Going beyond the Classroom

 BizBlock, creating leaders who are ready to take on the world.

I recently had the pleasure to serve as a judge for the BizBlock program at Northern Arizona University.  This program is an intense nine credit block class held on campus in Flagstaff, AZ. The students are broken into 5-7 person teams and are instructed to create a business plan from creation to the stage just before funding would be received. This is an intense process and tests the team's ability to manage its time, resources, and the members in that team. Teams are required to show some creativity in their creation and to do extensive research and planning to determine if the business is viable. At the end of the program, the teams present their ideas to real life investors in an attempt to receive mock funds in the form of extra credit.  The presentations take place in a beautiful board room ostentatious enough to prepare them for any future board rooms.  This program is a requirement for all management majors and is generally taken the first semester of their junior year.

I was inspired by the hard work of these students.  The effort, time and deep thought they put into creating a business from initial idea down to very fine details is simply amazing.  The fact that they work with a team they didn't select themselves and bring it all together is a critical skill they need to work well in any business.  The student presentations are extremely professional from their attire and first impression they create the minute they walk in the room, the delivery of the material and their ability to answer any question that is asked of them on the spot.  Every team demonstrated a true knowledge of their subject matter.

As a business owner I am very drawn to this program because it truly prepares students beyond the classroom theory.  They do more than raise their hand in a classroom – they learn to find the answer, find the experts in the real world to learn about the business they are creating and truly master every aspect of that business.  

In addition to the massive amount of work the students do to create a business, I am also incredibly impressed with the additional skills they are taught by this outstanding group of professors.  These students are prepared well beyond the educational theory of the courses bundled in this program.  They learn in depth presentation skills including how to gesture and use your hands during a presentation.  They are also taught proper business etiquette and proper business dress (as shown in these pictures from this year's program).  I do not know of any other university programs that teach these important and differentiating skills.  It makes NAU students standout above the rest.

I truly enjoy working with this brilliant group of professors – Mary Bowers, Kevin Trainor and Chris

Scherpereel. They bring a great mix of knowledge and business experience and are a fun team to be with.  They work so well together that they could finish each other’s sentences but they are each unique with a different set of strengths to offer the students. 

We have already hired Victor Martinez, a member of the winning team from 2013, to work at Stowebridge Promotion Group.  This is a program that prepares students to hit the ground running once they leave the educational environment.

Thank you Northern Arizona University WA Franke College of Business for allowing me to spend time working with amazing students and professors.

Recharge you passion - Share it!

Recharge your passion – Share it!

 

I am a passionate person.  I am passionate about issues, about people in my life, my hobbies and my business.  I love the energy I get from being passionate.  I thrive being around passionate people even when they don’t share my views on issues.  I enjoy the opportunity to listen, learn, revise and defend my beliefs, although my friends would laugh and tell you I am usually more likely to defend than to listen.   I am working on that.  

The day to day structure of life and life’s chores and routine can sometimes sap the passion out of life.  We put our life on auto pilot – go to work, come home from work, meetings, reports, laundry, grocery shopping, breakfast, lunch, dinner, and all the other mundane tasks that fill our day. 

Break the cycle.  Reaching out to challenge ourselves can recharge passion.   

I was recently asked to teach four classes in two days on Production and Operations Management at Northern Arizona University College of Business.  I love to teach so I accepted the challenge, although I was not sure if I could fill seventy five minutes with wisdom and stories - especially on Production and Operations Management.   I am fortunate to lead a fascinating business at Stowebridge Promotion Group where we source or produce over a million products - advertising that customers say thank you for, remember, keep and use.

I quickly found that seventy five minutes with a group of business students who truly want to know what it’s really like out there, flies.  Most students have not had the opportunity to experience life in the professional business world that they have selected as their major.   They were anxious to learn anything I could teach them.  I could tell from their questions that they were building connections between my comments and what they had learned in their business classes.  Before and after class I had the opportunity to meet with some fascinating students one on one.  Their excitement, their questions, their outlook on life – refreshes me in ways I never expected.  It reminds me why I got into business in the first place.  

Students in our universities everywhere are hungry for the real world.  Even if you are nervous speaking in front of groups, this is an easy group because they are so eager to hear stories and learn about your experiences.  I am fortunate to be associated with Northern Arizona University William A Franke College of Business where bringing the real world into the classroom is already a priority.  Many of the professors have had full careers in business before transitioning to teaching.  Small class sizes make it easier for the student to interact with the professor as well as any outside speakers.  They involve the alumni in panel discussions, mentoring, shadowing, and a group of students were recently selected to spend time with Warren Buffet – an all expense paid trip for these students.

Not comfortable speaking to large groups?  It does not have to be a classroom presentation or lecture – there is also a real need for mentors for students,

 whether it is a long term commitment or just a short one time session.  Sharing your stories and passion for your business with a group of students who want to soak up your knowledge and experience is invigorating.  Giving back – sharing your story, whether in front of an entire class or just one on one with a student -  recharges passion.  

I was asked if I thought spending two days out of the office was a good use of my time.  ABSOLUTELY!  Spending time teaching and meeting with students before and after classes for a conversation recharges my energy, excites me.   It brings back my passion.  I am a better leader when I return.  I am excited and re-energized again as we serve our customers.  The day to day cobwebs are cleaned out and blown away.  While I was there to help them, I was the real winner of the two days I spent teaching. 

The need for Cultural Sensitivity in our Shrinking World

The need for Cultural Sensitivity in our Shrinking World

Today was Thanksgiving Day in Canada.  I don’t think many Americans were even aware of that.  I am fortunate to have good friends in Canada, some amazing suppliers that offer great and unique products and wonderful customers. 

Early this morning, I sent an email to my customer support person at one of my favorite companies in Montreal.   I wished her a Happy Thanksgiving and acknowledged that she was not in the office but asked if she could look into my order the following day.  I was quite surprised to get a response right away from her.  She told me that she had a great day with her family on Sunday and that she would have the American Thanksgiving off instead of the Canadian Holiday.  But, of course, she will be home celebrating alone, a Thursday in late November as winter is upon their doorstep.  This is a Canadian owned company.  And I was more than a little troubled by the fact that on a holiday that celebrates family and thankfulness that she was at work.

A few hours later I talked with another supplier in the US that recently purchased a Canadian apparel supplier.  They also were busy shipping out orders from Toronto. 

Thanksgiving is my favorite Holiday.  It is a simple and beautiful holiday about family and being thankful.  There are no gifts, there are no religious complications to consider.  Its just great food, family and thankfulness for all we have.

As the world becomes smaller and it is easier to work across borders, we need to develop our sensitivity and respect for traditions.   Would it have been earth shattering if these Canadian companies had closed to allow their employees to be with their families for one day?  We hold Thanksgiving as a very sacred holiday in the US.  (Okay with the exception of some retailers who tried to ruin it last year!).   We share Canada’s Thanksgiving with our Columbus Day so we were without banks and the mail delivery and federal offices.  It happens this way every year.  How is that we can work without those key operations, but there is no longer a respect for employees and their families across our border?  

We tolerate China closing for three weeks for Chinese New Year.  We plan for it; we work around it.  It isn't always easy but we all survive. 

At Stowebridge we realize that families are important.  Our employees are our greatest asset.  We offer a flexible workplace where families are important.  We adjust work schedules for important events - school performances, important sporting events for our employee's kids, kindergarten graduations and doctor's appointments. We aren't open on weekends and we close for all the major holidays.  By taking care of our employees, we know they will take great care of our customers.

We need our Canadian neighbors who own businesses to know that we respect that occasionally our holidays fall on different days, that we value their partnership, and respect their traditions. 

As our world becomes smaller, it is time that we also develop cultural sensitivity and respect and appreciation for traditions.

Lessons learned from a Hospital Bed

Life is complicated and unpredictable.  If it wasn't, would it ever be this interesting? I have had many unpredictable, happy moments this year – the gift of an unexpected friendship, the gift of great new employees, many unexpected accomplishments with my kids.  But we tend to focus on the unpredictable events that knock us off the course we think we should be travelling.  If life were all happiness and roses and sunny days, would those be as special?  Just when you have it all figured out, you have it down and everything is moving forward at a smooth, rapid pace, the left turn comes out of the blue. 

Why does life become the most unpredictable, when change is the last thing you want?  Why is it unpredictable and complicated when you are at your busiest?    And why is there always a great lesson to learn in the midst of it all?  

A few weeks ago I was in enough pain to prompt a trip to the emergency room in the middle of the night.  You can learn a lot about drugs and alcohol in the middle of the night at the hospital closest to a major university, but that is not the focus here.

After several hours of tests that were leading nowhere, an MRI identified a problem severe enough that less than an hour passed from results to the operating room.  The surgeon showed up to discuss the procedure looking more like a graduate student studying an earthy science like geology.  He actually turned out to be quite excellent, fortunately.  There was not time to think or plan or make phone calls.  But I do recall as they wheeled me off to the operating room, that this would have to be quick because I really didn't have time to be out of the office for long.  Several hours later I awoke to find a huge but fortunately temporary change to my wonderful life.   IV, heart monitor, oxygen, wraps on my legs that kept inflating to prevent clots, and a corset wrapped tightly around my middle.

It was easy to feel sorry for myself – there was the pain but that was complicated further by doctor instructions that added up to torture - Walking four times a day when just to attempt to sit up was excruciating.  Hourly breathing treatments to prevent pneumonia when every deep breath sent crashing waves of pain through my body. 

But just as life turns unpredictable, so many rich lessons came from this unexpected turn.  There is something to be said for lying still for a few days that helps a person focus on the important things in life.

I am not alone.  I received so much support from family and friends.  My family never left my side.  They all coordinated it so I never was alone, even in the night.  Friends were in touch daily, lending support and strength, kind words, songs to make me smile.

Choose to be positive – choose to believe this is not forever, even when it feels like it.  When you are so exhausted from pain and surgery, it’s hard to believe that you will ever feel well again.

Choose to be thankful for the kindness of strangers.  In the hospital so many people are part of the mix – two doctors, multiple nurses, nurses aids, therapists, chaplains, cleaning people, even people who choose to draw blood for a living.  In the middle of a restless night, Jada, the kindest, sweetest nurse’s aid offered to change the bed telling me that fresh cool linens would help me sleep.  So while I logged in my first painful walk of the day, she quickly changed the bed and was ready and waiting for me.  She didn't have to do it.  That was a duty of the day time staff.  It was pure and simple kindness.

Count on others – Our largest customer show of the year was less than four weeks away when I checked into the hospital.  The invitations had gone out and there was no turning back.  With over 300 people expected, the show is a huge production that takes a great deal of coordination.  And I handle multiple customers and projects on a daily basis.  I know we have a great staff and I brag about them all the time.  But they went into superman mode.  They were amazing, stepping up, taking over tasks they had not done before.   Their creativity to make this an incredible show without my daily leadership knows no bounds and the show will be amazing.  Again my family helped in every way, taking over everything that needed to be done at home.

Choose to make people feel like their job matters – I never thought about using leader skills from a hospital bed.  I learned this quite by accident.  One evening I was assigned a rather cocky male nurse who I had not met before.   As he was leaving my room to go get my evening injection which was incredibly painful, I challenged him.  “Hey I am having a contest to see who can give the most pain free injection – you have the opportunity to win.”  It really just started as a way for me to respond to his cockiness.  He became a totally different person, rising to the occasion.  On other nights this nightly injection left me bruised with a burning pain for several minutes.  He told me he was the best and with grand flamboyant technique, gave me the injection.  I never felt it.  I awarded him with a hand written certificate using the white board marker in the room and a lined piece of paper.  He was so excited and talked about it all evening.   I tried the same technique the next early morning with the person who draws the blood.  He was so incredibly careful and when he finished, he asked me “So how did I do?”  I, of course, told him he was one of the best.  Unfortunately at 5:00 in the morning I am not quite up to making certificates.  But his is the most thankless job and he walked away with a spring in his step.

Finally – Fake it until you become it.  This is a line from my favorite TedTalk and it always comes in handy.  It’s amazing how much better you feel even when you are faking it. 

Life would not be life if it wasn't unpredictable.  My friends will tell you I needed to slow down; I needed to learn to ask for help.  I needed to “reset” my life.  Without unpredictability, the special times would not be special, and frankly, without the unexpected twist and turns, life would be rather dull.  So embrace the change, the unpredictability and never ever stop looking for the lessons that can be learned.  

Creativity, Inspiration and Collaboration

Creativity, Inspiration and Collaboration

If “creativity is just connecting things” (Steve Jobs) imagine how much richer and inventive it becomes through collaboration.  Sometimes we have to step out of our comfort zone to work with new people, especially people who don’t always think like us.  Seek out people who are different - such as Marketing and Engineers working together, or Marketing and IT. The work is so much richer when you do, with so many more creative connections.  The most creative projects I have worked on came through teamwork and collaboration.  Its the best way for me to find new inspiration!

During my Kodak days I had the opportunity to work with Rachel Geller and Julie Halpin Anderson when they were running the Kid Connection at Saatchi and Saatchi.  Both are absolutely brilliant, especially when it comes to understanding kids and teens and the internal drivers that motivate behavior.  I had piles of data on what we knew about kids and photography.  By sharing what we each knew, we created so many new connections; far more than any of us could have done alone.  The result of that work was a complete program that tested higher in research than any program the independent research firm had ever tested with kids and parents.

On another occasion by sharing photographs taken by kids, I had the opportunity to work with many great Kodak engineers, but especially Randy Fredlund.  By looking at the worst pictures taken by kids and the problems they were having with picture taking, he took what he knew and designed a camera that eliminated all of their problems.

At AirTouch Cellular collaboration was an every day occurrence.  In addition we met weekly as a cross functional team to share opportunities and challenges and to find creative solutions to move our business goals forward while keeping all functions of the business aligned. These meetings were honest, open, sometimes heated, but always productive.

At Stowebridge – we carry on that tradition.  We work with our customers to take what you know about your business and pair that with interesting, fun and engaging products to accomplish your goals.  When it comes to our annual Idea Fair, our entire staff is involved in the planning.  As we put our preparations together, every employee gets involved with creating ways to make it more fun, more exciting and an outstanding experience for our customers and the new people who want to work with us.  Our vendors come and collaborate with you, with you to show you exciting new products.  The entire event is designed to inspire you in new ways, refresh your marketing, make new creative connections for you.

You are invited to our 20th AnniversaryCelebration and Idea Fair.  It’s an awesome event – great ideas, food, fun, prizes and gifts.  You don’t have to be a customer to come but please do register.  We promise you will walk away with some amazing ideas to move your business forward.

Come Join Us!

Are you in Business for the Sale or the Relationship?

Are you in Business for the Sale or the Relationship?

This past week I was meeting with a new customer to discuss chef wear and some unique coffee mugs they could sell for the holidays.  We had a good meeting, discussed options and agreed on samples she would like to see.  The meeting seemed to be going well.  Toward the end of the meeting, she said something I hope none of my customers will ever say:

“Do you do decals too?  

We are getting low and we don’t really care about the company where we get them.” 

 Wow, a simple phrase that says so much!  From the moment we built our company, it has always been about relationships, helping people accomplish their goals, brand their business, thank customers and reward employees. 

We are fortunate that in the promotional product industry, we sell over a million products – seriously, a million products!  I can’t think of a business that doesn't need what we sell – even if its just business cards.  For us - its not about "the product" but what the product can do for you.  So many companies of all types today think they just need a web site to be in business, to sell their products.  It’s a start; it seems easy, it reaches a lot of people but are you using it to sell product or build a lasting relationship?  Can it build a personal connection that turns sales into customers who want to stay with you?  It can be done but building a person to person relationship in addition to on line sales builds trust.

When you don’t take the time to build the relationship, then it’s just a sale.  It’s not a customer, you don’t have a brand – you just sell products.  Long lasting successful companies put building a life long customer ahead of “just the sale.”  We want customers who will stay with us for years.  We want them to count on us, depend on us.  We want to be their partner, make them look good, help them accomplish their goals.

Stowebridge Promotion Group has grown primarily through referrals.  Our customers refer us to their friends and colleagues.   When they leave, they take us with them to their next company.  We actually work all over the US, Canada and in many other countries.  Building relationships does not have to be a face to face experience.  Our consultative, non-pushy approach makes our customers comfortable with us.  And for us its about more than just being nice - we have invested in the equipment and people to deliver what you need from our outstanding art department to our full scale production facility.  Creating a company that cares about its customers, puts the long term relationship ahead of the sale today takes hard work and a great team – but we feel it’s worth it.  It is who we are as a company and much more personally rewarding than just getting the sale.

We would love the opportunity to build a relationship with you.  Just let us know how we can make you look great – 888-340-8006.

What sparks your Creativity? (And an invitation for you!)

What sparks your creativity?  (And an invitation for you!)

You certainly can’t command it to come.  You can’t schedule it.  Creativity often evades you just when you need it the most.  And it often surprises you when you least expect it – like that great idea you got in the shower this morning.  Creativity is in all of us – we just need to free our minds to allow it to happen.

What is creativity?

Here are some of my favorite definitions.

“Creativity is the process of bringing something new into being. Creativity requires passion and commitment. It brings to our awareness what was previously hidden and points to new life. The experience is one of heightened consciousness: ecstasy.” – Rollo May, The Courage to Create

"Creativity is just connecting things. When you ask creative people how they did something, they feel a little guilty because they didn't really do it, they just saw something. It seemed obvious to them after a while."  Steve Jobs

How do we allow creativity to happen?

Since creative thoughts come at the most unusual times – from dreams, from the quiet magical moment just between sleep and wakefulness, and when we have time to free our mind, here are a few things that help me.

• Quiet walks at dawn before the world wakes up
• See the world differently. Viewing the world through my camera lens gives me new perspectives, especially if I look for an unusual camera angle or view point with the most common of objects.
• Meet new people everywhere you go.
• Get away from your desk and get out of the workplace – Get some fresh air!
• Be curious – get off the freeway and take the back roads (literally and figuratively).
• Take your vacation; make your weekends fun and not just extra days for work or chores.  Our minds need time to recharge to be our best.
• Volunteer and give back – volunteering gets your mind off your problems, your life and gives you perspective when you help others.  It also helps you see differently.

An Invitation to Creativity and Inspiration

At Stowebridge we work in a creative business. We are serious about helping you with creative ideas.  And yet creative ideas come from making connections between what we know and new things we see.  So each year we host an IDEA FAIR.  We bring together the very best representatives and suppliers in our industry with people like you.  They bring their imaginative ideas, their latest products and endless amounts of success stories that have worked for others like you.  Our show is just the thing you need to recharge your creativity - its all designed to creative ideas just for you.

Join us on October 7^th at our Chandler, AZ location.  Each year we have a fun theme – And this year is no different – we are having a Birthday Bash to celebrate our 20^th anniversary.  Great food, new ideas, new people to meet, prizes, gifts and so many terrific ideas to spark your creativity. 

You don’t have to be a current customer to join us.  But we do ask that you register for the show.  Register at www.Stowebridge.com and click on the Birthday Bash logo on our header.  Bring colleagues from your office and by working together, you will find even more ideas.  Once you are registered, you will receive updates and a formal invitation with all the details.

Let us help you spark your creativity.  

Here are a few photos from past shows - our Build It theme last year and our Hollywood extravaganza in 2012.

The actual car from the Bonnie and Clyde Movie

Lessons I learned from my Summer Interns

It has been several years since we last hired marketing interns.  This year we had two outstanding marketing students from Northern Arizona University, both with dual majors - Victor Martinez, marketing and management, and KaitlynMcNalley, marketing and finance.  They have worked on a variety of projects during their summer internship at Stowebridge and have added a lot to the various projects they have been involved in.

I trust this was a valuable experience for them, but I also benefited greatly from working with them.    While I understand my business inside and out – they made it clear to me that there are some simple basics I have not taken time to articulate.  There is always room for more clarity.

Here are some of the lessons I learned from them:

Be inspired by all the world has to offer

Don’t be afraid to ask questions

Be open to trying something you have never tried before

Be open to trying ideas you tried in the past but find ways to make it work better.  (Don’t be quick to explain why something has already been done and why it won’t work.)

Make new friends

Embrace and integrate new technology

Communicate in new ways – to reach more of your audience – Facebook, Blogging

Dig deeply – the answers are out there 

Live in awe of people and things that may have become mundane

Be grateful for every opportunity

Be generous to others – if you saw Kate's picture when she started you will see her new shorter bobbed hair cut – the result of donating her hair to help others.

These are fantastic lessons for all of us.  We get out of college and sometimes lose sight of these.  I am thankful to Victor and Kate for opening my eyes. 

(We are pleased to report that Victor will continue as a sales person while he finishes his last semester at NAU.)

Note: We have two outstanding interns working on websites for us – Edward Hietter and Aaron Harrington, both from the University of New Mexico.  I don’t think I could begin to articulate how amazed I am at all they do and know.  I will never, ever know all that they know – I am just thankful they are on my team! 

Where do you call home?

Nearly every Friday I eat dinner at the same restaurant.  It’s part of my ritual and a comforting way to end the week – whether it was successful, stressful or quiet.  I always know I will be greeted with a smile and hug followed by a glass of my favorite craft beer by the tall, lanky manager, Eli.  Sometimes, like last Friday night, he sees me walking across the parking lot and greets me at the door, beer in hand.  Truth be told, I am much more of a wine drinker but their limited wine menu does not stack up against their broad selection of craft beers.  There are plenty of other nights to drink fine wine.

It’s not a fancy place with its metal tables and plastic table covers but it is as comforting as coming home.  Some of my friends might not even feel comfortable in such modest surrounds.  The menu features all the regular items you would expect at a grill but all the bread is homemade, they make the most amazing Caesar salad dressing I have ever tasted and they serve specials that rival any gourmet restaurants I have visited – all served in a plastic basket. 

The restaurant feels like home because of the people who work there.  Eli remembers my beer choice without even asking but also brings me samples of new ones he thinks I will like.  His weekly answer to “How are you” is always “Living the Dream.”   And he remembers the menu choices I like the most.  While I would like to think I am truly special, I see Eli and the rest of the staff work the same magic with everyone who walks in the door.  In our fast food, overworked, “press 1 for English”, world that we live in, we all want to be remembered and welcomed home, wherever home is. 

When I reflect on our business, Stowebridge Promotion Group, this is how we want our customers to feel.  We treat people as people.  We want them to feel at home with us – whether it is in our showroom or across country.  We work hard to have a welcoming atmosphere and a welcoming way with our customers.  We don’t believe in pushy sales, sales quotas or making the numbers for a certain supplier.  We believe in finding just the right item in our customer’s budget that we know will arrive just the way the want it, on time and on budget. 

Many of our customers are old friends and many of those who were not have become friends.   We want to know more about our customers than just their business, we want to celebrate their life events from weddings and graduations to their children’s success.  Knowing our customers and offering outstanding customer support is a hallmark of our success and part of our culture.  Our customers are people we sincerely enjoy working with and that makes it a pleasure to come to work every day.  Our team pulls together to make things happen, sometimes even the impossible. We enjoy helping our customers grow and are excited by their success.  We love to help our friends promote their business, thank their customers, motivate employees, and to help them become memorable.  

How will you thank your employees?

This morning I surprised my employees by donning my red apron bright and early and making banana split pancakes for everyone as they arrived.  Whole wheat pancakes adorned with sliced bananas, coconut/pineapple and peach frozen yogurt and topped with fresh blueberries and strawberries.  There is just something special about starting a summer day with ice cream (or a healthy alternative to ice cream).  It was a hit and everyone was thrilled.  We love to surprise our employees – sometimes it’s gifts, sometimes it’s food, sometimes it’s a new shirt to celebrate a great win or a new season.

Showing appreciation to employees leads to higher employee engagement:

Employee engagement is the emotional commitment an employee has to the organization and its goals, resulting in the use of discretionary effort. - Kevin Kruse, Contributor, Forbes

Employees with high engagement levels care more, are more productive, give better service, and even stay in their jobs longer. All of that leads to happier customers, who want to work with your company and also refer your company to others more often.  It is something that we strive to achieve with every employee.

Labor Day is just around the corner on September 1^st.  What a great time to recognize and thank your employees!  And it is even better when they least expect it. We have so many great ways to thank your employees – great coolers, awesome drinkware they will use every day, lunch boxes, ideas that makes their job easier and apparel that build pride.  Employees are proud of where they work and love to show off their logo’ed attire.  Food is great and employees do love it, but it’s also great when you can pair it with something they use everyday.  Your gift will be a constant reminder that they are appreciated and recognized for their hard work.  It builds pride, teamwork

and a sense of belonging.

We would love to help you put together a great plan to appreciate your employees!  Let us know how we can help.

Make your Advertising Count!

 When you buy advertising do you ask “What’s your cheapest ad?”

“Give me the cheapest Billboard” 

“What time slots offer the cheapest radio/TV spots?

Of course not – you want your advertising to be seen, to be heard, to be remembered.

And yet I still have people ask me – 

“What is the cheapest thing I can give away at a trade show?” 

 “I want to give away pens but I don’t want to pay more than $.25 per pen.”

“Which T-shirt is the cheapest?”

Is that what you really want for your brand?  Do you want a pen that doesn’t write well and gets thrown away?  Or a chip clip that breaks the first time the customer uses it; Or a T-shirt that never sees the light of day or worse yet, becomes a rag for washing the car?

We help customers choose wisely.  There are many great inexpensive items that actually work for you – calendar strips that stay in front of your customer all year, items that change color for that great wow effect, an array of useful kitchen gadgets and inexpensive pens that also incorporate a stylus.  Spending a few dollars more can get you a t-shirt that customers will love and wear often.  And with a great design from our art department, it can become their favorite – advertising for your every time that shirt is worn.  Let us help you choose promotional products that customers want and will use, and these items will go to work for you to remind your customers every day of your great products and services.

Do you own real estate on your customer's desk?

Your customer has a desk that they sit at every day – if they are like many, they probably spend more of their waking time there than anywhere else.  Do you own any of their mind share while they are working?  It’s so easy and they will actually thank you for it.

Promotional products are not just products - they are investments in a relationship with your customers or your employees.  Useful promotional products such as attractive coffee mugs, cool water bottles, as well as staplers, pens, calendars, tech items and fun toys can help you own real estate on your customer’s desk.  Your customer will thank you for your gift.  Choose wisely and they will love it.  And then, they will use them every day.  And when they use them, your company is prominently displayed and they will remember you, and think fondly of you, especially if you chose a great item.  This is not a time for "cheap junk".  This is not about which coffee mug is the least expensive.  This is about buying the best real estate you can and making a great impression.

Promotional products will provide you with all day advertising that your customers won’t forget.  They won’t remember the billboards on the way to work, or the ads they heard on the radio.  But they will remember your kindness and the great and useful gift you gave them – that buys you real estate on their desk – or in their kitchen – or in their car.

How can we help you buy real estate?

What I have learned in 20 years

Twenty years is a long time and yet it goes by so fast when you are busy building a business.  Stowebridge was started by Ron Thomas twenty years ago in the basement of our home.  He is the visionary behind Stowebridge and its success, while I run the day to day operations so he can focus on our customers and future growth.    

Entrepreneurship is exciting and scary and challenging every day.  I grew up in a very entrepreneurial family.  Good news is you get to guide the company to success.  That is also scary and challenging, especially in difficult economic times and especially when you are responsible for other employees and their livelihood.

Entrepreneurship is hard work but rewarding.  Good news – no one tells you what to do.  Bad news – no one tells you what to do.  So given all that, here is a list of what I have learned:

Take care of customers – make sure you exceed their expectations every day.

Remember customers are people and people choose to do business with people, so be the best person you can be.

A customer is more than just a single transaction – don’t let a customer be disappointed and lose a customer for life over one mistake – make it right for the customer.

Employees are your best asset.  They are the people with whom you spend your day; they are the people who help you take care of customers.  Value them and build a team of the best individuals you can find.

Great culture in a company is everything.  It comes from the top and the bottom.  It needs to be lived by every individual in the organization.

Hire smart people.  Fire people who don’t live the culture.

Understand that employees are people too.  They have lives that are filled with ups and downs.  Coach them, be understanding that they have challenges outside the workplace.

Keep learning.  Build a network of smart people who inspire you and challenge you.

Give back to the community – volunteer, share your skills and gifts with others.  Use what you do in your business to make the world a better place.

Take time for yourself.  Make time for friends.  Recharge, Refresh your soul, Breathe some fresh air.