Transcript:
Monica Evans:
This is The Marketing Hero Podcast by ClearPivot, turning marketers into heroes.
Monica Evans:
Welcome to The Marketing Hero Podcast. I'm your host, Monica Evans, and today we have Corina Ludwig on the call and she is from FunctionFox. Hey Corina, how are you doing today?
Corina Ludwig:
Good, thanks for having me, it's great to be on The Marketing Hero Podcast.
Monica Evans:
Tell us a little bit about yourself and how long you've been with FunctionFox.
Corina Ludwig:
Sure. So at FunctionFox, if you haven't heard of FuncionFox before, we offer online time sheet and project management for creative professionals, and we've been doing that for 20 years now. I've been with the company for 20 years. Got involved out of a need from an advertising design creative studio that was looking for a better way to track time and projects, but really couldn't find anything in the industry. This is prior to .com and online banking. There really wasn't anything online to track time and projects.
So we built it for ourselves, for our creative studio, and found that it was something that was really useful for us, and we put it out to other companies, just as friends and family, and found that it worked really well for them, and from there the company was born. So we basically come from a need and that definitely was a need, and so we branched out and started to sell it as a product and we've been successful ever since.
Monica Evans:
Oh, amazing. I know that within even the last 10 years, there've been so many different project management tools like Basecamp and Trello and Asana, and even communication platforms like Slack are considered project management these days. It's really confusing at an early stage for a growing SaaS company. In what areas of functionality has FunctionFox stayed relevant to your core customers and audience?
Corina Ludwig:
Yeah. The good news is there's an endless number of software platforms designed to help you manage to create some time tracking and project management. With that being said, there's so many options out there. 20 years ago when we started out, it was very limited, there was really a handful, less than five, and even less for the advertising design creative niche, which is what we're in. These days, there's so many of them, and it changes so quickly, the landscape changes so quickly.
So in order to stay relevant, it's really looking at you're core group of customers, what niche they're in, what their needs are. Ours specifically is for advertising design, creative group, so anyone that's a creative professional, and so we're able to keep our product very relevant to that group with the needs that they need. And it's really customer driven, so they're asking for certain features and we find that if there is a group that is all leaning towards the thing then we build that functionality into our product, and that's the best way that we've been able to stay relevant, but yeah, there's lots of products out there [inaudible 00:03:10] just to kind of find what's right for you.
Monica Evans:
So how would you distinguish between the differences of say Trello versus FunctionFox versus Asana? I know you talked about the industry. You're kind of in the creative industry. Would that be the main difference or are there other differences that come into play?
Corina Ludwig:
Yeah, there's lots of differences. And like I said, it's hard to find what is right. I think first identifying what you need. So Trello versus FunctionFox versus Asana, if you look 10 years ago, they were all very different or some them actually weren't even there. And if he go to four or even five years from now, they're all going to be different again. So even keeping up to date on how they're each changing is very challenging.
Monica Evans:
The main differences are on a niche focus where there a niche focus. Others are not, they're more general. It depends on what the buyer or the prospect is looking for. And then there's other things, there's products that are suited for a specific size of company, whether it be a startup or mid-sized or enterprise. And then there's also based on user interface, usability, scalability, complexity, features. There's lots of things that get out of the list in terms of those when you're looking for a product. So, if you're in the market for a new product, I would say there's some tips that I can give in terms of what people need, but it really comes down to identifying what your needs are for your particular company and then narrowing down the list based on those needs.
And this is just kind of, I'm just genuinely curious. Do you at FunctionFox you use FunctionFox for project management.
Corina Ludwig:
Yeah, absolutely. You know, we need our own dogs dog too, so to speak and it's really good. So we did time-tracking for ourselves internally so that we could better build our clients and really understand estimates to actual and doing invoices. So we did it for ourselves and it worked well from us and hence we put it out for the rest of the creative market and found it was very successful I'm doing my timesheet as we speak. I'm tracking this call, for example, that's retired or retired team has been our product every day.
Monica Evans:
So with a FunctionFox, do you get, does do your customers get reporting abilities too with that?
Corina Ludwig:
Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. That's one of our primary features and what really sets us apart from some of the other competitors out there or the players in the field. We find that the reporting is really robust. There's lots of products out there and they all have their advantages, and that makes them stand out other players in the market. But what we hear a lot coming, your radar, hundreds or thousands of testimonials reports. So that's a really big key feature of FunctionFox along with our great customer service. It really sets us apart in terms of giving the users exactly what they need without too much complexity. So friendly products, but also very good.
Monica Evans:
And when you, when a new customer comes in, do you have kind of an onboarding, do you get them set up in a way that works for their company or do you kind of just guide them in the right... You just have consulting at the start of it.
Corina Ludwig:
Yeah. So with FunctionFox we're with you every step of the way, right from the initial choosing the right platform, we're there if you say these are the five or 10 features that we need, and we'll be the first ones to say, you know what? We don't think that people they fit, we recommend two or three other products. So really helping identify the right products in then beginning that if we find that FunctionFox is the right fit for the prospects, we take them through the right set up and startup right through to how they're with us as a customer as they grow throughout their [inaudible 00:07:14] their company.
So all the onboarding, all the setup is included free. There's no additional charge for that. And that's something, again, that sets us apart from the other products out there. We'll find that if you're a small company, it can be set up within the hour, larger companies might take a little bit longer to get customized reports for things that they need. And then if people have questions, whether it be the primary person that set it up, or any of the staff or even the product they can call or email at any time from Monday to Friday, regular business hours, but also do some sort of summer weekends to make sure that people are getting everything that they need.
Monica Evans:
Oh, that's amazing. So you would say that your, your kind of customer success and onboarding team is really what sets you apart as well from the other tools, because I know that there is some issues, well, I've experienced kind of with Asana or Trello that you're kind of left to your own demise. You have to figure it out and you set it up your own way. So it is quite refreshing to hear that. Especially for a company that's, doesn't really have a project management tool in place to begin with and then going from nothing to, something it can be quite overwhelming on where to even begin.
Corina Ludwig:
Yeah. And we found out as well, it can be really [inaudible 00:08:31] So having someone that you can talk to, not just about the product. So, I mean, we don't just offer product advice, but also industry advice. So everything from, Oh, you're setting up your rates well, what rates should you charge in your area? What are your competitors charging? Those are extra value that we can offer because we offer time-tracking projects that would be creative professionals, they have that experience. So it's extra resources and extra insight that we provide new customers.
And yeah, you don't, you don't want to be thinking okay, if I call someone, how much is that going to cost? With us it's included free of charge. [inaudible 00:09:12] a hundred testimonials where people rave about the company model on customer service. I think it's nice to have, but it comes definitely more important. How do you have their need to set up ang get involved in things that, the 29th of the month, then you need to get reporting out they need help [inaudible 00:09:35] add on product, you have to pay for that and so FunctionFox. So it's a differentiating factor.
Monica Evans:
And what, in your experience, what are the biggest challenges you see companies face when they don't even have a project management in place or a structure in place even to start? What do you see majority of the time?
Corina Ludwig:
Yeah. I think the biggest challenge is [inaudible 00:10:02] There's so many products out there. And so there's tools to help prospects with that. I've sort of narrowed it down or our company has narrowed it down to five steps. I'd like to share those with you. One is default. So step one is really to figure out what you need. People don't come together little less than they'll have every feature that they can imagine on that list. And what you're doing is you're, you're throwing a whole level of complexity in there that you really down need. So, I always breakdown a list of the must haves, the nice to have, and the ones that you don't need. And sometimes people try to put everything all in one product and they'll end up needing to buy a really expensive system, which at the end of the day, you're not really going to use.
So I'd say, look at a product that is small, that you could start with, especially if you don't already have one in place and that can go well with your business. [inaudible 00:10:58] start with one user and then add users as you go. And the product sort of grows with you and your pricing will grow in addition to that as well. So that's where I started. Making a list, everything that you need, but nothing more. And then really making sure that the entire team has sort of an input on that.
The second one is search for more products out there. I don't mean just going into Google and searching, there's products like Capterra and software advice you can put in your requirements and they can help you narrow down the list. So I'd started there because that complexity is already taken away for you and that he give you a side-by-side checklist and that's very helpful.
The third step I would say is have someone dedicated to going through the tours and going through the demos. It can be really overwhelming if [inaudible 00:11:52] or 15 different companies kind of calling you and trying to do a walk through with you. I'd narrow it down to about five, three, ideally, and then sometimes have statements, take it through the product cycle, a full month of selling with those three products. Maybe one project, a couple of different campaigns potentially, and then call them, email them, see what their response time is. See if you can get help when you need it.
Really ask the detailed questions, about growth, about niche, about scalability, usability, is it easy to use? Are other people going to be able to pick that up very easily? And then finally, decide on which is the right option for you and make sure that they've got a good leap on policies that, there's, there's no contract that you're signing for an extended period of time and make sure that it's the right fit for you. And the onboarding part is really important to make sure that your team is using it and that it's not too complex. So those would be my shirt to five, if you want a more in depth sort of overview on that, we've got an article on the website, a couple of articles on how to choose a project management system.
Monica Evans:
And for, for us, for instance, like a company that has works with multiple different clients, or they have a bunch of teams on the same tool, what would you say would be a good timeframe for a company to be like, "Okay, we'll be up and running with this new project management tool in X amount of months. And we can start seeing an increase in productivity." Do you have any kind of those stats or experience of working with larger companies, medium sized companies on what the kind of turnaround time is to get this set up?
Corina Ludwig:
Yeah, and I think it really depends on the size of the company. I think in most cases what we recommend is, normally they have some sort of system in place. So I would say continue on that system, research new systems, then take one new project or one small test project and test it on the new system. So keep your other systems going, whether it be Excel or paper or whatever you have in place. So over that month period or two months period test it out on the new system and then slowly migrate new projects onto that new system.
Yeah, so there'll be a little bit of overlap. We recommend that because it starts to get people used to it and there's not like this big wholesale shift. If you do it at the end of the year, right now is the perfect time of year to do that, where you say, okay, we're testing out new systems. After December 31st and we're no longer going to be entering stuff into our own system. Come January 1st, everything is going to be on the new system. And we find that a date like that, be it in the future is really helpful, but to do some overlap so that they can compare reports, you can compare projects, you could see how the systems work and make sure that it's the right system for you.
Monica Evans:
And kind of speaking of deadlines and stuff like that. Do you feel that working with companies that are looking to purchase a project management tool and implement it, that there needs to be buy-in across the company? Because I feel like that would be the hardest thing is you have a company that's been doing what they've been doing for the longest time. And then all of a sudden switching that, do you feel like that's kind of a disconnect too, within different departments within companies when they start something new? Do you see that as a challenge?
Corina Ludwig:
Yeah, for sure. It's a challenge. And I think that's why step one is getting everybody's list. Making sure that everybody knows hey was looking for a new system. Put your input in, in terms of what you're needs are. If someone goes through that process, they go and find a new system and they pick what they think would be the best. And then at the end of the day, it doesn't do what a large majority of the team needs. You have buy-in from the groups. So I recommend doing that with your entire team saying, "Here's what our current system has. Here's the things that it's lacking. We're going to go out and look for a new project management system, either the top 10 or five things that we need. Is there anything else?" And it comes down to, at the end of the day, do people enjoy using it?
Is it easy to use? Is it too complex or not complex enough? Is it made for that industry? Does the software understand your business and provide what you need in terms of recording or resource allocation and task management, whatever it may be. So really getting that from your users up front or from the rest of your team upfront will help you in the long run when constant communication time and giving them lots of notice in terms of hey this change is coming this is going to be a positive change here, so why is it going to be positive? Here's how it's going to help us and helping share that. So I think the tools that we've seen where it might not have worked is where there wasn't buy-in from the whole team, or just put [inaudible 00:17:02] by the way, on this January 1st, we're going to be using this new product. So getting buy-in from the beginning of my top recommend.
Monica Evans:
And I would assume too, with this new software in place or project management tool, that there needs to be some documentation behind it too, to make sure that everyone does the same thing across the board. The same naming conventions, the same stuff, to really try to keep track of stuff. Do you, do you see that happening too where they don't even have naming convention across the board, it's different across different departments and stuff, and it makes it really difficult for people to understand different tasks if they were to go in there. I'm just curious about that, because I know that there's some issues, even with like a HubSpot tool, right? You do marketing email campaigns, or you do campaigns. If the naming conventions are all off, it's like, well, what exactly was this campaign for? And what was this email? I don't know if it's the same as project management tool, but are these there documentation that goes along with the process as well?
Corina Ludwig:
Yeah. I mean, I think there's lots of different products out there and each of them have their own conventions. I can speak from FunctionFox standpoint where we help you with those naming conventions. It's set up specifically. So you can have particular project codes by client, or you can have it across the board and you can set up certain project managers for things. So you have the same people setting up the same process or you might use a customer flash form. So we have a flash form where everything goes in a certain way and there's [inaudible 00:18:36] that will show you okay so this is how you should enter it. This is the type of project that it is, whether it be design or advertising or radio or TV or whatever it may be. And then here's the coding and the naming conventions that I've used in the past that you can see past projects and see how things have been so its very clear.
There are other products out there that are not defined. So, they've got lots of customization available, which is potentially a, the need that that team may have, but when it comes down to it, I say certain products like FunctionFox are very easy to use where you don't need a lot of documentation or hub files. They're very straightforward and there's tools that can help you along your way. Then when it comes to really large in-house companies, we have some where they've done their own tool or their own documentations to help their users, but it's really just that there's a guide. And we find that a lot of people don't even need them because it's so simple to use. So I think it really depends on the complexity and some products out there and where you need to hire an integrator or someone that can help set it up and work with the team. Other systems are quite straightforward, they're complex in nature, but very simple in terms of the usability and I guess that's what they're for.
Monica Evans:
Amazing.
Corina Ludwig:
Yeah. I would say, at the end of the day, when you're choosing your project nourishment solution, there's lots of tools to help you. But like I said, to try Capterra or Software Advice. And then even if you want to reach out to our team, we're the first ones to say, "Okay, what are you actually looking for? We're not a fit for you, but these three companies would be. So for example, we don't offer integrated accounting. We operate invoicing and reporting, but it's not fully integrated when you're accounting system. There's other products out there like Advantage that, do a great job of that." So we'll be the first ones to say, "Hey, you know what? We're not a fit for you, but Advantage is". So we don't mind doing that to make sure that you find the right fit at the end of the day. So if somebody wants to call us and us there, we're more than happy to help you find the right fit even if it's not us.
Monica Evans:
Well, Corina, this has been fantastic. Thank you for hopping on today with me.
Corina Ludwig:
Great. I appreciate it. And all of the best of luck to everyone looking for a system out there. There's lots to choose from and the good news is [inaudible 00:21:06]
Monica Evans:
You've been listening to the Marketing Hero podcast by ClearPivot. Be sure to join us next time for more information, visit www.clearpivot.com.
