But….Are you really boutique?

Confessions of a Condo Manager
3 min readMar 24, 2022

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At Three By Three, we pride ourselves on being boutique and adaptable (to a point) to our client’s needs. I can feel your eyes rolling at the idea, likely thinking that someone on our end decided to use the latest word on their “buzzword of the month” calendar, but (thankfully) that’s not the case.

What does being boutique really mean? Sure, anyone can use the word in an attempt to gather eyeballs, clicks, or more importantly, clients, however, it’s a large chasm between talking a good game and actually stepping up the plate. While the word has many connotations, at Three By Three, we not only step up to the plate, we smack that ball 400 yards over the wall.

In the strictest definition of the word:

Boutique [boo-teek]
noun
1. any small, exclusive business offering customized service

2. Informal. a small business, department, etc., specializing in one aspect of a larger industry

If we deconstruct each part of the definition above, I’m sure I can have you nodding in agreement that Three By Three meets all the criteria to call itself boutique. As our resident hip hop artist would say, “Let’s break it down”.

Small, exclusive business offering customized service

Is Three By Three small? In terms of employees and others who help us reach our lofty goals, yes. We have nine staff which is less than the proverbial drop in the bucket in comparison to some of our competitors, however, where we lack in numbers, we make up for in ability, spirit, and “get it done” attitude (with some of the attitudes being more forward than others).

Do we offer customized service? Yes, to a point. Obviously we’re not going to bow to every ridiculous request that comes along, but that said, we do aim to make condo life and the work the boards do as easy and seamless as possible. With offerings of everything from financial management only to full (almost turnkey) management and everything in between, our small, but mighty, flexible nature allows us to find the right offering no matter what you’re looking for.

Small business specializing in one aspect of a larger industry

Without a doubt, this is where we excel and live our lives on a daily basis. While many of our competitors want to collect doors like they’re Beanie Babies, we have taken a different route and instead focus on the smaller buildings, the ones that typically forgotten or are the last to be chosen for the schoolyard soccer game. Our philosophy is that every building needs professional management — whether you have 400 doors or 4 doors. With so many moving parts when it comes to running and managing the corporation, it’s a fool’s errand to think that a board of directors consisting of volunteers is going to have the time, energy, and more importantly, the know-how to ensure that all the balls being juggled are kept in the air. While we definitely work alongside the boards in our buildings, the last thing we want to do is throw them in the proverbial deep end and watch them flounder about.

Smaller buildings also mean personal relationships. While our competitors might only know you by your building and unit number, we take a more personal approach and learn about who you are, not just what unit you live in. Understandably, if you have a portfolio of 1000+ doors, short of being “Rain Man”, it’s virtually impossible to know each and every person, however, focusing on the people as well as the building has proven to be a winning combination.

So, what does this all mean?? In short, if you are a smaller building in Calgary looking for new management and prefer a more personal touch rather than the “cold hand from sights unknown”, then reach out to us. It may be a fit, it may not, but in the end, you’ll have the knowledge. And as GI Joe says, “knowing is half the battle”.

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Confessions of a Condo Manager
Confessions of a Condo Manager

Written by Confessions of a Condo Manager

Information, stories & the cold hard truth about a chaotic job that can destroy your soul. Enjoy the levity and casual approach to our version of education.

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