When you consider what you might need to invest in the creation or expansion of your company’s brand it goes without saying that you’ve probably budgeted money, but have you budgeted time? Being in a creative industry we look forward to being challenged and inspired. We want nothing more than to please our clients, disappointment is something a business avoids at all costs. At Loring Studios we have incredible creative resources. We’ve seen the truth of this again and again on the faces of clients who left here delighted with what we provided them. Whether it’s a vehicle wrap, website design, a newly wrapped pontoon boat or a gorgeous pet spa trailer, we don’t need to speculate whether we’ve taken our client’s vision to the next level, they’ve told us we have point blank. These are the best days of being a designer and business owner. It is on this reputation that we have grown our business, and growing business is something we are unbelievably grateful for at awthentik

We must not promise what we ought not, lest we be called on to perform what we cannot. ~Abraham Lincoln

Unfortunately, we all find ourselves operating on ADHD standard time. Our culture has become conditioned to expect what we want when we want it. I think each of us can identify a time when we have had this mentality. What’s more, that want it now mentality is fine if you are looking to obtain something mass produced and readily available, like toothpaste or toilet paper. Not only should you expect to have those sorts of things “right now”, you’d be justified in being exasperated if you couldn’t immediately obtain them. So what about when you’re looking for something that isn’t mass produced? What if the product you are looking to obtain is unique and stylized? The reality is, when the product you are seeking is “creativity” the time line must shift. Whether you are looking to re-vamp your vehicle wraps, develop a new website or brand your company, these are things that can not be found on a production line. A good creative process between a design studio and client is comprised of thoughtfulness, collaboration and inspiration. When it comes to the development of your company, good branding will give you presence in your industry, draw in your clients and potentially carry you through hard times. Nike has made some pretty great products over the years, but they have made some incredible unattractive products as well. Yet, year after year they stayed strong in their market, we’ve come to trust their brand.

Trust and reliability are inextricably linked. Lately we have had to face the disappointment of telling clients we have a lead time which might not fit into their ideal time line. This something that didn’t exist for us until recently, but the days of being able to deliver it “yesterday” are gone. We have found that being upfront about our time line has caused no shortage of disappointment. While I can relate to this disappointment, as a business owner/operator I want my integrity to be beyond question. I want to continue to deliver the same quality product I have in the past and quality is a difficult thing to rush. Any time a business makes promises but fails to deliver, people catch on quickly. I value the trust my clients place in me. I hold invaluable the feeling of bringing a vision to fruition. I want to continue to bring this level of creativity and quality to my market, but I’m not making toothpaste, I’m making brands and those don’t come prepackaged waiting for pick-up. Of course it is your right to seek a second or third opinion. Maybe someone else has told you they CAN deliver it yesterday. But we’ve all heard, “If something sounds too good to be true, it probably isn’t.” It’s a cliche because we’ve heard it a million times, but it’s also a cliche because it’s true.

Next time you forget to budget in that project and need it “yesterday”, please remember your creative crew might need some extra time. You can’t rush perfection!