It’s rewarding to finally be able to write this post.
I’ve been burning mental capital on the idea of expanding ResIM beyond our office in London for years with little to show for it. It’s one of those things that I’ve talked about at length but never really took the proper steps to make happen.
Today, however, I’m pleased to announce that as of January 3rd 2012 we’ll have a staffed, physical office in Toronto.
I was in Toronto earlier today picking up the keys to a modest 1100 sq. ft. office on Atlantic Ave in Liberty Village (pictured above – red brick building). Like our first office at 560 Wellington St. here in London the space on Atlantic needs a little work and is something we’ll definitely grow into.
‘Why Toronto?’ is something I’m hearing a lot lately. It’s a good question. Here’s the thinking behind the expansion:
Access to Resources
The single biggest challenge we face at this point in the evolution of ResIM is finding the calibre of production staff we need to produce the high quality projects that will support our growth for years to come. These resources are nearly tapped in London and our industry doesn’t have the ‘clusterability’ to attract top talent from other cities.
Employee Satisfaction and Growth
I want every ResIM employee, whether in Toronto or London, to have the opportunity to do the best work of their careers as a part of our team. I don’t want ResIM to be a stepping stone that has to be left in order to pursue bigger, better, and more challenging projects. I want our employees to be able to make that progression with us and grow as we do.
I think there’s a secondary (although just as important) positive in this point and that is the experience and expertise we’ll be able to bring to existing clients as we continue to seek new projects and challenges.
Access to Clients
There’s no arguing the simple fact that there are exponentially more client opportunities in Toronto; I feel we’ll have better access to these opportunities with a presence in the market. This isn’t to say that Toronto is better or in any way superior to London…it’s just much, much larger.
Timing
From financial and human resources perspectives this is absolutely the best time to make the move. There’s no such thing as the perfect time, but this is the best time. We have two employees who are excited about moving to Toronto — I believe they would have eventually moved anyway and I’m happy that we’re in a position to provide that growth avenue for them. Operating an office remotely with new, unfamiliar staff members would be a very difficult thing. Thanks Geoff and Andrew for helping us seize this opportunity.
We’re wrapping up a year that saw a 50% jump in sales and have learned a lot about how to handle growth, where the risks lie, and how to best manage resources to make the most of opportunities without sacrificing quality and blowing deadlines.
The decisions we’ve made and lessons we’ve learned over the past year will go a long way toward helping ResIM, our clients, and our staff prosper for years to come.
I’ll sum this up with something I noticed on Twitter recently; it rings true for me and has really been a driving force behind many of the decisions I’ve made in life and in business:
“I’m much more excited by what’s possible than I am afraid of what could go wrong.”
Congrats on the new office!
Big congrats to you and your team. It has been so great to see you grow and be successful so quickly. It seems like only yesterday that I was using a virtual spray paint can at your launch party at the Arts Project.
Thanks Jason! Funny, I was just thinking about the spray can thing the other day and how we should really be doing something similar again soon. Stay tuned.
Congrats on the expansion and the new digs, Jonathan!
Love this quote: “I’m much more excited by what’s possible than I am afraid of what could go wrong.”
Congrats, and best of luck with the new expansion!
Congrats big bro! Super proud and excited for you and your future endeavors!
Awwww…thanks sis.
Congratulations Jonathan, and the whole Resolution team!
I’m looking forward to a tour next time I’m in Toronto!
Thanks Titus. You may need to give us a couple of months but you’re definitely welcome to stop in for a tour.
Congrats on the new office Jonathan and all of ResIM!
I remember when I met your back in 2007 at an InterNetwork event and you told me about your (I believe then) three person company called ResIM. It has been great to see how much your company has grown and all of the success you have had.
I wish you the best of luck as you begin this new chapter in the evolution of ResIM! All the best to Geoff and Andrew in Toronto!
Thanks Sarah. We’ve certainly grown since ’07….how times have changed!
Great news Jonathan and the in entire team. I’m proud of you. You have come along way and you are so right. It’s way more exciting about what’s possible than being afraid of what could go wrong.”
Well done
Peter
Congratulations Cheesus. Very proud!
So excited to see you guys in TO! And we’ll be “office neighbours” to boot.
I know I missed most of it, but it’s super neat seeing things grow so much in so little time. I’m in a way honored to be a small part of it. Best of luck in Toronto and into the future!
Thanks Zandy — you are definitely part of our story. I’ll never forget your resume drop-off approach. Oh, and the great work you did for us.
Kudos, Jonathan. Just hope you keep giving presentations to keep us informed about what is cutting edge in new media – because that is where you play – on the cutting edge. The new digs look great and Toronto is a great place to be for business. Congratulations to you and your team. ~ Margarita
Hey Jonathan, just heard the news about the big expansion. Congratulations to you and your team! Very exciting. Can’t wait to see what’s in store for you guys.
It’s funny that I stumble across this blog post now because I’m in the exact same boat. I’m a former Flash game developer, now working with HTML5, and there is *nothing* in London. I’ve been waffling about packing my bags for Toronto for over a year now and I think it’s finally time.
Thanks for the comment K — it’s a tough call but it sounds like you’ve figured out what you have to do. Good luck!