Cutting edge stuff - Running with Scissors
Advertising gurus Friday O’Flaherty and Andy Mitchell chat to Capability New Zealand (CNZ) and tell us how and why they set up their quirky advertising agency, Running with Scissors.
We met in a fairly progressive division of a large multi-national advertising agency. We were delivering some interesting work but we felt that there was still a better, more expansive way of generating ideas.
That business didn’t share our belief; in fact it was opposed to it and restructured in a contradictory way. We had the faith in our convictions to go out on our own and are currently operating a new and unique idea-generation model. We deliver great answers, which provide commercial benefits to our customers and sometimes take the form of advertising.
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Managing growth
We have welcomed outside advice and constantly seek it out. Our business is based on employing diverse minds and drawing on eclectic experiences to deliver better answers. We like to get advice from obvious and obscure sources. We also like to think for ourselves and it’s always interesting deciding what advice to take, what advice to develop and what advice to ignore.
The hardest part is constantly looking ahead when you’re furiously busy in the here-and-now. It’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day and neglect tomorrow.
But if you’re not focusing on the future, you’re not going to get any better and you’re not doing all you can for your business, your staff or your clients.
Managing growth is a constant challenge. You don’t want to grow too fast and stretch yourself too thin; likewise, if you hamper growth, you’re not benefiting from the extra energy that growth brings.
Work–life balance
Achieving a good work–life balance is also difficult. We haven’t got that right yet. Building a business from scratch is hard work. But it’s also extremely rewarding. Life outside of work has suffered but if we focus on the business now, when it needs our attention the most, we believe the benefits will outweigh the cost.
As the second anniversary of our business approaches, we feel the balance is beginning to return.
We’ve had to make a couple of big decisions about the future of the business, specifically around clients and revenue. We’ve been careful to avoid compromising the core philosophy of our business and we maintain that money is only one factor to consider when making any decision.
Passion and vision
Our business has been shaped by family, friends, staff, clients, accountants, lawyers, bank managers, our business mentor, and ourselves.
We’re particularly grateful to our staff. They share our passion and constantly push us to be better than we are now. They readily share the responsibility for the future of the business. That, in turn, makes us stronger.
It’s vital to set your vision and be true to it. We’re in the business of providing innovative answers to our clients. We employ creative process to draw ideas from the minds of people with diverse work and life experiences. We exist to make a difference, not keep things the same.
Looking ahead
Working on the business is essential. We constantly remind ourselves to look ahead, even when it’s busy, even if we have to start exceptionally early or work ridiculously late to get it done. It’s also important to identify mistakes and fix them quickly. Mistakes happen. We want a culture where it’s ok to make mistakes provided you admit them, learn from them, fix them, and move on.
We’ve been careful not to shy away from the big decisions. They have provided additional focus and remind us of why we’re in business. Every adversity has an opportunity hidden in it somewhere. We share everything with staff, the good and the bad. They appreciate the honesty, they help us make the right decisions and they make our business what it is.
Friday found this advice useful when looking at the growth of the business: “What makes you successful now may be the thing that holds you back in the future.”
Andy connects with this famous quote by David Ogilvy: “If each of us hires people who are smaller than we are, we shall become a company of dwarfs. But if each of us hires people who are bigger than we are, we shall become a company of giants.”
Business Drill-down
- Business type: Creative agency
- Main products: Business solutions, which can involve advertisements…
- Number of staff: 8 full-time
- Trading since: 2008
- Main markets: Advertising for companies who strive for innovation and improvement.
- Website: www.runningwithscissors.co.nz
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