Horse Cave / Hart County Tourism
Louisville, KY: As 2009 neared it's final days, many have reflected on the effects that changed the face of business as we know it. 2009 was a year that brought stimulus packages, government bailouts, massive lay-offs, and the demise of many small businesses. Despite the fallout, some businesses actually grew, even tripled, the amount of business that passed through their doors. One of those businesses was a Louisville, Kentucky based web design company: Makespace! Media & Design Lab. The creative web and print design company, known for their no nonsense, innovative approach to web design, has experienced so much demand that prospective clients had to be placed on a waiting list several times throughout the year.
"Of course we were aware of the recession" says Makespace Media + Design Lab Concept Director Mark Palmer. "But you'd never know it from the amount of businesses who sought web design services this year. We couldn't help everyone, so we actually had to be selective about who we offered our services to."
So why was this web design company so busy in an environment in which businesses were pinching every penny? Palmer believes that the recession forced many businesses to confront what they lacked: an effective website. "Many of our clients this year can be divided into two groups: start ups who know how important a website is to a fledgling business, and established businesses who've been losing business to their competitors who've already harnessed the power of the internet. They've realized that they can no longer thrive without a proper web presence."
It only takes a review of their web design portfolio to see why the design company is in demand. But according to a recent client, Sean Breslin of RewardBack.org, the owner of a website recently launched by Makespace!, there's more to it than just good looking websites. "Mark and Rob and their Louisville web development crew took a vested interest in our project. This is my fourth web-based business venture and I've worked with many other web design companies, but none have taken a proactive role that Makespace! has. They're not "order takers" and Mark brings to the table a level of creativity that is certainly atypical, even among so called creative companies."
This surge in popularity had put Makespace! in a peculiar dilemma, and one that many businesses would consider a problem they'd love to have. They want to be available to as many clients as possible, but fear diminishing their high quality work. "We're a boutique web design company, and we put quality ahead of quantity. We'd love to grow, but we want to grow in the right way" said Palmer. "We get designers looking for work on a daily basis, but most of them are not the right fit, so rather that putting out subpar sites, we've decided that it's best to select the limited clients that we want to partner with."
Palmer, who sees the internet as "the great equalizer" also has some advice to business owners who've yet to develop a website that is an effective tool for bringing in new clients: "Don't wait. This whole internet thing's not going away. I can tell you first hand that your competition is already ahead of you, and the gap is getting wider."