3.7 Designs web consultancy looks at Midwestern expansion

For years, 3.7 Designs focused on website creation and increasing companies’ Internet presence. Today, the downtown Ann Arbor-based consultancy is gaining traction by taking a more comprehensive view of its clients’ Web needs.The 5-year-old company now focuses on how its Internet solutions can work more cohesively with a client’s brand or marketing campaign. “It’s more ongoing and focused on strategy than just visuals and function,” says Ross Johnson, CEO, designer, and janitor for 3.7 Designs.That new approach and rise in consulting work has allowed 3.7 Designs to hire one employee and two independent contractors. That rounds out its staff to three employees, two interns, and two independent contractors. It hopes to add two more hires in early 2011 as more companies come on board. “There has been a huge upswing,” Johnson says.This growth is also part of a plan to expand the clientele outside of Metro Detroit. It is aiming at growing in more Midwestern markets, including across Michigan and into Ohio, Indiana, and Canada.Source: Ross Johnson, CEO, designer, and janitor of 3.7 DesignsWriter: Jon ZemkeRead more about Metro Detroit’s growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.