Rachlin Design featured in Practical Accountants article "New Practice-Building Tactics"

STRONG DESIGN: ADDITIONAL REVENUE
In the endless struggle to find new services to offer clients, Miami-based Rachlin has come up with the seven-team member Rachlin Design Services, a division originally created to meet the demand for professional marketing services for clients of the firm. RDS claims that "through creative design and innovative thinking, Rachlin Design Services offers clients both within and outside the firm an effective, cost-efficient approach to promoting their products and services."

The full-time team provides graphic design, branding, collateral, Web site design and online marketing services, and more than just their clients like their work: RDS recently received three 2007 American Inhouse Design Awards and two American Graphic Design USA awards (the latter for a 50th anniversary brochure for the firm, and the other for a Web site for a longtime client of the firm).

RDS Marketing and Creative Services Director Suzanne Leslie Ormento says the division was established in October 2006, but actually began in early 2005, when she was asked to assist a long-time client of the firm with marketing advice. "After consulting with the client and making recommendations, the client asked if the firm would help in creating marketing materials," she recalls. "With the blessing of Managing Partner Larry Blum, the marketing department started a complete re-branding for the client, creating a new name, logo, collateral materials, and a new Web site design. Other clients began inquiring if we could help them, and then one thing lead to another."

After working for three or four clients, Rachlin Design Services was created as a separate division of the firm. Its site, rachlindesign.com, launched in January of this year. The team consists of a creative director, two graphic designers, two Web designers, a copywriter and a coordinator. The team currently provides services to 10 clients on an annual retainer basis. Services are billed at an hourly rate on a project basis or on a retainer, and an average Web site design costs some $10,000.

The division provides an additional revenue source for the firm, "and clients have been thrilled to have this resource available," Ormento says.

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