The Perks of Being Boutique

Just over a year ago, I left the bureaucracy and polictics of higher education to pursue a career in the agency world. I didn’t want to be at just any agency—I wanted to be part of a small creative team where I wouldn’t be another number handling one account.

I found that, and much more, in BatesMeron. Here are five examples of the best parts of working at a small creative agency:

Close-knit Team
If you spend 40-plus hours a week with nine other people, they end up becoming more like family than coworkers. We spend our days laughing, learning, eating, and sometimes crying together (I am usually the one crying and it’s almost always about Justin Timberlake). I come to work each day knowing that I will be greeted by my work family—and though I never know what to expect from this sometimes-dysfunctional crew, I know they’ve always got my back.

Clients You Care About
Working at a boutique agency means we get our hands on every stage of a project, from initial proposals to post-production. We build close relationships with our clients, which actually benefits both parties. For the client, it means accessibility and trusting that your projects are getting the attention they deserve. And on our end, it means we deliver better results because we have an intimate understanding of our client’s voice, brand and preferences.

Flexibility
We all respect and admire each other greatly, so if you have to dip early for a family affair, last-minute dentist appointment or afternoon at the ballpark, it’s OK—we trust each other to get our work done. Our close-knit team and hands-on client relationships (see above) mean that there is always someone who can jump in and help out when needed, and we have the flexibility to balance, adjust and reschedule at a moment’s notice.

Professional Growth
What we lack in size, we make up for in skill sets. If one of us wants to learn something new—be it technical writing, programming, illustrating or hand-rendered typography—we are encouraged to learn from each other to master new techniques.

The Perks!
The advantages of having a small team and flexible workspace are too many to count.

Daily team meetings to discuss new jobs and workflow? Without question.

Forget your lunch? Raid the fully stocked fridge for your favorite treats.

Need to bring my pup, Wily, to the office when daycare falls through?—Don’t ask twice!
We love each other’s pets (and kids!), and it’s a relief to be able to bring them to our sweet new office when we need. Full disclosure, I just wanted an excuse to post dog pictures:

My first year here at BMSD has been a whirlwind of unique projects, learning opportunities and lots of laughs. Here’s to 2015!