BonBon Strategic

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I run a one person company focused on providing database consulting and support services for Microsoft SQL Server. I provide health checks to discover settings that are out of alignment with best practice and then help companies deploy the missing best practices.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire BonBon Strategic?

I hired BonBon to find and manage a website designer to add functionality on my website that would allow people to submit an email address and receive a weekly newsletter from me Managing my existing marekting relationship with a British company called AdminOne was also a task BonBon handled. BonBon also assisted with social media marketing ideas. I also needed to trim expenses.

SOLUTION

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

I met and talked to the owner, Kate, a couple of times over Zoom after looking at the company website. We discussed my company's needs and how her experience could help me trim expenses and provide business coaching and ideas to help move me and my goals forward. A deciding factor for me was Kate's confidence in her ability to help me and the price of the initial assessment and subsequent 3 month agreement was good.

Describe the project in detail and walk through their service package.

Kate provided an initial assessment of my needs based on the goals discussed. She provided a visual description of all the things I was trying to handle by myself, which helped me understand why I always felt overwhelmed as a one person business. I was able to see more clearly why I needed help. Kate worked with my existing marketing company AdminOne as I was winding down that relationship.

She helped close off that partnership and transition to her firm assisting with social media posting on LinkedIn. Kate identified where I was paying for services I didn't need or wasn't using and helped me evaluate the usefulness of the remaining software purchases or subscription services I was using. She provided Newsletter design feedback and options, setting up my MailChimp newsletter for me.

Additionally, she managed the relationship and work project with the web designer responsible for MailChimp and website integration for the newsletter.

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

I only worked with the owner, Kate.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Kate worked quickly with the web designer to get the broken integration between mailChimp and my website fixed. She translated my requests about the website into specific tasks and communicated those well to the website designer. I was able to eliminate a few expenses as the result of Kate's analysis of my business spending. Kate provided helpful support as a person to discuss business strategy with.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Communication was quick and easy with Kate. She set up a new Slack for the business so she and I could communicate. She was quick to respond to messages in Slack and we had short Zoom meetings as well as one longer Zoom meeting each month to plan business strategy and next steps.

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

Kate understands the challenges of small businesses and is able to offer strategic planning support for entrepreneurs. They did things quickly, lifting the burden for entrepreneurs.

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

I don't have anything to offer as an area of improvement.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a registered Social Worker and certified sex therapist who works in private practice and started teaching groups online. I wanted to create and promote an online class for women who wanted to cultivate desire. I worked with an excellent business coach who referred me to work with Bonbon Strategic. Previously I had a website to attract clients.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire BonBon Strategic?

Having an idea is only a start. I needed not only general tech support but the creation of a platform to support and grow a client email list to offer my courses and promote my therapeutic practice

SOLUTION

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

My dynamic business coach Bianca Gignac recognized that I needed specialized support and introduced me to Kate, CEO of Bonbon Strategic. When I met with her by Zoom I was immediately impressed with her deep listening and calm and pleasant demeanor. She was familiar with various online options for my consideration.

Describe the project in detail and walk through their service package.

Bonbon Strategic supported Couple Health with so much more than I was aware we needed. I will list the long list of duties in the past year.

• Researched, onboarded & set up ActiveCampaign CRM
• Rebranded website and transitioned it to Squarespace and connected it to CRM along with payment processing
• Various campaigns needed landing pages, newsletters email sequences and automation, set up 1Password for team access
• Wrote copy for newsletters, sales emails, lead magnet, privacy policy and recruited copywriter, VA, FB Ad agency
• Created PDF flyers and downloadables in Canva
• Co-ordinated working with our business coach on strategic plan to increase and diversify revenue streams - road map & timelines re: project / task/ team management, accountability, communications, tech support.

Currently she acts as COO and we meet weekly by Zoom for accountability and strategic planning meetings as well as ongoing communications via slack. Project managed online course launch with Facebook Live component. The latest addition is setup of Instagram account & Facebook pages, business manager accounts access, researched hosting platform for Passion Class as well as organizing material to best design the online course on Podia platform. That's where we are currently at.

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

I believe that Kate did all this herself.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

My highly polished website Couplehealth.ca was improved dramatically. My email list has doubled with FB ad management, use of the Desire Disasters lead magnet, as well as creation of the weekly newsletter. Passion Class online course creation is still in progress.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Workflow flows smoothly between our teams. We share good humour as we work together and friendships have been formed.

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

I appreciated the team's interest and energy in pursuing solutions for our creative dilemmas. The work is accomplished quickly and professionally.

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

I have no complaints about Bonbon Strategic :)

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of Aced Homes Contracting. We do residential remodeling and renovation.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with BonBon Strategic?

I was having difficulties managing the frontend of my business, including setting up a phone number, streamlining my estimates, and organizing the financials. Additionally, I needed an effective hiring process to find employees, so I hired BonBon Strategic.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

BonBon Strategic got me a 504 business line that redirects clients’ calls there instead of coming to my personal cell phone. They organized my business using QuickBooks, where I could better track my financials, the comings and goings of money, and my receipts. The team automated some of my billings for business expenses.

Since I was busy supervising my crew, they also helped me with the hiring process. I told them what I was looking for, and they put together an ad. After I approved it, they posted it on multiple websites. BonBon Strategic fielded all the calls for the preliminary interviews and narrowed down candidates, giving me good intel on who would be good at what. They narrowed it down to 5–10 candidates so I could spend minimal time talking only to qualified candidates. 

What is the team composition?

I only worked with Kate (Fractional COO & Ops Manager). 

How did you come to work with BonBon Strategic?

I found them through a mutual friend. Although I had looked for other people, nobody seemed a good fit. After my initial discussion with Kate, I felt comfortable hiring BonBon Strategic.

How much have you invested with them?

I spent $2,500. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from March–May 2022.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Thanks to BonBon Strategic, I’m running more efficiently now, to the point where I could hire again if I needed to. Before working with them, I wasn’t running my business very well, and Kate was adept at helping me change that; she’s the big gun I called to clean up a big mess.

They also found me a great employee who has increased my productivity. The hiring process was lengthy, and even though we thought we’d hire faster, they were very patient and worked with me until we found someone who was a good fit. Now, I can be more on top of office tasks, which BonBon Strategic also streamlined. I didn’t have a system before hiring them, and now it’s easy for me to jump in and continue using the system they put in place for me. 

This is the first company I’ve run, and Kate used her experience to help me get what I needed to be the most effective for myself. Overall, BonBon Strategic made my job easier. 

How did BonBon Strategicperform from a project management standpoint?

I would give her high marks for project management — they were great. We used Zoom for a couple of meetings and met once a week so that I could hand things off to them, and they effectively kept me organized. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

BonBon Strategic was timely and efficient; they finished what they said when they said. They were also very communicative. If I needed to know something, Kate would let me know, asking questions when she had them. Overall, they provided exactly what I was looking for. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I wouldn’t change anything they did; I was extremely happy.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Knowing what you need is most important. I had a rough idea of what I needed to do, and BonBon Strategic was really helpful in giving suggestions to go in the right direction.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of Big Easy Management, a short-term rental management company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with BonBon Strategic?

I needed some support staff as well as assistance with my general business practices.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I hired BonBon Strategic to help me get my processes in place and deal with my clients. They created SOPs for interacting and communicating with guests and owners. They also ultimately ended up hiring their replacement for when our engagement ended.

What is the team composition?

I worked with Kate (Fractional COO & Ops Manager) from BonBon Strategic.

How did you come to work with BonBon Strategic?

I found BonBon Strategic through a mutual friend.

How much have you invested with them?

I spent around $30,000 on this partnership.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from August 2021–January 2022.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I’ve grown from having five units to 40 units within a year, thanks to BonBon Strategic’s support. I’ve also saved a lot of time and money and seen an improvement in our customer satisfaction. Their help was critical to getting me to where I am today.

How did BonBon Strategic perform from a project management standpoint?

BonBon Strategic performed well in terms of project management. They always did what they said they were going to do. They stayed on track, and they managed me when I needed them to.

We typically communicated through Slack.
    
What did you find most impressive about them?

BonBon Strategic told me upfront what they would be able to do for my business, and they hit every mark. I also appreciated how transparent they were about everything. Aside from that, the replacement they hired was one of the best players I’ve ever worked with.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I have no complaints.
 
Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure to have regular meetings and reporting.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the founder of the company, NDN Brands deals in alcoholic bevergaes

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

Company Operation

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

through linkedin

Describe the scope of their work in detail, including any steps and the final deliverables.

act as Chief OperatingI w Officer

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

i work with executives and officer

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The project launched successfully and very well managed

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

Our Company Design. System, including meeting, slack communication, and asana project management, successfully completed by KATE

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

Their go-getter attitude was amazing, and they completed tasks timely.

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

n/a