Financial Stability and Organization:

Through out the semester a big issue that Porch 40 had was its lack of financial stability. In order to solve this issue we , the consultants, took all of their financial records and compiled them into a profit and loss statement for the last couple months and compared it to previous years. With this information we found that with a steady increase in clientele and higher paying gigs the band was actually staring to turn a profit. Though a small amount it is a sign of growth. This also allowed us to set up a financial plan in order to allocate proper financial resources into necessary outlets such as the band’s website along with advertising, merchandise, and possibly a vehicle for the band to use while on the road. We showed the bands manager, Justin, the financials and it really surprised him. If the band could refrain from spending money on things like alcohol, they would have an extra $250.00 to spend on things like merchandise. We also showed them how if they purchased a vehicle like an RV, though the cost of that would increase, it would greatly decrease the amount spent on hotel fees. Setting the band up with a means of recording and documenting their spending we allowed Porch 40 to cut costs on expenses that were higher than they had previously expected.

Website Building:

Another project given to us this semester was to help the band find and build a website that they could use in order to help build their business as well as act as a central hub for all of their media, merchandise, and calendar along with a means of contact. Another thing they needed for the website is for it to be mobile friendly. After taking everything they asked us and researching through various sources, we found that the total price for a company to build a WordPress website to their specifications would be roughly $3-5 thousand dollars, which was frankly outside of their price range. After getting these results, we decided to try and find a cheaper and alternative means, which we found in SquareSpace. It is a much cheaper cost than the original idea yet it still had everything the company wanted, which they have intentions to pursue.

Building Social Media and Advertisement:

We had originally intended to help Porch 40 find an easier way of maintaining their social media themselves, but we ended up finding a promotion company to do it for them, Invegel Management. They help promote Porch 40 on all of their platforms including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and ReverbNation. This is all in order to help Porch 40 increase their following, and keep followers up-to-date on everything PORCH 40!!! One of the big parts of the social media end that they are also building is their own hashtag #spreaditheavy.