WRAZ Raleigh Live (April 2020) – Sally Hanson of Our Town America of the Triangle based in Raleigh, NC, shares ways in which consumers can help support their local economy while still following Coronavirus social distancing rules. Hanson’s partnered local businesses are doing what they can to stay open during this time – curbside pickup, delivery, etc. She urges consumers to tip essential workers if able to help keep local businesses afloat through the global COVID-19 pandemic. “These essential workers are the backbone of our community right now,” Hanson points out. “You can go online, find out which businesses are open – we have fitness facilities that had to close, but they’re now offering online services. You can donate to these businesses,” Hanson says. “As a company, we’re actually mailing out postcards for these businesses letting people know that they’re still open for business. They need your business, so please come on in, but keep with the social distancing and keep safe, of course,” she urges. Some small business facts to consider: For every dollar spent at a small business, approximately $0.67 stay in the community. 28.8 million small businesses in the U.S. Small businesses account for 99.7% of all businesses in the U.S. Our Town America wants small business owners, as well as consumers, impacted by COVID-19 to know they aren’t in this alone. Watch full WRAZ Raleigh clip below. — Our Town America supports small businesses across the nation 365 days per year. If you’re a local Raleigh-area business looking for a way to reach out to new or current customers, reach out to Sally Hanson. If your business is located outside of the Raleigh area, you can reach the Our Town America headquarters at 1-800-497-8360 to get connected with your local representative. Brittany N. JohnsonBrittany is the head of Our Town America’s corporate marketing department. She specializes in digital and print media, social media, and public relations. […]
Brittany is the head of Our Town America’s corporate marketing department. She specializes in digital and print media, social media, and public relations.
Articles by Brittany N. Johnson:
KUSA Denver (April 2020) – Unfortunately, Coronavirus (COVID-19) has made it’s mark on the US, but small business owner, Kurt North of Our Town America Northern Colorado, shares how partnered local businesses are supporting the economy during this global pandemic. North encourages consumers to shop virtually or over the phone – using delivery & drive-up methods. Houska Automotive, a local Fort Collins business who reaches out to new residents year-round through North’s New Mover Welcoming Program, is following all WHO and CDC recommendations in order to continue serving their community. “Automotive repair is necessary and needed, especially for those who are working diligently at hospitals, grocery stores, etc.,” says owner L.J. Houska. His shop is offering free pick-up & delivery from the customers’ homes, curbside check-in at the shop & even overnight envelopes in order to remain contactless and avoid human interaction. “We’re so grateful for our customers and want them to know that we’re here for them in the case of automotive issues,” Houska says. North encourages consumers to shop using delivery & drive-up methods at other local businesses as well. Some small business facts to consider: 97.6% of businesses in Colorado are small businesses. (Colorado SBDC) Colorado small businesses employ 1 million people. (Colorado SBDC) 97.6% of businesses in Colorado are small businesses, with over 572,546 in total. (SBA) “Other than Automotive Repair Shops, I’m also partnered with liquor stores & restaurants who are doing curbside & delivery,” North says. “Help your neighbor – even if we have to be physically distant – that doesn’t mean we have to be completely alone. We’re all in this together”. Our Town America wants small business owners, as well as consumers, impacted by COVID-19 to know they aren’t in this alone. Watch full KUSA News Clip below. — Our Town America supports small businesses across the nation 365 days per year. If you are a small/ local business looking for a way to reach out to new or current customers, visit ourtownamerica.com. Brittany N. JohnsonBrittany is the head of Our Town America’s corporate marketing department. She specializes in digital and print media, social media, and public relations. […]
KTVK Phoenix – Coronavirus (COVID-19) has already made an undeniable impact on the US, so small business owner of Our Town America Phoenix, David Cox, wants to urge consumers to shop local to support the local economy before its too late – whether virtually with delivery or using take-out/drive-up methods. Despite social distancing and restrictions, local businesses are open and need our support. For every dollar spent at a small business, approximately 67 cents stay in the local community, so spending local can be a game changer in keeping businesses afloat during what could be an economically crippling crisis. “Whether we spend online or curbside, we need to keep our dollars in our community, so our favorite shops, restaurants and service providers and their employees and families survive,” says Michael Plummer, Our Town America’s President and Founder of the ‘Shop Local Now’ Movement. “We are leading the charge to remind folks that even though our local mom and pops have new ways to deliver products and services, they’re still alive and kicking and need us to make it through this pandemic. Instead of ordering on Amazon, I urge everyone to buy locally –while following health and safety guidelines,” Cox says. Watch full KTVK News Clip below. — Our Town America supports small businesses across the nation 365 days per year. If you are a small/ local business looking for a way to reach out to new or current customers, visit ourtownamerica.com. Brittany N. JohnsonBrittany is the head of Our Town America’s corporate marketing department. She specializes in digital and print media, social media, and public relations. […]
Yahoo Finance/ PRWeb — As Americans across the country self-quarantine to minimize the spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19), local small business owners are rallying to serve their communities. They’re doing their part to protect the health and safety of their employees and customers while remaining available to provide products and services people need. In this time of uncertainty, Our Town America, a national new mover marketing franchise that helps local businesses create and maintain relationships with customers, salutes these business owners and wants to remind all Americans that it’s more important than ever to shop local – whether virtually, curbside or online – and support businesses that are the backbone of the local economy. “As a consumer, when you purchase from a mom and pop – such as your neighborhood coffee shop – you’re helping pay the barista you chat with every morning,” said Michael Plummer, Our Town America’s President. “You’re helping put food on their children’s plate and helping fulfill their young daughter’s dream of going to college. You are keeping your local community alive and thriving.” Our Town America franchise owners are small business owners themselves, so they understand the importance of shopping local and the direct effects it has on a business and its employees – especially during a time like this. “As Americans, we’re tough and resilient, especially in times of crisis,” said Plummer. “The Coronavirus is real and scary, but it’s not permanent, and we will get through this. In addition to self-quarantining to stop the virus’ spread, we ask all Americans to continue buying local to help small business owners and the employees who depend on them.” There are countless examples of businesses that have adjusted on the fly to continue serving the public while doing everything possible to practice social distancing. These include, but are not limited to: Restaurants offering curbside service and delivery drops at front doors Doctors and veterinarians offering virtual appointments while remaining on call to treat more serious conditions in person Gyms and trainers sharing home-based cardio and strength workouts Commercial and residential cleaning companies working around the clock to disinfect buildings using EPA/CDC recommended products specific to Coronavirus Grocery stores and hotels operated by employees wearing gloves who are making it as safe as possible to access necessary food and accommodations “The method of delivery may be different – from curbside service to virtual appointments – but it’s imperative to support the small businesses doing everything they can to continue serving their local community,” said Plummer. “There are more than 28 million small businesses in the country and all of them could use a little love during this tough time. Please do everything you can to support local businesses so they can keep their employees and continue serving the community you call home.” For more information on Our Town America, please visit https://www.ourtownamerica.com/. For more information on the Our Town America franchise opportunity, please visit https://www.newmoverfranchise.com/. —— About Our Town America For over 48 years, Our Town America has been providing new movers with traditional hospitality by mailing warm housewarming gifts from local neighborhood businesses in a premium welcome package. Since the company started franchising in 2005, Our Town America has consistently been placed in the Franchise Top 50, ranking top in their category for franchisee satisfaction. Our Town America’s dedication to the “sponsor exclusivity” concept, meaning Our Town America will only recommend one of each business type in any specific zip code within its welcome packages, has been one of the key catalysts for the company’s long-term success. In addition, sponsors consistently rave about other unique aspects of the new mover marketing program – such as their ability to reach a brand-new audience of impressionable new movers each month and the insightful data/metrics delivered by Our Town America’s innovative pinpoint tracking system. Due in large part to Our Town America’s devotion to those concepts, thousands of satisfied business owners throughout the United States attest to the success and effectiveness of the program. Additionally, dozens of locally owned franchisees validate Our Town America’s concept as a viable business opportunity. It is Our Town America’s mission to assist new movers adjusting to their community, help businesses gain new and loyal customers and provide franchisees with an excellent opportunity. The eight million households who receive Our Town America’s welcome packages each year prove that Our Town America is committed to following through on that mission statement. For more information, visit the Our Town America website at https://www.ourtownamerica.com or call 1-800-497-8360. Media Contacts: Graham Chapman Brittany Johnson 919-459-8157 800-497-8360 x229 gchapman@919marketing.com bjohnson@ourtownamerica.com Brittany N. JohnsonBrittany is the head of Our Town America’s corporate marketing department. She specializes in digital and print media, social media, and public relations. […]
John Groppoli and Peter Carlson aren’t typical Our Town America franchise owners, but talk to enough Our Town America franchise owners, and you start to get the idea that nobody is typical. Everybody has their own unique tale. That’s because Our Town America is a franchise that appeals to entrepreneurs from all different backgrounds. Still, Groppoli and Carlson’s story is different than most. As Groppoli explains it, “Peter Carlson and I are business partners, and we came out of the franchise consulting world. That was the world we lived in. We helped individuals find the right franchise to invest in, as well as guide franchisors with their sales process. That was our background, and that was how we came across Our Town America.” Groppoli and Carlson wound up helping a couple of their clients invest in Our Town America. Thus, they noticed that there wasn’t much of a presence in their state of Minnesota. This sparked an idea, and they started discussing the possibility of becoming regional developers. In October 2009, the two purchased the RD license for Minnesota with the vision of developing Our Town America regionally. Today, Groppoli and Carlson have awarded four territories in Minnesota to franchise owners — and kept one in St. Paul for themselves. We caught up with Groppoli — Carlson was out of the office, no doubt working hard for Our Town America — and we got his take on, well, just about everything. As you can imagine, Groppoli has a wealth of advice for anybody thinking of buying an Our Town America, or any franchise. What drew Groppoli and Carlson to Our Town America? “There were several attractions,” says Groppoli. “For one, ‘this is a lifestyle business’. You make your own hours. If there is a sporting event for one of your kids that you want to attend, you schedule around that and make it happen. Given the fact that this is a home-based business and you don’t have to worry about a brick and mortar location, it allows for a lot of flexibility”. Groppoli also said that they liked that this is a business, “in which you have the ability to develop a recurring revenue stream”. He explains that when you land new clients, business owners sign 12-month agreements, in which they’ll be targeting new movers. “So you aren’t chasing clients every single month and trying to re-up them, so to speak,” Groppoli says. “We have clients that have been mailing with us for eight years.” He also likes that there’s very little overhead. “You can ramp up quickly. Franchisees can make money after the first client they sign up, which is very unique. With many other direct mail businesses, you’ll need a base of clients to cover your overhead costs before you start making money.” Groppoli also says that he and Carlson simply liked the fact that it’s a community-oriented business. He imagines that it wouldn’t be fun working in direct mail if you were selling products and services to people who had no interest in them. “But with Our Town America, you’re helping new families and individuals get acclimated into their new neighborhood. People establish purchasing habits after living in their community for a while, new movers are actively looking for businesses that offer products and services in their new neighborhood, replacing the others that they left behind. When you’re new to an area, you want to know where to take your vehicle to be fixed, quality restaurants in the area or which dentist to go to. That was a big initial draw for us.” What makes a successful Our Town America franchise owner? “The people who are going to thrive with the Our Town America franchise are those who consider themselves social and extroverted. You need to be able to build business relationships. Experience in sales is also a no-brainer, “ Groppoli says. “The program has a 47-year track record of successfully introducing new movers to their local community businesses,” Groppoli adds. “So as long as you can explain to a business owner how the New Mover Program will help increase their bottom line, you should be successful”. Advice for people thinking of buying a franchise in general? “The most important thing to do, when you look at any franchise, is to take the time to call existing franchisees and make those validation calls,” Groppoli says. In other words, call people who own a franchise with the brand you’re looking at and ask them if they’re happy with their investment. “Most franchise owners will tell you the good, the bad and the in-between,” Groppoli says. “They’ll tell you their challenges, successes and struggles. I’d definitely encourage people to reach out to some Our Town America owners. They’re very approachable, and they’ll take the time to answer your questions. Remember, they were once in your shoes, looking at various investment opportunities”. Groppoli believes that anyone who takes his advice and connects with existing franchisees will likely walk away with the feeling that Our Town America is a ‘family-type franchise system’. He continues, “People are very close – always talking and supporting one another. Additionally, that same mindset and culture exist in the Our Town America corporate office as well”. “There’s very little turnover. Many employees have been with the company for over 10 years,” Groppoli says. “That tells you a lot about the culture and the type of company you’re working with”. Brittany N. JohnsonBrittany is the head of Our Town America’s corporate marketing department. She specializes in digital and print media, social media, and public relations. […]
Many franchisees understandably own just one store or territory. They settle in a city, and they work to scale the franchise bigger each year. It’s a system that works well. But Dan Schrobilgen is the owner or co-owner of multiple Our Town America territories. He spends most of his time in his Austin territory, where he lives and first started with Our Town America in 2006. But in 2015, he purchased the Dallas/Forth Worth territory, partnered with Clint Finch, who also owns a territory in Houston, and launched that venture. In that acquisition, Schrobilgen also purchased a territory in Tulsa, Oklahoma. How does he do it? Why does he do it? How has he come to champion Our Town America? We wondered. Before Our Town America. Schrobilgen says that he has been in marketing and advertising his entire career. He moved from Iowa to Texas in 1990 and spent 13 years rising in the ranks of a large media company before taking what he learned and striking out on his own. The new business was successful enough that he was able to sell it a few years later. He sold the company because he knew the timing was right and there were multiple interested buyers, but he also had a desire to end his travel and own a smaller company that would give him less headaches and more control. Schrobilgen couldn’t help but think there was a real downside in having a business in Phoenix when he and his family lived in Austin. It’s one heck of a commute. A 1,000-mile commute, in fact, and Schrobilgen was racking up an obscene amount of frequent flier miles. “My three kids were all under 10, and I was gone almost every week,” Schrobilgen says. That was painful for him. Finch, a friend who had also worked for the media company, had told him about an opportunity to own an Our Town America franchise in Austin. This Our Town America gig, one in which he would court businesses interested in marketing and attracting people who were new to the area — sounded like a business he would enjoy. Schrobilgen made the decision to begin the next phase of his career with Our Town America in Austin, and his sales and revenue quickly grew. As he realized that he was living his professional dream, he doubled down on it and purchased the additional territories from another franchise owner. Buying an Our Town America franchise… and then another… and another… To make a long story short, Schrobilgen and Finch ended up hiring someone to manage Dallas/Fort Worth. Between that business and his Austin venture, he keeps busy and he loves it. He says he found himself appreciating the Our Town America franchise model because, amongst many reasons, he felt like he had far more control over his present and future than he did working for a big media conglomerate. “There were many things out of my control when I worked for someone else,” Schrobilgen says. “Upper management was always making decisions that affected me.” Life as an Our Town America entrepreneur. Not to make it sound like this is an infomercial, where if you purchase an Our Town America franchise, your life will be suddenly transformed, and the gloomy, gray sky will be filled with rainbows and unicorns, but that’s pretty much what happened to Schrobilgen… okay, minus the rainbows and unicorns. “I just have these points of comparison from my previous two careers. I suddenly had no worries about how the stock price would affect my budget, no employee issues, and no office politics. I wasn’t traveling, and I got to sleep in my bed every night,” Schrobilgen says. Even better, he got to spend quality time with his wife and children. “I was able to help make their breakfast and school lunches every day when they were young. I made it to every dance recital, every Little League game, and was even able to coach my kids. Every karate class, every graduation and school event, every you-name-it, I’ve been to,” Schrobilgen says. His kids are well on their way to growing up – Grace, 22, is about to graduate college; Nate, 19, is a sophomore in college, and Ava, 17, is a high school junior — but what has been nice is that Schrobilgen has been around to experience it. If he had stayed with the large corporation or the business in Phoenix, he would have missed out on many of the kids’ important events and experiences, he asserts. “The quality of life with Our Town America, to be able to spend time with your family and friends in your community and still have a job that’s challenging, but one that you control, that’s a rare thing,” Schrobilgen says. He works with his wife, Jodi, who works part-time managing the administrative duties for his franchise, such as the finances and taxes. “All that fun stuff,” Schrobilgen quips. The rest of the workweek, he adds, she spends volunteering. For about six years, Jodi helped manage a food pantry and for the last few years she has been co-managing a free medical clinic, which specializes in providing medical care to the underserved, including many refugees and immigrants. Schrobilgen manages to volunteer as well. Every Monday since 2007, for a chunk of the time in the middle of the day, he participates in Meals on Wheels, delivering meals to senior citizens. They also both work together and with many other family members on a charity started by one of his siblings, an event that raises money for multiple charities in their home state of Iowa, as well as an orphanage in South Africa. The whole family, including all three kids, gets in on the projects and assists with the work needed to be done. That, too, wouldn’t be happening with a conventional job or even running a different business, Schrobilgen says. He likes that due to the flexibility that comes with the job, the Our […]
If Hollywood ever needs an idea for a reality TV show, they should send their camera-crew to follow Mark Berggren around. Granted, there would have to be some editing since much of Berggren’s life as an Our Town America franchisee probably wouldn’t make riveting television. He generally starts his days, dropping his kids off at school, and then he works at home from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., often at a computer. And, yet, some of what would be filmed probably would make great TV. Berggren says that, over the years, “I’ve met everybody from dentists to pizza drivers to pet shop owners.” And when you do that, you start to pick up things. Berggren can probably now make a pizza about as well as any pizzeria. He has learned a lot about how car washes are run, discussing how much water typical facilities use in a day and what type of environmental regulations govern these businesses. He has a good understanding of how to treat back pain from all the chiropractors he’s talked with. And, once, when trying to get a pet storeowner to sign on as a client, he wound up holding a python. It wasn’t something Berggren planned on. “I said that I was afraid of snakes,” Berggren recalls, “and the guy said, ‘Well, there’s no better time to learn not to be than now.’” Before Our Town America. Berggren used to be a litigation consultant throughout his twenties. As his LinkedIn page puts it, his job was to “offer a wide range of electronic solutions and paper products to the legal and corporate community. Technical sales dealing in imaging/coding, data conversion, forensic evidence, and web-based repositories.” It was more interesting than it sounds, we think, but at the same time, Berggren often faced many challenges. For one, as attorneys started going digital, some of what Berggren was offering simply wasn’t needed. It was also a stressful job, working with anxious attorneys going to trial, so when Berggren’s older sister, Kathy, a headhunter at the time, mentioned Our Town America in the summer of 2006, the then-33-year-old found himself instantly intrigued. Berggren had recently moved from Chicago to the suburbs, so related to the premise of Our Town America. By September 2006, he found himself flying to the Our Town America headquarters in Florida to discuss becoming a franchisee. Before the year was up, Berggren had gone through a month and a half of training and was open for business. Open for business. Chicago is a tough city from a marketing standpoint, Berggren says. He isn’t sure why that is. Still, over the last 13 years, Berggren has made things work. “I think it’s personal consistency,” he says. In other words, he has worked hard, been committed and remained positive. He has been careful to find clients who he knows are a good fit for the Our Town America New Mover Program. After all, if you have to convince a client to sign up that isn’t a great match, they aren’t likely to remain a client anyway. Berggren is always eager to find restaurants, dental offices or car washes that want to be a part of the New Mover Program. But, one time – and this is one of the reasons we think Berggren needs his own reality show – he had a meeting with a startup entrepreneur who wanted to sell paraphernalia related to the cannabis industry, at a time when legal marijuana wasn’t exactly a thing. Berggren says: “I kept thinking, ‘This is a joke, right?’” Not surprisingly, the startup entrepreneur did not end up becoming a client. But while there were those types of dead ends, Berggren kept at it, and he saw his sales steadily climb over the years. In fact, they climbed so much that, earlier this year, as is the practice for top-selling Our Town America franchise owners, he won a free trip to Italy with his wife – paid for by Our Town America. Berggren says that being an Our Town America franchise owner has been a great experience. His wife, Kelle, is a dermatologist whose work schedule is generally booked out a year in advance. Berggren usually has his calendar mapped out a week in advance, so he has been able to carve out a career where, if needed, he can shuttle their kids – who are now 14, 12 and 10 years old. “It’s a career that has given me a structure that I like, while simultaneously providing flexibility,” Berggren says. He says he also loves that the Our Town America franchise model provides him the opportunity to meet with hundreds of small business owners likes himself. “It’s kind of an insider’s look into each of these industries to see what type of daily schedule they run,” Berggren says. For instance, restaurant owners have to be very hands-on – often working evenings and weekends. Berggren says that, over the years, he has gained a newfound appreciation for practically every industry he partners with. “It’s been really fascinating meeting with these business owners,” Berggren says. “Every day can be different from the one before.” He is very pleased with the path he has chosen for himself – no camera crew tailing he and his family needed. Brittany N. JohnsonBrittany is the head of Our Town America’s corporate marketing department. She specializes in digital and print media, social media, and public relations. […]
Dentistry Today — It’s both a sad and happy fact for every dentist, business owner, patient, and person, for that matter—everything changes eventually. Right now, your dental practice may be thriving, with patients booked for months. Maybe you’re expanding and having trouble keeping up. You might even wake up every morning feeling like you’ve won the dental practice lottery. But realistically, it won’t last forever. It’s completely normal for every business to go through highs and lows. The same goes if your practice is tanking. If the patient chairs are often empty, and your slots aren’t booked, you shouldn’t despair. Things can always get better, and they probably will. Everything changes. The key is to be proactive in your approach to making the good times last for as long as possible. A steady system for attracting and retaining new patients can make a once empty dental practice full again and thriving for years to come. Even if your practice is doing great right now, don’t get complacent. For a multitude of reasons—moving away, change of insurance, even death—you may see a drop in your patient count. Whether business is up or down, you always need to be thinking of ways to bring in new customers to sustain your practice. New Mover Marketing Constant change is why I encourage dentists to actively engage in new mover marketing, regardless of their practice’s current state. Our Town America, the franchise founded by my late father, targets new movers by direct mail and has a proven business model that specializes in attracting and keeping new customers. In today’s digital age, you may scoff at the idea of direct mail. But time and time again, it’s proven to attract new movers to local businesses. When a family moves into a new neighborhood, they likely don’t know where anything is—the dry cleaner, gym, grocery store, pizza joint, and, yes, dentist’s office. The first few pieces of mail can actually be exciting for new movers. It’s a sign that you’ve arrived. You really live here. Meanwhile, email advertisements, more often than not, go directly to a spam folder without even being seen by the intended recipient. New mover direct mail marketing is the perfect way to let potential patients know where your offices are located. New movers want to know which local businesses are nearby. New movers are looking to establish new “regular” spots and basic necessities, including a dentist. By getting your name in front of those new residents so quickly, you are likely beating out your competition and appealing to a portion of the population who are actively looking for a new dentist. New movers truly are an ideal demographic to target with your marketing efforts. Paying Attention to Potential Patients Pays Off When you send a mailing to potential patients, you can increase the odds of them coming in for a checkup. This is true even more so if you give them an incentive, such as a gift certificate for your services or a small gift. You can be creative as long as the offer is appealing. We encourage you to think beyond a measly 10% off coupon. The better the offer, the more likely a new customer is to give you a chance. By appealing to new movers through direct mail, you’ll earn a reputation as a local business who cares. Your offer will come as a part of a bigger welcome package. Your practice may be featured alongside a beloved pizza joint, a favorite hairstylist, a florist shop that locals love, a respected autobody repair shop, and more. And, of course, when you’re appealing to a new set of new movers every month, not just once, that’s when you begin to have a sustainable practice. A constant influx of new patients means a steady stream of revenue for your practice. Just don’t forget to offer quality services to go along with your stellar offer. After all, the key to keeping patients coming back is a great experience, and perhaps even a followup offer to say thank you for stopping by. Marketing isn’t all that different from taking care of your teeth, really. If you want good results, you must be invested and in it for the long run. Over time, investing in marketing will pay off. Just whatever you do, don’t ignore new movers. If you do, you may walk into your dental practice one day and realize it’s not your patients’ teeth decaying, but rather your patient roster. Brittany N. JohnsonBrittany is the head of Our Town America’s corporate marketing department. She specializes in digital and print media, social media, and public relations. […]
PRWeb – New movers across America could win a thousand dollars just by opening their mail. In celebration of the 10th Anniversary of Small Business Saturday, Our Town America, the nation’s premier New Mover Marketing franchise, will award 10 certificates of $1,000 each in 10 different cities from coast-to-coast. To win one of these $1,000 “Golden Certificate Giveaway” prizes, new residents in these cities simply must tear open their personalized Our Town America new mover welcome package and call up to claim the money. They’ll receive a check they can spend anywhere, though they’re encouraged to support local businesses during the holiday season. “With this ‘Golden Certificate Giveaway,’ we welcome new movers to our communities across America while encouraging them to buy at local businesses,” says Our Town America’s CEO Michael Plummer, Jr. “Our goal is to help small businesses flourish because these mom-and-pop shops are the backbone of our economy. This holiday season, we ask new movers to learn about their local retailers. Drop in, say ‘hello,’ and spend money with the businesses located right in their own neighborhoods. It’s a win-win for all and a celebration of everything ‘local’ this holiday season.” Here’s how the “Golden Certificate Giveaway” works. In the coming weeks, Our Town America will mail out their December 2019New Mover Welcome Packages full of valuable local business offers. These one-time housewarming certificates give new movers deals at local restaurants, dental offices, gyms and other businesses. For ten lucky winners, a golden certificate of $1,000 will be included alongside the other offers. All each winner needs to do toclaim their prize is call the Our Town America phone number printed on the Golden Certificate. Once claimed over the phone, each winner will be awarded a check for the money as part of a local ceremony during the holiday season. Winners have until January 16 to claim their prize. Our Town America launched the “Golden Certificate Giveaway” because even though things are looking up for retailers this holiday shopping season (The National Retail Federation predicts 2019 November and December in–store retail sales to increase between 3.8%-4.2% over sales in 2018), generating in-store traffic throughout the year remains difficult and many retailers simply struggle to “hang on” until the holidays. Plummer hopes the “Golden Certificate Giveaway” will inspire thousands of new movers to support local retailers, even if they don’t win one of the big prizes. “We support Small Business Saturday year-round at Our Town America,” says Plummer. “Each Welcome Package we deliver represents a new opportunity for a new resident to build long-term, loyal relationships with local business owners offering the goods and services they need. We hope the ‘Golden Certificate Giveaway’ inspires more new movers than ever to open their Welcome Package, take advantage of the offers, and build relationships with some of the best small business owners in their backyard.” For more information about Our Town America and the “Golden Certificate Giveaway” please visit https://www.ourtownamerica.com or call 1-800-497-8360. ### About Our Town America For 47 years, Our Town America has been providing new residents with warm housewarming savings, from local neighborhood businesses, in a premium welcome package. Since the company began franchising in 2005, Our Town America has consistently been placed in the Franchise Top 50, ranking top in their category for franchisee satisfaction. Our Town America will only recommend one of each business type, in a specific zip code, in its Welcome Package. This has been one of the key catalysts for their long-term success. Sponsors consistently rave about the uniqueness of the New Mover Marketing Program — specifically their ability to reach a brand-new audience of impressionable new residents each month. Because of Our Town America’s devotion to those concepts, thousands of satisfied business owners attest to the success and effectiveness of the program. Additionally, dozens of locally owned franchisees validate Our Town America’s concept as a viable business opportunity. Our Town America’s mission is to help families and individuals adjust to their new community, while helping businesses gain new and loyal customers. In addition, they strive to provide franchisees with an excellent business opportunity. The eight million households who receive Our Town America’s welcome packages annually prove that Our Town America is committed to following through on their mission. Brittany N. JohnsonBrittany is the head of Our Town America’s corporate marketing department. She specializes in digital and print media, social media, and public relations. […]
Long before investing in Our Town America, the nation’s leading New Mover Marketing franchise, Suzi Dupries was a small business owner wondering how to get more customers to walk through the doors of her beauty salon and retail store. “Back then, I truly felt that New Mover Marketing was the missing piece in my advertising pie,” Dupries says. “I actually was searching for something like this during the last couple years I was in retail.” In January of 2014, Dupries bought an Our Town America franchise territory in the San Francisco Bay Area, she helps local business owners connect with people who have just moved into town. How Dupries found Our Town America. Similar to other retail storeowners experiencing the decline in sales due to their products sold cheaper online. Dupries started thinking it may be time for a new business plan. Dupries took her knowledge and began looking for a new career path for herself — and started working with a franchise broker to purchase a franchise that would provide growth potential and ongoing support. Why Dupries chose Our Town America When Dupries first learned about Our Town America, she was immediately drawn to the business model. “I was very fortunate that Our Town America was a perfect fit for me,” she says. “I related to the community involvement which was important to me. I’m a strong advocate of shopping locally and supporting the local community.” Dupries isn’t just talking the talk. She says that she doesn’t shop online, lest the purchase take away from the businesses in her area. That’s a true commitment to shopping locally! “If we don’t do business in our local towns, we won’t have a town community,” Dupries says. “I think people need to know their neighbors and their business neighbors.” But there were other reasons Dupries liked the Our Town America business model. “When you look at all the types of businesses out there, Our Town America is unique. For one, I didn’t have to do a build-out for this franchise. I didn’t have to sign a long-term business lease. Instead, I can work from home, be involved in my community, grow the business and have many sales representatives if I choose to, or just do it myself. With Our Town America, you have flexibility and organize your own time.” How things have been going so far In short, very well. Granted, Our Town America isn’t for everyone. If you aren’t a people person and aren’t a fan of sales, it may not be a fit. But Dupries clearly had all the right skill sets that aligned perfectly with what it takes to own and operate an Our Town America franchise. “I’m having the time of my life,” she says. She says she particularly enjoys that she can mix it up and be out in the field, talking to business owners about how the New Mover Program will benefit their business — and then other days, she can work from her home calling on businesses. “There are so few businesses where you can do that,” she says. “They’re out there, but often requires managing locations with multiple employees.” It probably helps that Dupries, who once managed employees and was always hustling to bring in new clientele, speaks the same business language her clients do. She can use her own experience as a small-business owner to explain the benefits of working with Our Town America to potential clients. Dupries says that sometime in the future she may hire some sales representatives and take her franchise to the next level — but for now, she is enjoying working solo. – If you’re a San Francisco area business looking to team up with Our Town America San Francisco, please contact Suzi at 415-755-4574. Non-San Francisco area businesses can reach out to the Our Town America corporate headquarters to get in touch with their local representative at 800-497-8360. Brittany N. JohnsonBrittany is the head of Our Town America’s corporate marketing department. She specializes in digital and print media, social media, and public relations. […]
