Zerrow

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the ED of a nonprofit.

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Website Creation

SOLUTION

How did you find Zerrow?

• Referral
• Referral through nonprofit platform search

Why did you select Zerrow over others?

Referred to me

How many teammates from Zerrow were assigned to this project?

1 Employee

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

New Website

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Email updates 

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

No, but they continued to engage

What was your primary form of communication with Zerrow?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Nothing stood out. They were kind and seemed to understand our culture

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

As a small nonprofit, it was important for us to partner with a company experienced in working with nonprofits, one that could balance cost sensitivity with professional-quality website design. When we initially engaged Zerrow, we felt supported and optimistic. We asked detailed questions prior to entering the contract and believed we had been given the information necessary to make an informed decision.

As the project progressed, however, we encountered significant challenges. The total cost ultimately exceeded $9,000, resulting in a website that is not usable for our organization. From early on, the site lacked the organization, clarity, and overall polish we expected from a professional web design. Additionally, the project continued to incur added costs related to functionality and usability, costs we had specifically asked about prior to engagement and were not made aware of at that time.

We were also advised that the transition from our previous site would be seamless and would preserve the flow and usability we already had. Unfortunately, maintaining consistency required further unexpected expenses, which were not disclosed up front. In an effort to salvage the project, our team invested hundreds of hours of internal time, yet we were ultimately left with a site we cannot use and ongoing limitations in support.

This review is not written lightly or with the intent to disparage, but rather to share an honest account of our experience. While this may not reflect every client’s experience with Zerrow Designs, it was ours—and it proved to be both costly and disappointing. We encourage other organizations, particularly nonprofits with limited resources, to ask thorough questions and carefully evaluate expectations before proceeding.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Project Manager at Nonprofit Organization

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Mobility justice for seniors and equity seeking populations across BC.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Create a seniors transportation directory

SOLUTION

How did you find Zerrow?

• Online Search
• Referral

Why did you select Zerrow over others?

• Great culture fit
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Zerrow were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

The idea was to create a seniors' transportation section directly on our website that would be user-friendly and easy for us to edit. This initiative has proven to be highly beneficial for seniors, allowing them to explore various transportation options. With the user-friendly interface, seniors can navigate different transportation services, such as public transit, senior-specific shuttles, and accessible transportation providers. 

This comprehensive resource empowers seniors to make informed choices about their travel needs, ensuring they can access reliable and convenient transportation solutions that best suit their preferences and requirements. Moreover, the ease of editing on our end enables us to keep the information up-to-date, ensuring that seniors can access the latest transportation resources and services, enhancing their overall mobility and independence.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress and success are: 

1. Increased Website Engagement: We observed a significant rise in website engagement metrics, including increased page visits, longer average time spent on the seniors' transportation section, and decreased bounce rates. These indicators show that seniors found the section informative and user-friendly, encouraging them to explore various transportation options. 
2. Enhanced User Satisfaction: Through feedback surveys and user testimonials, we gathered valuable insights indicating high levels of user satisfaction. Seniors appreciated the easy navigation and comprehensive information, creating a positive UX. 
3. Expanded Transportation Choices: Due to the seniors' transportation section, we witnessed an increase in seniors' exploration and utilization of diverse transportation options. This expansion of choices signifies that seniors are actively exploring and adopting transportation solutions that best cater to their individual needs.
4. Improved Access to Services: Measurable data demonstrated enhanced access to transportation services among seniors. With clear information on accessibility features and specialized transportation providers, seniors reported greater ease in accessing reliable transportation services. 
5. Timely Updates: Regular monitoring and updating of the website's transportation section ensured seniors had access to the latest information on available transportation resources. Our ability to make timely edits helped us keep the content current and accurate. 
6. Community Engagement: The seniors' transportation section fostered community engagement as local organizations, transportation providers, and senior advocates contributed to the project by providing valuable information and updates. This collaborative effort strengthened the network of transportation resources available to seniors. 

The measurable outcomes showcased the project's effectiveness in empowering seniors to explore different transportation options, enhancing their mobility, independence, and overall quality of life.

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

Their project management was exceptional. They consistently delivered items on time, ensuring a smooth and timely execution of the project. Whenever we had specific needs or questions, they were incredibly responsive and attentive, providing us with the necessary time and support on our end. 

Their expertise in managing the transportation directory was evident as they guided us through its functionalities and demonstrated how to utilize it effectively. Additionally, they assured us of their ongoing support, offering to follow up or answer any questions at our convenience, which greatly facilitated our collaboration and overall project success.

What was your primary form of communication with Zerrow?

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

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

What was impressive about this company was their remarkable effectiveness and unwavering willingness to help. They consistently demonstrated a high level of efficiency in their operations, delivering results with precision and timeliness. Whenever we encountered challenges or required assistance, they went above and beyond to provide the support we needed. 

Their commitment to helping us succeed was evident in their proactive approach, prompt responses, and dedication to addressing our concerns. This combination of effectiveness and genuine willingness to assist made them stand out as

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

Documentation: While Zerrow provided valuable guidance, having more comprehensive documentation or user guides for their services could have been beneficial. This would have allowed us to refer back to important information and better understand the functionalities of the solutions they offered.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Director of United Way

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We are a registered charity focused on poverty reduction across all demographic groups.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Develop an application system to help with charitable requests
• System must be adaptable to multiple types of applications
• Application portal must be developed in under a month

SOLUTION

How did you find Zerrow?

Other

Why did you select Zerrow over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

What was the size of Zerrow’s team?

2-5 Employees

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

• Deliver a platform that can be utilized to support the online acceptance of funding request applications. 
• The platform will need to be adaptable to different types of applications developed by user. 
• The platform will need to allow for reporting. 
• User testing 
• Deployment 
• Ongoing support

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• The portal needed to be in operation within 2 weeks over Christmas. 
• Reporting followed

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

The project was delivered on time and within budget. Our needs were responded to quickly and efficiently. Zerrow used a mixture of Virtual calls and recorded support videos based on the questions asked or issue experienced. This process worked well. We had one point of contact.

What was your primary form of communication with Zerrow?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

The company was quick and nimble; They asked good scoping questions and follow-up on support questions/issues was very good.

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

No specific areas of improvement based on the scope of the projects. Note:We are out of province for Zerrow but other than not seeing them in person, the project was completed with little hick-ups.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I work at United Way Leeds & Grenville - a non profit. I maintain the website, social media, and database along with a smattering of other smaller tasks.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Zerrow, and what were your goals?

Our website was quite outdated and needed a cleaner, fresher vibe. We didn't have much money in our budget to hire a website designer, so when Zerrow approached with a pro-bono deal it was perfect for us.

SOLUTION

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

Zerrow approached us with the offer. Free sounded perfect for us!

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

Zerrow migrated the information we wanted to save over to the new site and cleaned up the look.

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

We worked with Ken.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

We've just finally launched it (delays on our end), so it's unclear whether it has boosted traffic. The website looks clean and fresh, and has been polished up professionally.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

Communication & timeliness was great.

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

I like that I can get help with something specific without having to call. The website is easy to use now that I've worked with it for a while. The company is doing great work by doing pro-bono work.

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

We were remiss in not asking for costs after the website pro-bono work. The web hosting costs were substantially more than what we had been paying.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Director of Development at Working Women Community Centre. We are the largest settlement organization in Ontario specializing in services for women and their families and help 10,000+ people annually.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Zerrow, and what were your goals?

We wanted our supporters to be able to send e-cards for Mother's Day as a thank you for donating. During covid we cobbled together a manual process using mailerlite to send ecards but it took a great deal of time and we have no expertise in this area. I asked ken if he could create a system to automate delivery of the ecards and also clean up the landing pages.

SOLUTION

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

Ken had reached out to us to see if we were interested in pro-bono support as part of his company's social giving activities. We were delighted when they agreed to take our project on as we thought it would be too much for pro-bono work. Ken is amazing to work with from the start and I am impressed with how quickly he understands our issues and comes back with innovative solutions.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

Ken and his team proposed automating our ecard system using Pabbly and creating customized workflows as well as graphics and design for campaign. They were also able to create the infrastructure for a second campaign. The draft system was created in a few days and we were quickly able to test and then refine our design and layouts.

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

I worked directly with Ken who is a Principal at zerrow.com. Ken engaged his team with our problem although I am not sure how many people worked directly on the project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

I can't speak more highly of Ken and the Zerrow team. Our new campaign is now set to launch 5 months ahead of schedule and we have the ability to launch a second campaign. As a small office, most of the responsibilities to run the old campaign fell on me and I estimate the now fully automated system will save at least 40 hours of labour that previously went into manually uploading and downloading forms, sending multiple mailerlite campaigns, reviewing databases etc.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

Ken is a great listener and very quickly understood our issues and (lack of) resources. He outlined a clear project plan and timelines which were all met. He outlined my responsibilities so that I understood all that I needed to do - and since I am not a tech person, Ken also identified what I could do vs what his team needed to do. Our meetings were always on time and constructive and Ken always followed up with an email to outline key points and next steps.

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

It is gratifying to find a company like zerrow that goes out of its way to give back to the community. Ken saw our profile on Linkedin and reached out to see if we were interested in any pro-bono help. I am used to sales pitches and was a bit hesitant but any misgivings gave away after a few minutes of meeting with Ken. I really felt a personal connection to Ken in only a few short meetings - we are meeting up next time he comes to Toronto! Ken made it feel like our small pro-bono project was important to him and I had faith in this technical understanding and expertise.

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

Nothing that I can think of - it has been a pleasure from day 1!

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of an accounting firm. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Zerrow?

We needed help with developing an online survey.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We drafted a survey in Microsoft Word, and then we handed it over to their team so that they could make the necessary adjustments and populate it within their survey platform. After that, they collected and sent us the results of the participants who completed the survey.

What is the team composition?

We worked directly with one person from their side.

How did you come to work with Zerrow?

We already had an existing relationship between our company and theirs through one of my colleagues.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together on this project from January–March 2022. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They did a good job of populating our survey within their platform and were quick to address any changes that we requested. They also provided us with the participant’s responses in a timely fashion.

How did Zerrow perform from a project management standpoint?

They met all deadlines and stayed within our budget. For communication, we interact with them mainly through email.

What did you find most impressive about them?

What stood out to us was their responsiveness, cost-efficiency, and tailor our survey to meet our needs.

Are there any areas they could improve on?

They should have a better understanding of costs for future engagements.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure to clearly define your goals and expectations.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Contributing Partner of The Social Impact Collective

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

A principles-driven nonprofit that generates learning and action through community-centric consultation, research, and collaboration. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Organizational Rebrand
• Creation of new website

SOLUTION

How did you find Zerrow?

Other

Why did you select Zerrow over others?

• Good value for cost
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Zerrow were assigned to this project?

1 Employee

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

After our website crashed, Zerrow built us a temporary micro-site and then worked with us to create a brand new website along with a branding and communications toolkit. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

A clear, well designed website that suits our needs with a look that fits our organization

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

Zerrow was very responsive and extremely organized. We appreciated the willingness to walk us through multiple options, answer our questions, and to make sure the product was a good fit for us. 

What was your primary form of communication with Zerrow?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Zerrow's workplan, workflow, and clear organization throughout the multiple project phases and deliverables really helped keep us on track. Zerrow was patient, kind, and truly worked to understand our needs.

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

A mood board process at the beginning of the branding phase could have maybe helped us reach the logo, colour palette, and typography that we liked sooner. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Director, Operations & Development of a non-profit company

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We're a federally registered charity established by patients, caregivers, and healthcare professionals to work together to better the lives of Canadians affected by pulmonary hypertension and represent a united national PH community.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Identify new funding/donor opportunities

SOLUTION

How did you find Zerrow?

Referral

Why did you select Zerrow over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

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

Analysis of donor data to identify potential new donors and loyal donor profiles

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Donors and donor profiles identified.

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

• Effective and timely delivery of the final report. 
• Effective identifying key and new donors.

What was your primary form of communication with Zerrow?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

They were patient, responsive, and thorough.

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

No

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Communication and Events Coordinator of Saskatchewan Waste Reduction Council

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

SWRC promotes waste reduction and the circular economy to all sectors in Saskatchewan.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Create a communications plan to help with organizational promotion and waste reduction education.

SOLUTION

How did you find Zerrow?

Other

Why did you select Zerrow over others?

• Close to my geographic location
• Great culture fit
• Company values aligned

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

Communications plan/Digital strategy. The key deliverable was a pdf document.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• The digital strategy allowed us to gain a clear picture of the next year of content. They provided many great ideas and organized the strategy in a "choose your own adventure" format which allows us to choose what we have the time and budget to implement.

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

Communication was excellent and items were delivered on time.

What was your primary form of communication with Zerrow?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Our values aligned, so we felt comfortable talking about our goals and challenges.

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

Nothing comes to mind.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Executive Director of Saskatchewan Waste Reduction Council

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

promote waste reduction and circular economy to all sectors in Saskatchewan

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Communications Plan
• Website proposal

SOLUTION

How did you find Zerrow?

Other

Why did you select Zerrow over others?

Close to my geographic location, Good value for cost, Company values aligned

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

development of digital strategy assistance with grant proposal to develop a new website

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• they developed a digital strategy for us we won't know the outcome of the grant until next month

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

Yes, they met agreed on deadlines. They listened and gave us what we needed.

What was your primary form of communication with Zerrow?

Virtual Meeting, Email or Messaging App

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

their ability to listen their willingness to provide pro bono work

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

I can't think of anything. They were awesome!