In conversation with Buffalo7, the Manchester-based PowerPoint design agency

When I first heard of Manchester’s Buffalo7, I was intrigued by the company’s brand and just how specialised its services seemed to be.

Wanting to know more about the firm and how it became the PowerPoint-focused design agency it is today, I spoke to Lyndon Nicholson, Buffalo7’s director of client services, to get his thoughts on the company’s past, present and future.

Can you take me through the beginnings of Buffalo7? How did it get off the ground and what were some of the biggest challenges it faced in the startup phase?

Buffalo7 came about as a result of Richard (our founder and creative director) making a break away from life in a big agency, deciding he wanted to focus on smaller projects that were driven by creativity and effectiveness rather than crazy deadlines.

As the head of the creative division that was responsible for presenting pitch work to prospective clients he became adept at finding different ways of making work stand out from the crowd. Applying this skill to projects that were less frantic pace wise, and where the stakes were arguably not as high, meant we quickly developed a reputation for delivering big agency work without the huge price tag.

One of the challenges the business faced as a start-up was deciding which work to take on, what to turn down and how to maintain relationships with those we had to say “No” to. We also struggled with the usual problem smaller teams face - the famine or feast of projects. Some weeks Rich was working 80-100 hours - but the week after had nothing to do.

How has the company changed since it was first established?

Our decision to focus on delivery of high-end presentation solutions was a real turning point for the business.

Up until this point, we were doing great work and keeping clients happy so they kept coming back - but we were still just one of many agencies doing the same thing and chasing the same work.

Richard’s specialism in using PowerPoint like a premium design tool and delivering work that genuinely wowed people had caught the attention of some big brands and it seemed logical that we should move the business more towards this as a niche specialism and away from being a more general design agency.

Buffalo7 has been a presentation design agency for more than a year now, but what is the biggest challenge it faces today?

The biggest challenge remains building the team as we grow. Because we’re so specialist, experienced people just don’t exist so we have to invest heavily in training and development.

Most agencies can go to market, employ a new designer and get them working on live projects in a very short space of time. We can’t do that - realistically it’s six months before a designer is good enough to work on a project on their own.

Obviously you’ve had a lot of success in terms of the clients you’ve had, but how do you make a niche service like presentation design into a viable, growing business?

Until early 2014 the company relied heavily on word of mouth, and while this did bring business, it’s hard to plan around and takes your destiny somewhat out of your own hands.

When the business refocused, Richard brought me on board as client services director, as I had previously built and subsequently exited a successful presentation business, and had experience of marketing and business development that would prove vital in bringing stability and solid revenue streams to Buffalo7.

What are the company’s plans for the next 12 months?

We have a great team in place now and the infrastructure we’ve invested heavily in over the last year should work for us for at least five years. So the focus is now very much on growth and upping profitability.

Looking beyond 2016, we have an idea that if we open smaller offices in West Coast America and somewhere like Singapore, we can be open for business 24 hours and deliver work back faster to clients who often have aggressive deadlines.

What advice would you have for someone in the North West with aspirations to start their own business?

Find a way to differentiate yourself from the rest of the market. Look for a gap in the market - but check that there’s actually a market in the gap.

If you think there’s a genuine opportunity find a way to start small and minimise risk. Don’t borrow money until you’ve proven your idea to yourself and trusted advisors.

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