Not sure if we’re right for you? Maybe we’re not. 

1 We’re not a full-service agency 

You just get us. Sometimes we work with trusted partners for things like recruitment. But we don’t have a team of research execs under us or a big fieldwork department. 

2 We’re challenging 

We won’t just nod along and say yes. We’ll ask you difficult questions and if we see a different way to do something, we’ll tell you. 

3 We’re not robots 

Let’s not get into AI and ChatGPT in research. But we are willing to die on the hill that it can’t match our thinking, ideas and ability to manage a research project from end-to-end. 

4 We’re not slick 

We won’t ask you to use loads of different apps and join us for a morning scrum. We usually just meet to discuss the project requirements, agree timescales and get cracking. 

5 We don’t have a fancy office 

We both work from home. Occasionally video calls feature dogs or the window cleaner. 

6 We have lives 

We work flexibly. We fit our work around school drop-offs, dog walks and poorly toddlers. We put the hours in, but if you want a 9-5 service then we’re not for you.

7 We have other clients 

Chances are, we’ll be working on other things. So we might need a bit of notice. The upside is that we bring a lot of experience and learning from our other projects. 

8 We can’t guarantee value-for-money 

We charge a fair price and there’s a good chance we’ll cost less than going to a big agency. But we won’t be the cheapest either. Will it be good value? That depends on why you want our help and what you do with it. 


Despite all this, people hire us, re-hire us and say nice things. So we can’t be that bad. 

If you want to find out just how unslick we are, please get in touch. Adam runs Unoffice Hours for random chats or email hello@psresearch.co.uk 

 

This was inspired by a blog from copywriter Jonathan Wilcock