BS LLC

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner and operator of Luxury Car Care LLC, a boutique car detailing, paint correction, and paint protection business in Cincinnati, Ohio. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with BS LLC?

My business was young and my primary marketing approach was via SEO and Google. I already had a marketing person when I started the business. I wasn’t disappointed, but I also wasn’t enthralled with the results I saw. Given that, I hired BS LLC to do a full business assessment for me in terms of how I ranked among car detailing companies in my area and region. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I had a number of meetings with BS LLC and their experts to learn more about my business. They’d never engaged a car detailing company before, so they spent much time and energy learning our market, understanding the business, researching keywords, and finding out our main competitors in the industry. 

From there, they’ve come up with an assessment and provided us with 10–12 detailed items that they suggest I go after. In general, these things fall into 3–4 major categories. For one, I’ve learned that my customers are more focused on my brand and what others are saying about my company instead of my pricing. This is interesting because it means that when customers are searching, they might be specifically searching for my business or items around my business. BS LLC has also checked my website and helped me find out where it’s lacking and what I can do to improve it.  

We obviously have a lot of specific actions to do, and I’ve since hired them to do those things. From a budgetary perspective, I can’t do everything all at once. However, over the next 12 months, they’re going to review the site again and improve a number of SEO components that should hopefully help my growth and customer engagement.

Moreover, the BS LLC team has helped me prioritize which things to do first. I tell them my budget, and they tell me where I can get the biggest bang for my buck by hitting my highest priorities and doing the biggest things on the list. In the future, we’ll work on rebranding my company, but that’s not on the list yet — it takes a lot of time and resources, and it’s not going to bring me any immediate results for growing my business. It’s on the backburner right now. 

What is the team composition?

I’ve worked with Sebastien (Managing Partner), who has been leading the entire engagement. He’s the technical expert when it comes to digital marketing and SEO. Another person also works with me, and he’s also a co-owner of the firm. This person is focused on the customer side, so his job is to ensure that I’m happy with how everything is being handled. 

Cecily (Project Manager) is the project manager. She takes care of the day-to-day work and answers my questions. On top of that, she makes sure I see the files that I need by checking whether or not they’re uploaded to our shared drive to keep things moving. 

How did you come to work with BS LLC?

BS LLC was recommended to me. 

How much have you invested with them?

I’ve spent $5,000 on the initial strategy report. Then, I’ve signed a contract for them to execute SEO and digital marketing tasks — the total cost of that is close to $22,000. I’ll be paying that over the next 12 months.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in October 2021, and the engagement is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I don’t have any quantitative metrics yet since all we have so far is a strategy. Once they start implementing the things on our action list, we’ll have more success metrics. Anecdotally, I’m 100% satisfied with BS LLC’s work. They’ve exceeded my expectations. 

How did BS LLC perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management is great. BS LLC has done everything on time if not earlier, and everything has been on budget. 

In terms of communication, we use formal meetings and updates. We use Zoom to do video conference calls. They also have Excel trackers and scheduling tools that they share with us. For contracts and action items, we use Word documents. Up to this point, we haven’t used any project management tools. As we move on to the execution of our action items, it’ll be interesting to see how they’ll manage the engagement. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

The way they manage their work with customers is impressive. They’re extremely knowledgeable and technically savvy, and the feedback I’ve received from other people about them has been highly positive. On top of that, they’re great communicators. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

They’re not the cheapest in the world by any means. Their price is the only thing that worries me a bit because it’s pretty expensive, especially for a small business like mine. However, if they can help me grow, then I’m willing to pay for it. 

Beyond that, I haven’t had the chance to see what metrics tie with the changes that we’ll do to my business. It’s important for me to see how over $20,000 ties into metrics to see if we’re truly successful or not. For context, my previous marketing company just wanted me to pay money and then they’d do things without metrics or results; that wasn’t good enough for me. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Do an upfront assessment of your business with BS LLC, and make sure that you understand what they think is important. It may seem like it’s better to spend money on advertising and creating a new website, understanding your priorities and where your company fits in the competition are still crucial. On top of that, they need to do the assessment before they can truly start working for you. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the founder of a digital marketing agency based out of San Francisco.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

Our first brand was put together haphazardly and without much thought. As we continued to grow, I knew we needed to work with some professionals to put together a thoughtful and creative brand that we could move forward with into the future.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I found them via a Google search. I really liked the way they described their process on their website and my initial conversations made me feel excited and comfortable to work with them.

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

Our scope included several team meetings to discuss our brand, its vision, our goals, and how we wanted to represent ourselves. Then they presented us with the iconography first. Next we moved onto colors and fonts. When we nailed down a brand guide that we liked, they did collateral design for us including a sales sheet, presentation deck, and business cards. Lastly they provided a website design mock up for my team to build out our new branded website.

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

We worked with 4-5 different people from account managers to designers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our new brand has been received really well by both our employees and our clients. As the owner of the company, I feel that they delivered exactly what I was looking for.

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

They were highly communicative and laid out all deadlines at the beginning of the project.

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

I liked their quirky, friendly style and how well they walked us through the whole process, especially when we weren't sure which direction we wanted to go at the start.

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

We weren't totally impressed with the collateral designs and ended up making our own from the brand guide.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Director of Operations and Community Affairs at Government Strategies Group. We offer local and state lobbying services.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

Our website was not easily navigable and did a poor job of communicating our services. We turned to BS to redesign our website to create a better user experience, brand our company and team, and improve the site's function and searchability.

SOLUTION

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

We were referred to BS from a marketing specialist we were working with and were impressed with their creativity and ideas during our initial meeting.

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

BS designed a website and new copy that improved SEO, an interactive impact map showcasing our regional footprint and key projects, and ran analysis on our site and competitors to best position our firm to potential clients. The site was built on WordPress with Elementor and featured a Google Maps impact map that is easy to navigate and click through for more information as a case study.

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

We primarily worked with 3 people from the BS team: Cecily, the project manager; Ben, who ran the creative direction; and Sebastian, who did the backend updates and technology. Cecily was our primary contact and incredibly responsive.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Almost immediately after the new site launched, we received a cold call from a prospective client who had searched for a government relations firm on Google and was impressed with our site. Search engine optimization and a user-friendly interface were key components of our goal for the new site, and we got results right away!

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

We had regular contact with Cecily, the project manager, and all members of the team made themselves available to us via email or phone call as edits or new ideas came from our team. When it came to zoom calls for progress updates, several members of their team would be on to talk through edits and where the project was, each taking time to answer all of our questions fully and make sure we were comfortable with the direction.

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

BS gave us a site that is professional, modern, and marketable. The site creatively showcases our services in an accessible way and highlights our past success to help raise our profile in the industry. BS spent time getting to know our business and industry in order to put us in the best position.

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

Our timeline was off, but we take responsibility for that! BS remained patient with us as our ideas and priorities changed, especially on the impact map. Their patience and flexibility were very appreciated.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm a Principal at a public sector service design firm.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We hired BS to help us redesign our website and branding. This is not our team's strong suit so we were excited to work with an external team!

SOLUTION

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

BS has a working style and approach to product that complements ours - they are fun, flexible, down to earth, and have a great eye for design!

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

We worked with BS to determine our brand identity and set our goals for the project. From there, we used Google Suite to stay in touch throughout the project and share copy, provide feedback on early design iteration, etc.

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

Four - both founders worked with us on high-level direction, then we worked with a project manager and an account manager.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We love our new website and branding materials!!

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

The BS team is flexible and uses easy, modern tools to keep things moving.

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

The culture of the team made them super fun to work with!

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

We discussed some proposed improvements to general clarity of project management, which I believe have already been implemented with new customers!

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I own and operate a small luxury travel company, which focuses on high end, customized journeys for our loyal clientele.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire BS LLC Branding Agency?

We hired BS LLC for:

• Rebranding (new logo, new font, new colors/style)
• New Website - New Collateral to reflect the brand and match the high end look & feel of our company.

What were your goals for this project?

While we had felt that, over the course of our business we had developed a loyal, high-end client base, our website and branding did not match this. With the pandemic bring all travel to a halt, we felt this would be a great time to truly rework and match who we are as a business with how we are portraying ourselves online.

SOLUTION

How did you select BS LLC Branding Agency?

We were curious about working with a local company (we had previously worked with a company in another state, who we felt no longer met our needs ). We loved the work on BS LLC's portfolio, and I was a big fan of their past clients.

In initially speaking with Ben and Sebastian, it was clear that they not only understood what I was looking to do, but that they were enthusiastic and inspired to help me. This synergy continued throughout the project.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

BS assisted in interviewing me and finding out as much as they could about our process / our competitors. They worked to put together logo options, branding color options, and put together a mood board to help encapsulate this.

After several presentations / iterations, we chose our logo, and the website design began. BS worked to put together the website, though during this time i also took more of a hands on role in providing copy, selecting photographs, and ensuring the website looked and flowed exactly like I wanted it to.

They also designed and sourced incredible branding collateral, to help as a 'brand reveal'.

What was the team composition?

We started out working with Ben and Sebastian during the initial rebranding presentations and brainstorming of the logo.

Brooke was our project lead from start to finish, but after the initial logo / branding was selected, Ben and Sebastian took a back seat while I worked predominantly with Brooke, and she in turn worked with her website designers, etc.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have had so many compliments about our new website, and new look and feel! It has given me the confidence that we look the way our service is, and to really explain that we only work on high end trips, as this is where we shine when providing service.

While travel is still slow to start up due to continued restrictions, the positive reactions we have received are wonderful.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

I found the workflow to be clear, and if I ever was confused, they were quick and responsive to help. I appreciated their honestly if things were delayed, and also liked when they would set boundaries if I asked for additional work that would be an additional cost.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

BS LLC has exquisite taste - They understand how to be creative, fresh, and high-end without feeling cliched. They are small, attentive, and really are true to themselves. I loved this about them.

Are there any areas for improvement?

There were times during the project when I sensed they were very busy with other projects, but this never affected the overall deadline (I don't think). As they continue to grow, keeping an eye on bandwidth would be important.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Administrator of 3 restaurants

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire BS LLC Branding Agency?

Logo, brand and menu design

What were your goals for this project?

To have a logo, brand and menu that worked together with our concept. Another project we worked with BS LLC was combining are 3 restaurants into one logo for brand recognition

SOLUTION

How did you select BS LLC Branding Agency?

We knew Sebastien and Ben prior to going on their own. This led us to interview them for our project but their presentation is why we choose them.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

We have worked with the BS LLC team on several different projects. Each time they brought a unique approach and we are very pleased with the results. The team listens and ask questions to acquire information needed to successfully bring your vision to life. Thank you BS LLC! We look forward to working with you again!

What was the team composition?

We work primarily with one of the partners and an assistant for our projects which is nice for consistency.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We receive nice feedback from guests.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The work flow was good. Calls and emails were our primary communication which were very effective with keeping everyone up to date.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The research and time that goes into your project to give you a full scope of possibilities to choose from is impressive.

Are there any areas for improvement?

There is always room to grow and as a new company they will do so.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the CEO. The company is a non profit social service agency specializing in Substance Use Disorder Treatment. Approximately 100 staff serving avoer 2,000 individuals and families annually.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire BS LLC Branding Agency?

Redesign website. Maximize SEO, branding consultation, strategic market reserch to increase market share.

What were your goals for this project?

Redesign of website, refresh brand, plan for on going growth and brand developement.

SOLUTION

How did you select BS LLC Branding Agency?

Initial referral from a prior BS customer. Selection was ultimately determined by a meeting with leadership teams that clarified our needs and what GS could deliver.

Describe the project in detail.

Detailed redesign of the wedsite, SEO design and consultation. These were achieved through hands on market esearch and a detiled, extensive dive into our culture and market.

What was the team composition?

BS staff and their hand picked vendors. CEO, Chief Clinical Officerr and Development Director

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

All deliverables were on time and top notch. Intermediate dealines were all met. We werre very impressed by all aspects and specific details. BS has an amazing team that is talented and very insightful to the subtles in culture. Their creativity was on point and demonstrated a passion for not only what they do but what we do.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Very effective. Very reasonable expectations of our team and theirs. BS became part of the team. Very early on they embraced our mission and we embraced their vision for the project.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

A genuine, smart, creative team that listened and provided straightforward feedback on things we needed to change.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Not at this time

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the executive producer of Lost Planet, a post-production company in New York and LA.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with BS LLC Branding Agency?

We’re in the process of opening a different branch of our company. We partnered with BS LLC to work on design, branding, and messaging to tell our story to potential clients.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We first gave them an idea of the company’s players and our goal, which was to be able to effectively tell our story to potential clients. BS LLC came back to us with a document that spelled out their interpretation of our previous discussions. Once we aligned on the overall aesthetic and message, they put together a branding deck. It gave a concise explanation of the company and its overall approach. Their team also put together a branding package.

We also talked about the broader issues of website design and marketing strategy. We found ourselves in the position to pitch specific clients. To help us, BS LLC created a website as a template. They've also helped us with specific brand pitches.

What is the team composition?

We have three primary contacts at BS LLC.

How did you come to work with BS LLC Branding Agency?

A member of our team highly recommended that we work with BS LLC.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $10,000 at this point.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project began in August 2020, and it’s ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

It’s been a great experience working with BS LLC. They deliver each time and help to grow the company. Their team has nailed every project we've given them. They’re in-sync with our aesthetic and design goals.

When we were in a pickle, we called them on a Friday to design a website. On Monday morning, we had a website up and running. When needed, they jumped into pitches too.

How did BS LLC Branding Agency perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicate via phone or Zoom. It’s easy to communicate with them. All of their work is done remotely, and we’ve been able to work seamlessly.

What did you find most impressive about them?

BS LLC is in-sync with the company’s personality. After the first meeting, we were on the same page. That has been very helpful. They’re creative in their solutions and field our broad-based questions easily.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, it’s been seamless so far.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

They’re thorough in their processes. Answer all of their questions honestly. Be open to their approach because it will work well.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

ArkMalibu is an investment bank for mid-market companies, helping clients who are selling their business go through the sales process. As an analyst, I handle a lot of our business development and marketing efforts, working to refine our brand as well as making sure that we have decent processes in place to help our clients get past the finish line.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with BS LLC?

We understood what our brand and company stood for in terms of our value-add and the pillars that we stood behind. However, we were having a difficult time conveying that to the marketplace. That’s why we hired BS LLC to help us figure out the best ways to present that.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement? 

BS LLC worked to hone our branding and marketing materials. Initially, they rewrote our copy to better convey our value proposition. It was a specific process that helped us determine the right key phrases and words to use.

From there, the team shifted its focus to our marketing materials. They created a one pager that said everything about us, which we now hand to people we’re networking with, and revamped our visuals. 

In the third and fourth tier, they completely rebuilt our website to align with the new marketing assets and helped with our SEO as well. The latter involved integrating our target keywords into our website copy and then getting our company name and site onto different databases and resource listings.

What is the team composition? 

I worked with Sebastien and Ben (Co-Founders) as well as Brooke (Director of Client Experience). Sebastien ran the website and SEO portion, Ben did the copy for us, and Brooke handled the project planning aspects.

How did you come to work with BS LLC?

One of our past clients had worked with BS LLC before and referred us to them.

How much have you invested with them?

We paid $30,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We were introduced to them in November 2018, but the actual project took place between January–September 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The results were amazing. I really give them credit for writing our copy. They were so many personalities involved on our side, and they did a great job of tastefully navigating between us to meet everyone’s needs. 

In terms of the physical marketing materials, they absolutely went above and beyond to the point where we had to downgrade the materials to meet our budget. What we came away with was just as beautiful, but I wish we’d had the capacity to go through with the products that they’d created.

Finally, the website helped unify our brand. We rolled it out in an email announcement, and hundreds of people reached out to compliment the new design. Come to think of it, we haven’t had a single negative comment on anything they’d created.

How did BS LLC perform from a project management standpoint?

BS LLC was overly communicative in a great way. Between our three contacts, they always let us know what we were working on, and they also implemented a stronger project management system toward the latter half of the engagement to pull everything together.

I’d also note that they did a great job of understanding how we work. Our firm is very analytical and process-driven whereas their team is more on the creative side. To bridge that, they did a great job of interacting with us on our terms.

They now continue to stay in contact with us even after the project has closed to answer any of our questions. Whenever we’ve had an issue about something, they’ve always responded within 24 hours.

What did you find most impressive about them?

It was their experience working with clients across a variety of industries that helped us see a different approach. We’re very in-the-weeds when it comes to financial services, so we don’t tend to see the creative side of things. Having BS LLC help us take a step back and look at things with a fresh set of eyes was critical.

And then, of course, there’s the way that they carried themselves. They went above and beyond for us even after the engagement ended, and it was clear that they really cared about us as people.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There were a couple of times in the beginning when it was unclear what the deadline was. For example, if something is being billed hourly, it’s hard for us to understand what goes into that hour and how long something takes. Having more clarity and explanation on what goes into a particular objective would’ve been helpful. 

But, as I referenced earlier, they pulled the project together by adapting a new project management system and matching our communication style.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

You need to be comfortable with letting go of some of the control if you’re going to trust them to do their job. They’re the creative experts and have the experience to run with your idea. Once you give them the room to think outside the box, you can ask them the hard questions to gain a better understanding of where they’re coming from and why they’re making certain suggestions. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the executive director of a company that provides entrepreneurship training. We bring in different partners to assist us with that work.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with BS LLC | Branding, Strategy, & Design?

We needed the expertise of a partner to translate our thoughts into a tangible form that could be used as a curriculum.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We worked with BS on a couple of different projects. One of the largest initiatives involved creating our own curriculum for our program. Their team basically took our thoughts and processed them in a way to use as content for our curriculum.

Originally, we sat down with them and looked through a variety of different images to narrow the look and feel of the end product. From there, they sent over a couple of different samples and enlisted other creatives to help develop the look and feel. We gave them feedback and ultimately laned on a direction for the visual components.

For the written components, they asked a ton of questions to understand our perspectives. Their team guided us to land on the actual text that would be used in the book. We also gave them a lot of our documents and then they transcribed the actual text for the book. Now, we’re working with them on a different project.

What is the team composition?

On this project, worked with Ben (Co-Founder) and Sebastian (Co-Founder) who also worked with a couple of contractors.

How did you come to work with BS LLC | Branding, Strategy, & Design?

One of our co-founders had a relationship with Ben from working with him on community engagement initiatives.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent roughly $15,000 on their services.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started this project in 2018, and it’s gone through a couple of iterations. We have an ongoing relationship.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our work with them is an investment in time savings. We could’ve created the materials that BS provided. However, it would’ve taken a lot longer for us to land where we landed with BS. Their team has specific expertise that enables us to move quicker.

How did BS LLC | Branding, Strategy, & Design perform from a project management standpoint?

In general, they give us expectations at the beginning of projects. Their team then continues to navigate the process and meet milestones to let us know about a project’s progress. Their time consistently delivers on time and budget.

There was a time when we missed a deadline and that knocked the project off schedule because their team moved on with projects for other clients, which we understood. They work with so many clients, so if we miss a deadline, they have to keep moving.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their team translated our vision instead of telling us what they wanted to see. They’re attentive and listen to what we want to be delivered.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s always room for improvement even when the project led to amazing results. There’s always room to grow.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Come into the engagement with as many things mapped in advance. Otherwise, you may stall from trying to process things after the fact. If you know what you want and come prepared, the project will move quicker.