Small Business LIFT (Marketing & Strategy)

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the medical director of Zion Urgent Care Clinic.

What challenge were you trying to address with Small Business LIFT (Marketing & Strategy)?

As an individual clinical physician, it was really hard for me to compete in the market, so I started looking for someone to increase my digital presence.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They’re basically helping us with general marketing and building our website to make it easier to manage and navigate through mobile and desktop. Apart from that, they also manage our social media channels like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn, where they post service-related content three times a week.

One of their bigger tasks is working on our Google Ads to make us more visible within our area.

What is the team composition?

My main point of contact is Dave (Senior Managing Director).

How did you come to work with Small Business LIFT (Marketing & Strategy)?

At the time, we weren’t satisfied with the work of our previous marketing vendor, as we weren’t seeing any progressive results. My mentor and friend then told me about their positive experience working with Small Business LIFT, so they recommended their company to me. 

How much have you invested with them?

We spend somewhere between $2,000–$4,000 USD on a monthly basis.

What is the status of this engagement?

The ongoing partnership started in January 2019.

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

Even with the effects of the pandemic, we’re still able to see an increase in the number of patients who aren’t affected by COVID-19. Furthermore, our keywords are also ranking highly in Google Search, so there has been a significant improvement in our online visibility. 

How did Small Business LIFT (Marketing & Strategy) perform from a project management standpoint?

I haven’t experienced any problems with the timing of the deliverables, as they’re always able to address our concerns and track our goals. I can even talk to them after work hours because they always make themselves available for us.

We usually communicate through Microsoft Teams.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We’re very impressed with their technical prowess and comprehensive understanding of how the system works.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I’m new to digital marketing so I don’t have any experience to advise them on what they could do better.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

As long as you can clearly and openly communicate what you want to achieve, they’re always ready to work with you.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the owner of a small marketing team that provides high level and very engaged services for our clients.

For what projects/services did your company hire Small Business LIFT (Marketing & Strategy)?

Our company growth became a bit stagnant and we really lost focus on what are real value was to our clients. Also we needed to re-identify our audience and marketing strategy.

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

Lift came highly recommended from one of our vendors. The discovery process was very thorough and made us feel like Lift was the best possible option for us.

Describe the project in detail and walk through their service package.

They provided a very involved 6 month plan with the goal to give us a clear marketing strategy vision. They meet with myself, my team and even our clients multiple times to help them fully understand. All the while keeping us updated of the progress and journey through the process.

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

We worked primarily with one contact and he managed their internal team which consisted of finance, marketing and strategy personnel.

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

The end result was a clear plan of action that was easy for us to implement. The results quickly showed and continued to improve.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

we had weekly zoom calls and where provided updated visuals of the journey through the process.

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

Their attention to detail and willingness to get their hands dirty.

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

Honestly the experience was amazing so I can't think of anything but of course we can all always improve.

Introduce your business and what you do there? 

I’m the CEO of a small fish farming company.

What challenge were you trying to address with Small Business LIFT?

We didn’t know whether or not we should start our sales office in China, Singapore, Taiwan, or other countries. As a result, we hired Small Business LIFT to help us with market research.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Dave (CEO & Founder) did market research regarding the sea cucumber market. He went to distributors, wholesalers, restaurants, and others. On top of that, he went to several countries and researched the types of sea cucumbers were available there. 

Along with that, he checked the price and origin of the sea cucumbers as well as consumer preferences and sales of those sea cucumbers in various markets. By checking those things, I got an idea of the market size for each country. After that, I went on a second trip with him, and he introduced me to the people that he had met on his first trip.

He also called other sea cucumber experts that were based in countries such as Australia and New Zealand. In addition, he helped with market strategy and provided a detailed report, including contact information of all the business relationships he built. He introduced us to some high-potential customers, too.

What is the team composition?

Dave was our only contact from Small Business LIFT.

How did you come to work with Small Business LIFT?

We were introduced by a mutual friend.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $18,000–$20,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together with Small Business LIFT from March 2018–January 2019.

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

Based on Dave’s research, we opened an office in Singapore and began shipping to Hong Kong. He also introduced us to new customers. Moreover, he communicated ideas and strategy clearly and was great at building business relationships, getting contacts, and asking the right questions. Overall, the engagement was quite helpful for us. 

How did Small Business LIFT perform from a project management perspective?

Small Business LIFT moved as quickly as we did, never causing any delays. We received updates whenever they were available. Above all, they were extremely organized, keeping write-ups from every conversation. We communicated via video calls and email.

What did you find most impressive about them? 

Dave’s judgment was highly trustworthy.

Are there any areas they could improve?

If he spoke Mandarin Chinese and had a teammate or two working with him, that would be beneficial.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Clearly define your objectives and goals internally prior to hiring Dave. It will help the engagement be successful.