An enduring relationship

What sets us apart from other graphics firms is that our designers have double diplomas in graphics and illustration or graphics and fine arts, meaning that we have the capacity to produce original artwork. Our in-house editor, Warren, has more than 30 years of writing experience, including 16 years working full-time at Canada’s largest newspapers and wire services. We collaborate to follow every job through from the first meeting with a client to the day that the finished product is delivered.

Being self-financed entrepreneurs who have grown our clientele and equipment base organically, we understand the needs of small businesses. When we suggest graphic designs or marketing strategies, we do so with a keen awareness of our client’s financial constraints. Everyone has a budget and anyone who says that “money is no object” is being unrealistic.

The phrase, “That’s not my job,” is not in our lexicon. When a client calls to inquire about the status of a job, any one of us is in a position either to give an answer directly or to get back to the client within a short time. “A short time,” for us, means minutes or hours; not days or weeks.

We don ‘t claim that our job quotes will be the cheapest that a potential client can find, but we feel confident that we offer the best value for the price. Before starting a job, we provide our clients with a written proposal which includes all costs, including photos and/or illustrations, prepress and up to two sets of client modifications. There are no hidden fees.

Unlike some agencies, we do not “lowball” the initial proposal and then charge for “extras.” We believe that the client should know before the job starts what the cost is going to be. We abide by our quotes, regardless of whether the job runs into extra hours.

“Integrity” and “honesty” are not empty words to us — they represent cherished values which are a way of life. And to those businessmen who justify ruthless, dishonest behavior with the platitude, “Nothing personal, it’s just business,” we say: If you’re dishonest in your business dealings, chances are that you’re equally untrustworthy in your personal life. To us, business is personal; whether you are a client or a supplier of ours, we pledge to treat you in the respectful manner that we wish to be treated.

If needed, outsourcing parts of the implementation is an efficient use of manpower. Unlike some agencies, we don’t pretend that every part of every job is done by us. What we do say is that we’re prepared to take responsibility for the entire job, implement its creative parts and, when necessary, contract out and oversee specialized areas, such as programming and printing. We believe such division of labor and responsible oversight creates better value for our clients.