Frequently Asked Questions
We get it. You want to know more about us before you commit.
Here's a list of questions we sometimes receive.
What services does Draseum offer?
Draseum helps its clients to take their dreams forward, no matter how small or large they are. For instance, some clients want a clearly-defined marketing strategy that will lead them to growth, others want to check how appealing their brand is to prospective clients, some want insight from market research data, others want to train their employees on a certain topic, some wish for an extensive review of existing literature on a topic, while others want us to help them prepare a presentation or develop an infographic.
Find out more in Our Services page.
What types of clients does Draseum serve?
At Draseum, we are all about making a difference and moving dreams forward. Due to their nature, our services - covering Research, Analysis, Strategy, and Empowerment needs - can be employed to move different types of dreams forward that a diverse range of clients may have.
We serve SMEs across many different sectors and from all walks of life, including female entrepreneurs, businesses located in rural or remote areas, and groups of firms (e.g. cooperatives, clusters, associations).
We also support organisations such as industry/trade associations, policy bodies, think tanks, etc. to collect and analyse research findings as well as to extract, visualise and present meaningful and current insight from increasingly complex and diverse data sources.
So, you may be a start-up needing a market analysis, a small business requiring help with its marketing plan, an established firm wishing to refresh its brand identity, an industry association seeking to organise a training workshop on social media metrics for its members, a cooperative searching for support on appropriate routes-to-market, a think-tank or a policy agency requiring assistance with review of existing research on a certain topic, etc.
Whoever you are, get in touch with us to discuss further how we can help you move your dreams forward.
What types of industries does Draseum specialise in?
At Draseum, resilience is a core value. This means that no matter which sector you are in, you can rest assured that we have the ability and drive to understand the background, fundamentals and key trends in almost any industry.
Having said that, we've worked with B2B, B2C, and DTC clients in: Food & Drink, Consumer Goods, Telecommunications, Tourism & Hospitality (e.g. hotels, restaurants), Professional Services, Non-profit Organisations and Charities, etc.
We believe that the value Draseum brings to the table is not industry expertise - you have that. Rather, our value lies with our rigorous, detailed and comprehensive research skills, our meticulous analytical processes, our in-depth understanding of consumers' cognitive, emotional and behavioural reactions and of strategic marketing planning, as well as our unique ability to train and educate you in ways that are meaningful and accessible to you.
Which regions/countries does Draseum serve?
With the use of digital technologies and online meeting tools, most of our services can be delivered globally and with most clients a face-to-face meeting may never be necessary.
While there are no geographical limits in regards to the clients we can serve, our primary markets, where we can offer face-to-face interactions, are the UK and Greece. There's nothing better for us than to have a chat with you over a cup of tea during a rainy afternoon in Glasgow, or in a sunny-bathed coffee shop in Athens.
Please don't hesitate to get in touch for more information - we would be happy to discuss alternative arrangements with you.
Why should I choose Draseum for strategic marketing services instead of doing this on my own?
Depending on what you want to do / achieve, you could easily spend substantial amount of time on trying to find out how to get it done - for some of the tasks involved in the services we offer, this time can actually consist of months of a very steep learning curve for you. This is time, however, which we think you should be spending doing what you know best: managing operations, developing new products, strengthening distribution channel relationships, meeting clients, that is, doing things that only you can do well.
And of course, one of our core values is that we are also here to educate you. Via using our expertise and exploring different angles, Draseum can help you see things from a new perspective that you may haven't thought. We want to be your go-to information source at all times, providing you with new ideas, analytical data, and insight relevant and tailored to you.
I am not sure - do I need consulting or mentoring services?
The distinction of the two can indeed be confusing. Here at Draseum, we believe that the nature of our approach to our clients is such, whereby the two can be, to an extent, intertwined - their combination might be useful but not always, depending on what the client needs.
In coaching or mentoring, answers are provided by the client. A coach or mentor is there to ask questions and help the client understand themselves where they want to go and pave the way to growth and progress. In consulting, answers are provided by the consultant. A consultant still asks a lot of questions, but is there to work with you to come up with a solution, to provide recommendations, based on data and information, and often to implement the solution.
If in doubt about what exactly you need, please get in touch.
What is Draseum's pricing policy?
At Draseum, each client is unique, and no size fits all. For this reason, Draseum does not offer standardised pricing packages. Please check Our Services page for more details on our pricing policy.
Our prices vary, depending on a number of factors, including:
the nature of the project (e.g. simpler projects may be charged differently in comparison to longer-term projects, so there are several payment options, including payment by the hour, by project or on retainer).
the level of involvement you want us to have, starting from simply offering you advice, to more highly-involved interaction such as making a plan for you and guiding you as you go through the process, or implementing the plan for you.
the complexity of factors influencing our ability to successfully complete the project (e.g. quality of information available, specific needs such as expensive-to-access data or software, etc.).
the number of services you have requested, and the urgency of the project.
Our expertise, professionalism, and resilience are unparalleled and add high value to your business.
Having said that, Draseum is a small business itself, so we fully recognise the challenges that smaller businesses face in terms of budget and resources. We are reasonably priced and flexible, and since most of our services can be delivered by taking advantage of online tools, our clients are not charged unnecessary costs such as travel expenses, etc. Everything we do is tailored to your specific situation, so we would be happy to discuss further with you - just get in touch with us.
What happens after I reach out to Draseum for the first time?
Typically, once you contact us, we will get in touch with you via email to acknowledge your request and seek a bit more information about your needs. We will then arrange a 15-minute free consultation phone call, where we aim to understand more about your needs and assess whether and how we can help you - in some cases, this call may be all we need. For more complex projects, we may need to arrange a discovery session (online or in your premises), where we work with you to establish exactly what you want to achieve.
You will then receive a proposal that summarises the issues identified, objectives and expected outcomes for you, services we can offer to achieve those results, and timeframe within which we can offer them, and of course a full cost analysis, along with terms and conditions. You can review this and approve this, or come back to us with further comments.
How much time will Draseum need to deliver the services I have selected?
This will depend on what kind of services you have selected, which stage of the process you are at, the quality of guidelines, existing information, and material you will provide us with, your level of participation in the process, and of course our current workload.
We will be happy to discuss with you further about special time requests you may have. We may be able to accommodate 'rush' requests, with an extra charge, but this will depend on other client engagements we will have at that moment. Having said that, Draseum's core values are to make a difference by being professional, and completing projects the right way. Our priority is to never jeopardise the quality of work we do for all of our clients. This is why we do not undertake many projects simultaneously. When we are working with you, you have our undivided attention.
How is payment made once I decide that I want to work with Draseum?
Our proposal will include a breakdown of payments to be made, and the timeframe within which they need to be made - as is standard practice. Typically, payment for each aspect or part of our collaboration is requested in advance, and for longer/ more complex projects in instalments. For example, if you have requested a one-hour Discovery Session, the proposal will outline the cost of this and the timeframe within which payment will need to be made prior to Draseum delivering the Discovery Session. Alternatively, if you have requested advice on website design, this is obviously a longer task for which payment may be arranged in instalments, depending on agreed pricing option (e.g. three payments each one covering X amount of hours of work, or two payments with the first due before commencement of work and the second due after you have seen the first draft).
We would be happy to discuss specific requests you may have.
Do you have a refund policy?
In general, we follow a “no refund” policy for all aspects of our business. This is because by the time you have decided to work with us and made the first payment, we have already set aside time to prepare the proposal and work with you, and we may have turned away other opportunities in order to provide you with the best possible service. Our core philosophy at Draseum is to make a difference by being professional, and completing projects the right way. Thus, we do not undertake many projects simultaneously, and when we have committed to work with you, you will have our undivided attention.
However - as with everything we do with our clients where no size fits all - we are flexible.
We understand that projects may need to be postponed, delayed, or rescheduled (e.g. due to last-minute issues such as sickness, or worldwide challenges such as the coronavirus pandemic). In those cases, your payment will not be wasted, and the project (the same project, not modified) can be rescheduled for a time in the future that suits you (subject to our availability).
In the case of events and speaking arrangements (e.g. a training workshop), prior payment needs to be made so as we can hold the event date on our calendar. Again, no refund will be provided if you decide to cancel this, but the event can be postponed or rescheduled for a time in the future that suits you (subject to our availability). A small fee may be applied if notification is not given promptly (this will be noted in detail in terms and conditions).
For services rendered, no amount of the payment shall be refundable. We guarantee the quality of our work. We will never undertake projects that we cannot fully and confidently support. We also work with our clients to develop the solutions that address their needs, which means that our clients are part of the process every step of the way, including potentially seeing drafts of our work at jointly agreed intervals. And of course, upon agreement, revisions can be made if the client feels that some changes are needed. Note that while we guarantee the quality of our work, we cannot guarantee the outcomes (most outcomes are subject to factors outside of our direct control, e.g. your level of involvement or unanticipated events).
Still can’t find what you are looking for? Simply reach out.