Harley Oliver

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of a jewelry company that frequently works with private clients.

What challenge were you trying to address with Harley Oliver?

We needed to set up the entire company. The goal of this initiative was to sell more products online.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Harley Oliver worked on our platform from the ground up. They helped with the layout and vision for our e-commerce website. Their team helped us put everything together. We dealt with suppliers that would collaborate with us and secured products.

What is the team composition?

I worked with two people from Harley Oliver.

How did you come to work with Harley Oliver?

We knew that Ben’s (Founder) work was exceptional, so there wasn’t a question about working with him on this project. There was an absolute fit.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between $15,000–$20,000 on their services.

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

The website was incredible and performed well after it launched. Harley Oliver did an exceptional job on the product. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to give it the time that it needed. We’ll come back to it because we have a foundation.

How did Harley Oliver perform from a project management standpoint?

Their team was phenomenal and top-notch with every aspect of the project. They were on top of our requirements at every moment. Harley Oliver provided exceptional customer service.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I was impressed by their integrity and ability to personally connect with us. Their team was there for us and understood the business.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, we were pleased with how the initiative unfolded.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

They connect extremely well with their clients. They’ll learn their client’s business to become a part of it. They’re exceptional.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the former VP of a retail marketing company. Our primary business was hosting and managing warehouse sale events for big, branded retail clients. 

What challenge were you trying to address with Harley Oliver?

We needed an e-commerce platform developed.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We were launching an e-commerce platform to mirror the experience of attending one of our in-person events. In addition to creating the e-commerce experience, they were responsible for leading the design of the project. The build involved a Shopify integration, which was pretty new and technical at the time. 

They also customized an e-commerce pop-up shop for us. There, they were tasked with emulating an in-store experience. Only individuals that were part of our email list were able to access the event. That required some creative solutions for unique problems. This wasn’t a straightforward e-commerce build.

What is the team composition?

I worked with about four people. 

How did you come to work with Harley Oliver?

Someone we had recently hired in an internal key marketing role brought them on. There wasn’t an RFP process or anything like that. 

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between $10,000–$15,000 on their work.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them throughout 2013.

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

It was a positive, boutique experience, and the outcome of the work was solid. They executed all of our requirements effectively, and I would work with them again.  

When we launched the platform, everything worked seamlessly and it was very profitable. There were a few unique problems that required them to think creatively and approach tasks in innovative ways. They did a good job with that.  

How did Harley Oliver perform from a project management standpoint?

Everything was on schedule, and I don’t remember any cost overruns. Our day-to-day communication was smooth, without any problems. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

I really enjoyed their collaborative approach to the project. We felt included in their work every step of the way. Their transparency was appreciated. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

While they’re collaborative and work hard to guide the project, it’s important to come to them with a strong vision. That will allow them to do their best work.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a former institutional resource teacher for Peel District School Board.

What challenge were you trying to address with Harley Oliver?

We were trying to promote the program to our students and staff and develop some visual banners as well as print materials that would allow us to display elements and information about the program.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Harley Oliver used digital design technology to create the images. The team went on site to the school to take photographs of students, and some video work was done as well. They coordinated the different elements of the vertical banners that would be displayed during presentations and in different locations around the school. 

What is the team composition?

There were three, possibly four, people, including those who did the photography and video work.

How did you come to work with Harley Oliver?

We’d seen some of their work in another context, and we found their staff to be youthful and creative. We thought they would be a suitable partner for our project.

How much have you invested with them?

The total cost was approximately $25,000 CAD (approximately $19,000 USD). 

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from January 2013–January 2014.

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

Overall, it was a very successful project and our banners were very well received. When we displayed the banners, we got positive comments from our staff, who felt like they represented the students well. Throughout the project, Harley Oliver was more than happy to accommodate any alterations or preferences we had.

How did Harley Oliver perform from a project management standpoint?

They were excellent. All of our timelines were met, and the team was always easily accessible to discuss progress or any modifications or additions to either the text or the visuals. I have no complaints. Harley Oliver was attentive to our requests and always there to discuss ideas.

We kept in touch using email and phone, and we used a few digital platforms to see the video work. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

The best part about working with Harley Oliver was their enthusiasm. Their positive energy was infectious, and they brought business savvy without sacrificing creativity. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

The outcome was very positive. I don’t think there’s anything I would suggest.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

With any design project, make sure to provide Harley Oliver with as clear of a vision of what you’re looking for as possible. Don’t hold back on something just because you think it might not be possible.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of marketing and PR for a fitness company.

What challenge were you trying to address with Harley Oliver?

We wanted to do a full revamp of our website.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Harley Oliver did a full overhaul of our complete online customer experience. Before they came on board, we had a relatively basic website, so they introduced WordPress as a platform. The team also helped us develop a streaming platform, a full e-commerce experience and integrations, along with custom solutions.

What is the team composition?

I liaised with about three or four people, but I don’t know how many people were working on the project in the background.

How did you come to work with Harley Oliver?

One of my colleagues recommended Harley Oliver. We liked the work they did, so we decided to partner with them.

How much have you invested with them?

In the range of $200,000 to $400,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from January–October 2019.

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

The site is such an improvement to what we had before. We’re very happy with it. It’s helped our streaming business — we’ve seen an increase in streaming members. 

How did Harley Oliver perform from a project management standpoint?

They performed very well. They were very thorough. When we first started with them and they were giving us the strategy overview, it was extremely detailed. Harley Oliver did an excellent job. 

To stay in touch, we mostly used email, phone calls, and Skype calls. We also met in person a couple of times.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Harley Oliver is very detail-oriented. They’re also very proactive in the sense that they’re not afraid to propose new ideas. We really appreciated that. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s nothing that comes to mind at the moment.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be open-minded to new ideas and strategies. They might be able to add things you never thought of. 

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I led national marketing and events for JA Canada. It’s a national nonprofit in Canada that helps students between third and twelfth grade with financial literacy and entrepreneurship.

What challenge were you trying to address with Harley Oliver?

We had a skills program and wanted to create content about entrepreneurship and financial literacy that would better engage our students. The challenge was making financial literacy and entrepreneurship cool and relevant.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We created a YouTube channel and leaned on Harley Oliver to help create a series for it. As a fresh team, we wanted to showcase their story in the content’s voice. We engaged Ben (Founder) to understand what he wanted to know when starting his company. Using his input, we then created the content.

We specifically worked with them to create the content, and then Harley Oliver managed the entire production process. They filmed, edited, and uploaded the videos to our YouTube channel. Their team also did voice-overs and photoshoots. We broadcasted the videos on our channel and used them during volunteer and program sessions.

What is the team composition?

In addition to Ben, we worked with three other people from Harley Oliver. Their team included a designer and individuals who worked in a project management capacity.

How did you come to work with Harley Oliver?

I knew Ben personally and was familiar with his previous work. When I joined JA Canada, I thought that he would be a good person to contact for this project..

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked on this project between June–December 2015.

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

This project happened before every single organization had a YouTube channel. Even at the time, 1,000 views were great for a nonprofit.

As a national nonprofit, every province had its own committee that needed to approve my work. Everyone was impressed with the content Harley Oliver created. They thought it was relevant and relatable, which was important. We worked with students who had economic, land, and access differences. Their content reached a large audience, which impressed our committees across Canada.

How did Harley Oliver perform from a project management standpoint?

Their team was helpful and tight, which was great. They communicated their progress throughout the project’s duration and met our timelines. Their team kept up with our internal changes. Harley Oliver understood that we wanted to create content that was different and futuristic.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I was impressed by their energy and commitment to the project. They believed in what we wanted to build and wanted the content to reach our students.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, their team was great.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Go into as much detail as possible during the discovery session. Ask questions and reiterate your goals to ensure your story is conveyed in their work. Harley Oliver wants to understand your goals.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

When I worked with Harley Oliver, I was a communication consultant for Autism Ontario. I no longer work for that organization.

What challenge were you trying to address with Harley Oliver?

We had a burgeoning awareness campaign around World Autism Awareness Day. At the time, our website was built in the Lotus Notes, which meant it wasn’t an easily managed platform. It didn’t offer any flexibility.

The people who built the website also charged a high fee to maintain or update the platform. We wanted a microsite that could be easily updated and managed by our team to catapult our campaign and online presence.

Another reason that we decided to work with an external vendor was the organization’s complexity. We thought that having external professionals guide us towards the best approach to build the campaign was better than having multiple people internally making the decision.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They laid out a digital strategy for us and built a microsite on WordPress. Their team created different personas according to our diverse audiences.

Those projects led to additional engagements related to our awareness campaign. For example, their team created an interactive video experience. We went into a French immersion school for two days because the video needed to be in French and English. They shot another video with a celebrity in the autism world.

What is the team composition?

We worked with about four people from Harley Oliver.

How did you come to work with Harley Oliver?

We worked in the same building and met at an annual fundraiser barbecue. I liked them and their approach to work. As we were a charity, we had to have other companies submit their RFPs. Harley Oliver was accessible, well-priced, and thoughtful in their presentation. It was essentially a no-brainer.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $50,000 CAD (approximately $38,000 USD) on their services.

What is the status of this engagement?

Harley Oliver worked on three big projects with Autism Ontario. I engaged them between 2014–2016.

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

One of the campaign’s key components was to register as many municipalities in Ontario as possible. On World Autism Awareness Day, the municipalities would host events and raise one of our flags on the municipal flagpole and have a local leader proclaim the day as World Autism Awareness Day. The last year I was with the organization, we had over 80% of municipalities register for the day.

Their work also enabled us to raise funds. Individuals and schools could register to raise the flag and fundraise. We went from $0 fundraised to over $100,000 CAD (approximately $76,000 USD). That was huge for a small organization.

As well, they built a cool website that engaged our volunteers more than ever before. The website activated our volunteers and helped them bring in fundraising dollars. The impact was quite tremendous.

How did Harley Oliver perform from a project management standpoint?

They laid out the process and then followed it. I reported to an executive director who had a crazy schedule. When we had to bring her into the project, she was impressed, comfortable, and understood what their team spoke about even though she didn’t have a marketing background. That made my job easier. It was great to have their professionalism as well as their organization, which made a world of difference. Harley Oliver was like a dream team.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We wanted to reach municipalities, schools, parents, and people on the autism spectrum. Their team laid out the user journey and experience well. They then built an accessible website that engaged all of our audiences, which was an exceptional achievement.

Also, I was impressed by the way that their team executed the autism interactive video experience. Their communication and organization made it easy for the teacher to pitch the video to her principal as an educational experience. In the end, the people on the spectrum involved in the experience were blown away by it. They felt respected and heard.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I don’t have feedback on the top of my mind. It was a positive experience.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Let them show you all of the possibilities. Don’t be too tied to your ideas. Let them run with the project because it could be a door opener for your organization.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO and founder of a company called Mentally Charged. We’re an educational platform that helps hockey players specifically with their mental toughness.

We have a seven-course program where kids go through lessons, watch videos, read articles, and listen to podcasts about different struggles and adversity they may face throughout the season. It’s a membership-based product where people can go online and get the tips, strategies, and tools they need when they’re struggling. 

What challenge were you trying to address with Harley Oliver?

We had a lot of difficult pain points, but we knew we had a good idea since mental training wasn’t really prominent in the hockey world. When we brought our idea to them they let us know we needed to find clarity and form an actual product. We had some good ideas and a social media presence, but we used them for branding and promotional support.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They took over everything we needed in terms of development and UX. They focused on making the platform user-friendly, so kids could get the supplementary tools they needed on the go. They understood the value of timely and relevant content, so they put that together into a product that was convenient and easily accessible. 

What is the team composition?

Their whole team was involved with our project. Ben (Harley Oliver) served as a wealth of knowledge, along with others on their team. 

How did you come to work with Harley Oliver?

My partner for Mentally Charged knew Ben, so we checked them out after hearing they were doing great things. We thought they’d be the right fit after we saw what they had to offer. We went to meet with them and saw they were so down to earth and had a wealth of knowledge. We went from nothing and a good idea to having their support in creating a sleek, convenient, accessible, affordable product. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent in the range of $250,000–$500,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from roughly January 2016 – January 2018. 

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

Unlike other businesses, our biggest metric was testimonials. When we have close to 100,000 followers on social media and get countless messages about how sleek, easy-to-use, and helpful our product is, that’s a sign of success. We’ve heard that our product has helped people become better on the ice as well as a better person. Customers have remarked on how seamless our product is. Hearing that feedback is wonderful and shows how professional the product is. 

We were really happy with their services. They were exactly what we needed to catapult into the market and be a successful company. We really appreciated everything they did for us — it was amazing. 

How did Harley Oliver perform from a project management standpoint?

We’d go to them and have great meetings. Their team brought a lot to the table in terms of their skillsets, so I was able to learn a lot from them. Everyone brought their own ideas and skillsets to the project, so they helped us stay laser-focused and stay on track. Ben would guide us to focus on what needed to get done and not get ahead of ourselves, which was invaluable in a business adviser. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

The relationship that I built with Ben was a high point of the project. He’s very down to earth and easy to talk to, so within a few meetings we were clicking. Having a strong relationship with their team made the engagement seamless; they provided great personal touches. They had a great team over there and made me want to keep working with them for as long as I could. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

It’s tough because not everyone knows the hockey world. However, even though they didn’t necessarily have the breadth of knowledge within the hockey community, they still did their due diligence and stepped up. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Reach out and start a dialog. Let them know the impact you’re trying to have and why you’re doing it. The rest will fall into place. They have all the pieces there to help you build the foundation, grow, and exceed your expectations. There’s nothing they aren’t capable of, so I’d recommend them to anyone. 

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the founder of a payment technology company for restaurants.

What challenge were you trying to address within Harley Oliver?

We wanted to come up with a new type of payment software for restaurant customers. It's not something that's prevalent in the market today, so we really went from nothing. We needed professionals in design thinking, research, ideation, to the generation of the actual design.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They did design cycles to generate an MVP. They started out by doing market research to talk to various stakeholders in the restaurant industry to see what they wanted. Then, they designed user profiles to ascertain who would be the primary users of the product and what they'd want.

From there, they started going through the design process and what the user flow should be. They also created a modular product model where they have all the core features. Finally, they did the actual layout of the application and created a design template so we could add features ourselves.

What is the team composition?

We work with four people from their team.

How did you come to work with Harley Oliver?

I reached out to a lot of different design firms, but I wanted to work with someone specifically from Toronto. I reached out to a lot of different design firms, and I decided to work with Harley because he was a great communicator. It was a lot of intuition but it felt right. Their design portfolio was also pretty impressive, too.

How much have you invested with them?    

We invested approximately $45,000 CAD (approximately $32,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together in October 2019, and our engagement is ongoing.

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

I talked to restaurant owners and asked what they thought and the reception was really good.

How did Harley Oliver perform from a project management standpoint?

They were great. One of their core strengths was keeping everyone aligned and on track. Obviously, it's pretty easy for people to get sidetracked, but they kept things on task.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their dedication to communication was huge. We always have a direct line to them, unlike a lot of other design firms. It came across like they really cared about their customers.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, nothing I can speak to.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

My advice is to be clear about what your objectives are going in. It'll save a lot of time and energy throughout the project.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re a label manufacturer operating in the Ontario area. We create labels and tags for clothing lines, mattresses, and more.

What challenge were you trying to address with Harley Oliver?

We were looking to step up our PR and marketing efforts. We’d stayed pretty old-school, so we were looking to upgrade our brand design and website in particular.

What was the scope of their involvement?

It was a full-service operation where their team strategized and implemented an entire brand refresh. They redesigned my logo and website before creating marketing materials to launch on our social media platforms. They served as a one-stop-shop and generated all the content we needed. I relied heavily on them for branding consultation as well.

What is the team composition?

Although the team size fluctuated with the project scope, my primary point of contact was Ben (Executive Director, Harley Oliver). I’d say I worked with 5 people across different photography, design, and content projects.

How did you come to work with Harley Oliver?

I shortlisted three companies after asking around for recommendations. I met with them and was immediately taken by how young their team was. While they had a very modern sensibility, they still seemed like they had a lot of experience.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent somewhere around $55,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together in July of 2013 and our partnership is ongoing.

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

They built up our brand from basically nothing, and we’re very happy with where we are now. Our social media posts enjoy a high level of engagement, and our website gets great traffic. Their team has really helped me understand where I should invest my time and money. I’ve seen a great ROI from their work.

How did Harley Oliver perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re excellent. We communicate mostly through email and phone calls, but I have a quarterly meeting with them. I haven’t had any issues regarding deadlines and scheduling.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’ve become my primary provider because they’re easy to work with and have stellar design skills. They have a good development sense, where they’re creative and effective with their ideas.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I’ve been satisfied.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Come to the table with some general ideas, and then let the pros do their thing.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the VP of marketing at Muse, a Toronto-based neurotech company. We create wearable devices that measure brain activity to support meditation, focus, and general wellbeing.

What challenge were you trying to address with Harley Oliver?

We were trying to address three major problems. First, we needed a brand refresh. While our product is very innovative, it wasn’t being accurately represented in our marketing materials.

We also needed to rebuild our website. We were bringing on a new product, so we needed to re-strategize how to showcase our product offerings in a way that would increase conversions. Lastly, we needed completely new photo assets for marketing and e-commerce.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Harley Oliver’s team helped us build a WordPress site that integrated multiple stores—with different currencies—on the backend. They made the website user-friendly and customizable, even on the administrative side.

Since our devices are somewhat technically complex, they focused on conveying their concept in clear, concise, and consumer-friendly terms. They strategized our creative direction.

What is the team composition?

Ben (Founder, Harley Oliver) was our main point of contact. We worked with a project manager (who also happened to be a UX designer), a graphic designer, two photographers, and a videographer. They were all excellent.

How did you come to work with Harley Oliver?

I found them online and started following them on Instagram. I dug into their previous work and really liked their ethos. They operated in the niche wearable-tech startup space, so they were perfect for us. While we had a couple of contenders in the mix, I felt very aligned with Ben’s creative direction.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent close to $250,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our collaboration for the first product launch lasted from July–October 2018.

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

Their work has doubled the conversion rate of our site. They’ve positioned us to be more modern, and I’m just blown away by their work. We’ve only received positive feedback.

How did Harley Oliver perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re very organized and easy to work with. They were very responsive when we communicated with their team via phone, email, and Slack.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their attention to detail, as well as their creative direction and vision, are all outstanding.

Are there any areas they could improve?

While there were no real issues at all, we could’ve appreciated receiving pre-shoot assets. There was also a slight learning curve on a few other items.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Go in with the best brief possible. Give them all the context they need to enable them to perform well. That allows them to work within their creative freedom while giving you what you need.