Novio Group

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and principal of SMB Consulting Group. We provide consultancy services for risk and compliance to local and international clients. I also serve as the chief compliance and risk officer and money laundering reporting officer for a first-class broker-dealer in The Bahamas.

Additionally, I have a festival entertainment company. Our festival is called Summer Pop Festival, and it is supported by over 100 vendors.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Novio Group?

I needed help with mobile app design for my festival company, so we hired Novio Group. Over time, they helped me with different design projects for the three different companies I work with.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

First, Novio Group designed an iOS and Android app for my festival entertainment company. This app showcased all the vendors, and when users walked around the festival, they got notifications about the vendors nearby, including promotions and discounts. Users also got alerts and messages about the festival itself.

Later, I brought Novio Group back, and they built a landing page for my consulting organization. They also designed our letterhead, envelopes, promotional materials, and more. For the first-class broker-dealer, they first helped us design a holding page for a new service product that we offered, and they ended up designing the entire page for it.

What is the team composition?

I worked with one main point of contact from Novio Group.

How did you come to work with Novio Group?

Novio Group came recommended to me. I also evaluated two other quotes, but theirs was more in line with what I was looking for. Their first project was the Summer Pop Festival app, and since they did a quality job, I brought them to my own firm and recommended them to the company I work for.

How much have you invested with them?

The app design cost $3,000–$5,000, the SMB site cost around $1,500–$3,000, and the other page design cost about $3,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in the summer of 2019, in time for the Summer Pop Festival, and Novio Group designed the holding pages for my other companies in 2021. I don’t remember the month, but it took them no more than two weeks to build each of them.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The SMB page created by Novio Group is very accessible, so the clients are pleased with it, and it works smoothly for us. Clients are able to download documents, and any inquiries come directly to my inbox, eliminating the back and forth between us.

Additionally, it got us the traction we needed thanks to its solid design. Every design element looked great, and we really loved it. The only downside of our page is that, whenever we need to add or change something, we need to go back to Novio Group. However, their response time has always been very quick.

How did Novio Group perform from a project management standpoint?

Novio Group was very professional and timely. They actually had to chase me to get information so that we could stick to the timelines. Although there were a lot of things going on at the same time, including COVID-19, they were always great at meeting the deadlines.

Additionally, their communication was really good. They were easily available on WhatsApp, which I loved, and they implemented any changes required very quickly. We also communicated via email.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Novio Group delivered great-quality work. They were professional and easy to work with, and they had a great personality. Additionally, they offered great advice; we weren’t just telling them what we wanted, but they also gave us different options and suggested different things to try.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t think that there was anything that Novio Group could have done differently.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Stick to your budget and deadline, and have clear and open communication channels with them. Whatever your project is about, Novio Group will do it in a professional manner.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of Propello Delivery, a courier company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Novio Group?

We wanted to increase the inline presence of our business so we could reach out better to our customers.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Novio Group has been providing social media marketing services to us. They handle our social media channels, like Facebook, post content, and help us place online orders features on our website. Their team has also set up a blog and manages our Google Ads as well.

What is the team composition?

We’ve been working with two members of their team.

How did you come to work with Novio Group?

A friend referred them to me.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in January 2020, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They’ve increased the engagement on our social media, and our online orders have improved since we started working with them.

How did Novio Group perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve been swift and organized with project management. In terms of communication, we use emails.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We like that they’re affordable and quick with their work.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t think there’s anything they can improve on — they’ve been great, and I don’t have any complaints about their work.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Ensure that you have a good understanding of your industry, articulate to them what you want, and listen to what they have to say.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of EVO Bahamas. We provide business management, marketing, and branding services. We’re the producers of The Global Nightlife, which encompasses nightlife in The Bahamas, Florida, Jamaica, Canada, Turks and Caicos, Barbados, Japan, and Europe.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Novio Group?

My company contracts Novio Group mainly to provide website and app development services, but they also provide us with some marketing support.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They’re basically my technical team. They developed my mobile app, and they help me with my websites, email setups, domains, and needs like that. They also design websites and mobile apps for my end clients — I outsource those projects to Novio Group.

When we first began working with Novio Group, I described what I wanted. We had a conversation about the general idea and direction for my project, and they proposed strategies to achieve my goal.

They’ve created some of the content for my project, and I’ve provided them with some of the graphics. They’ve also provided strategic planning and direction for some of my marketing initiatives.

What is the team composition?

I’ve worked directly with Valdez (CEO), my main contact with Novio.

How did you come to work with Novio Group?

Someone recommended Valdez to me. I had done some work with a company out of Canada, but they didn’t really achieve what I wanted. Valdez and I ended up working on a project together, and that led to our ongoing partnership with Novio Group.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested over $10,000 with Novio Group. 

What is the status of this engagement?

I began working with Novio Group in October 2016.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I’ve continued to work with Novio Group because I’ve seen continued success from their efforts. My end clients have been satisfied with the mobile apps and websites that Novio Group builds for them, and I’ve received business via word of mouth as a result.

How did Novio Group perform from a project management standpoint?

I just tell Novio Group what I want, and they deliver solutions. They often try to explain the specifics of what they’re working on because they’re very thorough, but I’m not a technical person and I’ve told them that I don’t need to be involved in the technical details. We communicate via phone, and we follow up on our discussions via email. We discuss any urgent issues via WhatsApp.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Since I began working with Novio Group, they’ve always done everything to address our issues. They always find a way to go above and beyond and give a little more to the project than expected.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Novio Group has shown no deficiencies in their service — I have no suggestions for areas that Novio Group could improve.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I recommend working with Novio Group. They’ve got a good team, especially Valdez.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a PR and brand specialist at the University of The Bahamas. I'm responsible for creating the mascot and brand strategy, as well as engaging the student's athletes, alumni, faculty, and staff. Additionally, I deal with social media management and content creation, which involve animations, graphics, and videos.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Novio Group?

We hired Novio Group to provide website design and development services.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their engagement?

I worked with Novio Group in partnership with my original contract with the university. They were our direct corporate partner to design the mascot. They came on board as our intellectual property to let us know a bit more about app design and website integration, as well as to guide the process. Also, I worked with them with my marketing company, RGMII WayneHead.

Somebody else developed the app. However, when we looked at the feasibility, expense, management, and loading times, there were a lot of hiccups in the system. We asked Novio Group to do some corrections. They called in, quickly analyzed the product, and figured out that the other provider didn’t design an app. They did a web-based site that needed the internet to connect to. They’d made it look like an app, but it wasn’t ready for iOS platforms. Novio Group corrected it and built the application.

They're still our partners when we get on clients for app development and websites. We continue to have a great relationship because we know they can help us choose whether or not to take a path to the client.

What is the team composition?

We worked with three people from their team. Two of them always offered us consultations on issues, and we worked one time with an app designer.

How did you come to work with Novio Group?

I'm a character artist; I drew a few people from Novio Group. They gave me their card, and we talked about their service. At the time, they didn’t know I had a marketing company. I gave them a call when the contract came up because I needed their services and expertise. Then, we grew our business relationship.

How much have you invested with them?

The original quote was about $15,000. Over time, we paid them about $5,000 — that discount plays directly into why we're still good corporate partners.

What is the status of the engagement?

We began our partnership in February 2015, working on a lot of backend stuff. The mascot was launched in February 2017, and our contract ended in September 2018. Right now, they aren’t working directly with us, but they’re one of our references. We use them as a consultation company because we’ll launch an athletic website in the fall.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They launched the app twice on the iOS and Android platforms. However, the University of Bahamas delayed the process because they wanted to go through the entire web app and website before launching it. On one hand, they were very efficient, and the consultation from their representative was excellent. However, the university just wasn't fast enough.

The team took a year to review it, and by the time they did it, all of the athletic teams had changed. They had to pay an additional $1,500 to restart the app so the university could review it one year after they promised to do it.

How did Novio Group perform from a project management standpoint?

They met the deadline twice over, even if it wasn’t launched. Also, they were very budget-friendly and great with communication and consultation meetings. If I called them, I’d usually get a call back within minutes to discuss any issue. It was the same for my company — if they asked me to do something for them, I’d do it and worry about payment later.

I only saw the deliverables, so I’m not sure about the project management tool they used. It was part of their standard operations. On the other hand, we typically communicated via phone calls. We could call them even though we were both busy.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Although they were known for being good with media and app and website creation, their corporate negotiation skills grew, so their networks were great as well.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They didn’t need to work on anything; they were great and very diverse at their job.

Any advice for potential customers?

Tell them what you want to achieve, listen to their consultations, and trust their knowledge. They'll work with you to get you started and where you need to go.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of Showman Bahamas, a culinary company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Novio Group?

We needed IT specialists that could set up our network infrastructure and servers.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Novio Group has been managing our IT services. They’ve also done a website for us, set up our network and phone services, and all of the deliverables have been great. We went through a selection process to see what software would be best suited for us, and we ended up with TouchBistro and Microsoft Office.

What is the team composition?

I’ve been working directly with their principal, and their team interacts with my staff.

How did you come to work with Novio Group?

They were referred to us by other companies they worked with.

How much have you invested in them?

We’ve spent around $100,000 with them so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in January 2014, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our workflow and workload have improved since we started working with them; we’ve had a lot less issues and difficulties.

How did Novio Group perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management is great; they’re very informative and communicative, which is key for us.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They adapt to our time requirements, enabling them to get the job done efficiently — that sets them apart from every other company in the Caribbean.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t think there’s anything they can improve on — they address every issue that comes across through a good dialog.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Know what you want before engaging with them and have a conversation with their team so they can lead and guide you with their expertise — trust their judgment.