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Boosting Business by Helping Entrepreneurs
In 2010, my firm, Goodwin Procter LLP, decided to enhance its online presence with a feature- and content-rich, one-stop resource for founders of new companies and start-ups. Enter the Workbench ' and the Tools.
Founders Workbench is a stand-alone microsite that provides free access to formation documents, best practices and other resources to help founders of new companies jump-start new entrepreneurial endeavors. The original Founders Workbench was very well received and was instrumental in helping to boost the firm's presence and reputation within the entrepreneurial community. Two years after launch, we were ready to strengthen the brand and create Founders Workbench 2.0. Here's how we did it.
Beyond Cosmetics: A Facelift and New Persona
Drawing inspiration from the creative visionaries the site was built to assist, we partnered with One North Interactive to enhance the site with additional resources, and to ensure that it was optimized for the way this audience increasingly consumes online content ' on-the-go, at lightning speed and almost exclusively on tablets and other touch devices.
After a thorough review of other websites dedicated to serving the entrepreneurial community, we made a conscious decision to create a unique identity for Founders Workbench, separating it from the firm's brand as a stand-alone brand.
One North developed new logos and incorporated fresh color schemes to the site and its Twitter profile, with the goal of making the site recognizable for existing clients and visually appealing for newcomers. Navigation was also enhanced to better reflect a founder's journey, with each section of the site representing a new step in the process of building a successful business: from Forming, Financing, Operating, Hiring, to Growing and Protecting.
New Tools
Every good workbench includes a well-stocked toolbox, so going into our recent redesign, we made it a priority to provide additional business launch tools. The Founders Toolbox on Founders Workbench now includes the following.
Capital Calculator
This new web app allows founders to estimate the effects of taking on investors, including proposals offered by venture capitalists, and determines the payout in a business sale if they're given ownership shares to employees.
Deal Dictionary
Another web app, the Deal Dictionary allows entrepreneurs to quickly look up easy-to-understand definitions of legal and other terms to better understand unfamiliar jargon used in conversations with counsel and investors.
Document Driver 2.0
Business owners were previously able to use Document Driver to produce legal documents, such as a Certificate of Incorporation, to form their business as a Delaware C-Corporation. The enhanced Document Driver now includes LLC documents, an increasingly popular alternative to forming a C-Corp.
New Content: Blogs, Videos and Case Studies
In addition to the site's facelift and the development of new tools, we also redoubled our efforts to make sure we are refreshing the site's content frequently. The Founder's Workbench Blog is a key resource for entrepreneurs and, as such, is updated and enhanced on a regular basis, with a minimum of new posts added weekly. Content written by firm attorneys and industry experts offer helpful advice and information on investment, emerging technologies, patent processes and many other topics relevant to new founders. Regular video features and a series of start-up success stories round out the new content.
Mobility and Responsive Design
We knew in our guts that mobility was particularly important for our entrepreneur target audience, so we made sure that all three of the interactive tools included in the new Founders Toolbox could be saved to mobile devices and used on-the-go. In addition to web apps, we took advantage of responsive design capabilities ' optimizing websites for desktop navigation as well as providing “app-like” experiences on smartphones, tablets and e-readers. The new Founders Workbench automatically adjusts to the device it's viewed from, providing business owners with an experience optimized for their needs. Mobile and tablet users don't have to squint at tiny visual elements or attempt to click through endless pages. Instead, swipe gestures ' which have become default navigation for tablets and other touch devices ' were incorporated.
The Launch
Launch it and they will come. Upon completion of the Founders Workbench “rebirth,” we made the strategic decision to showcase the new site where entrepreneurs and aspiring start-ups convene ' the annual South by Southwest (SXSW) event, an interactive festival focused on emerging technologies and a breeding ground for new ideas and creative innovations. The Founders Workbench team held a launch party during SXSW Interactive, where we were able to meet new founders and actively demonstrate all the new features and resources included in the new site. Though no law firms that we can think of have launched new products and services at a mega event like SXSW, we were validated by our decision to do so and intensify the conversation with the start-up community.
Traffic on Founders Workbench doubled after the relaunch, and feedback has been extremely positive. We look forward to continuing to improve the site and bring new features and content that will help entrepreneurs thrive and grow well into the future.
Nancy Kostakos serves as Goodwin Procter LLP's Director of Marketing and is responsible for the development of marketing plans, collateral and technologies. She is a frequent speaker and presenter in the areas of interactive marketing, content merchandising and branding. Nancy can be reached at'[email protected].
In 2010, my firm,
Founders Workbench is a stand-alone microsite that provides free access to formation documents, best practices and other resources to help founders of new companies jump-start new entrepreneurial endeavors. The original Founders Workbench was very well received and was instrumental in helping to boost the firm's presence and reputation within the entrepreneurial community. Two years after launch, we were ready to strengthen the brand and create Founders Workbench 2.0. Here's how we did it.
Beyond Cosmetics: A Facelift and New Persona
Drawing inspiration from the creative visionaries the site was built to assist, we partnered with One North Interactive to enhance the site with additional resources, and to ensure that it was optimized for the way this audience increasingly consumes online content ' on-the-go, at lightning speed and almost exclusively on tablets and other touch devices.
After a thorough review of other websites dedicated to serving the entrepreneurial community, we made a conscious decision to create a unique identity for Founders Workbench, separating it from the firm's brand as a stand-alone brand.
One North developed new logos and incorporated fresh color schemes to the site and its Twitter profile, with the goal of making the site recognizable for existing clients and visually appealing for newcomers. Navigation was also enhanced to better reflect a founder's journey, with each section of the site representing a new step in the process of building a successful business: from Forming, Financing, Operating, Hiring, to Growing and Protecting.
New Tools
Every good workbench includes a well-stocked toolbox, so going into our recent redesign, we made it a priority to provide additional business launch tools. The Founders Toolbox on Founders Workbench now includes the following.
Capital Calculator
This new web app allows founders to estimate the effects of taking on investors, including proposals offered by venture capitalists, and determines the payout in a business sale if they're given ownership shares to employees.
Deal Dictionary
Another web app, the Deal Dictionary allows entrepreneurs to quickly look up easy-to-understand definitions of legal and other terms to better understand unfamiliar jargon used in conversations with counsel and investors.
Document Driver 2.0
Business owners were previously able to use Document Driver to produce legal documents, such as a Certificate of Incorporation, to form their business as a Delaware C-Corporation. The enhanced Document Driver now includes LLC documents, an increasingly popular alternative to forming a C-Corp.
New Content: Blogs, Videos and Case Studies
In addition to the site's facelift and the development of new tools, we also redoubled our efforts to make sure we are refreshing the site's content frequently. The Founder's Workbench Blog is a key resource for entrepreneurs and, as such, is updated and enhanced on a regular basis, with a minimum of new posts added weekly. Content written by firm attorneys and industry experts offer helpful advice and information on investment, emerging technologies, patent processes and many other topics relevant to new founders. Regular video features and a series of start-up success stories round out the new content.
Mobility and Responsive Design
We knew in our guts that mobility was particularly important for our entrepreneur target audience, so we made sure that all three of the interactive tools included in the new Founders Toolbox could be saved to mobile devices and used on-the-go. In addition to web apps, we took advantage of responsive design capabilities ' optimizing websites for desktop navigation as well as providing “app-like” experiences on smartphones, tablets and e-readers. The new Founders Workbench automatically adjusts to the device it's viewed from, providing business owners with an experience optimized for their needs. Mobile and tablet users don't have to squint at tiny visual elements or attempt to click through endless pages. Instead, swipe gestures ' which have become default navigation for tablets and other touch devices ' were incorporated.
The Launch
Launch it and they will come. Upon completion of the Founders Workbench “rebirth,” we made the strategic decision to showcase the new site where entrepreneurs and aspiring start-ups convene ' the annual South by Southwest (SXSW) event, an interactive festival focused on emerging technologies and a breeding ground for new ideas and creative innovations. The Founders Workbench team held a launch party during SXSW Interactive, where we were able to meet new founders and actively demonstrate all the new features and resources included in the new site. Though no law firms that we can think of have launched new products and services at a mega event like SXSW, we were validated by our decision to do so and intensify the conversation with the start-up community.
Traffic on Founders Workbench doubled after the relaunch, and feedback has been extremely positive. We look forward to continuing to improve the site and bring new features and content that will help entrepreneurs thrive and grow well into the future.
Nancy Kostakos serves as
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