David going up against Goliath is something that one must try to avoid when forming a startup company. For early-stage business plans, starting with the intention of competing against big companies could be a disaster. And for creative people, competition can be counter-productive. We’re better off supporting each other’s growth.
When it comes to Graphic Design Agencies, there are much high profile and reputable companies that brands would consider hiring over a startup company. So, the trick is to focus completely on client satisfaction, and not waste time worrying about what larger Agencies are doing. If anything, a smaller agency might have a competitive advantage because of their intimacy; startups can be more personable and more efficient than larger companies because of the tight-knit work environment. It may be more beneficial for Design Agencies to work together to develop business than to see each other as competition.
“This wealth of experiences, personal and professional, have helped me appreciate the variety of perspectives that present themselves in every case that I hear.
Sonia Sotomayor, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States.
Growth and collaboration are vital for the Design Community. One of the things that can reduce an overwhelming amount of work is outsourcing work to other Design Agencies to assure that the right people are assigned the project and that deadlines are met.
There’s a lot of talent in the world, and branching outside your own city to hire may offer a more diverse perspective. The exposure to international collaboration may lead to more clients from other parts of the world as well. The tricky part is to hire the right designers who can offer a short turn-around time. This way, any and all necessary modifications can be done before the client is scheduled to view the refined project.
Collaborating with artists from other graphic design agencies can also help both of the Agencies prevent pitfalls. When someone collaborates with people from the same line of work, it is not uncommon that they have had the same challenges. But when team members from different agencies work together, a lot of information can be shared, which can later be incorporated internally to tackle complicated situations. Learning from each other’s mistakes helps team members turn in their projects with fewer complications.
For new agencies, this is really important to increase sales and gain more customer recommendations. If you own a Graphics Design Agency or are a part of one, be sure to complement and not compete.