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We doubled our marketing team, and still fell behind. Thats what one founder told me in January, frustrated after months of hiring, onboarding, and budgetingonly to lose ground anyway. In 2025, the old formula of more people equals more results just isnt working. Lets face it, traditional hiring is broken. Its costly, time-intensive, and built for a world that no longer exists. Training takes months, and even the best employees cant be experts in everything. And scaling up or down? Thats nearly impossible when your budget is tied to headcount. That said, full-time employees are still the heart of any great company. Their creativity, dedication, and drive are what push businesses forward. So, what is a leader to do? Thats where the right agency comes in. Not to replace your team, but to amplify it. An agency partner keeps your business agile and efficient, filling in gaps without replacing your team. Instead of overloading in-house employees, an agency can bring specialized expertise exactly when and where it’s needed, without adding overhead. 5 reasons to amplify your team with an agency Heres why teaming up with an agency could be the right move in 2025. 1. Access to a dream team When you work with an agency, youre not gaining just one person, youre tapping into an entire squad of experts. Need killer copy, smart SEO strategies, or top-notch data insights? Theyve got you covered. Building a team like that in-house takes time and money, but an agency delivers it all, with minimal onboarding. This means your employees can focus on the big picture goals while the agency handles the specialized execution that drives results. 2. Smarter spending Hiring is expensive. Salaries, benefits, equipment, training…it adds up fast. Then theres turnover46% of employees plan to job hunt in the next three months, and replacing an employee costs about 50% of their annual salary. That number jumps to 100% for higher-level roles. Agencies, on the other hand, come with clear, predictable costs. Theyre not about cutting corners; theyre about making smart investments. You get the best of both worlds; high-level expertise without the financial risk of full-time hires. 3. Staying ahead of the game The marketing world never stops moving, and you must be ready to pivot at a moments notice. Agencies, like social media-focused marketing agency Firebelly, are built for this. They constantly test new tools and strategies, so you dont have to. I recently spoke with Duncan Alney, founder and CEO of Firebelly Marketing, about how businesses today cant afford to fall behind. As a social media marketing agency, were focused on staying ahead of the industrys trends and news. Marketing shifts too quickly, and in-house teams are already stretched thin, Duncan shared. Firebelly brings the advantage of real-time insights and adaptability, things that are nearly impossible to maintain internally.” Your team can focus on longer-term growth while your agency keeps you on the cutting edge. 4. Scalability, when you need it Businesses arent predictable. Maybe youve got a product launch coming up, or maybe its a slow season. Agencies ramp up or scale back as necessary, taking the pressure off your team. Its like having a safety net that adjusts as you go. 5. Hit the ground running Hiring and training new employees takes time, and sometimes you need results ASAP. Agencies come in ready to go. They bring proven systems, expertise, and results. Instead of waiting months to see progress, you build momentum right away. As a marketer and business owner, Ive seen firsthand how agencies can transform businesses ready to level up their marketing. The right agency can bring expertise, speed, and flexibility to the table, working alongside in-house teams. This isnt about replacing your employees, its about giving them the support they need to shine. Before you post that next job opening, ask yourself: Could an outside partner help you achieve your goals faster and with less risk? In 2025, the smartest way to build from within might be by looking outside.
Category:
E-Commerce
Most people think of urban open spaces in terms of grand parksChicagos Millennium Park or New Yorks Central Park or San Franciscos Golden Gate Park. These are our iconic parksour sublime spaces. They serve as the lungs of our cities, and they certainly steal our hearts. These spaces are not locked behind gates but are stages where our own lives play out and memories are created, full of movement and reflection and joy. There are more modest spaces in our cities, though, that are just as important to our livesthe thresholds and courtyards and pocket parks. Theyre the places where we bump into our neighbors to walk our dogs or read on a bench in an environment where nature takes over. They are often unheralded like a great Olmsted Park, but always full of potential for true placemaking to begin. My father, Edwin Smith was director of parks and recreation for the City of Eugene, Oregon and he knew this. He served for more than 30 years and was responsible for the design and development of 41 parks and greenways in and around the city. His work had a profound impact on me as a future architect. More to the point, his work and vision quietly enhanced the lives of so many people in the community as their access to parks was interwoven into their lives. Westmoreland Park is one of Eugenes centerpiece parks and is a great example. Its gentle slopes and lush lawns support stands of mature cedars and redwoods, not to mention Douglas firs, hemlocks, spruces, and the Oregon white oak. Even if you dont know all those trees by sight, you know Westmoreland Park if you live in Eugene, and you know that it offers something for almost every active resident. I think thats the importance of a well-designed spaceit invites and it responds. Living ribbon of connection Responsiveness is a word worth pausing on for a moment. Its the entire reason for designarchitectural, urban, or otherwiseand its one of the hallmarks of placemaking. My firm, MG2, recently envisioned design for an attainable housing project in Irvine, California, that was meant to respond to a specific housing challenge in a rapidly changing part of the state. It isnt a monolith. It is, instead, what we think of as a living ribbon of connectiona continuous path that links breezeways, community gardens, play areas, and shared courtyards woven throughout the residential units. It is not simply a circulation route. It is a spine, and just like our spines, everything it touches depends upon it for structure. But more importantly, this isnt just a collection of amenities. It is a social ecosystem. The layout fosters degrees of interactionprivate balconies that open into semi-private courtyards, which in turn flow into cooperative gardens and fully public gathering spaces. Residents can choose solitude, casual interaction, or spirited communal activityeach space encouraging a different rhythm of human engagement. Children play while parents share meals. Strangers become neighbors over garden beds. This is architecture as social infrastructure. To reimagine open space is not to think biggerit is to think deeper. To look between, beneath, beyond. It is to ask: How do we shape space to be responsive? How do we design for encounter, for joy, for the unplanned but meaningful moments of connection? Let us not treat the spaces between buildings as voids. Let us see them as vesselsof life, of community, of possibility. Let us design not just for shelter, but for spirit. Let us reimagine open spaces. Mitch Smith AIA, LEED AP is the CEO and chairman of MG2, an affiliate of Colliers Engineering & Design.
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E-Commerce
In an era dominated by artificial intelligence and smartphones, one of the most overlooked engines of economic growth sits quietly at the heart of every neighborhood: the public library. Gone are the days when libraries were sanctuaries reserved for only reading and research. Today, they are being reimagined as dynamic hubs for workforce development, creative sector support, and cultural exchange. Across the country, these reservoirs of knowledge are evolving into digital and physical beacons of community resilience. Local access, global reach: A case study in artist empowerment In Huntsville, where I serve as the citys first music officer, weve partnered with our public library system to develop a multifunctional creative hubwith music at its core. A primary pillar of our collaboration is Blast Music, a digital streaming platform designed to showcase local talent. Its a model other cities can and should replicate. Through the Blast program, artists are paid, promoted, and added to a curated library collectionoffering not only exposure, but bona fide industry credentials. Over 100 local artists are currently featured on the platform, and we will welcome up to 50 additional artists into the program annually. The ripple effect of Blast is real. The free service empowers local listeners to discover homegrown talent while giving musicians tools to grow their fan base and attract industry attention. Perhaps most importantly, Blast provides emerging artists with resume-worthy recognitionessential for building sustainable careers in a tough industry. But Blast isnt just about digital reachits embedded in Huntsvilles cultural DNA. From artist showcases like the Ladies of Blast event at the Orion Amphitheater, to community events like Hear to Be Seen (a portrait exhibition of Blast musicians), to stages designated exclusively for Blast artist performances at Camp to Amp, PorchFest, and more, Blast is bringing music into public spaces and cultivating civic pride. Thats the kind of community infrastructure that libraries are uniquely equipped to deliver. Theres no such thing as too much visibility, and even artists with international acclaim see value in the platform. Huntsville native Kim Tibbs, a vocalist, songwriter, Alabama Music Hall of Fame honoree and UK chart-topper, submitted her album The Science of Completion Volume I to Blastnot only for more exposure, but to mentor and support the next generation of artists in her hometown. Libraries as talent incubators Huntsville is part of a broader national trend. In cities like Chicago, Nashville, and Austin, libraries are integrating creative labs, media production studios, and music education into their core servicesfunctioning as public-sector incubators for the creative economy. As technology continues to reshape traditional jobs, libraries are well-positioned to bridge skill gaps and fuel the rise of creative economies, including the vital but often overlooked non-performance roles in the music industry. Huntsville is doubling down on this approach. Were investing millions into programs that bring interactive music technology workshops to teens at the local libraryfocusing on hands-on training in production, recording, and audio engineering. With professional equipment, studio spaces, and expert instruction, were preparing the next generation for careers both onstage and behind the scenes. Local industry is stepping up too. Hear Technologies, a global leader in sound and AV production, has been designing cutting-edge audio devices for years. Theyre now part of a dynamic team collaborating with city leaders to help develop the librarys music maker space, nurture new talent and accelerate our regions creative growth. This matters now, more than ever Libraries have always been entry points for education, employment, and exploration. But today, theyre more than just information access pointsthey are gateways to opportunity and launchpads for industries that define the future. By utilizing public space and collaborating with local talent, libraries can become platforms for economic mobility and cultural innovation. This investment isnt a feel-good gesture. Its a smart, strategic move for any city building a future that worksfor everyone. The playlist is simple: Invest in creative ecosystems, embed them in trusted community institutions like public libraries, and treat music as critical infrastructure. Matt Mandrella is music officer for the City of Huntsville, Alabama.
Category:
E-Commerce
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