Cases

Following are a few concrete examples of situations where IDIS Consultancy can offer entrepreneurs and agencies a helping hand.

The Pitch
An agency participates in a pitch for a large assignment. Bringing it in would mean months of work and ensure the continuity of the company.
What the agency needs is an expert with experience to advice and manage the agency in preparation for the pitch.

Job profiles
A difference of opinion between the management of the agency and a number of designers who believe they are ‘doing things that they weren’t hired to do’. The agency’s management has nothing to fall back on, because ‘we don’t need job descriptions; everybody here pulls their weight’.
Accurately defined tasks and responsibilities are the basis for a solid job contract, assessments and salary negotiations. But also in unforeseen job conflicts clear job descriptions matter.

Growing pains
The agency, once founded by two partners, has grown into a company with over fifteen employees. What to do now? Continue to grow, consolidate, and open up new branches?
Based on market experience, industry insight and experience with similar situations an external consultant can offer advice on the options and the consequences of your decisions.

Positioning
Positioning is to ‘guarantee that a brand attains a relative position in the client’s brain through demonstrating unique characteristics’. That position can be influenced and steered by activating the brand in the right way. But then first you will need to know what your brand stands for, what its values are and what kind of personality it has.
A work session with the key figures of the agency, headed by one of the IDIS-consultants will clarify your current and desired positioning.

The intermediate
You have landed the job. It is a big commission. You don’t dread the creative challenge but do the Board of Directors with whom you will have to handle the job. You wonder whether you have the right people around you. You would really like to bring someone in who is used to talk at a strategic level with the Board and who can match creativity with business.

The coach, health check
Sometimes you would like to discuss business with someone who knows what he is talking about, who is familiar with all the industry developments and who knows what moves a client and an agency. On a regular basis, as sparring partner, to bounce ideas off or as a consultant.

Financial plan
‘At first it was simple: we make a budget - or not -, did the work, often more than was budgeted for and send an invoice. Now we have come to a stage where we want to know whether we set the right margins, how much reserve we need to build up, whether we have a competitive hourly rate, what our key numbers are,  in short our entire financial performance.’

Entrepreneurship
Design agencies are often managed by multiple partners. Role division, responsibilities or rewards can be subject to a difference of opinion.
But also in case of developing a business plan, a new company structure, collaboration with (strategic) partners or a fusion you can benefit from bringing in a neutral expert.