve garnered an impressive 4.8 out of 5-stars.

In addition to Clutch, we’ve also received acclaim from The Manifest and Visual Objects, two of Clutch’s sister sites. The Manifest, a platform that highlights projects and business data, lists us as a top web development agency. Visual Objects, a source of online research for visual portfolios, names us in their directory on top web development agencies.

Drop us a line if you’d like to start a project with Galaxy Weblinks today.