Entrepreneurship - Is it for you?

Entrepreneurship - Is it for you?

Create, Invent, Own your destiny. Be your own boss, never be laid off again, build something of value. Its sounds as enticing as a vacation at a beautiful secluded resort. Lately there has been a lot of great buzz about entrepreneurship – But are you the right type? Is there a “right type” of person to be an entrepreneur or can anyone become an entrepreneur?

I grew up in a very entrepreneurial family working for my Dad from childhood. My Dad is a brilliant but unassuming man who really never liked working for others – okay maybe that’s too politically correct. He couldn't work for anyone else, wouldn't work for anyone else. No one was as smart as he was and he might have been right. As a child he started buying packs of gum and selling it by the stick on the playground. He hunted small animals and sold their fur, invested the money in bonds and paid for his first house. He owned a great business and spends his retirement advising and teaching other entrepreneurs about business.

Some people are an entrepreneur in their very heart. I was fortunate to have worked for my Dad as well as in large and medium size companies - I have seen both sides. I learned a lot from my Dad although they may not have seemed like lessons at the time. As I left my Dad’s business I was excited about the prospects of working in a large company, climbing the ladder, making a name for myself – it was great but I found it hard to follow strategic direction that I didn't agree with. I had an entrepreneurial spirit even in the larger companies I worked for.

There are people who truly excel at climbing the ladder, impressing the right people, and navigating the political landscape. I truly admire them and wish I had that skill. I marvel at their talent. I pulled it off for a while but I had trouble following the corporate direction when it didn't make good business sense to me.

For the last 14 years I have been the President of Stowebridge Promotion Group, the promotional product business my husband started 20 years ago. I offered to help out for a few months and never left. We have an amazing, truly differentiated business with an outstanding staff. While he is the visionary and founder, I run the operations side so he can spend most of his time working with customers. When I started, there were just the two of us but we have seen explosive growth every year since then. I love my job, I love my customers but I don't believe it is for everyone.
So if you have been thinking about being an entrepreneur, here are some things to think about before you take the leap. (This is written for ordinary people – for someone thinking about starting their own company. It is not written for someone with wealth who just buys an existing business and it may not apply to all businesses.).

Great News – you get to be your own boss…but can you lead and inspire yourself?

There is no one to tell you what to do, when to come to work, no useless meetings. You no longer have to work for someone you don’t respect – however, you no longer get to work for someone you do. It’s great to be your own boss but I push myself harder than any boss ever could because I have to. I am totally dependent on this company for my income and also responsible now for the livelihood of more than 20 other people.

Are you able to get yourself out of your jammies in the morning, even if you are working from home, and get to work? Can you hold yourself accountable? Are you great at driving yourself? Can you persist through the hardships without giving up? But at the end of the day are you disciplined enough to close the door and call it a day? When I worked at home I would often work all day, fix dinner and then go back to work until bed time – it was just so convenient to go answer a “few more emails”.

Are you comfortable with risk?

When you are your own boss, there is no comfortable, consistent paycheck being deposited in your account every two weeks. And you are the last person to get paid behind employees and suppliers.
On September 11th, 2001, we were a company of two employees working from home, our entire income dependent on the company. Business was going well. But nothing could have prepared us for the disruption and disaster of an unexpected terrorist attack. We were in the midst of several projects all of which got cancelled and the phone stopped ringing for two days. Fortunately in a promotional products business we have many things we can sell and were able to turn from the fun, promotions, events and sales meetings that were cancelled to patriotic items such as flag pins and items that enhanced security such as lanyards and badges.

When the great recession hit we were a larger company – we had recently purchased a building for our business with room to grow but with significantly more overhead than working from home. We were in the midst of purchasing additional equipment for our production operation. We did cancel our order on equipment which was supplemental to our operation but purchased a large format printer which opened the door for us to make banners, decals and other items that our customers were already buying, but purchasing somewhere else. That purchase in 2009 actually helped us increase sales over previous years while businesses were failing all around us. Taking on debt when the economy is crumbling is a scary endeavor leading to many sleepless nights. We were able to hold on to our exceptional staff without layoffs but there were many times that they got paid and we did not. We trimmed every nonessential expense and created a stronger company because of it. We became much more aware of our financial picture on a daily basis rather than monthly, managing every detail and every line item on the financial statements.

One of the hardest and riskiest steps is to go from one employee to two. Can you afford to split the income and make it grow enough to support an additional person? If you like to sleep well at night – this might not be for you. However, there is a great sense of accomplishment when you can hold it together against all odds and come out stronger in the end.

You are often on your own..

When you are at the top, when you are your own boss – there isn't always someone to discuss next steps, how to solve a problem, how to deal with a recession or a major unexpected change. I miss having peers that I work with. My husband and I do work together but our strengths and backgrounds are entirely different. It is important to find advisers you can trust keeping in mind they don’t share your risk.

So can you find great advisers but also sift through their advice with the knowledge that only you have? Equally, can you change your perspective and see opportunities through the eyes of an outsider? (Why would a successful entrepreneur hire a coach?)

I want to be rich..

Everyone I've met who hasn't owned their own company thinks that it will make you rich. And it can, eventually. However, you are the last one to get paid after your employees and suppliers. As a child I could never understand how my Dad had such a great and robust company and there was never any money for our family – more importantly for the things I wanted. Now I understand! Sometimes there is a nice payout but most of time the money needs to be reinvested in growth or goes to an unexpected expense. I made a great salary working for other companies and my salary as an entrepreneur is much smaller. Profits go toward growth and expanding our capability. One year we purchased a new exposure unit rather than the new car I was admiring. It was the better investment.

I know my payout comes at the end when I can sell my business, but are you comfortable watching your friends pull down big salaries while you are not?

Do you thrive on attention and public recognition?

Do you love that great feeling of being promoted, being presented with a large bonus or amazing trip, being recognized at the company meeting, having a head hunter call you about a great new job that will propel your career? As an entrepreneur, that doesn’t happen. This was hard for me to give up, especially every time one my friends gets a new promotion, starts an exciting new job. You are at the top – there are no more promotions and you might get a big bonus but there is no one else to see the presentation.

Can you be your own cheerleader? Are you comfortable patting yourself on the back for a job well done? You have the great pride of what you have created but there are no more promotions.

I get to choose the people I work with..

One thing I love about owning my own business is I get to create the type of culture I want to work in and work with people I like. On the other hand managing people is one of the most difficult things I do. You can like them but you can’t be friends. It is challenging and hard work to create a culture and keep it on track. Coaching people to better performance while keeping them motivated, letting people know when their work is off track and dealing with employee conflicts takes up a large amount of my time. Personnel issues are the problems that often keep me up at night. While you may manage and lead people in your corporations, their salary is not coming out of your personal income.

Can you manage and lead and inspire people? Can you also fire people who are not performing even after you have given them your best efforts to lead and inspire?

Are you willing to learn new things and do some less than enjoyable jobs?

I am a marketing person – that is what I love. Yet, somehow I have become the “IT guy.” Friends who know me know how truly frightening that is but there are times when computer problems need troubleshooting that can’t wait. I fortunately have a real “IT guy”, a great back up, but at $100 an hour, I have had to learn a lot about computers. Plus we can’t waste valuable time waiting for help to arrive. I am the HR manager and have to negotiate benefits such as insurance, as well as create, implement and monitor HR policies. I have to be the CFO and the head of accounting. I need to keep up with business and employment law. My husband has to worry about building issues and repairs as well as equipment issues – when to repair, when to replace, how to get the most production out of the equipment we have. You have to be willing to take on tasks that you might not be trained for or want to do, until you grow to the size where you can hire someone to do these tasks. And yes, you can hire outside help for these jobs but that all takes away from profit and income.

Are you willing to spend some of your day doing things that have to be done but might not be pleasant, might be something you need to learn? I hate negotiating insurance rates and plans. I am frustrated when I have to stop in the middle of something important to fix a computer problem preventing an employee from doing their job. I dislike worrying about credit card processing rates. But it’s all part of running a small business. And I do actually enjoy the variety and fast pace of my day. In the course of the day there are many interruptions that can take you away from your daily plan, important strategic work needed to run a business and satisfying customers. If you love being focused on your task at hand without interruption or if you don’t like your plans to be altered by the unexpected, this might not be for you.

Can you control the hungry beast?

Running your own business is like trying to control a hungry beast. It takes over your life. I am fortunate in some respects that I work with my husband so he understands and works as many hours as I do. I don’t know that owning a business with a spouse is great for a marriage but we have made it work. However, some spouses may not understand. (Why Entrepreneurs are bad at relationships) I work long hours – generally 12 – 14 hour days. I like to be here when my production employees start. It is often the only time my production manager and I have time to talk. I like the quiet of the early morning before the office staff starts to arrive at 7:30. And I often stay long after everyone has left because it’s the only time I get uninterrupted time to plan and get work done. While my office staff is great and do their best to keep things going, I frequently work during my vacations because it is hard to walk away from customers and employee needs. A friend challenged me to take three days off without working during my vacation. Sadly it is simply not easy – at least for me and the type of business I have.

Will that work for you – no long vacations disappearing from the stresses of work and office communications? You can’t turn your cell phone off and enjoy an extended holiday. Do you have an understanding spouse who is willing to share you with this hungry beast?

Today …

I love what I do. This business is now 20 years old and every year gets easier as we grow and can hire people to take over some of the tasks and allow us to run the company. However, with growth there are additional challenges as well. Do we need to add staff, equipment or do we need a larger facility? I know others look at our business from the outside or when they come for a tour of our facility and think how great it would be to be an entrepreneur. And it is great, most of the time – exciting, rewarding, challenging on so many levels and fulfilling. However before you embark on starting your own business based on the fanciful articles I see written, you need to understand the early stages of starting your own company. There are many sacrifices, and many rewards. I don’t believe being an entrepreneur is for everyone. However, it can be a great fit for the right person.

I would love to hear the thoughts of other entrepreneurs – I am sure you can add many more pluses and minuses to this list. And of course, for those of you thinking about venturing into the world of entrepreneurship, I look forward to your thoughts and comments. It is a great life - just not a great fit for everyone.

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.