Steadfast Collective

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the former Digital Transformation Manager of Hampshire Cultural Trust

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Hampshire Cultural Trust manages 23 visitor attractions and cultural spaces across Hampshire, employing 130 staff with support from 400 volunteers. The charitable goal is changing lives through culture.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Steadfast Collective to accomplish?

• Achieve systems integration via API
• Reduce reliance on manual data entry
• Improve business intelligence with data

SOLUTION

How did you find Steadfast Collective?

• Referral
• Other

Why did you select Steadfast Collective over others?

• High ratings
• Close to my geographic location
• Great culture fit
• Other

What was the size of Steadfast Collective’s team?

6-10 Employees

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

We hired Steadfast Collective to build a custom web application to connect our modern retail, ticketing and ecommerce platforms with an incumbent accounting software. There were no off-the-shelf API integrations available so we built from scratch. Steadfast scoped, managed and delivered the project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• Visible business intelligence
• Successful flow of data between platforms
• Delivered on time and on budget

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

Steadfast were proactive from the offset, with a detailed kick-off session and project scoping exercise. This set the expectations with our wider management team and helped to translate some of the technical aspects of the project into clear and simple language. Steadfast were responsive to emails and kept us updated throughout.

What was your primary form of communication with Steadfast Collective?

• In-Person Meeting
• Virtual Meeting

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

They had an incredible breadth of expertise from a local agency. Their approach was very transparent and honest.

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

Communicate changes in team structure. Due to the lengthy nature of this project, there were changes to project team members during the latter stages. This didn't derail the project.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the founder of a creative agency.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Steadfast Collective, and what were your goals?

Steadfast help us with ongoing maintenance, development and new websites

SOLUTION

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

Steadfast came highly recommended by a trusted source

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

The main area in which we've worked together to date is on maintaining and trouble shooting existing sites as well as upgrading and adding certain features. All the sites to date have been Wordpress based.

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

Predominantly, we work with an account manager but where necessary, we also speak directly to programmers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The impact of Steadfast's work to date has mostly been around ensuring the smooth running of all of our sites and the peace of mind that comes from knowing they will do what they can to ensure our sites run correctly

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

Most of our communication is through Slack. Tasks are handled in a timely and efficient manner.

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

Their general professionalism and commitment to being helpful are amazing. This feels like a cultural thing as it is evident when speaking to any member of the team. What minor blips we've had have been dealt with quickly, efficiently and effectively.

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

The team are flexible and the way we interact is evolving over time so it feels like we are learning and improving where we can on both sides.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a manager at an accounting library services company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Steadfast Collective?

We needed help with web development and design.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Steadfast Collective provided us with web development and support. Another web agency built our site from scratch using Statamic, and Steadfast Collective looked after it for us. We worked with them on a monthly retainer basis, and they helped us with bugs, site updates, and functionality changes.

Occasionally, Steadfast Collective did project work for us outside of their retainer. For example, they designed and built a form on our website.  

What is the team composition?

I worked with the production manager and a developer.

How did you come to work with Steadfast Collective?

They were already on retainer when I joined the team. The company that built our website recommended Steadfast Collective. 

How much have you invested with them?

We spent less than $10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with Steadfast Collective from May 2021–January 2023.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I was really happy with Steadfast Collective's services. They delivered our desired results on time. We requested a few changes in the last project we did together, and they turned these amendments around really quickly. Moreover, the team was really polite and accommodating. The site updates just went live, so we don't have any statistics yet. 

How did Steadfast Collective perform from a project management standpoint?

They delivered on time. We had to change the project's timeline a couple of times, and they worked with that. The team delivered within budget, even with amends. 

Moreover, communicating with them was easy. We used Trello for project management and email, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams to communicate. Steadfast Collective was quick to respond. I had occasional video and phone calls with them as well.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Steadfast Collective's team is very professional and polite. They had great customer service and were quick at responding.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I would have changed nothing about Steadfast Collective's work; they did a really good job. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If you're looking for a reliable provider that can support web fixes and easy functionality changes, Steadfast Collective is the perfect company to work with.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the marketing director for Outpost Management, a real estate company. We own, build, and manage build-to-rent properties in the UK.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Steadfast Collective?

Our initial brand website for our first operational asset was a templated website. This was fine for a single asset, but wouldn't work for a growing portfolio of assets across the UK. The templated website was too restrictive.

We needed to be able to apply our brand colors and font to the site and manipulate the pages to add icons, additional images, and other content; we couldn’t do any of this on the templated site. These restrictions prevented us from executing SEO and being able to really sell our product well. 
 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Steadfast Collective has built and designed a new portfolio website from scratch using Statamic. They’ve integrated the site’s API with our property management system, and designed the UX/UI. They continue to manage and improve the site on an ongoing basis.  

At the beginning of the project, we explained our challenges and goals; we’re a high-end real estate brand, so we needed a quality content-rich website to attract our target audience. We needed the website to serve us for a minimum of the next four years and showcase up to 10 assets with up to 1,000 units each. 

They've built pages for two buildings and incorporated them with our parent brand to showcase our two asset classes. Out first is a high-end multifamily building in central London, with exclusive amenities and the second, which has a different brand application is studio-living in a different part of London, with a different target audience.

In terms of the brand, the page structure of each site is the same, but the application, colors, photography style, and illustrations are different to appeal to different audiences. I gave them brand guidelines, including color swatches and a vision for each asset class. Our second building is not open yet so the website is the first place those brand applications have been applied.  
 

What is the team composition?

During the RFP process, I dealt with Pete (Managing Director) who remains available if I have any questions or concerns; he’ll especially jump in for anything big picture.

During the initial phase of the project, I worked with a third-party designer that Steadfast Collective partners with to design the UX and incorporate brand guidelines. 

Since signing off on the UX and design, I’ve worked directly with Ross (Production Manager) on the day-to-day management of the project. Duncan (Web Developer), James (Web Developer), Josh (Project Manager), and Kat (Web Developer) have developed the site.

How did you come to work with Steadfast Collective?

We put out a comprehensive RFP and invited them to respond. They were recommended to me by a freelancer that had been helping out at my company before I started here. We chose Steadfast Collective out of three contenders because they were straightforward and communicated well.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $50,000–$200,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

I sent out the RFP in April 2022, and our work with them is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The website has been live since early November 2022. They did really well; I’m very pleased with the product. 

How did Steadfast Collective perform from a project management standpoint?

Steadfast Collective meets deadlines, and Pete and Ross are always very responsive; if one is unavailable, the other will get back to me. The third-party designer has liaised with Steadfast Collective to get input from them.

Steadfast Collective uses Trello to manage the project. I can create a ticket for any issue that arises and see where exactly it is in the queue, who’s working on it, and what stage it’s in. Details, questions, comments, and even Loom video updates can be added to the ticket. Steadfast Collective has a column in Trello for key information, including retainer information, process instructions, and links to tutorials. 

Once a ticket has been entered, Ross moves it into the “discussion” stage and tags the relevant developers. Then, Steadfast Collective moves a ticket into the “to do” stage. They tag me as needed throughout the process, which prompts a Trello notification to my email, and I move the ticket to the “sign-off” stage once it’s approved. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They do great work very quickly. They are very cost-effective, responsive, and honest. They’ve also been patient and persistent with our property management service provider, who has not been responsive.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there’s nothing for them to improve.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be transparent with your expectations and timeline, and they’ll do everything they can to make the project work.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the operations director for CRiS and VIN CHIP™. CRiS is the national database for touring caravans in the UK, and VIN CHIP™ is a security marking scheme for caravans, motorhomes, panel vans, and campervans.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Steadfast Collective?

Our database needed some significant improvements. We already had a lot of different customer personas that needed access to our database, including police officers, vehicle dealers, insurance companies, part manufacturers, and consumers moving into the contact center. Still, we were looking at going into other areas outside of leisure, but our current system wouldn’t be able to do what we wanted. Therefore, we needed to revamp our current system, so we hired Steadfast Collective to help us out.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Steadfast Collective has helped us build a fully functional database, a website, and a contact center system. Initially, we provided them with the different customer journeys for the various customer personas and granted them access to our current system. On it, they saw what the existing system did and assessed the improvements we wanted to make. From there, they redeveloped the entire system from scratch.

Currently, Steadfast Collective oversees our system and provides support when needed. Since our website went live, their team has also helped us fix bugs and add more features to the system. Moreover, they help us make changes and support our development needs continuously.

For example, when we first launched the database, we received feedback from police officers telling us that the new system was difficult for them to navigate. Thus, we went to Steadfast Collective, and they helped us redesign and rebuild the police side of the database to satisfy their needs.

What is the team composition?

Steadfast Collective’s managing director is my main point of contact, but I’ve also worked with various developers from their team. Throughout the project, I’ve seen 6–7 different developers working on the project and providing support.

How did you come to work with Steadfast Collective?

Before working with them, we had already started working on this project — another developer was going to build the system for us. Thus, we first brought Steadfast Collective to do an overview of the project and give us an estimate of how long it would take to build the system.

After discussing what could be done and what we needed, they made some calculations and gave us an estimate. At that point, we decided to move the project over to them so that they could help us complete the project.

How much have you invested with them?

To build the system, we paid Steadfast Collective a fixed monthly rate until completion, but I don’t know how much we paid them. Now, we pay them around £6,500 (approximately $8,000 USD) per month for ongoing support.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together around January 2021 and launched the website in June 2022. Still, our engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Thanks to our new system, we’ve improved our database’s ease of use and ease of access for our different user personas.

How did Steadfast Collective perform from a project management standpoint?

Steadfast Collective’s project management has been fantastic, and we’ve had no issues whatsoever. We use Trello to manage the project, so our management team has access to it so that we can upload tickets. Then, Steadfast Collective’s developers get assigned to those tickets and work with us through a Trello board to close them.

We also use Trello to communicate and provide Steadfast Collective with any information they require. Still, they’re always available to jump on a call if we need to discuss things in more detail. I also communicate with their team via email on a regular basis to discuss things outside of the scope. During the initial development and testing process, we had weekly meetings to highlight different things before the platform went live, which was very helpful.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Steadfast Collective’s communication is their most impressive skill; it made the development process painless, which was great.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s nothing Steadfast Collective could improve on.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Provide them with a brief as detailed as possible so that they can have a full picture of the project from the very beginning.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m one of the founders and directors of Kevy Technologies. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Steadfast Collective?

We contracted Steadfast Collective to help us build a custom platform.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Steadfast Collective helped us build a platform from scratch using Laravel. They handled everything, including the front- and backend; they’re currently revamping the former. They also provide maintenance and hosting support.

The platform is designed to allow airport car parking operators and lounge operators to sell their products in bulk to their customers. 

What is the team composition?

We work with Peter (Managing Director) and three developers from their team. 

How did you come to work with Steadfast Collective?

I found them through a Google search.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $10,000–$25,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Steadfast Collective in November 2021, and our engagement is still ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The platform is functioning smoothly; we haven’t experienced any bugs or crashes so far. We’ve also received positive feedback from users. Overall, everything has been going according to plan, and we want to continue working with Steadfast Collective.

How did Steadfast Collective perform from a project management standpoint?

Their communication is very straightforward. We use various communication tools, including email, Microsoft Teams, Zoom, and phone calls. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

We’re impressed with their creativity and fluid communication.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They need to be more proactive in terms of suggesting ideas.

Any advice for potential customers?

Just get in touch with them and be straightforward.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the head of business development for a nonprofit trade body organization.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Steadfast Collective?

We were looking to develop a whole new concept for the market that would harness the interest of consumers interested in leisure vehicles and bring them to one place to compare the different specifications.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We’ve worked with Steadfast Collective for several years on multiple projects. One project we worked on was a consumer website containing information for buyers looking to compare different leisure vehicles. We gave Steadfast Collective written briefs outlining the deliverables and had discussions about what we were looking for, and they came back to us with a response and options.

Steadfast Collective has also been helping us replace and renew a system center where we hold secure data like registration for leisure vehicles. 

What is the team composition?

We worked with two developers and one designer on the consumer website, and we’re working with 3–4 people on the database project. 

How did you come to work with Steadfast Collective?

They were a recommendation from another company we worked with. We chose them because they had a wide range of skills particular to the project we were working on, specifically website design skills. Their extra breadth of skill made us choose them in the end. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent a little less than £150,000 (approximately $181,000 USD) throughout our engagement. 

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? 

The comparison website that they helped us with has been very successful, and the website has worked very well. We’ve had positive feedback from users and the industry as a whole. Steadfast Collective took an idea we had and made it into reality. Overall, we feel like we have a good and strong relationship and think they’re a good fit for our company. 

How did Steadfast Collective perform from a project management standpoint?

They stay on time and within budget, and they’ve always done what they told us they would. They're responsive, and we know they'll react if we pick up the phone and call them. We use Trello for day-to-day communication and meet when necessary over Microsoft Teams. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They're good at solving complex problems and can break them down and simplify them. We’ve also been impressed with their approach and the way they're able to come to us and give an overview of what they’re thinking before moving forward. We always know what we’re going to end up with because they include us throughout the process. 

Steadfast Collective also reacts quickly when we come to them with an issue, and they seem to be growing quickly. The team is always polite and comes up with intelligent and clever options for us. They’re courteous and honest about what’s happening if there's ever a misunderstanding; we feel like this has contributed to our relationship being able to grow. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

We wish they had a deeper understanding of our business because they could be more directive about things if they did. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

We recommend them because they have a breadth of skills that sometimes smaller agencies don't. Steadfast Collective is a pleasure to work with; if you put in the effort, you’ll get the results.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Development Director of G&L

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Fundraising within an education setting

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Steadfast Collective to accomplish?

• Build a custom platform from scatch
• Create a functional product with a clear ROI
• Develop a streamlined user journey to maximise return

SOLUTION

How did you find Steadfast Collective?

Online Search

Why did you select Steadfast Collective over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Steadfast Collective were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

We approached Steadfast with a brief to create a custom fundraising platform from scratch. Having very little experience with app/web development, they delivered a fully functioning platform at a very cost effective price.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They delivered the project on time and on-budget. They were hands on and I felt supported throughout the whole project. They are all extremely approachable and delivered everything they promised. We had a few internal issues hiccups within our own organisation and Steadfast were extremely patient with us as a client. There customer service is exceptional and they are a very slick and professional business to work with.

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

Responded very quickly and delivered everything very quickly

What was your primary form of communication with Steadfast Collective?

Virtual Meeting

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

The customer service and their client first approach

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

No, they were brilliant.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Marketing Manager of Shorefield Holidays Limited

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Shorefield Holidays Limited provide high-quality holiday accommodation and ownership options, in fully-equipped caravans, cozy lodges, many with hot tubs, Luxury houses and stunning tree houses, as well as touring and camping pitches. Our Hampshire and Dorset locations offer our holiday guests an extensive range of leisure facilities and activities not to mention a huge variety of restaurants, bars and retail outlets.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Steadfast Collective to accomplish?

• To maintain and develop our website and ecommerce platforms

SOLUTION

How did you find Steadfast Collective?

Referral

Why did you select Steadfast Collective over others?

• Close to my geographic location
• Great culture fit
• Referred to me
• Other

What was the size of Steadfast Collective’s team?

6-10 Employees

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

To manage and support our ongoing digital presence 24/7 Incident Monitoring a Maintain ecommercend trouble shooting Development work based on our business needs

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• Zero ecommerce downtime
• UX improvements
• Ecommerce converiosn rate increase by 0.5%

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

Excellent. A seemless transition from previous agency.

What was your primary form of communication with Steadfast Collective?

Virtual Meeting

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

The industry knowledge was excellent within our sector with a focus on the direction we wanted to take regarding app development and membership sites.

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

No

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Project Manager of Be One Percent

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

A charity improving the livelihoods of people in the world's poorest communities

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Steadfast Collective to accomplish?

• re-design our website to better tell our story

SOLUTION

How did you find Steadfast Collective?

Other

Why did you select Steadfast Collective over others?

• Great culture fit
• Company values aligned

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

Our mission is to help those living in extreme poverty through one simple idea: people give 1% of their income to the world’s poorest communities. Businesses fund our running costs so 100% of individuals’ donations can go to projects on the ground. We keep our donors up to date on exactly where their money will go and how many people it will benefit through a monthly email and on our website.

Steadfast helped us communicate why Be One Percent is unique in trying to solve the problem of poverty by enabling our community to benefit the poorest communities. They streamlined our member onboarding and helped us celebrate our business sponsors

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• Website launch

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

They lead us through the process and experts and exceeded expectations

What was your primary form of communication with Steadfast Collective?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email
• Messaging App

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

They were hands-on and insightful. They grasped what we were about and helped us yell that story

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

None!