By Donna Marrin

Tell us about your business and how you started it.
I started designing flyers for a company I worked for eight years ago and ended up really enjoying it. I started talking to friends and family to see if I could design materials for them and got a few small, non-paying jobs designing some brochures and flyers. Over the next few years, I built a relationship with a local printer who started referring me to clients that were looking for a “cheap designer.” The fact that I hadn’t gone to school or had any real experience in the industry made me feel that I really couldn’t charge much at all. In 2008, after being laid off from my job, I discovered the Self Employment Program at Douglas College. Knowing that I enjoyed design, I figured I’d give it a shot as a full-time gig. I had no idea what I was in for, I can tell you that now. What is it that they say about hindsight?
Over the last three years, I’ve taught myself design and Web development by taking on jobs that always push my limits to the next level. Today, with a staff of four, we market ourselves as a full-service creative agency, offering print design, Web development, Internet marketing, branding and everything in between.

How did you come up with your unique name?
This has to be the question I’m asked most. I could come up with some fancy explanation that makes me look like a marketing genius, but the truth is much more simple. Near our house, we have some marshland—not much but enough that a congregation of frogs has made it their home. At night during the summer, they make a heck of a ruckus. I did some research into the cultural meaning of frogs and in a lot of cultures, frogs symbolize transformation and change due to their own drastic transformation from tadpole to frog. So, at that point, something “frog” it was going to be. So then I researched colours and found that orange is the colour of creativity and energy. I figured it would go well with the ‘frog’ aspect, and slapped the two together. Funny thing is, the only orange frog in existence is a poisonous one found in Madagascar. Maybe I should have thought it through a bit more, but hey, I’ve already got my business cards!

What was your early vision for your business, and how has it changed over time?
Believe it or not, my vision for my business was to be a full-on advertising agency. Nothing has changed in that regard. But knowing I didn’t have the experience or education to support starting a full-service advertising agency from the onset, I’ve had to start small and build up. Every day, I learn something new that takes me that much closer to reaching my original vision. One day soon, I’ll be right where I want to be.

Your biggest learning curve?
Wow… how about everything! Going from a hobby to a full-time business was a shock. I’m still fighting with that. But I have to say, not having an education in design or Web development or any experience when I started and, therefore, having to learn my industry from the ground up was most definitely the biggest learning curve. Then, throw into the mix, learning how to sell what I was doing.

How has your day-to-day routine changed since you started?
Well, I used to work eight hours-a-day, five days-a-week and sleep about eight to ten hours-a-night. Now, I just work, eat, nap and take the odd holiday to Mexico with my family.

Describe a day in the life…
If I tell you—no one who reads this will want to start a business. Basically, I start my day around eight in the morning and spend most of the daylight hours making sales calls, following up on leads, networking and finishing any projects that are due. I also spend a lot of each day interacting with my staff (most work from home) and contractors about projects. Then I step away for dinner and spend a few hours with my family. Usually, around eight or nine in the evening, I get back to it and work until two or three in the morning, mainly working on design projects. I find I get the most work done at night, as I don’t have distractions like I do during the day.

What makes your business stand out?
On the surface, not much. We look like most creative agencies out there. But inside, we’re very different. We’re (I’m) different because I didn’t come from the design industry. I’ve worked in other industries and have gained a better perspective and outlook on various businesses and their markets. When a client comes in, I know the ins and outs of what they do because I’ve either worked in that industry or closely with it. Along with that, I didn’t learn from a textbook—I learned through experience. The world of marketing is always changing, and in today’s economy, a textbook approach no longer cuts it.

Do you have any entertaining stories to share about your line of work?
Not really. What we do is pretty straightforward. That being said, I do have a lot of funny stories about trying to explain how the Internet works to people who want a website, but have no idea what Facebook or Google are. (Insert Geek Joke here). I’ve used all sorts of analogies trying to explain the Internet as if it were makeup, houses and street addresses, cars, golfing, and I’ve even tried to use cooking to explain how Search Engine Optimization works.

How do you find balance between your business and home life?
This is the toughest part of doing what I do. It’s hard to find time… actually, it’s impossible. I’m always working to a deadline and too often, I get engrossed in my work. I have to force myself to make time to spend with my family. And, I’ll tell you, despite my dedication to my workload, the time I do spend with my wife and kids is so rewarding. I can’t wait for the time when I’m not working 16 hours-a-day.

What’s the best part of running your own business? And what’s the most challenging?
Success is all mine! I don’t mean that in the greedy, money-hungry way; I mean that on a personal level. Right now, I’m at a point in my business where a lot of our work comes through referrals or from people discovering work we did and calling us because they liked what we did. Not having an education or any experience when I started—to get to this point is just plain awesome. And I did it. I know it sounds like I’m beating my own chest, but achieving success on your own gives you a sense of accomplishment that you just can’t get anywhere else. It’s almost like an adrenaline high that you have to keep feeding over and over again.
The most challenging part of running my own business is switching between the different roles I have to play. I have to switch between sales, management and designer on a daily basis. For those that know, each one takes a completely different mindset, and the continual switching between them can be exhausting.

How would you describe your ideal day?
Not working. Honestly though, my ideal day is when I can get to spent time with my family. Working as much as I do, I don’t spend anywhere near as much time with my wife and kids as I want to.

Do you have a favorite business tool or resource?
This is not a plug, but Staples has to be my best tool. I go through a ton of drawing paper, printer paper and office supplies. And being as busy as I am, I don’t have time for the traditional monthly run to the office supply store. I find myself going to Staples at least once-a-week, grabbing last-minute supplies to get a job finished on time. As far as a resource for design goes, I like to check out the design award sites such as Awwwards and The FWA. Seeing the Web design bar getting raised on a daily basis helps motivate me.

What is the key to your success?
Not to get too comfortable. I find a lot of business owners, after the first year or two, start to take it easy and put too much stock in word-of-mouth advertising or a couple of big clients, and hope their momentum just keeps going. In most cases, they grow stale, lose one of those big clients and end up shutting down. The key to my success, from my point of view, is that I’m always networking, talking with people about what I do, no matter where I am, and I’m always looking for that next client.

What is the one piece of advice you would like to give to others thinking about starting a business?
Drive and determination are important, very important. But never get overly comfortable. Always be looking for your next customer, no matter how many clients you have in your portfolio.

BRIAN TIMMINS owns and operates Orange Frog Creative, a creative agency based in Maple Ridge, BC. Since launching the business in 2008, he has seen his agency grow from a single employee to the four employees he has today. His business works with market-leading companies and organizations throughout British Columbia and Western Canada, and has won several design awards. Brian was nominated for both Entrepreneur of the Year, and New Business of the Year, in 2009. Brian is always active in his community, having worked with the Maple Ridge Chamber for three years, and he currently sits on the Friends in Needs Food Bank board. He was actively involved in the 2009 Disability Games held in Maple Ridge, donating $10,000 in Web services to their marketing program.
Having gone through the Douglas College Self-Employment Program, Brian is a regular speaker at their graduation classes and special events. Brian regularly helps others trying to start their own business by advising them on branding and marketing strategies. Before Brian started his own business, he worked in a few different industries such as tool and equipment sales, automotive, roofing supplies and conveyor systems. Brian and his wife Annabelle live and work in Maple Ridge with their two children, Maya, age 7, and Austin, age 4. You can contact Brian Timmins at: Office: 604-463-5002; Cell: 604-619-3376; brian@orangefrogcreative.ca; www.orangefrogcreative.ca.