Dan Cummins is the to start with to concede the past pair of many years haven’t been form to his website and application growth business.
“The pandemic hit us genuinely tricky,” the very well-known Ottawa entrepreneur states of the havoc the COVID-19 disaster wreaked on Atomic Movement, the business he released far more than two decades ago.
At its peak, Atomic Movement was a flourishing organization with two dozen staff members and a customer listing that incorporated world wide giants like Toyota and Google.
But the pandemic took its toll. Cummins suggests a “major aviation contract” was slashed in half as air journey ground to a halt, when a further consumer cancelled a offer worthy of extra than $400,000.
There was, Cummins provides, “a ton of uncertainty” encompassing the upcoming of the internet enhancement marketplace, which had already been upended by the emergence of computer software these as Squarespace and Wix that authorized pretty much any person to develop their personal web sites.
But points look to be looking up for Atomic Motion.
Enterprise-degree prospects
Earlier this thirty day period, the company was acquired by WebMarketers, 1 of Ottawa’s quickest-rising digital marketing organizations. Conditions of the deal were being not disclosed.
Cummins, who was Atomic Motion’s sole shareholder, will retain an possession stake in the put together corporation. Atomic Motion, which had seven staff members at the time of the offer, will continue to be a standalone entity under the WebMarketers umbrella and will go on serving business-level and public-sector purchasers that incorporate Canadian Blood Solutions, World wide Affairs Canada and NASA.
“The timing just seemed good,” suggests Cummins, who will consider on the job of main tactic officer.
Launched in 2013 by Kyle Smendziuk and Dave Kachaniwsky, WebMarketers has grown its headcount to just about 30 workers though serving mainly little and medium-sized customers. It continued to grow through the pandemic, augmenting its offerings by obtaining social media company Media Launch and launching Phantom Productions, a division centered on picture, movie and animation services.
The business recently commenced courting more substantial clients in a bid to steepen its development trajectory. Smendziuk explained bringing Atomic Motion into the fold will accelerate that process by introducing blue-chip organization-degree shoppers to its roster.
“We’re energized to be signing up for forces with Atomic Movement,” he stated in a statement. “They’re a person of the longest-standing net outlets in the location and have some of most notable brands in the entire world amongst their customer listing.“
Cummins, who achieved Smendziuk a few of decades in the past, states he’s been amazed with the Carleton College aerospace engineering grad’s “energy and ambition” as nicely as his skill to deliver a demonstrable return on investment to his consumers.
“There are so quite a few companies out there that it’s all about just branding and social media for the sake of social media. But these men are all about quantifying, ‘Okay – you expended a thousand pounds. Here’s how you designed a few thousand.’”
“There are so several businesses out there that it is all about just branding and social media for the sake of social media,” he says. “But these fellas are all about quantifying, ‘Okay – you invested a thousand pounds. Here’s how you manufactured three thousand.’
“(Acquiring Atomic Movement) is an option for them to take in a great deal of practical experience and know-how and perception to the industry that they truly want to get started heading after.”
At 35 employees, WebMarketers is now one of the biggest gamers in Ottawa’s digital marketing house. Cummins says the firm plans to maintain using the services of in anticipation of introducing a lot more company-amount clientele and is at the moment growing its business at the World Exchange Plaza to accommodate more team.
In addition, WebMarketers is already eyeing other acquisition targets, together with one south of the border, as it seems to be to grow its footprint across the region and past.
When the menace of a looming economic downturn could possibly scare some companies into urgent pause on this kind of ambitious plans, Cummins states he thinks the sector is poised for a new wave of development.
“I sense that the economy is unquestionably heading to go into a downturn,” he says. “But at the exact time, I really feel we’re truly heading to see an raise in shelling out – unquestionably from compact enterprise clientele. As enterprise gets potentially much more scarce, all of the intelligent organizations spend much more on advertising and marketing and advertising.”