Enterprise Nation

If you call the coming-together of two home businesses to offer great customer service a crime, then Barbara Rudlin and Karen Lauenborg are guilty as charged. They met at a networking event in Southend and have not looked back since forming a partnership that’s delivering for clients, and for them. 

Joining forces

Enterprise Nation asks Barbara and Karen how their partnership started, what it means for clients and how others can follow in their double footsteps.

Barbara runs Fiery Phoenix
Karen runs PinkCreative

What does Fiery Phoenix do?

We provide a full internet service, which includes website design, consultancy, website development and hosting advice.

We pride ourselves on our friendly yet professional manner. Many start-up companies feel they cannot take advantage of the opportunities the internet can offer due to a fear of the costs involved. Here at Fiery Phoenix we believe we can help many smaller businesses grow by using the internet effectively.  We don’t focus on booking orders, but on building successful business relationships with our clients.

What does PinkCreative do?

PinkCreative is a graphic design agency. We offer services from advertising, editorial, photography to logos, stationery and magazines – ‘anything you think you need, think pink!’

How do you know each other?

We went to a networking event in Southend, met during a ‘speed networking’ session, found our businesses complimented each other, swapped business cards, and the rest is history...

Who suggested the idea of a partnership and why?

B:  After the initial intro I asked if Karen would be willing to provide graphic work, as this was a weakness in my skill set.  I also asked if web creation services were something she would be interested in.  As we are both home workers and have a similar low cost methodology so it made sense to work together.

K:  I contacted Barbara after the networking event as I had a lot of web based work coming up and the other freelancers I used were getting busy, so I wanted to find out whether she was interested in helping me out and taking some of my web work. I knew that I would be able to work with Barbara the moment I met her.

How do you think the partnership is benefiting your clients?

B: I am able to offer clients a top notch design service that matches the high quality technical services currently provided.

K: I can offer a confident web design/development service, knowing that Barbara is right there behind me, supporting and advising along the way.

How does it work in practice?

We each have our own clients, for example – a PinkCreative client will be offered everything through PinkCreative.  We create a joint quotation for presentation to the client and discuss as necessary the more technical aspects with a potential client.

We provide support to each other if a client is particularly demanding, which is invaluable when you are feeling isolated in your kitchen or wherever your home office happens to be.  We work quite a distance apart, but with constant emails and phone calls flying about we are always in regular contact.

A typical order would follow the pattern below:

• Karen will design the website, with feedback from Barbara and once approved send the design over to Fiery Phoenix to have it built.
• Once the website is completed PinkCreative will be invoiced by Fiery Phoenix or vice versa, and then when all the work for the client has been completed they will be invoiced for everything.

One of our clients deals with us both direct knowing that we work together and communicate with each other on a regular basis – they are happy as they get to talk to the right person for the particular job they need doing, plus benefiting from getting the best possible outcome for their business from our two companies combined.

In particular we have been able to land a new client for a considerable amount of work, which will extend over the next two years, due to the fact that we offer a joint technical and graphical approach.  This was exactly what this client was looking for.  If we had not been working together we would never have been able to even quote for the work.

What do you think are the top 3 factors that ensure a successful partnership?

B:  Similar work ethics, working together to support both businesses – not just focussing on your own bottom line and last but definitely not least being able to talk to each other about all aspects of the work and respecting each others strengths and opinions.

K: Guidelines that are set out from the start, equal enthusiasm for the work and most importantly communication!
 
Barbara Rudlin and Karen Lauenborg talk to Emma Jones

• Fiery Phoenix
• Pink Creative