Christa Tuttle is founder and president of Launch Marketing, an Austin based marketing services firm, which works with technology oriented businesses to generate leads and drive revenue. Launch’s high impact and cost effective services range from developing and implementing integrated marketing plans to completing one time projects including company or product launches, demand generation campaigns, events, websites, collateral and more. Started in 2001, the firm has over 70 clients to date ranging from early stage to public companies. In 2004, Christa was a recipient of the Austin Business Journal’s Rising Star Award and in 2008, Launch received the Silver Award for Best Integrated B2B Tradeshow Campaign by Event Marketer Magazine.

Learn more about Launch Marketing

A Client’s Bill of Rights

Three Key Points to Consider When Selecting a Firm or Consultant

Typically, a company engages a firm or consultant when it lacks time or internal resources to accomplish certain tasks. While this reasoning is effective and can deliver results, the most significant value of working with a third party is the opportunity to gain an unbiased perspective and deep subject matter expertise. Once you’ve identified the need to bring in a third party, where do you begin? How do you ensure maximum value over the lifetime of your engagement?

Launch Marketing interviewed numerous executives to discover common pain points and successes experienced when working with a third party. After analyzing the results, the following are three of the top points:

• The Right to be Understood. It is often seen that some firms ramp up for a client pitch by preparing their resume of accomplishments instead of taking the time to do the homework necessary to gain an understanding of your company, products or solutions. The best pitches ‘feel’ like the firm is part of the company, so much so that it should be seen as extensions of your company’s internal team. The further the firm is along on that path of alignment in early stages, the better your odds are that it will add value to your team.

• The Right to Accountability. As a client, you have the right to receive work from a firm or consultant that is of absolute value to your company. If a firm is running up against obstacles on a project for a client, it is the responsibility of the firm or consultant to notify the client of the situation, and proactively provide an outline of alternative solutions to implement to help achieve projected goals.

• The Right to be Number One. Most importantly, you have the right to feel like you are the only client; the top priority. Regardless of how busy your point of contact is, he or she should always be responsive and accountable to your needs. If your point of contact can’t immediately start working on your request, he or she should at least respond with a phrase such as, “I can’t get to this today, but I can do so tomorrow.” A quick response to let you know they received the message and will work on it as soon as possible is priceless.

Know Your Rights

Make sure whichever firm or consultant you choose can meet these and any other needs specific to you, your internal team and your company. The expectations you outline up front can help you build a successful and long-lasting relationship with the third party you engage. To read the expanded version of this article, visit www.launch-marketing.com/company/articles.aspx

About the Author

Christa Kleinhans Tuttle, a TAB member since 2004, is founder and president of Launch Marketing, which acts as a virtual marketing organization primarily for technology companies, and offers a range of services from developing and implementing integrated marketing plans to completing one time projects including launches, conferences, tradeshows, Web sites, print materials, online campaigns, direct marketing and more.

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Learn more about CLEAResult, Inc.

Glenn Garland’s Biography

The Alternative Board Austin would like to congratulate their superb member, Glenn Garland of CLEAResult, Inc.on his recent marriage!

Congratulations to Mr. & Mrs. Glenn Garland!

Creative Suitcase Gets Carded

Creative Suitcase has recently been generating some attention, both online and at award shows, with a unique, interactive business card design for Impact Salon in Colorado. Impact Salon requested a business card that would create an impression with the public and deliver a memorable experience for their clientele. Creative Suitcase designed a two-piece business card. As you pull the appointment card out of a business card sleeve, a man’s hair transitions from gray to brown or a woman’s hairstyle goes from straight to wavy.  The cards have gone viral and have appeared on such sites as Digg, Polish Money and FaveUp. The cards have also been included on multiple lists of top business card designs. The Impact Salon business cards were recently awarded an American Graphic Design Award from Graphic Design USA.

In addition, Creative Suitcase’s own business card was published in Rockport’s Best of Business Card Design 8, a respected anthology. Creative Suitcase’s marketing materials were also awarded an American Graphic Design Award from Graphic Design USA.

About Creative Suitcase

Creative Suitcase is an award-winning graphic design, advertising and Web design studio located in Austin, Texas. They have produced a wide variety of projects, including branding, logos, identity systems, brochures, Web sites and print campaigns for clients ranging from non-profits to Fortune 500 companies. By studying your business, your market and your goals, they’re able to create the marketing twist needed to unpack your potential.

Creative Suitcase is owned by TAB Member, Rachel Stikeleather. Creative Suitcase gets its name from Rachel’s two biggest loves: graphic design and world travel. She’s worked on three continents and traveled to over 25 countries, learning the cross-cultural aspects of great design. Rachel’s found influence in everything from Slovenian graffiti to Australian aboriginal art and believes that when you experience creativity it follows you everywhere.

For more information, please check us out online at Creative Suitcase or give us a call at (512)326-3667.

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 The Alternative Board would like to congratulate Eric Layne of LH Layne & Co. and Route Service Center Inc.  Eric owns a commercial real estate business that specializes in the leasing and selling of office or warehouse space. 

Eric’s describes his six years with TAB as being “great”.  He says that sharing ideas and “getting an azimuth check” on business decisions has been invaluable as he improves and grows his business and improves his life. 

Last year was one of Eric’s busiest, as he recently earned the title as an Austin Business Journal “Heavy Hitter of Industrial Leasing” for the highest number of square footage leased for 2007.  In addition to the ABJ award, he also earned the 2007 CCIM Deal of the Year Award.  Great job Eric!  

Visit L.H. Layne Co. & Route Service Center Inc.

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View Eric Layne’s Professional Profile

Commercial Real Estate - Heavy Hitters - Industrial

Austin Business Journal

Eric Layne | 13

L.H. Layne Co.

Square footage, bought, sold or leased: 128,275

 

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Check out this interesting Austin Business Journal article on Ron Rowland, who has been a member of TAB-Austin since 2000. 

Learn About Capital Cities Asset Management Inc.

Delegating for Success

Austin Business Journal - by Laura Hipp ABJ Staff

In the high stress world of managing other people’s money, Ron Rowland has learned a unique skill — relaxing.

At least once a year, he takes a few weeks away from his work as president and chief investment officer of Capital Cities Asset Management Inc. You’ll find him on a vacation with his family or navigating antique cars through forgotten Texas towns.

He doesn’t worry about his clients’ finances, office drama or world affairs — confident his team has everything under control.

It’s a lesson learned from necessity. About six years ago, Rowland lost most of his hearing due to sudden hearing loss, an autoimmune condition.

“Everything sounds like its underwater,” he says. “So with hearing aids, it sounds like it’s loud underwater.”

It was a blow to the money manager, who mostly spoke over the phone with clients nationwide.

“I’ve had to relearn a lot of hearing,” he says. “It’s still almost impossible for me to talk on the phone.”

He learned to delegate tasks to his employees, which allows more family time today. And he learned to read lips.

“In a one-on-one situation, I do pretty well, unless the person’s a mumbler. Then I’m lost,” Rowland says.

Adjusting to new situations is easy for Rowland, who began his career designing computer chips and other technology at IBM Corp.

Rowland, a native of Toledo, Ohio, moved here in the late 1970s after studying engineering at the University of Cincinnati.

He moved from project to project at the company while keeping a close eye on his retirement account and real estate investments.

“I realized that over time, I was probably going to make more money each year from gains in my retirement account than anything else,” Rowland says. “I said, ‘If that’s the case, I need to understand this a bit more. I need to understand investments.’”

He began pouring over top financial newsletters and found his accounts were outperforming the advice of the experts.

“I thought, ‘How can they be the best when I’m doing better?’” Rowland says. “But I couldn’t retire from IBM, hang out a shingle, and say, ‘Hey, let me manage your money.’”

That’s when he decided to start a newsletter of his own, the All Star Investor, in the early 1990s. Within a year, he was getting calls from people around the United States asking him to manage their money.

Eventually, the intense interest from potential clients spurred Rowland to retire early from IBM and open Capital Cities Asset Management.

There, he’s learned that hiring the right people is the most important key to a successful business.

“I was able to take a three-week vacation, and it was a real vacation,” Rowland says. “I did not worry about what was going on with the company. I couldn’t have done that without having the right employees.”

The Q&A

Q: When you first noticed your hearing loss, how did you deal with it?

A: In the early days, when it was first happening, I didn’t know what was going on, and the doctors didn’t know what was going on. The first thought was, “It’s a tumor.” It felt like going up in an airplane, and your ears get clogged. You come back down and your ears don’t clear. That’s what it felt like. I kept thinking one day I’m going to yawn and my ears are going to pop and everything’s going to be back to normal. That never happened.”

Q: Did that pose a challenge to managing your business?

A: I had to face the fact that I could lose my hearing. I made some structural changes in the company to prepare for that day. I rearranged my activities, my responsibilities and had to move myself out of client contact. Most of our clients we’ve never met, unlike a lot of financial planners where they deal with local people and face-to-face stuff.

Q: What major life lesson did your parents teach that seems more true today?

A: My parents saved. They did not spend money. They did not go out. They had very modest incomes. They provided for my brother and I, and they made sure we had the things we needed. So I guess one of the things I’ve learned from them is to not live beyond my means. When I see all these stories of people and their credit card debt, I can’t comprehend that. That’s a good lesson I got from them.

Q: What are your thoughts on the state of economy?

A: The thing that surprises me most is that it took so long to reach the stage that it’s at right now. Gasoline and oil prices started rising a long time ago. The mortgage mess started a long time ago. To me, it’s surprising that the economy is just now realizing that or coming to grips with that the past few months. I’m not sure how long its going to take to work through all this.

Q: How are your clients reacting?

A: Clients never like to see the value of their account go down. When the market’s going up, they want those big gains. But when it goes down, they don’t want any losses. So this is a difficult time because the market’s not cooperating.

Q: What do you tell your clients?

A: Our approach to investing is to seek out those areas of the market that are doing better than average and concentrate in those areas. Even doing that, we cannot guarantee that every month is going to be an “up month” or every quarter is going to be an “up quarter.” But over a full market cycle, we should come out better than the market.

Q: What can you tell me about yourself that would surprise your coworkers?

A: I think I surprised them (this summer) because I‘m a fan of the Tour de France. They couldn’t believe I watched that. It’s an endurance thing. It’s not a one-day event. One lucky day doesn’t matter. That’s what I like about antique car rallying because it’s cumulative. On vacation, it’s all consuming. You have to tune out the rest of the world. To me that’s what a vacation is.

In Detail

Home town: Toledo, Ohio

Family: Jennifer, wife; Erika, daughter; Carson, son

Work experience: Computer engineer, IBM Corp.

Education: Bachelor’s in computer and electrical engineering, University of Cincinnati

Publication: Founder and executive editor of financial newsletter All Star Investor

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