“We’re both passionate about small business,” stated Graves, who often blogs about the importance of local economies. “We thought this [business] would be a good vehicle,” added Kashas.
The goal, said Graves and Kashas, is to become a resource for local small businesses, who often do not have their own marketing departments. Kashas said that Workshed’s approach to website design is to dig deep into the business’s purpose, and to ask a lot of questions. Because he and Kashas do not come from a specific marketing or a technical background, Graves said, Workshed can help design a site that is a useful business tool, not an end to itself (Graves is an investment adviser representative and owns Joseph Graves Capital Management, while Kashas’ experience in construction helped him launch his own firm, Evolutn Homes and Remodeling, earlier this year).
“We’re generalists,” said Graves, “who can connect seemingly unconnected dots” to develop a tighter alignment of the web site with the overall business plan.
Another way Workshed differs from many “creative” firms is their unique approach to project management. In the construction industry, said Kashas, there is a strict scope of work and schedule, as well as established systems and processes. He believes that structured approach helps build websites too.
“Creative businesses are known for being fast and loose with schedules,” said Kashas. “But we think you can be creative and still keep to schedules and commitments.”
Graves said that Workshed will take a measured approach to growth, so that they don’t end up taking on too much work at once. However, since August, they have signed three new projects, with several more in the pipeline. Currently, the firm consists of just Graves and Kashas – but Graves said they partner with many copywriters, graphics designers, web developers and other “creatives” in the area.
Graves stated that he and Kashas are currently discussing how to “add value” by supporting the creative community. For example, he said, they are considering offering internships to grads in the creative space.
“Our goal is to create an ecosystem of creative resources,” said Graves, that will serve a dual purpose of offering job opportunities to those looking for work, as well as offering a new pool of talent to local businesses. The websites that result from this ecosystem, said Kashas, will foster awareness of local companies and drive business to them.
“You can’t have a place you can live [well] unless you have thriving local businesses,” said Graves. “We want to live in a cool place, and there is a contribution we can make, by creating a rising tide effect.”
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