Fire Flower Apps

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m an assistant at an educational consulting company. We’re a nonprofit organization that provides low-cost professional development for teachers across Alberta and is funded through government grants. We serve six school divisions and are part of a consortium integrated by six organizations.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Fire Flower Apps?

We needed to refresh our organization’s website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Fire Flower Apps updated our current organization’s website using our previous site’s backend. They added several new features to the backend and redesigned the frontend. Our previous site used a CMS, and Fire Flower Apps helped us adapt the CMS’s backend code to function with our new frontend. They updated and simplified our search functions to make it fast and easy for users to search our website.

What is the team composition?

We worked with four teammates from Fire Flower Apps. Marni (Project Coordinator) managed communication and main operation, Graham (Senior Designer) and Jordan (Lead Developer) implemented the site’s design and development, and Greg (Partner & CMO) oversaw the project.

How did you come to work with Fire Flower Apps?

Fire Flower Apps developed our previous site, and we have worked with them for several years. Fire Flower Apps was originally recommended to us by another of our consortium’s organizations that had previously worked with them. Fire Flower Apps has changed owners a couple of times until Greg bought them around a year ago. 

How much have you invested with them?

We invested $17,000 with Fire Flower Apps.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked on this project with Fire Flower Apps from April–December 2022.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Fire Flower Apps created a fresh new site with trending and updated features, which resulted in a good UX for our users. Fire Flower Apps created a user-friendly site, which was one of our main objectives since teachers usually don’t have much time, and we requested a site with an easy and accessible UI. 

Moreover, Fire Flower Apps’ design met our expectations. They listened to our requests and understood our vision, which was a site with a simple aesthetic. Fire Flower Apps was professional, and their team worked great with each other to reach a common goal. 

How did Fire Flower Apps perform from a project management standpoint?

Fire Flower Apps’ project management was good. We had a complicated schedule, and Fire Flower Apps accommodated their schedule to meet with us. We had good communication through emails and Zoom meetings. Fire Flower Apps had a great team, and we knew exactly who to contact for each request. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

I was most impressed with Fire Flower Apps’ knowledge of current trends. They made suggestions and let us know when our ideas didn’t respond to the most used trends. If we were able to vocalize a request or vision for our site Fire Flower Apps was able to implement it!

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can't think of anything for Fire Flower Apps to improve — they were amazing to work with.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the executive director of the Northwest Regional Learning Consortium, which is one of the seven consortia of Alberta Regional Professional Development Consortia. My organization offers professional development services to educators and affiliated partners. We serve teachers, teaching assistants, parents, school board trustees, school councils, and the like.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Fire Flower Apps?

We brought in Fire Flower Apps to create our registration system. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Fire Flower Apps provided us with a programmer who customizes the web app to suit our needs. Essentially, we tell them what registration information we want from our participants and how they could capture that to create reports and give us data on our events.

What is the team composition?

I mostly work with Jordan (Web App Developer). Paul (Director & Owner) gives me quotes and is currently trying to connect me with the marketing analysis firm that we’re attempting to do some work with.

How did you come to work with Fire Flower Apps?

When I joined the consortia, the organization was already engaged with Aquanode as their service provider. Jordan, who was one of the programmers there, had already created the web-based application we’re using today in 2015–2016. We became involved with Fire Flower Apps when they purchased Aquanode.

How much have you invested with them?

The five consortia contribute $2,500 a year for maintenance. We’ve also paid close to $7,000 for upgrade work.

What is the status of this engagement?

It was around January–February 2018 when Fire Flower Apps bought off our previous provider.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I really like that they do customizations for us. Whatever we ask for, they do. They’re timely and have a fairly good turnaround time. Fire Flower Apps is very flexible and easy to work with. Paul and Jordan, in particular, are friendly and very professional.

How did Fire Flower Apps perform from a project management standpoint?

The project management is good. They follow through with the work and then provide us with the billing. We typically communicate through email, though we do hold video meetings upon request. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Fire Flower Apps’ flexibility is the most impressive thing about them.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Fire Flower Apps could offer updates regularly instead of waiting for me to ask.

They could also be more proactive in keeping up with the best and newest UX. I shouldn’t necessarily have to ask for my website to look great. If there’s a better option on the market, it would be nice for them to tell me about it and offer to fix my UX accordingly.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

As long as you know what you want, Fire Flower Apps can make it happen. They will provide you with suggestions and options, but the clearer you are, the faster it’ll happen.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and president of Reembody. It’s a company that provides wellness tools and education.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Fire Flower Apps?

We needed to create a mental health app that circumvented what I see as the biggest problem with most other wellness aps.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

First, I described my ideas to Fire Flower Apps. I had a template or a rudimentary prototype that I had built. Next, they went through their design process and focused on the app’s target audience, user stories, and needed design elements. They really took over.

When I gave them the idea of what I wanted the app to do, they boldly and immediately stepped up with ideas on how to make that vision come true. After the design process, they went through with the implementation and programming for both iOS and Android.

The app has an interactive practice that the user is guided through. It’s a question-and-answer approach that then provides a framework for the answer. The user goes through and answers these questions using the framework. They have many options to sift through to find the right one that describes what they’re experiencing.

There’s also a privacy functionality because the user has to potentially explore some things that are a little uncomfortable. They have the ability to make the selections in a way that’s private and secure. There are also design elements like music that help the user get in the right mind frame to make this experience functional.

What is the team composition?

I worked with Emily (Creative Director) and Paul (Director). I also corresponded with Riley (Lead Developer) once.

How did you come to work with Fire Flower Apps?

I was referred to them by a web designer. She had worked with Fire Flower Apps before as well as had helped me with some web design efforts. I did a bit of searching around in terms of pricing from other companies but Fire Flower Apps was the first and only company I contacted. As soon as the process started, I felt cared for and confident in my decision.

How much have you invested with them?

Our ongoing engagement started around March 2019.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve invested $17,000.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The app successfully met the expectations of my original vision. I had a rough benchmark of reaching 250 users within the first 90 days. We’re in the first 45 days right now and have about 115 users so we’re on track to meet that goal. Upon initiation, there was so much more innovation from their side than I expected and it was extremely welcomed. The process was so comfortable. I felt incredibly comfortable with them as people.

Their productivity over time is excellent. After every meeting, something happens. There’s visible progress after every single time we meet. The fact that there’s something substantive done every time we talk means that I have confidence there will be results later.

Fire Flower Apps really brings an enthusiastic ingenuity. They don’t just wait for me to say what I want. They infer what I want based on the vision I had given. Their team went ahead and took steps to innovate along the lines of my vision. That was such a surprising benefit. I didn’t think that was ever going to happen and it was very exciting for me.

I require a lot of handholding. Whenever we ran into challenges or I started to get worried about something, I like to talk about who wants to talk about it right away. Paul would respond to my requests for meet-ups or conversations extremely quickly.

I’ve never felt that I’m inconveniencing them or there was something wrong with the way I was doing things. He always gives the impression of being available, even though I know they have lots of other projects going on. They make me feel prioritized.

How did Fire Flower Apps perform from a project management standpoint?

Their biggest strength is in their project management style. It all felt organized and there was always an emphasis on action and next steps. They never trouble me with details that don’t matter to me. Their team excels at organization. They utilize Trello, and we communicate through phone calls, emails, and Zoom.

What did you find most impressive about them?

It’d have to be their creative independence.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There was one hiccup near the end with the rollout. There were a couple of things we could have tested earlier, so when the actual rollout occurred there would have been less surprising details. For standard day-to-day operations, I can’t think of what I’d want more than what I get.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be forthcoming and tell them everything. Give them your whole vision and don’t try to compartmentalize. They’ll see the whole picture and come up with ways to fulfill what you want. You won’t get the full value out of people who are as intelligent and creative as the Fire Flower Apps team.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I work for the Alberta Beef Producers. I’m the communications manager and we are a nonprofit organization that advocates on behalf of the beef industry.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Fire Flower Apps?

Fire Flower Apps rebuilt our website to make it more streamlined, user-friendly, and at the same time accessible for people.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They worked closely with our marketing agency to do a complete redesign of the website’s look and layout. Fire Flower Apps transferred us over to a customized backend style that is user-friendly with multiple sites.

The team used Laravel Nova during the development. Since then, we've been employing them for other development projects. In fact, just recently, they redid our consumer-branded side of the website. 

What is the team composition?

Three people from Fire Flower Apps work with us on the project.

How did you come to work with Fire Flower Apps?

I worked with Paul (Owner) under a different company and once he started this one, I was really pleased with their services so I hired him for this project.  

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $20,000 since the start of our partnership. 

What is the status of this engagement?

Our collaboration started in May 2019 and until now we continue to work with them.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Two years ago they completed the redesign project and we’ve been really happy with the overall look and feel of our website. We think the backend is really smooth and functions well. It’s easy for new people to jump in and not have to spend too much time before they have a good understanding of it.

They've also done a great job of solving problems around uploading audio files and streamlining different tools to feature news events and submit forms on our platform. Furthermore, they are really good at solving any roadblocks that we’ve come up with and translating them into a pretty easy to navigate solution. 

How did Fire Flower Apps perform from a project management standpoint?

They are excellent. Fire Flower Apps is really good to work with because they are communicative.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The team constantly lets us know what deadlines are reasonable to expect and if they feel like they weren’t going to make those deadlines, they let us know what timelines will work. They’re really good at listening to what their client needs and delivering on those aspects. 

Additionally, their communication has been really wonderful, that’s something I’ve struggled with other web companies in the past. I really appreciate that they are always keeping us up to date on what’s going on. We also like that they are open to all the suggestions from our marketing agency. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I really haven’t had any negative experiences with them. Thus, I don’t think they have any areas they could improve on.  

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Just make sure that you’re communicating clearly what you want and they will do their best to help fulfill that. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’ve been an independent IT consultant for about 30 years. I don’t keep staff but outsource my work to contractors if needed.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Fire Flower Apps?

We had a previous app development provider who supported several of my third-party clients. This vendor disappeared and left my clients high and dry. Fire Flower Apps came in to pick up the pieces and complete these half-finished projects.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Fire Flower Apps serves as my development arm. They’ve done projects for several of my clients. A good example is when they built an oil and gas research and reporting application.

It runs on a very complex formula and can automatically handle a variety of inputs at different times. It’s able to produce sophisticated graphs and data visualizations. They primarily work in web development, but their work can also include app-centric modules.

What is the team composition?

It’s usually 2–3 teammates. I keep the interface small and efficient, since I don’t like to have big meetings with different people.

How did you come to work with Fire Flower Apps?

One of the co-founders of Fire Flower was working for the web development company that disappeared. All my clients liked working with him in particular, so he founded his company and took over the reins.

How much have you invested with them?

We usually work around a fixed amount, in addition to any extras. I don’t have access to all the finances on the project, so I’m not sure how much we’ve spent.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement began around October of 2019, and it’s ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

My clients have all raved about how easy it is to work with them. They have good systems in place for communication, and our engagement is always characterized by transparency.

That wasn’t the case with our previous provider, whom we always needed to have discussions with because they weren’t functioning properly. The ease of working with Fire Flower has been a pleasure for my clients, which is very important to me. I know I can trust them to deliver.

How did Fire Flower Apps perform from a project management standpoint?

After I assign them the work or get the contract out to an RFP, we have meetings with them to scope out the work. They then give us an overview of the build, generate a quote, and away they go. It’s a pretty smooth process.

What did you find most impressive about them?

My partnership with them has required the least amount of effort in terms of explaining requirements. The tasks we ask them to take on are often fairly complicated. Despite that, they immediately understand what needs to be done and what’s at stake.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Not anymore. When we first started working with them, they needed to implement a help system. That was our only complaint, and now they have a robust system in place.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I own a Calgary marketing company and have worked with a couple Fire Flower Apps clients to date. Some of those we brought to Fire Flower, some of them Fire Flower brought to us.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Fire Flower Apps, and what were your goals?

We look for developers who take the time to map out the project and identify the hard decisions up front. Paul and his team have consistently done this and impress me with the time they're willing to take with their clients. Whenever I work with a shared client I'm impressed by Fire Flower's team.

SOLUTION

How did you select Fire Flower Apps and what were the deciding factors?

Initially we worked with Paul and his team through a previous company; when they started Fire Flower Apps over a year ago we kept in touch and have sent a couple clients back and forth. Every report I get comes with flying colours.

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

We've shared clients in complex service-based apps, mind/body apps and a food delivery platform. Paul's team handles the coding/development side and our team handles the marketing.

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

Most of our work is with Paul (owner), but we've had touch points with a couple of his developers - Jordan was great, as was Riley.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Consistently happy clients. Any time I have a client that needs a complex web or mobile app I know I can trust them with Paul and his team.

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

They're always willing to take the time required to understand the problem and explore solutions. You can tell that just by nature Paul cares about people than pushing profit, and he has an amazing team because of it. They're thorough and never cut corners.

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

It is impressive how much they care about those they work with and the impact their work has on communities and end consumers.

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

None - they're great.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Co-Owner of The Lobster Mobsters

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Seafood Sales

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Fire Flower Apps to accomplish?

• Fundraising Platform

SOLUTION

How did you find Fire Flower Apps?

• Online Search
• Other

Why did you select Fire Flower Apps over others?

Good value for cost

How many teammates from Fire Flower Apps were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Custom built online fundraising platfrom

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Software works as designed

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

Project was delivered on time and they were responsive 

What was your primary form of communication with Fire Flower Apps?

• In-Person Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

We were impressed by how straightforward everything was. Delivered on what they said they would.  Understood our needs.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Fire Flower Apps could have done differently?

I would like to have access to make backend changes on my own without having to get them to do them