Why to launch your startup with small agency?

A headline that made a buzz in 2018 "Diet Coke redesigned its can with the help of a tiny agency in the north of England" published in CNBC markets. Rather than using a large international design agency to help it work out how to move the iconic fizzy drink into the future, it chose a small U.K. company Kenyon Weston to revamp its packaging; the primary reason was the agency provided a new perspective on what the can would look like. How to start a startup successfully takes a lot of hard work, dedication, money, research, sleepless nights, and very importantly, a trusted agency, mobile app development company. You need an agency, startup app development company that :

• You can trust with your idea
• Your operational cost reduces
• You get complete control and involvement in the project
• Flexibility and transparency in the workflow
• Long term association with the mobile app development company
• Have clear KPI for a startup building
• Mobile & web app development companies have a genuine enthusiasm for your industry

In this article, we'll explore all the key factors that make a small agency the best to launch your startup. 

What Makes A Small Agency The Best Bet For Startup Launch

1. Niche Expertise

Much smaller and mobile app development companies in the USA are prerogative to become experts within specific niches. If you have a project that requires a highly specialized skill set and tech stacks for android and iOS app development, reaching out to a small agency is the best bet. Finding such focused expertise at larger agencies is possible, though less likely. 

2. Innovative

Smaller app development agencies provide you with the level of innovation you'll need to stand-out, unlike their counterparts who are more likely to work as per defined protocols and are experienced in creating expensive, traditional projects. Top agencies for startups ,small agencies also have a better understanding of new development, key innovations happening in the market, and are more proficient in leveraging new technology in support of innovative ideas. At CodeTOArt we use Scrum Methodology for app development process.

3. Collaboration

Many of today's prominent and renowned mobile and web app development agencies partner with smaller and specialized app development agency for startup to get fresh campaign ideas and strive in the fast-evolving market conditions.

4. Communication & Transparency

For startup building, you need to have complete transparency in the workflow. Effective communication lays the foundation. Small agencies provide you with a meeting platform with its team, demo presentations for presenting functionality developed during the sprint), sprint reports, and regular calls as required. They are also flexible in giving access to its project management software like Jira, where you can see the current progress.

5. Cost Structure

 Bigger is more expensive. A larger agency has more resources under one roof, all contributing to larger overheads, salaries, and rent, that you, as the client will be paying for within the hourly rate. When you hire a small agency for starting a tech company they are more likely to work with small retainers leading to reduced project costs. Designing of framework, development, testing all takes time. So there is a cost associated with it which is generally on a higher side when working with a large agency compared to smaller ones. When working with a smaller custom mobile app development companies or an agency, they will first spend time explaining how the app needs to work and then create a detailed cost estimation, unlike larger agencies that charge money for the privilege you get by working with them. Smaller agencies with relevant infrastructure, controlled and planned expenses, charge accordingly.

6. Hierarchy & Bureaucracy

The challenge for larger agencies is its vast hierarchy and administration – which can hinder innovation. Smaller agency and startup app development company culture is led by a collaborative approach, developing a dynamic and self-motivated team that delivers the highest standards in creativity, strategy, and client servicing. With less red tape and review processes, smaller agencies have faster execution time, ensuring the client stays ahead of the trend and competition.

7. Involvement Of Top-Level

With small agencies for app development android and iOS, the founder is more involved in the project, the aim of being a long term relationship with the client, which is no more visible in the big-agency pitch process. One major challenge of working with large agencies and getting app developers for startups is that the top-level people are only available at the initial discussion. The communication flows down to various departments and individuals assigned for the job, which may lead to discrepancies in the goal or vision shared, resulting in unnecessary glitches in execution and delayed deliveries. However, with small agencies, the team at the time of pitching that has received first-hand information of your idea is more likely to also work on the project.  

8. Vision well aligned

When developing your how to start startup strategy with a smaller agency, what you plan is the outcome also. In the pitch meeting, smaller agencies have the team too along that will work on the project for the client to understand and have confidence in the complete unit, and helps in keeping the vision very well-aligned.

9. Approach 

Smaller agencies for mobile and web app development usually have younger minds and are less rigid in their methods of how things get done. Young teams of app development for startups are ever willing to learn about new technologies and utilize them to create cutting-edge and innovative solutions. They keep on seeking new avenues to mark a niche in the fast-evolving market. For them, it's more about customer value than just completing the project. You get higher flexibility and support services irrespective of the structured fees for the project.

10. Accountability

When a client meets the team that executes the project, there's a sense of trust and accountability, at smaller agencies, where there's no room to hide behind senior partners. The people doing this know that they need to stand up for it, so they'll be more motivated.

11. Customer Support 

One of the worst customer relationship experiences is no after services and smooth customer support. It can never be a worry with smaller app development agencies and custom app development company because they don't have a vast management chain to follow. Second, ensuring complete customer satisfaction is the primary agenda even after the full payment for service is received. Also, they are more easily reachable in case of urgency, ensuring that you have parked your idea and money in the right place. 

12. Timeline 

For bigger agencies to manage its immense expenditure on infrastructure, human resources, marketing requirements, the focus is always higher on big volume projects and larger margins. The result is diluted attention to proportionately smaller projects leading to delayed delivery time, low quality for your project, change in assigned team members. However, when you work with a smaller agency, you can ask for complete transparency through regular presentations, meetings, and full control of the project.

How transparent is the app development process at a small app development agency for a startup?

1. You are entirely involved in the project starting from the estimation phase, ideation, development, deployment, and release.
2. On receiving a query from the client end, the app development company immediately sends the NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement) to clients.Sign in to start a further discussion.
3. The Account Manager will have several calls and email communications with the client to discuss all project-related queries, issues, risks, and solutions and advice.
4. The agency will send you a personalized offer approximate time and effort required for each feature, tech stack we'll be using, and team structure.
5. Once given the go-ahead, the agency will be designing the wireframes, which provide the client with the whole idea of how the app will look.
6. While designing, the mobile app development company will also send you designs frequently for the feedback to suggest the changes and approve further processes.
7. The designer completes a few initial screens, and once the client approves them, we start with the development.
8. Set up a project in the project management tool (JIRA or Trello) and add developers and testers into it. They are flexible in sharing the tools with clients also.
9. Each sprint is developed and tested in the development environment. The project is released in a staging environment for the client's approval after the tester approves the development build. 
10. For tracking the progress, the agency sends its client the project build every two weeks at the end of the sprint. Frequent builds will keep you updated about the progress. If you still want to know the development anytime, you can ask the project manager, and he will always be happy to give you an update.
11. The client gets full access to the tools used by the agency, and can always talk with developers on Slack if required. 
12. Post-release support is provided to the client.

Issues that larger agencies face leading to delay in projects for startups:

Hierarchy issue - If a team leader is on leave may be sick leaves, late arrivals, approvals may be pending as the chain of the hierarchy is followed at larger agencies leading to delay in set timelines.

Team - How to find a developer for your startup, when you don't get a chance to replace any team member if he does not have the specialized skill set for your project, which leads to productivity issues. At larger agencies, mostly the entire team is not part of the initial pitch meetings.

Lack of flexibility - Since larger agencies have a defined work process, any change you ask for in the work progress may lead to delay in adoption.

Required research - Multiple projects on hand lead to less time spent on research and analysis, developing mockups, prototypes, MVP for app development

Cost computation at smaller agencies for app development for startups

For a smaller agency, the critical criteria are referrals and long term association with the clients, unlike its counterpart. Smaller agencies don't charge you for the name, location, or infrastructure, but spend time understanding what engagement model works best for you. 

Take-away

While you have invested so much in startup building, choosing the right agency or app development companies is what matters and not its magnitude. Get answers to questions like:

• What is the startup app development company portfolio?
• Agency for startups ranking on authentic platforms like clutch.in.
• How do they calculate the cost?
• KPI for how to start startup?
• What challenges have they tackled in projects of a similar domain

Our custom mobile and web app development company will be more than happy to hear about your vision and help launch your startup successfully.