Authority Magazine (October 2019) — I, Jason Malki, had the pleasure of interviewing Michael Plummer, Jr., the President and CEO of Our Town America. A U.S. Army veteran and Certified Franchise Executive (CFE), he has more than 20 years of experience working as a senior-level franchise executive and IT professional in the direct marketing industry. For more than 45 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. Thank you for joining us Michael! More than half of the US workforce is unhappy. Why do you think that number is so high? I believe that more than half of the U.S. workforce is unhappy because the majority of Americans aren’t living out their dream career. Life can take many unexpected turns, and employees may find themselves in a different role or even different industry than they truly desire. As a result, employees can feel unsatisfied or unfulfilled by their careers. Additionally, I think employees often feel ignored and unappreciated. As a leader in my company, I try to make a point to lead by example, go the extra mile and always make sure my employees feel acknowledged and appreciated. Based on your experience or research, how do you think an unhappy workforce will impact a) company productivity b) company profitability c) and employee health and well being? An unhappy employee can drastically affect the morale of the entire office. Their dissatisfaction and unease can be contagious to those around them. This general drop in mood will inevitably impact productivity as employees feel less motivated to get their work done. As productivity slows, company profitability will plunge. Can you share 5 things that managers and executives should be doing to improve their company work culture? Can you give a personal story or example for each? Care — At Our Town America, we care greatly about the well being of our employees. We want to be there for our employees for major life events — the passing or sickness of a family member, a birth or a major operation — and offer support any way we can. Communicate — We like to keep the lines of communication open and encourage employee feedback. I love to hear what we are doing right and what needs improvement. Boost Morale — We like to do catered lunches for our staff and encourage them to eat together. We also like to coordinate fun activities to liven things up every now and then. Team Building — It is very important for our team to work together to accomplish goals. I like to encourage team bonding through fun out-of-work team experiences like go-karting, top golf or arcades. Stay True to Core Values — Finally, we started as a family business, and as we’ve grown, we’ve kept those original values. We are committed to ensuring our employees are happy and healthy, and our customers receive the best possible service. It’s very nice to suggest ideas, but it seems like we have to “change the culture regarding work culture”. What can we do as a society to make a broader change in the US workforce’s work culture? Big change starts small. A broader change in the culture regarding work culture can start in your office. I like to lead by example and mentor my employees to nurture a positive work culture. Not everyone will be eager to embrace the change, but those that do can make a difference, even if it’s slowly. Change can take time. How would you describe your leadership or management style? Can you give us a few examples? I prefer to lead through mentorship. I explain the goal and help find a solution, but I encourage the individual to accomplish the task themselves. Many times, I’ve been surprised and impressed by the creative solutions my employees propose. It’s very rewarding to watch my employees take on new challenges successfully. Additionally, I do not believe in micro-managing. It’s unrealistic to expect an employee to grow and learn if you do everything for them. None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that? I have been very fortunate to have many amazing people surrounding me, but one of my biggest supporters was my father, our founder. He was my best friend up until the day he died. Growing up, he taught me to always try to do the right thing for the right reasons; don’t be tempted by an easier path, but instead, keep your eye on the long-term goal. His mentorship helped me become the business leader I am today, and I am incredibly grateful. How have you used your success to bring goodness to the world? At Our Town America, we do it every day, one mover at a time. We are all about building relationships. We regularly reach out to our clients in need, like during recent hurricanes, snowstorms and floods to see how we can help. Through the nature of our business as a new mover marketing franchise, we have a connection to hundreds of communities across the country. When a community is in need, we turn out in force. We have volunteered at food pantries and collected donations for the holidays. We know the importance of community and practice what we preach in a very tangible way. Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life? “Show me your friends; I will show you your future.” I love this quote because in life, as in business, so often your success is linked to the relationships you have built. It is incredibly important to surround yourself with driven individuals who will challenge you and push you to be your best. When we […]
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:
Restaurant Owners – How To Create Offers & Loyal Customers Modern Restaurant Magazine (September 2019) — It’s a sad fact of being a restaurant owner: even if your food and service are excellent, and a first-time customer had a wonderful experience, it may still be a while before he or she comes through your doors again. After all, customers have choices. Lots of them. It can be especially difficult for a restaurant owner to turn new customers into loyal ones if those people are new to the area. New residents often sample a variety of restaurants before choosing their favorite spots. That’s why it’s important to do more than offer incredible food and focus on creating a great first impression. Obviously, those things are important, but it’s vital to create a relationship with that customer. To begin building what will hopefully be a long-term relationship, you often have to offer an incentive — special offers or some kind of deal. While some people find a place that they like and aren’t interested in experimenting with other restaurants, many customers are understandably curious about what’s around the corner. They don’t want to miss out! While you could accept that fact, the danger is that customer may decide not to return. People do like to experiment, but they’re also creatures of habit. If your customers find a new favorite pizza place instead of yours, or a new French restaurant they adore instead of yours, or a new beloved burger joint instead of yours, and so on, you could be relegated to one of those “we’ll go there because we haven’t been there in forever” eateries. That’s better than nothing, but obviously, you want more regulars than semi-regulars. So how do you do that? Incentivize those new customers. Offer Restaurant Discounts Based on Age This is a classic; I’m not telling you anything that you haven’t heard before, so just consider it a friendly reminder. You might want to offer a “kids eat free” or “kids eat for half-off” type of deal. If parents know that every time they come to your place — even if it’s just on a particular day — they’re going to shave a bit off their bill, that may encourage them to visit more often instead of going elsewhere. Just make sure your discount is well promoted. Promote Dining Specials Based on the Day or Time of Day Dynamic pricing at work. Bars have their happy hour, not just because it makes customers happy, but it makes bar owners happy to see customers coming in earlier, at a typically less-busy time. If you often see a lull on Monday nights, offer an awesome Monday-night special that your customers will have trouble refusing. Again, make sure this is well promoted, so customers coming on, say, Friday, will be reminded about what they can have when they come in on Mondays. Market Restaurant Discounts to People who just Moved into Town Granted, this is my wheelhouse, since my company markets to new movers, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention it. If you aim your marketing at residents who are new to the community, and you can get them in the door, it’s extremely important to offer them more deals so that they return. That might involve sending them home with an added incentive to return (half-off your next appetizer!) as they leave — or using a service that will send them a thank you note for coming paired with another special offer for when they return. The new movers are the people in your community who haven’t picked out any favorite restaurants yet. You could be their first. Dining Loyalty Programs This is an obvious idea. But I bring it up because it would feel silly not to. If you haven’t developed a discount program for your most loyal customers yet, it’s definitely something to think about. Restaurant Incentives – Theme Days Your customers aren’t just people who like food. They’re dog lovers. They’re sports fans. They’re marathon runners. Maybe some of them are birdwatchers. Depending on your restaurant, you could have days where anyone dressed as a TV character or their favorite superhero gets a 25 percent discount. Or hold a singles night and see who shows up. Or — if you won’t be breaking health codes — invite your pet parents to bring their dogs. Not every interest is going to be worth catering to, or practical, but if it’s conducive to your dining establishment, you could host book clubs in the off-hours, where people gather for a drink and appetizers. The point is — your customers are more than just anonymous people receiving a delivery, sitting at a table or standing at a counter, ready to pick up their food. They have interests. They also have challenges, ranging from time-management to finances and everything in between. If you can remember that and cater to their personality or situation as much as you do their taste buds, you’re going to make a much stronger connection — the first step to building that oh-so-important relationship. You may have to do that with some clever incentives, but getting your customers to come through the door (and keep them coming back!) is the ultimate goal. Because another fact of being a restaurant owner is that you need your customers more than they need you. That is, until the relationship is no longer one-sided. That’s the day when your hungry and time-starved customer realizes that he or she needs your restaurant’s help more than they thought. 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. […]
Considering becoming a Franchise Owner? If you’re considering purchasing a franchise location, from any brand, of course, you’ll want to do your research. The same is true for Our Town America. You’ll likely want to talk to some of the people who know the company best. You might contact various Our Town America franchise owners, and at some point, you’ll likely want to talk to the CEO, Michael Plummer, Jr. And then there’s the real expert: Jack Kieffer. That’s our take, not his. Kieffer’s a low-key, unassuming guy. But, in all seriousness, in a way, the Bowling Green, Ohio, franchise owner may have more institutional knowledge about Our Town America than almost anybody else. Kieffer, 69, has been part of the company since 1997, working there during the days of the late Michael Plummer, Sr., when Michael Plummer, Jr., was serving in the military in South Korea. We caught up with Kieffer to get his story and his thoughts on being an Our Town America franchise owner. Kieffer is amicable and interesting, so the conversation flowed easily. How he became an Our Town America Franchisee. For 23 years, Kieffer worked at Nabisco. He started out as a representative, became an account manager and was eventually promoted to sales manager. Then one day, the layoffs began, and, for a while, they didn’t stop. “I don’t think anyone I used to work with still works at Nabisco,” Kieffer says. After Nabisco, Kieffer began working for a direct mail franchise, one that we won’t name but he describes as “kind of a pyramid scheme.” While working with that company, he attended a convention. There he met Michael Plummer, the founder of Our Town America. Plummer’s company wasn’t yet franchised, and as Kieffer had soured on the company he worked for, he ended up jumping to Our Town America. Unlike the prior direct mail franchise, Kieffer had a feeling Our Town America was a solid, reputable business. He was right. Kieffer was given his own territory — Bowling Green, Ohio — to work, but since Our Town America franchises didn’t yet exist, he wasn’t an official franchise owner. That would come later. “A lot of people questioned franchising Our Town America, including me,” Kieffer says. “But it was a smart move.” The best parts of being an Our Town America franchisee. Kieffer says there are a lot of things he loves about his career path, but one of the biggest benefits has been the flexibility to own his time. “That’s been the best part of it,” Kieffer says. “I got to coach my sons with baseball and wrestling, and they were very involved in 4-H, and so we’ve gotten to do a lot of that.” Additionally, he estimates since he started with Our Town America, he has gone on nine or 10 cruises with his wife. “It’s also allowed me to do things that I didn’t have time for when I was working for Nabisco,” Kieffer says. For instance, he and a friend started a local baseball tournament that gives money to local schools’ sports programs in the area. Kieffer (who received no money for running the tournament; nor did his friend), says that they raised $200,000 over 15 years before deciding to hand over the reins to other do-gooders. The secret of any franchise owner’s success. “You have to be somebody who is a self-starter,” Kieffer says, echoing what many Our Town America franchise owners have said. “You have to be someone who can work alone and be motivated. If you’re the type of person who has to have a timecard and a supervisor telling you what to do, this is not the job for you.” Where does Kieffer go from here? He isn’t sure. For now, he’ll keep building his business and meeting clients, an activity the community-minded business leader thoroughly enjoys. But sooner or later, as Kieffer approaches his 70th birthday, he is mulling over the idea of eventually retiring. So if there is anybody who lives in the Bowling Green, Ohio area and is thinking of becoming an Our Town America franchise owner, maybe you should contact Kieffer. In any case, he says he is glad Michael Plummer Sr. took a chance on him, and that he himself took a chance on Our Town America. “This is a good business and career to have,” Kieffer says. “You don’t need any employees. You can run it all by yourself. And you can make a great living. It’s been a very successful and fulfilling career, and I highly recommend it!” 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 (August 2019) — Like any business, if you want to grow your dental practice, you can’t rely only on your existing clientele. Certainly, there are some patients who likely keep you in business—the ones who (despite you and your staff’s entreaties) don’t brush or floss and then need to come in repeatedly for fillings and root canals. Still, ideally, you’d like to see your practice grow by having happy patients with healthy teeth and a steady stream of new patients stopping by. But how do you get those new patients? It’s time to consider new mover marketing. Our Town America, a franchise that targets new movers by direct mail, has a proven business model that helps local businesses thrive even in this increasingly technological and wired world. While many may think that direct mail and paper incentives may already be obsolete, the data shows otherwise. According to numerous reports, the direct mail industry has been steadily, albeit slowly, growing over the last 10 years. In today’s world where everything is digital and it’s easier than ever to delete emails (or even block them from arriving in your inbox in the first place!), offers that are mailed directly to a new resident have proven to be more effective than their electronic counterparts. Now, of course, businesses advertise through social media and reach out to people through their phones. You would think that would have finished off direct mail, but no. In fact, despite being more wired and connected than ever, it’s become clear that direct mail—especially when it is aimed at people who are new to a community—works better than ever. According to the business intelligence company USData Corp, which did a study on direct marketing, 25% of millennials consider reading direct mail a leisure activity. I know. You’re wondering how reading mail could be a leisure activity. But it makes sense if you think about it. If you’re thinking that reading direct mail for enjoyment is nuts, you’re probably a generation X’er or baby boomer who is used to getting letters and bills in the mail and tossing direct mailers in the trash. Nowadays, receiving any mail is rather unique and, yes, it can be fun to open. It’s email that’s become sort of a drag. Adobe, the computer software company, polled more than 1,000 white-collar workers last year and found that millennials spend 6.4 hours a day checking their email, with more than a third checking their work email before they get out of bed. And it’s especially fun to get actual mail in your mailbox when you’re new in town and trying to get acclimated to your surroundings. That’s where targeted new mover marketing comes in. By providing new movers with one-time use housewarming gifts from local neighborhood businesses in a premium welcome package, your business is capturing the new residents’ attention first. The key is to provide an offer that has value. It’s a welcome package, not a flier. The offers can be tracked, so as a business owner, you can feel comfortable knowing your investment is paying off. Once these new customers redeem the offer, they get a followup mailing to improve the chances of them turning into a repeat customer. If your dental practice is part of a beautiful new mover welcome package, consisting of valuable offers from businesses in the area, essentially alerting somebody that, “Hey, welcome to your new home! We’d love for you to consider us to be your new dentist,” prospective patients are going to be far more receptive than if you sent them yet another tweet, text, or email, which will probably go in the spam folder anyway. When we’re on our phones, desktops, or devices, we have countless distractions. When we’re at our mailboxes and then walking back to our apartments or up the driveway to our homes, dentists (as well as pizzeria owners, auto mechanics, hair stylists, and anyone else) have at least a fighting chance for some mindshare. And once you’ve captured their attention, these new residents are far more likely to visit your establishment than that of your competitor. Never underestimate the power of being the first to grab a potential customer’s attention! In other words, these days, if you’re trying to get new customers’ attention, you need to find a marketing strategy that has some teeth. Mr. Plummer is president, CEO, and CTO of Our Town America, the nation’s premier new mover marketing franchise. A US Army veteran and Certified Franchise Executive, he has more than 15 years of experience as a senior-level franchise executive and IT professional in the direct marketing industry. He can be reached at jplummer@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. […]
QSR Magazine (July 2019) — New mover marketing is a fantastic way to reach those new residents and begin building a relationship. Sometimes, being well-known and well-liked can actually work against a restaurant. That may sound like a crazy statement, particularly since brand recognition is an important aspect to consider when buying a franchise. Restaurant owners, after all, spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to purchase franchises with big-time brand recognition. But when it comes to landing customers who are new to a neighborhood, a big name is often a disadvantage for owners of mainstream restaurant franchises. When someone moves into a new house or apartment, they usually want to explore their new neighborhood. After a long day of moving, they’ll have worked up an appetite and be on the hunt for new, local places to eat. Many times, new movers want to know what’s good, trendy and local, rather than settling for the same restaurants they have already been to countless times before. The key is to let the new movers know that, while the brand may be national, the owner is still a local. Marketing to new movers can turn a big brand from being impersonal to personal. New movers may be searching for local mom-and-pop restaurants; however, that doesn’t mean big brands are out of the running. Reaching out to people who have just arrived in town can be an effective way to remind them that the owner of a national franchise is still a vital part of the local community. In fact, it’s something today’s movers are craving. In a recent millennial mover survey, 80 percent of respondents said they’d love to receive a housewarming gift and more than half (57 percent) said they want to live within walking distance of restaurants. Therefore, any neighborhood restaurant who connects with them first gains a huge advantage. Also, by welcoming a new mover to the neighborhood, a big-name brand is suddenly no longer something corporate and impersonal. It’s a brand that cares enough to reach out to somebody new to the neighborhood. That’s presuming the restaurant isn’t just mass mailing a coupon to every house and reaching the new people by chance along with everyone else. Targeted, new-resident offers with appealing offers or freebies are key to drawing in this lucrative demographic. There is more than one big-brand restaurant. Another simple reason to market to new movers is one that is as old as business itself—competition. Customers have a lot of choices, especially when it comes to food. The restaurant industry, along with the economy, continues to grow. Sales at restaurants hit $825 billion in 2018 , according to the National Restaurant Association, and are projected to reach $863 billion in the United States by the end of 2019. There are over a million restaurants in America, and a lot of them have familiar names. Even famous brands need to distinguish themselves from the rest of the pack, simply because the pack is so big. If a neighborhood is full of popular restaurants with notable name recognition, that familiarity will draw some new residents in the door. But in a well-populated area, there’s no guarantee that every new mover will try out each big name-brand dining establishment competing for stomachs and dollars. People develop habits pretty quickly. While people new to a neighborhood may be looking for quirky and unusual eateries, they often get their morning coffee and breakfast sandwiches at the national restaurant franchises that can give people what they want quickly and efficiently. New movers who also work in the area and are grabbing food during their lunch hour will quickly start compiling a list of easily accessible favorite spots. When they don’t want to cook dinner, and they want something simple and easy, they go to the familiar and comfortable. In all of those cases, nationally recognized franchise restaurants usually fit the bill. But big brand names have the same problem as the small, mom-and-pop restaurants have; customers develop daily habits that can be hard to break. Restaurants that miss out on getting new movers to come into their business in those first few weeks may lose out on that customer becoming a regular forever—and that’s a lot of potential profit missed. New mover welcome packages should be full of fun, local offers to nearby businesses—included. New mover marketing is a fantastic way to reach those new residents and begin building a relationship. After all, from a new mover’s point of view, if he or she is enjoying that coffee and breakfast sandwich in the morning and getting to work on time, why go somewhere else where things may not go so well? If a new mover loves “Pizza Fridays” with the family and has discovered the ideal pizzeria to pick up something on the way home, why risk upsetting the kids—who are still adjusting to this move—by trying something different? While part of the excitement of moving is trying new things, what makes people feel at home are rituals that become ingrained in daily life. It’s a mistake for owners of a national restaurant chain to assume new movers will simply walk in the door. It’s always a good idea to put out a welcome mat and make life-long customers in the process. By: Michael Plummer Jr. – a U.S. Army veteran with more than 20 years of experience as a senior-level franchise executive and IT professional in the direct mail marketing industry. In 2009, he took over as the president/CEO of the Our Town America franchise brand for his father, the founder, Michael Plummer Sr. 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. […]
Restaurant Marketing to Millennials Modern Restaurant Management (July 2019) — We are creatures of habit. If you’re a caffeine junkie, you probably go to the same coffeehouse every day, rather than trying new ones every other day or so. If you find a favorite toothpaste, you probably stick with it. We have our favorite TV shoes and music. Some people even go to the same vacation spot year after year. That can be a scary concept if you’re a restaurant owner looking to win over more customers. It isn’t enough to offer wonderful food. You have to get people in the door, first to try your food — and then, of course, convince them to keep coming back. You have to ensure your food and service are so good that you can break customers’ habits of regularly visiting your competitors’ restaurants and come to yours instead. That’s a worthwhile goal, and of course, restaurants should be trying to draw consumers away from other restaurants. But if you really want to win over loyal customers, an easier approach is to focus on your potential customers who haven’t yet aligned themselves with your competitors. That is, look to the new movers, the people who have just bought a house or put down their first month’s rent in an apartment. They’re new to the community, excited to be there, and they’re hungry for information about your neighborhood. You can give them that knowledge — by targeting your marketing efforts to them. There are probably more new movers in your community than you think. Every year, approximately 40 million Americans move to a new home, and many of them, it should be noted, are Millennials and lately, Generation Z (people born in the mid-1990s). Our Town America, a new mover marketing franchise, recently commissioned an online survey of 652 men and women (born between 1981 and 1996), to get a sense of what’s important to Millennials when they move to a new city. And they are moving. Our research indicates that the most popular places for Millennials are the following cities: Phoenix, AZ Las Vegas, NV San Diego, CA Fort Collins, CO Raleigh, NC Fort Myers, FL Des Moines, IA Boise, ID Charlotte, NC Greenville, SC Wilmington, NC Houston, TX Birmingham, AL In other words, instead of cities like New York City, San Francisco and Boston, which have an exciting and glamorous reputation, many Millennials are opting for places that are known for a more reasonable cost of living and better quality of life. That’s good news for many restaurant owners across the country. Regardless of where you are located, your odds of winning Millennials over increase when you understand them. While individuals are obviously unique, as a group, generations have a lot in common. While baby boomers’ habits have been studied and over-analyzed for at least half a century, we’re arguably still getting to know Millennials. So, if you’re looking to know more about the young people moving to your neighborhood, you’ll do well to keep a few things in mind. Millennials Expect You to be Able to Come to Them Our survey found that 69 percent of Millennials want to live within a range of delivery services. That’s probably not a surprise, given how delivery has taken off. But it does underscore that if you haven’t partnered with a service that can bring your food to your consumers, it may be time. There are countless delivery methods to consider including: adding delivery drivers to your staff, working with Uber Eats, or encouraging customers to use services like Postmates to enjoy your food at their convenience. Despite Their Love of Delivery, Millennials May Still Want to Come to You Fifty-seven percent of Millennials want to be within walking distance to restaurants and stores. Three out of four of them would prefer to meet their neighbors in person rather than just see them online. This means that, while delivery is important, don’t forget to ensure your restaurant has quality table service and a nice ambiance for customers. Owners should be making an effort to get Millennials into their place of business. In fact, our survey indicates that if a Millennial is new to the community, they would love a new business to welcome them with a valuable offer. Millennials Very Much Want to be Part of the Community There’s a lot of talk about how Millennials are always on their phones and don’t take much stock in face-to-face interactions. But our research shows that a majority of them still crave human interaction. Fifty-three percent of those we surveyed say that they want to live in a neighborhood that offers great community events. In order, their preferences are food festivals, concerts, sporting events, bar hopping or wine tastings and family-friendly events. By sponsoring or participating in some of these events, you may be able to reach some new-to-town Millennials and establish countless loyal customers. If you’re involved in these events, Millennials are more likely to see your restaurant as one of their favorite dining spots, and a place that makes them feel as if they’re home. Millennials Are Always Looking for a Good Deal Sure, what generation doesn’t want to get the most bang for their buck? But like their great-grandparents who grew up during the Great Depression, the Great Recession came along when many of these Millennials were in their formative years or just starting out in their careers. The Great Recession made a powerful and often devastating impact, and so Millennials are looking to be part of the community while still being fiscally responsible. In fact, 85 percent of respondents say that they’d take advantage of a local small-business discount or freebie, like a free meal or haircut. Almost all of the survey participants (98 percent) say they’d likely revisit the business after trying out the offer. The point is — getting new Millennial movers in the door can pave the way for a new generation of loyal customers. New mover marketing can help to establish new […]
Jennifer Moseley was always traveling, without getting anywhere. That’s not quite true. She was very good at her job, for instance, and was by all measures a success, but she traveled so much, the airport and hotels felt more like her home than her real house. Moseley saw the people at the Transportation Security Administration more than her friends. “I would leave my home Sunday and get back Thursday,” Moseley recalls. The money was good – she worked for a textbook company, selling nursing textbooks to colleges – but she had no time to spend it. “I was just burned out,” Moseley says. She isn’t over-hyping that. To relax and deal with the stresses of a high-pressure job where she was always in a new city, Moseley said she started hanging out at the airport and hotel bars more than she should have. Even after she moved into jobs that required fewer plane tickets, she continued the habits she had picked up mingling with flight attendants and hotel minibars. Seven years ago, she finished her last drink, brushed up her resume and began looking for a fresh start. Finding Our Town America Moseley found that much needed fresh start with Our Town America. But if there’s a typical way people become Our Town America franchise owners – and there really isn’t – this was as atypical as it gets. Moseley didn’t go looking to be a franchise owner, and at first, didn’t become one. She saw a salaried position for a corporate sales representative at the Our Town America headquarters. She liked what she saw. She would be working in an office. There seemed to be no, or minimal, traveling. And the more she read about it, she just had a good feeling about the company. She sent in her resume, was called in for an interview and got the job. She was good at it. In fact, one day, after about a year on the job, her boss, the National Sales Director, Michael Murphy, told her that her sales were, on average, a little higher than the franchise owners. Murphy couldn’t help but be pretty pleased – he had, after all, trained Moseley – and so mentioned her success to the company’s CEO, Michael Plummer Jr., who was impressed (“Damn, that’s awesome” is reported to be his response). Moseley naturally asked for a raise and a higher commission, and Murphy and Plummer immediately said yes. “They were wonderful to me,” Moseley says. Fast forward to another year later, and Murphy mentioned to his star pupil that he was thinking of investing in a franchise, but he didn’t want to run it. Instead, he proposed that they become business partners. He would put up the money to invest in a franchise, and Moseley would put in the sweat equity. Moseley liked the idea. She soon left the corporate headquarters and became the co-owner of Our Town America of Sarasota, Florida. Moseley found the Sarasota location because the owner, Sondra Conk, Our Town America’s first franchise owner, was looking to sell after being a franchise owner for about 15 years. Conk wasn’t unhappy with her business, though, and she wasn’t looking to retire. She was interested in selling for another reason. She had, unfortunately, been diagnosed with terminal cancer. “We had become friends, and she was a real mentor to me,” Moseley says. Conk would pass away far too soon, and far too young, in 2016 at the age of 69. Conk had been wary about selling her business, but Moseley would do well with her franchise, building the business up and hopefully making her mentor proud. In fact, Moseley seemed to be on track during her first year to quickly become an incredible success story and no doubt make Murphy very pleased with his decision to buy a franchise and make her a partner. But then Moseley was quickly reminded of her past with alcoholic drinks. It isn’t what you think. Don’t worry; she didn’t take up drinking again. Moseley started having serious health issues due to her past drinking – it had taken a toll on her pancreas. During her first year of business, she reluctantly missed five months of work. Her second year as an Our Town America franchise owner wasn’t much better. She figures she lost four months due to her poor health. The next two years, maybe a combined three months. “I’m finally better now,” she says. She is extremely appreciative of the people working at Our Town America. “The opportunity that Michael Murphy and Michael Plummer provided to me was life-altering. I’ve truly never been happier – and I can now say, healthier. Those two Michaels changed my life.” But she credits Our Town America, and the strength of its business model, for allowing her the freedom to be sick. “The model is just so family-friendly. It’s just mind-boggling,” Moseley says. “I can’t think of any other franchise where I could have been sick – and still kept the business going. If you have a brick and mortar location, you have to worry about your lease, insurance, customers, etc. The support I got from corporate was just amazing. I don’t think with any other franchise; I could have been really sick and still had a good paycheck coming in.” And she cringes to imagine how employers in Corporate America would have reacted to her being sick. Granted, she had some existing clients from buying an existing franchise – and by the time her health issues crept up, she had landed plenty of new clients on her own and had built a revenue stream. It isn’t as if the model would have provided a paycheck had she not had any existing clients when she got sick. But, still, the business model kept her in the game – and allowed her to focus on her health and recover. “I also was able to take some time off to go take care of my mother […]
FOX 26 Houston (July 2019) – Our Town America commissioned a survey of more than 650 Millennials to learn about their ideal city to live in and their main motivations behind moving. Some cities stood out amongst the rest – Houston, TX being one of them. Houston, as many will attest to, fulfills many wants and needs for Millennials. In fact, Houston has the third-lowest house prices and sixth-highest household income, according to Nerdwallet. Also – when surveyed, 44.8% of Millennials said a lot of job opportunities is what makes a city a dream city. Houston was ranked 11th best Large American City. And, while Millennials have been stereotyped as being addicted to technology, they actually value time outdoors. In fact, 48.8% said they prefer to do things outdoors when possible. Houston is a short drive from the beach, there are plenty of biking/hiking trails, and water sports are accessible, as well as golf courses and more! Not so surprisingly, however, Millennials like the option to bring their pets whenever possible. 61% of Millennials surveyed have a pet(s), and 47.6% said that their pet(s) is their top priority when choosing a place to live. Well, Houston slides in yet again as a top contender as it has many dog-friendly restaurants and hotels, as well as parks & hiking trails for everyone’s favorite furry friend. But, once Houston proves itself to the new mover, it’s then the local businesses turn to do so. But how? That’s when Our Town America steps in to do what we’ve been doing best since 1972. We deliver Welcome Packages to the mailboxes of new movers – complete with one-time-use free housewarming gifts redeemable at local merchants. This is viewed by tens of thousands of new movers across the country as welcoming – not as a form of advertising. In fact, in the recently commissioned survey, 85% of Millennials said they’d take advantage of a local small business offer/freebie, and a whopping 98% said they’d likely revisit the businesses a second time after trying out the first offer. FOX TV featured Clark Hillegeist of Our Town America of Houston to discuss the survey results. Check out the video by pressing ‘play’ below. ### *Editor’s Note: *Please cite Our Town America as the source for this survey. *This online survey of 652 men and women was conducted by a third party and commissioned by Our Town America. *Survey participants have no affiliation with Our Town America. About Our Town America For 47 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. 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. […]
All statistics drawn from full survey commissioned by Our Town America, which can be found here — Survey Says: What New Mover Data Shows About Millennial New Movers. 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. […]
Millennials are on the move, but where are they moving? Millennials (defined as adults born between 1981 and 1996) are one of the most coveted demos in marketing, but finding the right balance for engaging this generation can be tricky. Our Town America commissioned a comprehensive survey and put together a list to help you take your local business marketing to the next level. So, what do Millennials look for in a new city that can help your business set itself apart? Millennials Care About Careers One surprising piece of homeowner data our survey found was that Millennials care more about careers than you might think! Over 30 percent of our survey said that they relocated for their career for their last move. And that’s not all, 71 percent of Millennials surveyed said they would live in the middle of nowhere for a higher paying job. It’s no secret that jobs drive community growth, and you can bet that Millennials are moving where the jobs are. Millennials Want Convenience Millennials want convenience in their communities, and that means convenience. Over half of those surveyed (57.4 percent) said that living within walking distance to restaurants and other stores is important to them. A quaint downtown area with diverse local businesses goes a long way in appealing to the Millennial mindset. Everyone knows that Millennials love to shop local, and from boutiques to salons to coffee shops, Millennials are ready to pound the pavement. Delivery Services Matter for Millennials Even though our survey established that Millennials love walking, that doesn’t mean that they’re above delivery. Our homeowner information shows that two-thirds of survey participants (69 percent) think being in range of delivery services is important. Millennials are also loyal to local businesses. More than 60 percent of our survey said they were highly likely to re-visit a business they received a valuable offer from. Pets Take Precedence for Millennials America is a nation that loves its pets. Millennials are no exception. The survey found that three in five Millennials have pets. What’s more, is that 70 percent of those pet owners said their pets influenced where they chose to live. Whether it’s dogs, cats, birds, fish, turtles, or bunnies, there’s no question that their furry friends have a big impact on where Millennials choose to live. A community being pet-friendly means much more than big yards. It means pet-friendly shops and ample pet parks for playtime. The same goes for pet-based businesses like grooming services, dog-walkers, and pet-sitters. Everyone Wants Community Events While only 20 percent of Millennials said they want to live in the big city, over half still said they want to be in a community with lots of exciting events. Food festivals top the list of desirable town attractions with over 69 percent, followed closely by concerts, beer and wine tasting events, sporting events, and family outings. Whether it’s a food truck rodeo, a weekend out at a local brewery, or family fun at a folk-art festival, Millennials want something fun to do together. Millennials Want to Know Their Neighbors Many people think of Millennials as the new “me” generation, but they might like to think of themselves as the “us” generation. Our survey found that three in four Millennials actually prefer meeting people in person (as opposed to online). Over 44 percent said that it’s very important for them to know the people living around them. A strong and vibrant community with a friendly feel and an air of hospitality can go a long way to bringing in Millennial movers. Housewarming Gifts Mean a Lot to Millennials It may seem old-fashioned, but Millennials still appreciate a thoughtful housewarming gift. Our survey found that over 80 percent of Millennials would feel more comfortable in a new home or neighborhood if they received a housewarming gift. Even so, only 41.3 percent of survey participants said they’d ever received a housewarming gift. And housewarming gifts go beyond presents. Over 84 percent of our survey said they would jump on a proven offer from a local business. Helping Millennials feel connected to their communities goes a long way to attracting new movers. Connecting Businesses with Millennial Movers We hope this helps to give you a better idea of what inspires Millennials when they choose where to move. One thing is for certain, they want to know what’s out there. Nearly 60 percent of our survey said they wish they had been told more about their new communities after moving in. Whether they receive a welcome guide for new movers or join a new homeowner mailing list, a little info about their new surroundings goes a long way to helping Millennials feel at home. New mover marketing services help keep Millennials informed on local businesses and services while putting your brand in front of a valuable new audience. 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. […]
