FounderScale

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Marketing Manager of Shane Smith Law

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Shane Smith Law is a firm of personal injury and accident attorneys.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire FounderScale to accomplish?

• Get email campaigns launched for prospecting, current clients, and long-term nurture
• Get SMS campaigns launched for prospecting, current clients, and long-term nurture
• Reduce time spent on manual data entry into HubSpot

SOLUTION

How did you find FounderScale?

Referral

Why did you select FounderScale over others?

• Close to my geographic location
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from FounderScale were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

FounderScale worked with us to reduce manual data entry into HubSpot and to use HubSpot more effectively and efficiently. They helped us to get campaigns for prospecting, current clients, and long-term nurture up and running via both email and SMS.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

We now have three distinct email and SMS marketing campaigns that are specifically targeted to each stage of the client journey. We have already been able to attribute closed deals and revenue to these campaigns. Since partnering with FounderScale, my time working with manual data manipulation has been reduced by approximately 65%.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Very effective. I worked directly with Maria throughout the whole process. FounderScale helped us to deliver on time or ahead of schedule and the team was extremely responsive.

What was your primary form of communication with FounderScale?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

They were very thorough and communicated effectively. They addressed the needs of our team and provided excellent value.

Are there any areas for improvement or something FounderScale could have done differently?

There is nothing they could have done differently. They have done a great job with our project and we are continuing to work with them.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CRO of the company. 

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We're a private equity firm that invests in companies that work in the professional outdoor services industry.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire FounderScale to accomplish?

• Help form and develop both our Sales and Marketing strategies.
• Incorporate software to enhance and track our marketing efforts and expenses

SOLUTION

How did you find FounderScale?

Referral

Why did you select FounderScale over others?

• High ratings
• Great culture fit
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

What was the size of FounderScale’s team?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

FounderScale was hired to assist with the development of our company's Sales and Marketing departments. As a strict referral company, we did not create these departments prior to 2023. We relied on FounderScale to be our consultants as well as our fractional CRO. Helping implement data tracking software, HubSpot, developing our ad campaign strategy, and teaching our team how each worked.

Key deliverables:

• Implement a system to allow us to be able to track key sales data based on differing levels of marketing.
• Increase inbound lead generation from website to 50 leads/week

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

• Inbound leads increased from 4/week to 15/week within the first 2 months
• Increased daily website traffic from 10/day to 100/day

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Josh and his team stress over-communication. They were extremely quick to respond to emails, and the whole team was eager to assist with any questions. Deliverables were completed ahead of schedule in most cases and on-time for the rest. The way that the FounderScale team managed our project is what our company is using as a benchmark for our own future projects.

What was your primary form of communication with FounderScale?

• In-Person Meeting
• Virtual Meeting
• Email
• Messaging App

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

FounderScale is geared towards implementing the latest marketing and sales strategies, but they also teach how to use these programs. The educational aspect of the company was what set them apart from competitors.

Are there any areas for improvement or something FounderScale could have done differently?

None. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Co-founder of Vava Virtual Assistants. We connect business owners with high-performing U.S. based Virtual Assistants. Our future-focused, VA hiring model prioritizes sustainability and empowers business owners to source proven remote talent, break the vicious cycle of hustle culture, and reclaim what brings them joy, personally and professionally.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire FounderScale?

We wanted to set up Quality Assurance Workflows for our Account Managers to better manage their clients. Our team knows how to use Hubspot but we needed strategic assistance to determine the best way to accomplish the workflows and streamline them as much as we can. We brought on FounderScale to help us set up Hubspot Workflows, Templates, and Emails to help our team do their jobs more efficiently. FoundScale also let us know about many different ways we could use Hubspot which was super beneficial.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

I know the Co-founder of FounderScale through an organization I am a member of (Entrepreneurs’ Organization.) They offered to help me with my workflow challenges when I was discussing what we were currently faced with.

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

I worked with Maria at FounderScale to set up Hubspot Workflows for Account Management and onboarding of new clients. She provided fast-paced weekly, in-depth and great trainings where we actually set up the automations live on the calls. She then provided us with action items to complete prior to our next session. We started with setting up a new user onboarding workflow and then moved on to templates, sequences, and task creation.

By the end of the training sessions, we had 2 fully built-out workflows to improve our account management QA process, and multiple email templates, and we now have the framework to implement more workflows. Maria was really great to work with and so knowledgeable.

How many resources from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

I worked with Maria, the co-founder.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

I came to FounderScale with the goal of launching new account management and onboarding workflows. We weren’t sure of the best way to use Hubspot to accomplish these initiatives. By the end of our training sessions, our account managers felt comfortable with the process training and we finally had automations set up to improve efficiency and organization. I felt a sense of relief for the team.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Very effective. I worked directly with Maria throughout the whole process.

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

Maria quickly jumped on board, was very thorough, communicated effectively and was able to understand our unique business case and provide several solutions for our account managers to choose from. She then helped us implement those in a timely manner and was also very patient with our team.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

There is nothing they could have done differently. I want to work with them even more on other functions of our business!

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Marketing Director for a Life Sciences Marketing Company. We help life sciences companies develop marketing strategies focused on successful KOL & Healthcare Practitioner engagement as well as market research.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire FounderScale?

Our goal was to increase leads from organic search traffic and improve search ranking.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

We have been working with FounderScale on other projects including CRM implementation and wanted to increase our engagement with them to focus on SEO.

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

FounderScale conducts the keyphrase research and develops the content marketing plan. We then collaborate on company-specific ideas to enhance content. FounderScale then develops the content and publishes it on our website along with graphics to go with the article.

How many resources from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

I work directly with Selina, the SEO department lead, and occasionally with Josh the Founder.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

We have had several wins since working with FounderScale. We recently had one of the articles FounderScale developed published on a well-respected website resulting in an increase in exposure. Our metrics indicate a large increase of impressions, clicks and position every month and we have recently received an important lead from an article FS wrote.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Very effective. The FounderScale team communicates effectively on a regular basis and sets up regular meetings for content approval and collaboration.

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

Their innovative ideas and 5 star service that is provided

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

Very pleased to see large increases improvements in search ranking.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We decided to purchase Hubspot, both the sales and marketing modules, and thought we could install and set-up ourselves. 3 months into the project we realized were were out of our depth and needed professional support so we hired FounderScale.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire FounderScale?

To help build out our Hubspot installation, across all modules, ensuring we were maximizing our purchase and it's overall capabilities.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

We wanted to work with a company that focused on optimizing sales processes and had a deep understanding of the Hubspot stack, from build out to best practices

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

We bought a pack of 10 consulting hours and met with the founder of FounderScale, several times, as well as his team, depending on which modules we were working on. Ultimately, they provided an audit of the work we did and worked through the stack, section by section, ensuring we were set up properly and able to maximize our purchase.

How many resources from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

We worked with the two founders, as well as a few of their resident SME's that focused on a particular deliverable (i.e. Sales metrics and KPIs).

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

We thought we had done a pretty good job internally, but after an initial discussion with Josh (CEO), we realized we had only scratched the service and actually were misusing a few modules.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Very effective workflow, deadline driven, and highly communicative- all important attributes when using a consulting firm.

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

How well they knew the Hubspot stack, inside and out. There didn't seem to be any lost minutes during our discussions or waiting on individuals to refer to their notes or youtube for a tutorial. The team knew what was needed and how to drive the conversation to the desired outcome.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

No- very good use of time and money

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the owner of a Cascade Capital Group, a privately held real estate investment firm focused on acquiring assets primarily in net lease space. We are a direct real estate investor. We achieve passive wealth-generating opportunities through commercial real estate investments in the Midwest and Southeast.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire FounderScale?

We wanted to send emails to sales prospects but we didn’t have the software or processes in place to do so. We brought on FounderScale to help us set up Hubspot to enable sales outreach.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

I came across FounderScale through an organization I am a member of (Entrepreneurs’ Organization.) They offered to help me with my sales outreach challenges.

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

I worked with Maria at FounderScale to set up Hubspot Sales Pro. She provided fast-paced weekly trainings on Hubspot Sales Pro software and then provided me with action items to complete prior to our next session. We started with setting up a user account in Hubspot to be able to send email sequences then covered additional topics like data imports, list segmentation, email deliverability best practices, and automation rules. By the end of the training sessions, I was able to start sales outreach.

How many resources from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

I worked with Maria, the co-founder.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

I came to FounderScale with the goal of sending a series of sales outreach emails. I didn’t have any CRM or Sales Software in place to be able to achieve this goal. By the end of our training sessions, I was able to send my prospects a series of sales outreach emails.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Very effective. I worked directly with Maria throughout the whole process.

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

The speed at which they were able to get me ready to send sales outreach emails was top-notch!

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

I wish we had more training sessions. :D

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the marketing director of Pledge, a nonprofit fundraising platform.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with FounderScale?

We needed help setting up our email, content, and digital marketing, primarily our HubSpot and email software.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Initially, we scoped things out and saw what we needed to do. We’d migrated from MailChimp, another email platform. FounderScale helped ensure that we got all our email contact information and data from the software. As the relationship evolved, we discussed best practices and the different automations we needed to set up to ensure our marketing and sales teams used our new HubSpot infrastructure appropriately.

Then, they helped us build out the emails, especially things like Trigger Logic. They worked with our product team to ensure custom objects were in place so the emails could be smart and behavior-based. Also, they set up the reports and dashboards and created the templates for us. We worked together, going back and forth on the copy, imagery, and calls to action. 

We’d discuss the email’s flow and what we wanted. They initially did a lot of the copywriting, but we then refined our branding language, so we started to create our own copy. Most of the images came from our marketing team. Still, they helped us by recommending subject lines, the amount of copy, and how to optimize everything for the audience. Overall, FounderScale set everything up and guided us toward the next step. They did a lot of the heavy lifting to ensure the implementation was correct.

What is the team composition?

Maria (Marketing Automation Practice Lead) was our primary representative. We had all our meetings with her; she was absolutely incredible. We also worked with one engineer; Maria would decide when we needed to bring him in. We also had a developer on our team, so there were certain parts of the project where our developer and their engineer would work together on the nitty-gritty technical details.

How did you come to work with FounderScale?

I joined the organization after we started working with FounderScale, so my team initiated the partnership. We decided to use HubSpot, so we could’ve found them through a HubSpot recommendation, but I’m not 100% sure.

How much have you invested with them?

The total cost was $64,000. We paid $8,000 for six months and then $4,000 for four months.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project lasted from September 2021–June 2022. We only wrapped up our engagement due to some budgeting constraints.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The main metric we had was the email open rate, which increased from an average of 10% to above 20%. We also had an increase in user visits. FounderScale developed five custom objects and implemented 25 workflows, and over 75 sales and marketing emails were built and launched.

On the other hand, they were very knowledgeable, professional, and friendly. They always made sure we were focused in our meetings. Overall, they kept us on track and were delightful to work with.

How did FounderScale perform from a project management standpoint?

Project management was absolutely amazing. We set up regular meetings when we needed to change things. For example, when we knew we couldn’t continue to sustain working together, our team rallied from a project management perspective. Maria made herself more available, and we started having more meetings. She created various trainings to teach us for the point when she wouldn’t be with us anymore. They were great at keeping us organized throughout the process. In the end, they made sure to stay accountable when there was a bit more pressure on us to get things done.

They were available for us via Slack. Whenever we had a small question in between meetings, they were quick to respond. They always looked into fixing things; they were very efficient. We also communicated through Zoom meetings.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were experts in HubSpot. They had the technical knowledge to make the most out of the platform.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they were great. I wish we’d had the internal capacity to do more with HubSpot, but FounderScale did everything they could. Even when our own team was challenging, they handled it really well.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure you’re ready to dedicate the time necessary to get everything set up and optimized. FounderScale is there to help and advise you. Still, it’s your brand, so you must be engaged in creating copy, providing imagery, and deciding what value points need to be communicated. You might have the perception that FounderScale will set it all up for you, but it doesn’t work like that. It takes significant time and effort.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the founder of 3 Owl

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire FounderScale?

We hired FounderScale to do a deep dive into our web analytics, our clients, and our target industries.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

I know their founder, Josh through a professional organization. I saw him present on FounderScale and we spoke more about it 1:1 and it was a good fit.

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

FounderScale's approach was very methodical — the process was broken into 6 meetings and we were told about what to expect at each meeting up front. Josh's team did a deep dive into our LinkedIn all of our client and provided us a report by industry, leader position, and geography of our current client list. Josh worked with us to help define our target client list and from there each meeting built upon the previous to build a strategy for us.

How many resources from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

I worked with Josh directly while a variety of his team members built out our reports.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Our agency engaged Josh before we built our new website. Our learnings through the sessions helped guide not only our website content and layout, but our general approach to the type of sticky content we put out to attract the right kind of clients. I have seen this focused approach increase traffic to our website and my LinkedIn, resulting in more organic leads than ever before.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

FounderScale was extremely methodical. All meetings were laid out in advance. They were very communicative between meetings and reminded us whenever we had assignments due.,

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

FounderScale truly meets founders where they are at. From day 1, I felt like they not only understand my business, but the challenges I faced as a founder. They work quickly and provide a tremendous amount of actionable insights in a short period of time. They understand that there is a difference between marketing your company as a small business compared to being a large company - and they give you the tools do it and move the needle.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

No areas for improvement.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We provide reviews on Argentine Wines and a USA-based club to purchase highly created Argentinian Wines delivered directly to your door. I am the founder and owner.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire FounderScale?

We use the HubSpot platform and do not have the resources on staff to get the most out of the platform. The FounderScale Hubspot rapid support package is a way for Hubspot users to get assistance with specific Hubspot challenges quickly and efficiently.

What were your goals for this project?

The service is provided as a package of hours that can be utilized over a 30 day period. The rapid support package included support for all HubSpot hubs including sales, marketing, and service hub features. We needed this help and fast.

SOLUTION

How did you select FounderScale?

They seemed to be the only company with a specific package for small businesses.

Describe the project in detail.

We met with FounderScale a few times to walk them through our trouble spots in HubSpot. They estimated the hours and it fits their Rapid Support Package for $1,200. Over the next four weeks, we scheduled time with their consultants to knock out the individual team needs which included better ways to utilize HubSpot in sales.

Our marketing team had issues with properly viewing leads that were active on our site to give to sales and there were areas including setting up lead scoring and others they gave us training on.

What was the team composition?

On their end, they had two consultants that worked with our sales manager and our director of marketing. One of the consultants was the main contact or project manager.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

We were able to set up lead scoring so that marketing can alert sales to buyers that are active and interested. This increased sales by 25% in the first month.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Their communication and training were excellent. They obviously have a deep understanding of HubSpot.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

It was very cool how that had differently priced packages which allowed us to have immediate help without signing a long-term contract. Based on their results we will be moving to an annual program.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Noe.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CEO of Mailbox Project

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Mailbox Project works with Homeowner Association and Apartments to meet their street sign, mailbox, and package delivery needs. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire FounderScale to accomplish?

Track leads to understand what leads are adding the move value and revenue

SOLUTION

How did you find FounderScale?

Networking

Why did you select FounderScale over others?

Company values aligned

How many teammates from FounderScale were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

FoundsScale helped Mailbox Project establish key categories, track incoming leads, and track them to close business. We did this through their technology to help understand our CAC and dive deeper into the LTV of our customers and focus on the right outreach. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Helping is seeing what our current CAC is and working to lower it. This success has helped us better pinpoint how to drive the correct type of leads to our business. 

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Yes, they did everything on time. 

What was your primary form of communication with FounderScale?

Virtual Meeting

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

They helped refer us to solutions to help drive down our CAC once we could see where the true value came from. 

Are there any areas for improvement or something FounderScale could have done differently?

Not at this time.