Situation
In 2009, I established Edit-Ability, a web design and digital marketing agency. As a solo entrepreneur, I heavily relied on my personal knowledge and processes, which were only informally documented. This posed two major challenges: (1) The undocumented knowledge and processes were not easily transferable, and (2) despite my expertise, my knowledge had its limits.
These challenges restricted my capacity to expand the business and introduce new services, consequently affecting profitability and competitive edge.
To counter this challenge, I needed to document processes and hire new talent to:
- Develop new service offerings
- Enhance profitability
- Gain a competitive advantage
Actions
1. Revamping Operational Processes
- Developed and documented standardized procedures and business systems to support daily operations.
- Deployed agile project management methodologies to streamline the web design process.
- Developed training for all staff, which included a code of conduct and shared values, as well as training on project management and our approach to work.
2. Hiring and Onboarding New Team Members
- Successfully hired, trained, and coordinated a team of 10 staff members, ensuring that daily operations and ongoing projects were effectively supported.
- Played a key role in identifying staffing needs within the organization, which involved developing detailed job descriptions and actively recruiting potential team members.
- Conducted comprehensive interviews and meticulously selected candidates, ensuring the selection of only the most qualified individuals for each role.
- Facilitated a smooth transition for new hires through conducting thorough onboarding, orientation, and training sessions.
- Provided continual mentorship and support to team members, fostering a positive work environment and promoting professional growth.
3. Building and Training a Network of Freelancers
- Built a trusted network of more than 50 preferred freelancers, each with specialized skills.
- Pre-vetted each freelancer, secured contractual agreements, and provided comprehensive training before integrating them into the network.
- Developed an operational model to integrate specialty freelancers into projects, ensuring they worked as part of the larger project team with access to project management and communication tools.
- Designed contractual agreements to protect the company and ensure mutual benefits, addressing freelancers’ conduct with clients, intellectual property matters, and non-solicitation specifics.
Results
Value to Business:
- Increased sales revenue
- Increased customer satisfaction
- Expanded service offering
- Reduced order-to-delivery process by 2 weeks
- Decreased cost-to-serve
- Increased profit margin
Value to Customers:
- Access to professionals that have been pre-vetted
- Access to professionals with specialized knowledge
- Convenience of having many digital marketing services under the same roof
- Quick turnarounds
- High-quality work product
- Better customer service and support