Susan Vandermeer is an operations, logistics and strategic project planner for the creative branding and strategic design sector.
When it comes to upping profitability and productivity...
she's your girl.
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OverviewOverview
Many creative businesses grow organically.
- Who has time to spend designing systems and procedures, when you're busy designing creative?
- Who wants to analyse financial opportunities when you're busy analysing creative opportunities?
Many design businesses find they are working harder, but not making any money. Sound familiar?
Susan loves the stuff that most creative’s despise, but know they can’t ignore. She never fails to positively influence the operations and profitability of creative businesses. It’s her thing.
About Susan
What's a Backroom Girl?
She’s the connector. That integral person whose seldom in the limelight, but always behind the scenes; connecting the dots; coordinating, monitoring, negotiating, analysing, designing and refining systems. Making vital stuff happen.
She’s at her best when focused on strategic goals:
- Increase profitability and productivity
- Interpret financial strategy and formulate tactics to deliver
- Develop pricing strategy
- Develop job costing and invoicing protocols
- Create systems for business improvement
- Analyse the money burners and put out the fires
While she's happiest working behind the scenes getting things done, she's more effective as an integral part of the management team. It's hard to shed light on profitability if you are in the dark right? The more she knows about the business, the better the results.
Services
How could you use her most effectively?
Susan’s available on a short (or long-term) assignment to consult with design businesses who want to improve their financial and operational performance.
- Modeling – Preparation of financial scenarios to assist management decision making
- Margineering – Engineering protocols, tools and systems to protect and increase the margin
- Administration – Systems development and implementation
- Pricing – Scoping, development and implementation of strategy and tools
- Projects – Costing, planning resources, modeling profitability, coordinating
- Workflow – Resource monitoring and traffic management systems
- MoneyMapping – Financial analysis and reporting
- Productivity – Analysis, tactics to improve productivity, monitoring systems
Methodology
Of course such a ‘detail’ person has detailed methodology:
Review → Scope → Plan → Execute
Susan’s process is one of assessing needs and opportunity first, then working with management to agree the assignment parameters - before making it happen to agreed timelines.
Experience
She didn’t come down in the last shower
Susan’s experience spans more than fifteen years of working with top brand and design agencies. Her decade of prior experience in many corporate environments provided strong disciplines to carry over into the design sector.
Over the years her ability to see around corners and keep two steps ahead have enabled some of New Zealand’s better known design businesses become profitable…and stay that way.
She’s qualified in advertising and marketing. More importantly, she studied well at the “University of Knocks” and has an abundance of practical knowledge to offer.
References
Here’s what some of her clients say:
KATE ALEXANDER, MANAGING DIRECTOR,
STUDIO ALEXANDER
“Susan has amazing ability to see round corners. Her forward thinking ensures there are never any surprises. Having Susan as part of our operations team has improved productivity, increased our ability and speed of systems improvement, and given us an important outside view of who we are. Susan is consistent, determined and utterly reliable. A breath of fresh air...”
BRIAN RICHARDS, BRR BRAND STRATEGISTS
“Her contribution and knowledge in the communications arts industry is well known and we have benefitted greatly from her skills and assistance over the years. Susan’s particular strengths in understanding project administration and all its subtleties saw her manage a wide range of complex projects for us over the years. Largely due to Susan’s abilities and knowledge, we have always been assured of her support to the company in defending our margin.”
LEZLIE MEARNS, MARQUE CREATIVE (MAXIM GROUP)
“Susan is totally reliable and she will never let you down. Her knowledge of our industry is vast so she is always one jump ahead, which means that every conceivable problem is anticipated. Any project, big or small is in absolutely safe hands with Susan.”
DIANA PARRY, BRAND STRATEGIST, EMANATE LIMITED
“Susan has an eagle-eye for detail, a savvy money-making ability and a heart of gold. She is genuine, and down to earth – you can be assured she’ll tell it like it is and generate laughs along the way. She is fiercely loyal and enthusiastic and can be trusted to juggle multiple balls. When it comes to "margineering", I wouldn’t hesitate to get Susan on the team, she has a brilliant mind for plotting profitability and an intimate knowledge of the creative sector.”
GEORGIE SIGGLEKOW, DIRECTOR/DESIGNER,
PLANTATION LIMITED
“Efficient, enthusiastic and essential... Susan is a real asset to any business wanting to refine their administration systems and profitability.
She provides a wealth of experience, and is able to create tailored solutions to suit your needs. I trust her judgement implicitly and I really appreciate her understanding of the creative process (and creative people).
Susan can offer real grounding and objectivity to an organically grown business. She is incredibly reliable, honest, and loyal and has a great sense of humour.”
Contact Susan
Type in your details and a message below.
Susan will reply as soon as possible.
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A Little Sweetener
If you feel you could benefit from a ‘Margineer’ in your business, Susan is more than happy to meet informally for a one hour consultation (no charge). This is a no obligation way to assess mutual ‘fit’.
She’ll even bring the coffee and homemade baking.