Q+A with Cora Ligon

Catapult: When did you know it was time to move out?

Cora: When I joined Catapult initially, I did so with the thought in mind that I would be launched out of the space. About six months later, my team and I moved into the space that we are currently in. It made much more sense moving forward because our team continues to grow rapidly and I knew we would need more space for creative collaboration.

Catapult: How has the transition been in the new space?

Cora: The transition has been seamless! Prior to the move, I would have to meet with my team in a multitude of spaces. Catapult’s conference rooms worked well for us– but we didn’t want to monopolize the space and take away time from other business owners. We found ourselves hopping from Catapult to Hillcrest, to Concord, to Mitchell’s just to keep everyone together. In our new space, we are now able to host meetings of all sizes, stage photo shoots, prep for events, and conduct seminars and training.

Catapult: What are some wins for your business since you’ve moved into your new space?

Cora: We are excited to be working with companies like Lakeland Vision’s Age Friendly Lakeland, I Love Seminole Heights, Tampa Theatre, and even completed a fun rebranding project for the Brandon Chamber of Commerce. Catapult was true to its purpose as a launching point, and after continuing to expand within the Lakeland community, we were able to brand out into new markets.

Catapult: How have you developed your customer family? What are your secrets to customer growth?

Cora: Most of our business comes through word-of-mouth via direct referrals from current clients and intentional networking. We enjoy integrating ourselves into communities of business owners, like local chambers of commerce. Although we do a lot of networking, the service we provide speaks for itself.

Catapult: Have you been able to hire any new employees?

Cora: We have! Even before we had moved into our new office, we were growing aggressively, but our employee count has grown into the double-digits. We currently have nine full-time and five part-time employees– much larger than our five-person team that was transitioning out of Catapult.

Catapult: Have any of your goals changed from when you first started to now?

Cora: While we were operating out of Catapult, we were simply working to survive. We were hustling to get as much business as we could to establish ourselves in the community. Since the move, our services have grown in a number of ways. Not only have we grown geographically, but the types of services we provide have expanded immensely.

Catapult: Which specific aspect of Catapult can you look back on and identify as the most helpful to your business?

Cora: Catapult was the perfect launching pad for Ligon Marketing. Like I mentioned earlier, I jumped into my membership at Catapult with the plan to move out into my own space sooner rather than later. Catapult provided everything else in the meantime: the space, the amenities, the network– and all at an affordable price while building our brand.

Catapult: What would you wish next for your business?

Cora: We want to continue to expand into surrounding cities to best serve business owners of all sizes. Through our growth, we’ve enhanced social media capabilities, product research and development, ecommerce and Amazon product-to-market launch, and because we have a full-stack developer, we are capable of offering a diverse set of solutions for our clients.