Potick

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the director of Alama Foundation Inc., and we're a nonprofit organization aligned with bettering the lives of people with dementia and Alzheimer's.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Potick?

We hired them to build our website as well as our sister company’s website. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Potick does the front- and backend development of our website. We have a sister company that’s an extension of Alama, and it’s called the Infinite Mind Project. The Potick team is adding more features to their website.

Initially, they provided a layout of our website and suggested some pictures and contents. They also worked on things like the donation and connection buttons. The team also worked on ways users could contact us, such as through phone numbers and social media channels. 

At present, the website is very basic because we started small, and we’re still expanding it. Potick posts video content on it for us and keeps our projects up to date as we add them. They also track our mailing list whenever we add people to it. 

They'll be working on a third site, which will be in Spanish, for our sister firm in Costa Rica. They’re also going to do one more sister project, so that’s a total of four websites that Potick is working on for us.

What is the team composition?

I work with Yevi (Co-Owner & Project Manager). 

How did you come to work with Potick?

Our founder has worked with Potick team members before. As a result, they came highly recommended when they expanded into their own company.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in March 2020, and the partnership is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Because we’re new, we don’t have a metric for the project yet. In terms of general feedback, the quality of Potick’s work is excellent. The websites are a work in progress, so I wouldn’t say I’m unsatisfied with them. We’ve had a couple of shifts that delayed their completion. However, that has nothing to do with Potick. 

They’ve been very good with their suggestions. The team tells us how our users will see the website, and they tell us if there’s any better direction for us to take. They even help us find content when necessary. 

How did Potick perform from a project management standpoint?

In terms of project management, Potick is also excellent. We use Slack and Zoom for communication. When it comes to meeting deadlines and scheduling, they’re very good. The only time they get held up is when we hold them up. 

They can make quick turnaround changes for us if we need to do something different from the way we started doing it. They’re completely responsible for everything, and their response time is so quick. We’re growing together, which is nice. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

The Potick members are such excellent professionals, and they have an excellent attitude about getting work done as professionally as possible. They pivot well with our changes even if we keep shifting as we grow into what we’re trying to become. 

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, we’ve been unable to do a lot of the things that we wanted to start off with. As a result, we’ve had to keep making shifts. They’ve been excellent in accommodating and understanding that.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there aren’t. I wouldn’t ask for anything different. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be as communicative as possible about what you want. Potick doesn’t have any lack of communication, but the more information you give them, the better they can design what you want.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Alama Foundation is a charity that helps seniors and people with dementia as well as those who care for them. We mainly work to assist them with their employment, health care, and housing needs.

I'm the marketing manager of Hooga Homes and Gardens, Alama's sister company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Potick?

As a charity, we didn’t start out with a full-fledged marketing team and we still don’t have one. We were looking for a team that would be able to scale with us as we grow.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The team helps in setting up websites, content, and online stores. They also assist us with campaign planning and management for the things that we’re trying to put online.

Most recently, we have an asset of a large amount of imported high-end furniture from India. It costs about $100,000 and we’ll be using it in various ways such as auction events. They put the items online to sell through our website.

Currently, they are managing our online store for us. They have been helping to upload photos, edit images, add item descriptions, and more. The team also posts our items on Etsy, Amazon, or eBay. Depending on the items we’re trying to sell, they hit better markets to target better audiences there. 

What is the team composition?

I personally work with two people from Potick. They have someone who manages all the projects and coordinates with me and our marketing team. 

How did you come to work with Potick?

We learned about them from networking and through the people that we've worked with before. We had worked with some Ukrainian teams in the past and we really liked their work ethic. We also appreciated how organized they were. In addition, their tech abilities many times surpass our own. In the end, we felt Potick would be the perfect group of people to continue working with.

How much have you invested with them?

We pay them $5,000–$6,000 per month.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our partnership started in March 2020, and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We haven't launched our site yet. However, they have been doing good work for us. The team has been very transparent and they make sure that we are satisfied with what they're giving us.

They have been very precise and concise. They make sure that all the technical requirements and other things we have are perfect. Above all, they have always delivered ahead of the deadline.

In addition, they also introduced a way we can see the metrics in the future. The Potick team presented a matrix on how we would be able to see the value of what they have been doing for us. I'm very hopeful that in another six months, we'll be able to see some pretty good results from the group. 

How did Potick perform from a project management standpoint?

They understand the goals that we have. Potick has been going with the flow and has adapted to what we need, which has been really important to us because we're growing and developing as a charity. We use a combination of the Messenger and Zoom conference platforms to communicate.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Whenever we give them a list of work they need to do, they really finish it.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I would love to see them branch out and offer other services in addition to the marketing services that they have now. If they expand and offer online virtual assistance, call center services, or content generation — I would go to them every time.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Some people or businesses are hesitant to hire outside the US market, but I would like to say to them that they shouldn't be afraid of stepping outside of that market. They need to open their horizons. 

In our case, hiring a Ukrainian team was a good decision. We never have trouble communicating with them.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We are a non-profit organization providing education on healthy aging with a focus on caring for seniors, especially those with dementia. I am the board president of the Association.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Potick?

They have designed for us two websites, (they continue to maintain & manage those websites) and they have also designed several logs, ads, a book cover, and video text frames.

What were your goals for this project?

To educate the public about healthy aging and dementia in older adults.

SOLUTION

How did you select Potick?

They were referred by a US-based non-profit, the Alama Foundation, which regularly supports our project here in Costa Rica.

Describe the project in detail.

An educational project that provides information, training, and mentoring to the general populace on healthy aging and dementia in older adults.

What was the team composition?

Our team is composed of an actively participating board of directors, tech help, video professionals, and support from the US Alama Foundation.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our website is continually watched as we have on-going postings of our blog section and video trainings.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

It was effortless. Potick was always available quickly and completed our work in record time.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their consistent availability, quality work, patience and courteousness, and how fast they delivered were impressive.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Not where our organization is concerned.