The Bureau Of Small Projects

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm president of several ongoing non-profit initiatives encouraging acceptance, inclusion, and empowerment —notably Everyone Matters and Film Your Issue: Youth Speak Out, Leadership Listens. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire The Bureau Of Small Projects?

David and his team translated our vision into overall website portals, as well as targeted landing pages. David's talent has been to find the sweet spot between edgey, innovative, aesthetically brilliant, and user-friendly and approachable.

What were your goals for this project?

To streamline the process of finding out more info about the projects, and how to get involved in the most user-friendly ways.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

No brainer. Few people are as cool, hip, smart, dynamic and laser-focused as David.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

Everyone Matters is a large, global initiative meant to engage people locally within their communities, as well as through social media, to accept others and ourselves as we are; to thrive within our own unique individually; and enable us and others to be who we all are, without judgment, attack, or marginalization.

Film Your Issue/What's Your Issue? is meant to encourage youth to engage in issues and understand and embrace the power of their voice to make a difference via submitted short videos on issues that burn for them, supported by major leadership from government, the arts, media.

What was the team composition?

The team is volunteer-driven, headed by me, the president.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

The websites were visual and dynamic, appealing to a wide spectrum of audiences while also feeling fresh and engaging. It worked for youth as well as parents, educators, and youth leaders.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

While David oversaw the work, his team handled some of the nuts and bolts. Very professional.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The aesthetic quality of their work, as well as their deep understanding of human nature and how and why people engage.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Can't beat excellence.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a singer and songwriter.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with The Bureau of Small Projects?

I was unhappy with my existing website.  

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The Bureau of Small Projects built a WordPress website.

What is the team composition?

I mainly spoke to David (Founder and Creative Director, The Bureau of Small Projects) and someone who worked on the artistic side of the project.

How did you come to work with The Bureau of Small Projects?

A friend recommended The Bureau of Small Projects. I researched a lot of different websites and agencies, and it seemed like The Bureau of Small Projects and David would be the best fit for me.

What is the status of this engagement?

I’ve worked on and off with The Bureau of Small Projects for a few years, but they completed my website overhaul in March–April 2019. They do updates as needed.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

I’ve had a lot of important industry people look at the site, and I feel that it’s contributed to a lot of good things happening, like media coverage. The site is a good indicator of what I do and who I am, which is what a website should be; it should give site visitors a real feel of who you are. A few people have commented that the site is very authentic. Another positive is that my site’s Google rankings have improved.

How did The Bureau of Small Projects perform from a project management standpoint?

The team communicated well and responded immediately to emails and calls. David really listened to what I wanted, and then he delivered the exact results that I was looking for. It’s not easy to find someone who listens to what you want and finds a way to manifest that. David was personable, open, and talented in several areas, whether it was rewriting a bio or managing social media. His team used the latest advances in technology. They finished in their quoted timeframe of six weeks, and costs were reasonable.

What did you find most impressive about them?

David is an innovator, and his team’s creativity is excellent. It’s rare to find people who are strong on both the technical and creative sides. People’s attention spans aren’t very long online, so it’s important to have a website that draws users in and spurs interest. Their ability to create an attention-grabbing, authentic website is amazing; I couldn’t recommend them more highly.

Are there any areas they could improve?

 No. I was happy on all fronts.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the chief revenue officer at AC Global Risk.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with The Bureau of Small Projects?

We hired The Bureau of Small Projects to develop our website and complete a few other projects.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The Bureau of Small Projects reconstructed a WordPress website. They also created a brochure and some PowerPoint presentations.

What is the team composition?

We worked with six team members, including David (Founder and Creative Director, The Bureau of Small Projects).

How did you come to work with The Bureau of Small Projects?

Someone in my network referred The Bureau of Small Projects. We’re a small company, so we wanted to work with an agency whose founder and leader would be directly involved in the project. We also wanted to hire someone who’d be easy to work with and capable of quickly solving our problems. David was very knowledgeable about the services we wanted, and his personality was an excellent fit for my company.

How much have you invested with them?

We have spent between $20,000–$40,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our work together began in December 2018, and we’re still collaborating on some small projects.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

The results have been outstanding. The Bureau of Small Projects put a lot of creativity into building the website and other materials, which are top-notch.

How did The Bureau of Small Projects perform from a project management standpoint?

The Bureau of Small Projects understand the concepts of project management, and they skillfully keep things on track. They have a couple of different people involved in the project management area. The team meets expected delivery dates; if we miss a deadline, it’s generally because my team isn’t able to move fast enough, or we added to the scope.  

The Bureau of Small Projects is very collaborative. They strike a good balance between listening to what we want to do and providing their own creative input. They ultimately make everybody excited about the project. David is always available and responsive, and he does a great job managing the differing personalities and ideas.

Although we were initially hesitant about working with an agency in Los Angeles when we’re in San Francisco, the distance isn't an issue. David came to our office for a preliminary meeting; however, as the work has evolved, face-to-face contact has become less necessary.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The Bureau of Small Projects isn’t a cookie-cutter agency; David won’t create a website that looks like everybody else’s, and that was important for us. Their pricing is also very fair.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there aren’t.  

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Our company is a medical practice. I am the CEO.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire The Bureau Of Small Projects?

We hired the Bureau Of Small Projects to develop a website for our company. Pretty much every company needs to have a website nowadays.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to attract people to our medical practice by generating leads online through our website.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We found The Bureau of Small Projects through word of mouth. Another physician recommended them to me. They'd built websites for other doctors in the past, so they had relevant experience. 

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

The Bureau of Small Projects built a website for our medical practice to help us generate leads. Our patients use the platform to interact with us online. The platform ties all the aspects of our business together. 

They added a blog to offer more information about our services and worked on lead generation. Within the platform, patients can learn about our practice. It links to other third-party companies and our preexisting patient portal so our customers can access their health information.

What was the team composition?

The company’s management worked with me to help make difficult decisions regarding the design. I really enjoyed being a part of the creative process.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

The Bureau of Small Projects enabled us to get our name out there electronically. They created a top-notch website that generates leads and draws attention to my company. The content on the blog helps potential patients learn about our medical practice. It’s useful internally, and the design is aesthetically pleasing.

I give The Bureau Of Small Projects my highest recommendation. They did a wonderful job. Our new state-of-the-art website has helped our practice become more financially successful. We couldn't function without it.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Project management was very efficient. The team kept us informed throughout the project during each step of the development. 

The Bureau of Small Projects stayed on top of everything and did a great job in every regard. Whenever we had a request or ticket item, they took care of it right away. They’re not only prompt and professional, but also very kind people to work with. 
 

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I found the professionalism and kindness shown by all members of the company to be very impressive.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I really have enjoyed utilizing this company's services. At this time, I can't think of any areas for improvement. I have absolutely no complaints.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the founder of Tribe Builder Media, a full service media and PR agency.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire The Bureau Of Small Projects?

We needed to hire an external resource to help us with a website redesign because our old website was hacked.

What were your goals for this project?

Since we had very limited time, I wanted someone that could design a new site with limited input from me. 

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I thought they were easy to work with and able to create a site that was reflective of our agency.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

I gave them very little to work with, and they produced a custom design for a new website.

What was the team composition?

We worked with several people on their team.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

The design and processes were outstanding. Thanks to The Bureau Of Small Projects, we finally got our agency's website back up. That has a big impact on our business.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Their team was very well-organized. We communicated via Google Docs and Dropbox. It was easy for us to execute and deliver what they needed to create the site. 

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The founder is great. He truly understands the needs of business owners, and how design impacts our business.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I can't name one. They were excellent.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Sacred Wisdom Circle Institute is a nonprofit business that focuses on teaching earth-based spirituality, specifically Native American church teachings and spirituality, but also Eastern Shamanism, etc.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with The Bureau of Small Projects?

We had tried to set up the website using some other folks, but the quality of the appearance didn’t look the way we wanted it to. We have an online course and some other unique things.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Our website is built on WordPress. They added a Jupiter theme and used some plug-ins that worked with WordPress. Some of the images they used are from the Adobe Suite products. What is the team composition?

I worked with two people. The majority of my time was spent with David (Founder/Creative Director, The Bureau of Small Projects). He also had somebody who did some training with me. I’m not sure who else was working on the project, but I never interfaced with them directly.

How did you come to work with The Bureau of Small Projects?

I found The Bureau of Small Projects on Codeable. In talking to them and looking at their other work, it looked like he could give us the look we wanted. They screen their folks and only pick top people. I was looking for somebody with quality, but I also didn’t have a six-figure budget to work with. They were the best in-between solution for a small nonprofit.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $9,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in May 2017 and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

People who have seen the site note how much better the site looks. The quality is there. We’ve had really good feedback.

How did The Bureau of Small Projects perform from a project management standpoint?

We use Skype and David was good about taking notes. It would be nice to have a project management software. Dave and I had one little miscommunication, but for the way we did things, it was pretty surprising that we had only one. He took care of resolving it and didn’t charge me. He’s really awesome to work with. We had things that changed over time, and they worked with us on those changes.Their turnaround time was really good.

What did you find most impressive about them?

David is kind, friendly, and wants to take care of the customer. He takes pride in his work. All of that is really impressive. He’s really good to work with.

Are there any areas they could improve?

If they’re going to stick with Codeable, there could be some kind of project management software that could potentially improve the ability to move files and clarify communication.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the founder of a tech and publishing startup based in London.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with The Bureau of Small Projects?

We needed help developing two platforms—one for music education and the other for our clients. I've worked with many other developers in the past, but had a lot of issues with the quality of their work and working on a budget.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The Bureau is building out two major platforms for us on WordPress. The first platform they've worked on provides user-friendly, powerful services that enable users to post jobs, create profiles, and access a marketplace for suppliers. There's currently no international platform solution like it at the moment.

What is the team composition?

I work directly with David (Founder and Creative Director, The Bureau of Small Projects), who manages other members on his team working on our projects.

How did you come to work with The Bureau of Small Projects?

We found The Bureau on Codeable's website. We ultimately chose to work with them based on the positive reviews they had received and our initial discussions with them. They seemed to genuinely understand what we were trying to do and had the expertise to make it happen.

How much have you invested with them?

We've spent about $5,000 thus far, but we're still waiting on estimates for the next phase of development, which could be upwards of $20,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in February 2017 and we're in the process of commissioning some new development work with their team. We basically regard them as employees since they're so closely integrated with our company.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

We've had very positive feedback regarding the look and feel of the website The Bureau built thus far. Their frontend designs are incredibly professional and modern, and the backend is robust. Their web development work has helped inspire confidence in our business and set us apart in the industry.

How did The Bureau of Small Projects perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicate mostly through Codeable's platforms, which allow us to upload assets and send messages. The Bureau has been great about meeting deadlines and delivering on budget thus far; any delays have been on our end. Despite their timezone difference, they've been responsive and efficient throughout the engagement.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Whenever I have new ideas, The Bureau provides feedback that's in our best interest. They've made suggestions on how we could approach things in a more cost-effective and efficient manner, so they're good at maintaining control over projects. Most developers will take on any task, but The Bureau is driven by creating excellent outcomes rather than by making as much money as possible from a customer.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

For small businesses, in particular, I recommend considering The Bureau for the overall value they bring to the table. They're not the cheapest vendor by the hour, but the value for your money is higher than most developers I've worked with. It makes a huge difference when you're on a tight budget.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm a psychologist share a practice with a number of other practitioners. I’m licensed in California.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with The Bureau of Small Projects?

I needed a customer acquisition partner to grow my business.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They assessed my marketing position and analyzed the best way to drive traffic to my website. The team then revamped the WordPress site and helped me focus my message.

What is the team composition?

I have one main point of contact and have worked directly with three people in total.

How did you come to work with The Bureau of Small Projects?

I found them via an online search. The team had great web design capabilities that distinguished them from the competition. They were also experts on branding and messaging.

How much have you invested with them?

I’ve spent less than $15,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

I started working with them in 2015 and the relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

I’ve increased the number of clients and I’m proud of the new site. After working with at least 10 design vendors, I can say this team is extraordinary.

How did The Bureau of Small Projects perform from a project management standpoint?

The team is very clear about project goals and management processes. Communication was clear; whenever I was confused, they immediately called and talked to me. My contact was always available, enthusiastic, and friendly.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their design and messaging skills stand out. The team’s marketing efforts are also exceptional.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the marketing director at Enable Ministry Partners. We’re an IT firm that services churches and all of their technology needs.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with The Bureau of Small Projects?

We needed a total website redesign. In the previous year, we had gone through a website design process with another company, but we weren’t happy with the service or the product we received.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They redid our website on WordPress. Specifically, we wanted a platform that supported our desire to be a content-driven website, and they created a really great blog for us. We wanted to focus on SEO and mobile design, and they were really intentional about designing it that way.

What is the team composition?

We had a project manager who was amazing; she was my main point of contact. I was also in contact with two design engineers, and there may have been additional people working on the project too.

How did you come to work with The Bureau of Small Projects?

I found them on an independent web developer site. Initially, I was drawn to the way they described their company and their vision. They worked in the Fortune 500 realm in the past, and now they use their expertise to help small businesses have the same kind of quality. Their mission to help small businesses felt very personal, and once I spoke to them for the first time, there was an instant connection. I felt like they were going to take care of us, which they did.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with them in November 2017, and it was a five-month project. We have signed on to be a recurring customer for maintenance with them.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

They listened really well to what we wanted out of the site from the beginning. We wanted an attractive, user-friendly website, and we wanted it to be driven by the visual images and stories. They understood that, and we are happy with the results.

How did The Bureau of Small Projects perform from a project management standpoint?

They are in the process of switching to more of a ticket-based system. We mainly communicated with our project manager. It was very seamless as she was the person I would reach out to if I had any questions. From my end, it felt very organized because I just went through her.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The customer experience and the relationship they built with us has been amazing. The website they built for us and the work they do is quality. What differentiates them is the way they interact with their clients; they make customer service is the most important thing. They connect with their client and make them feel heard.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I love them. They are making their system more official to document specific bugs or issues that need to be fixed, instead of having clients write up a list.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m one of the founders of SpringML. We specialize in machine learning and data analysis.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with The Bureau of Small Projects?

We needed a website developed. We’re growing rapidly and our user base wanted to understand who we are and what sort of resources we provide.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They helped us design the layout and built the new website for us on WordPress. They provide ongoing support and handle other projects.

What is the team composition?

Our primary point of contact is David (Founder & Creative Director, The Bureau of Small Projects).

How did you come to work with The Bureau of Small Projects?

We were introduced to David on a platform called Codeable. We chose him because he had creative design expertise as well as the necessary development expertise.

How much have you invested with them?

We have invested $15,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in November 2017 and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

The feedback from our internal team is positive. We showed the website to our partners and they really like the layout that we put together.

How did The Bureau of Small Projects perform from a project management standpoint?

David does a really good job of assigning tasks to his team and getting deliverables completed. We use Codeable for communication. David also assigned a designated project manager to keep track of open tasks.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their key strength is their consultative nature. They not only do what we want to do, but they give options and come up with the pros and cons. They’re very open about the risk of particular solutions.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. They have their expertise clearly laid out and they know their strengths and weaknesses.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Their creators, designers, and website developers are very good on the platform they use, but the project owner needs to be very clear on what they need.