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For the past 7 months I’ve been running the US side of the agency here from The UK. Of course that wasn’t the plan, but COVID has a way of wreaking havoc on our best laid plans. While it hasn’t been ideal, we’ve managed the best we possibly could. It definitely took some trial and error, but business doesn’t stop just because I can’t travel right now, so I had no choice but to keep calm and carry on!
It’s been quite the roller coaster ride setting up and managing the US side of the business here from The UK, but actually, I’m starting to get into a rhythm of working and using it to its advantages. So, whilst I don’t have a traditional working day like I used to; I now have time to get up with my kids, take them to school and then spend time focusing on myself which being honest I struggled to do before COVID.
My working day starts later and naturally finishes later because of the time difference. And whilst that might seem off-putting, it’s actually been quite refreshingly helpful in juggling our family life. If you’d have asked me a year ago if I’d have wanted to do this, the chances are I would have laughed in your face. But actually, it’s worked out even better than I could have imagined. Having done this now for quite a few months you get into a rhythm of working, and start enjoying this new dynamic.
It was not at all the plan to run the agency transatlantically, but I’ve come out of it with lessons learned and a breadth of knowledge to drop on y’all (the American vernacular is slowly sneaking in)! But until you’ve done it you don’t know, and that’s why I wanted to write this blog post.
I’ve been speaking to a lot of people based in The US who have never worked with a development team in The UK, so I wanted to share the top 5 benefits of working with OUR ridiculously talented development team!
1. Proven track record
We’ve been working with clients in The US for over 10 years now and are more than just in the rhythm of working with US-based clients, but have nailed it!
During the pandemic, we delivered 90% of our projects on time and to budget. A stat that makes me insanely proud of our entire team! Throughout all of the uncertainty, and people not knowing their ass from their elbow with the constantly changing events, we managed to pull together and deliver to our spectacular clients! All remotely and all with the same passion and drive that it takes to be a Cube. If we can do that in the wildest of circumstances, I’m more than confident we can do so when/if there is a bit more certainty in the world!
2. Time difference works to YOUR advantage
Having a team based in the UK means they live in the future. As their working day draws to a close, your day begins and you can review what they’ve done.
We’ve found that our projects work MORE efficiently and comms are more balanced between both parties. COVID has been a huge catalyst for remote working, and most people are fairly comfortable using Zoom or Google Meet. In today’s new working environment, where you’re physically based isn’t so much of an issue. And with tools like Slack and Basecamp we can ensure comms are handled effectively.
3. TEAM
Our development team isn’t just developers. Our Cube crew consists of Project Managers, Creatives, UX Leads, Client Strategists, Mobile Developers, Front end Developers, Back end Developers and Testers. It takes a TEAM to deliver world class, life changing, life saving type apps.
As a woman in tech I couldn’t be more proud to say we’re 47% female. We don’t just have a group of male developers that you’ll be engaging with. You’ll have a team of people, all actively engaged and passionate in what they do.
4. Global experience
We have apps in over 100 countries, in around 55 different languages. We know what it takes to scale and what it takes to head into a different territory. We LOVE the US, but there is a whole wide world out there and we might be a small team, but we’re certainly mighty and have extensive global experience.
We give a 💩
Our mission is to build tech for good to change millions of lives for the better. Every single Cube is aligned with that mission, and they really care about the projects we chose to take on. Ultimately, we offer a service and we can only ensure we offer the best service if our team is actively engaged in what they work on. They have to give a shit. And they definitely do!
And there you have it! The list could go endlessly on, but these core reasons really hone in on why you should look further afield (across the pond to be exact!) and choose a team that can deliver a stellar product from wherever they are located! Please do shout me a holla if you have any more questions/would like to work with our fantastic team!
Published on 28 May 2021, last updated on 19 September 2023