Collab

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am President and co-founder of UpliftNow, Inc., a nonprofit innovative commerce community. Our mission is to engage communities, empower entrepreneurship, contribute to building thriving educational institutions, create job opportunities, and support nonprofits.

For what projects/services did your company hire Collab?

Collab was engaged to develop a clickable walkthrough mobile app prototype.

What were your goals for this project?

The objectives of this project were to reinforce the brand image, demonstrate the ease of use of the platform, and communicate the value proposition for utilizing the UpliftNow barter marketplace to uplift individuals, businesses and other nonprofits in our communities.

How did you select Collab?

Collab was referred to us by a consultant that we engaged who had had experience with their expertise.

Describe the project in detail.

The clickable prototype was developed to demonstrate what the mobile interface would be in our next phase of development. This was intended to be used to attract investors and or/partners to provide financial capital and to become part of the UpliftNow movement.

What was the team composition?

Collab provided a project manager and graphic/web app designer for this project.

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

All our objectives, well defined and agreed upon prior to engagement with Collab, were met in the final deliverable.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The workflow between Collab and UpliftNow was highly effective. They laid out the timeline and milestones for work and acceptance and these were very well executed to envelope the scope of work.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The Collab team took a great deal of time to fully understand our application and the objectives of the project. We developed a great rapport with the team and could be frank and honest in all our communications.

Are there any areas for improvement?

None

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a sole proprietor who runs a personal training and health coaching virtual website. I offer my services online to clients through video conference calls. 

What challenge were you trying to address with Collab?

Setting up a website was a major issue for me. I was having a lot of trouble navigating the creation of the website — both the design and the process. Fiddling with all the buttons, even on a WordPress website, was challenging for me and I needed someone to handle that so I could focus on my trade. 

What was the scope of their involvement?

Collab developed a WordPress website. We discussed what I wanted, what my visions were, and they designed the whole website. They took my ideas and mapped them out into a cool visual template, which I was grateful for because it relieved some pressure off me about designing the site.

The team generated the outline of my contacts — I gave them the data and they organized it all to help me get started. I let them know everything I needed, like a pay click button, and they executed all of it. 

What is the team composition?

I worked with three people first and then it went down to two people during the latter part of the engagement. I only directly communicated with one team member.

How did you come to work with Collab?

I did research in our area and I wanted to find a local business that had a bearing on the market. I didn’t want to work with a large company because I needed a personal touch on the project.

How much have you invested with them?

The total cost was $1,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

The project lasted from September–October 2020.

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

Thanks to Collab, I’m generating business now — it’s still slow but I’m getting there. If I didn’t have this website up, nothing would’ve happened. I’ve had a lot of positive feedback from my clients and I’ve felt good about it. The website looks organized and presentable. The platform does it all — it meets all the functionalities I wanted and I’m very pleased. 

The market is tough right now, I’m still trying to navigate through advertising and I didn’t get any coaching or assistance from them. The website is just a skeleton, and no matter how glamorous it is, what you bring to it is the experience. But they gave me everything I needed to get myself off the ground and I’m now secure with offering my website.

How did Collab perform from a project management standpoint?

Collab moved efficiently and effectively. There was one time when I had troubleshooting issues but they were available when I needed them. I felt like there was always room for readjusting and correcting.

Considering my previous experience with another agency, I was anxious during the handoff, they gave me the platform and the information then told me to run with it. I was still able to talk with the team and clarify things after the handoff. They gave me a second handoff which I needed and they didn’t charge me for that. Collab gave me a fair shake and a good experience.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I was impressed with their communication. They were always available and I appreciated that. Even service providers struggle with responding fast but I think they did a good job communicating. The way they took my visions and turned them into something real was also cool.

I had a developer last year, which I hired for the same price, and what I got was nowhere close to Collab’s services. The former developers left me without a website after the handoff, I had no bearing and there was no way to generate business. With Collab, they took my visions and made it happen. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

They should go a little softer on the handoff — not as aggressive since I’m only an amateur. I don’t know anything about website development or hosting, it was almost condescending for me because I need as much of the hand holding as possible. But I still think they did a great job. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Have all the content and information ready. Be prepared to review what they did, then deliberate and discuss the specific changes you might like.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the principal at a consultancy that connects service providers with buyers.

What challenge were you trying to address with Collab?

For this project, I came up with an idea about radio and wanted to help my client utilize their digital assets more. I hired Collab to design and develop a mobile application.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They designed and developed a mobile application. The team added a toggle screen, a chat feature, and a user-preference functionality.

What is the team composition?

I worked with five members from their team, three developers, and two designers.

How did you come to work with Collab?

One of their team members was a member of my fraternity. I decided to use them because of their creativity, aesthetic skill, and they were close.

How much have you invested with them?

I’ve spent approximately $10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in March 2020. Our work is still ongoing, but the project is postponed at the moment.

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

I was impressed with their creativity, and how they took the idea and ran with it. My clients were ecstatic when they saw it. The user experience was intuitive and very easy to follow.

How did Collab perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicated via a Slack group, with the project manager, the developers and the designers.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were committed and passionate throughout the entire project.

Are there any areas they could improve?

A cheaper price would’ve been nice, but overall, they went above and beyond so I can’t complain.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

My advice is to be transparent with what you want, but also give them leeway in being creative.