WUSF Radio (November 2016) – Some small businesses throughout the Tampa Bay area will be getting surprise visits this week, as part of the inaugural “Small Business Support Squad”. The “Small Business Support Squad” was created by Our Town America, a national marketing firm that targets new residents and businesses, to thank small businesses. Melissa Nelson helped create the support squad, and says they will be going to small businesses before Small Business Saturday, on November 26th. That’s where people are encouraged to patronize small businesses on Thanksgiving weekend. They’ll be surprising local business owners with gifts, such as wine and massage certificates. “They work so hard that it’s just gonna be fun to give them something that’s gonna help them relax when this really busy season winds down for them,” Nelson said. Nelson says they plan on making the “Small Business Support Squad” an annual thing, and hope to include even more businesses next year. Listen to clip here >> Our Town America of Greater St. Petersburg on WUSF Radio — St.Petersburg, FL area businesses looking to team up with Our Town America of Greater St. Petersburg can contact Melissa Nelson & Steve Schroeder at 727-490-8155 or complete an online Contact Form. Small businesses in any U.S. market can reach out to Our Town America’s corporate team to get in touch with their local representative. Call by phone at 800-497-8360 or complete a Contact Form. Listen to clip of Melissa Nelson on WUSF Radio below. 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:
Charlotte Observer (November 2016) – Here they come: those holiday deal days when shoppers are expected to spend billions on gifts for friends and loved ones….and themselves. Take your pick of preferred dates. There’s Thanksgiving Day, when shoppers skip the hot turkey dinner for retailers’ doorbuster deals on TVs, tablets and more that rival Black Friday offerings. Small Business Saturday follows, preferred by those who want locally-made gifts and shopping without all the crowds. Others hold out for Cyber Monday, known for retailers’ website deals on everything from drones to Fitbits. This Monday after Thanksgiving drew 121 million shoppers last year, according to the National Retail Federation. Even though all these days take some of the punch out of Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving “remains the official kick-off to the holidays and an important tradition for millions of shoppers across the country,” retail federation spokeswoman Ana Serafin Smith said via email. Consumers will spend an average of $935.58 during the holiday shopping season, according to the retail federation. And Black Friday remains the winning day during Thanksgiving weekend, according to Smith, drawing the most shoppers — 74.2 million in 2015. Overall, retail spending in November and December is expected to hit more than $655 billion this holiday season. Here’s a look at what stores and places are offering shoppers to draw them in on special shopping days. Thanksgiving: While plenty of big retailers are continuing the trend of being open on Thanksgiving, others are bowing out, including appliance and electronics retailer HHGregg. Part of the reason may be that turkey day shoppers aren’t showing up the way they once did. Thanksgiving Day drew 34.6 million shoppers in 2015, compared to 43.1 million in 2014 and 44.8 million in 2013, according to the retail federation. Still, plenty of shoppers are expected to forego the hot dinner and football to line up for stores’ late-afternoon openings. “Thanksgiving will be the day to highlight special deals to bring in customers who are looking to get a head start on their holiday shopping,” Smith said. Locally, several retailers will be open, including Belk, Target and Toys R Us, as well as shopping destinations Charlotte Premium Outlets, SouthPark and Concord Mills malls. Black Friday: This day traditionally wins over the most Thanksgiving weekend shoppers, with 74.2 million hitting stores last year, according to the retail federation. If you refuse to shop on Thanksgiving, this is the day to nab those big deals, “especially big ticketed items such as washer/dryers, TVs, etc.,” Smith said. Many retailers also launch extended hours to draw in holiday shoppers. Small Business Saturday: Local store owners shine on this spending holiday launched in 2010 and held the Saturday after Thanksgiving. American Express, which created the day, again is teaming up with Historic South End in Charlotte, Belmont Merchant Association in Gaston, the downtown Concord shopping area and other small businesses on promotions. South End will showcase more than 300 retailers, including many in pop-up shops, and offer free trolley rides for shoppers. Customers at any of downtown Concord’s 31 local stores will be entered to win $250 Concord shopping dollars. Also, local entrepreneur Jane McElhaney’s “Charlotte Small Biz Support Squad” returns for a second year. She plans to drive around the area and surprise business owners with balloons, food, gifts and massages. Cyber Monday: Typically the busiest day of the year for online shopping, online spending on Cyber Monday, which falls on Nov. 28 this year, is expected to jump to $3.5 billion from $3.12 billion last year, according to ComScore, which studies audience and marketing data. Shoppers wait for this day to see what e-commerce deals retailers are showcasing, Smith said. December 26: Some consumers will have a day off on this date, as their workplaces recognize this Monday after Christmas as the official holiday. It remains to be seen if that will translate into a stronger in-store shopping day this year, Smith said. However, “we know that it is important for retailers to move inventory as quickly as possible to make space for late winter/spring items,” Smith said. “December 26 is traditionally known as the day that most retailers have low deals and offers on holiday or winter-themed items that didn’t (sell)…during the holiday shopping period.” The Associated Press contributed to this story. 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. […]
WBTV Charlotte (November 2016) – This year, for the second year in a row, for Small Business Saturday, Jane and Tom McElhaney of Our Town America of Charlotte will head out to thank small business owners for everything they do for our community. Small Business Saturday, the shopping holiday held the Saturday after Thanksgiving, encouraging shoppers to patronize small and local businesses. Jane and Tom are small business owners themselves, as Our Town America franchisees, and understand that small businesses mean big business to the community. The McElhaney’s support small businesses year round, as the Our Town America business model is focused on helping local business owners create a sense of community at their stores by welcoming new movers to town with free one-time gifts. The McElhaney’s created the “Charlotte Small Business Support Squad” to show their appreciation for small and local businesses in their area. On Saturday, they will drive through Charlotte to surprise their partnered local business owners with a Community Service Award and more! Charlotte-area businesses looking to team up with Our Town America of Charlotte can contact the McElhaney’s at 704-341-4982 or complete an online Contact Charlotte Form. Small businesses in any U.S. market can reach out to Our Town America’s corporate team to get in touch with their local representative. Call by phone at 800-497-8360 or complete a Contact Form. Watch clip of Jane McElhaney on WBTV Charlotte below. 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. […]
Halloween has passed and the holiday season is in full swing. While there are many opportunities to promote your business this holiday season, one of the more unconventional ways is through the Small Business Saturday event hosted the Saturday after Thanksgiving (it falls on November 26th this year). While Black Friday is a day for big-box retail stores to thrive and Cyber Monday is focused on online retailers, Small Business Saturday, which made its debut in 2010, encourages consumers to patronize brick and mortar businesses that are small and local. The U.S. Small Business Association reported that 28 million small businesses account for 54% of U.S. sales. So, small businesses actually mean BIG business to our economy, as they help shape communities throughout the country. The fourth annual Small Business Saturday Consumer Insights Survey, released by the National Federation of Independent Businesses (NFIB) and American Express, reported that 55% of U.S. consumers are aware of Small Business Saturday. Even more exciting is that 83% of U.S. consumers said that Small Business Saturday encourages them to Shop Small year-round1. Last year, over 95 million consumers shopped at local businesses on Small Business Saturday, spending over $16.2 billion dollars2. This year, Small Business owners are hoping to see that number rise. With so many small local merchants struggling to compete against bigger businesses year-round, the hope is that this annual event will gain momentum and can help accelerate Q4 sales through the holiday season. There are numerous ways for small businesses to promote their business through this event, as well as through the holiday season. Below are a few suggestions: Become an American Express Neighborhood Champion Run ads with in-store promotions to drive visits on November 26th Reach prospects via email marketing with promotions for November 26th Run a special promotion on your monthly new mover gift certificate If your business is located in a mall or shopping area, station an employee outside to give away free samples of your product or service to people passing by Join forces with other small business owners in your area and in your local new mover package and hold a weekend “sidewalk sale” Give shoppers the luxury of getting a free foot or shoulder rub if they buy something on November 26th Provide entertainment. Hire musicians to play in your store/restaurant, or outside of it to attract customers in. Something small business owners should consider is that Millennials are actually the #1 group planning to shop at small businesses on Small Business Saturday3. As many people know, Millennials seek uniqueness and individuality. In order to successfully reach this audience, small business owners should emphasize what makes their store distinct. Aside from the obvious warm welcome and great customer service that is needed to keep any customer happy, rare, one-of-a-kind products and gifts should be put on display for this age group. Personalized gifts and products featuring inspirational messages are extremely popular amongst Millennials. So, small business owners are urged to meet these criteria in order to boost Small Business Saturday sales. To become an Our Town America sponsor, please complete a Contact Form, or sign up online with our New Movers on Demand portal! 1Small Business Saturday Consumer Insights Survey; 2Business Wire; 3SalesFuel 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. […]
Let’s face it, every business has a slow season. Businesses located in vacation destinations are a more extreme example. Most try their very best to make the most of their yearly revenue during the in-season months, and sometimes struggle during the off-season to generate revenue at all. This can generate quite a bit of stress on the business owner. Especially for small businesses. But it doesn’t have to be so bad. There are few things that you can start to include in your marketing plan that just may help you increase your revenue during the off-season. When looking for ways to connect with new customers, you’ve probably heard many times that you need to “Be Creative”, “Pay Attention” to their needs and “Create Excitement” around your small business. Sounds like a full time job all by itself, doesn’t it? Well, it’s actually not as tough as it may seem. Direct mail can help you make those connections and, in most cases, is a very easy turnkey option that helps generate great results. Let’s take a look at a few ideas to help you get started. Your existing customer base is an excellent resource for generating revenue during your slow season: Referral Campaigns – These can help bring in additional revenue by targeting the friends and family of your current customer base. Creating a Direct Mail Postcard campaign that offers incentives to refer others, such as friends and family, is actually accomplishing two very key tasks at once. First, you’re rewarding your existing customer base and showing them that you value their business. Second, you’re bringing in new faces that will give you potential access to a brand new set of customers! Everyone Wants a Great Deal – In order to reach customers that you haven’t seen in a while, or that have not responded to your previous offers, you need to get creative. Offer something really great, a chance to enter a drawing for FREE merchandise such as an iPad, movie tickets, etc. Direct Mail works very well for this type of campaign and can really help get these customers back through your doors. Events – During your off-season you can always generate excitement about your business by hosting various events. For example, you could create a direct mail campaign announcing that you are having a special “Local Residents Only” shopping day and extend discounts beyond what you would offer your seasonal customers. Direct mail is a huge help for these types of campaigns because it will allow you to target a very specific demographic, which will generate a better response. Now that you have some ideas on how you should be targeting your existing customer base, what about bringing in new faces, beyond just friends and family? Finding and targeting people that are new to the area and are actively searching to replace the services for businesses just like yours is where direct mail really goes to work for your business. When people move, they have to replace the businesses they use to frequent, such as their family dentist, hair salon, grocery store, auto mechanic, dry cleaners and even their favorite places to eat. By using direct mail to target these new movers, you’re reaching out to a very important niche market. Getting the new mover through your doors first gives you, as a business owner, an advantage over your competition. Doing this will help your business establish a more stable revenue stream for the future, turning the new faces in town into loyal customers for years to come! 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. […]
The average American will move about 11 times in his or her lifetime, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. For auto dealers, that statistic represents an opportunity to connect with newcomers, potentially bringing in new revenue and building loyalty. The question for dealers, though, is how to bring those newcomers into the showroom or service center. […]
Our Town America, the nation’s premier New Mover Marketing franchise, recently opened its fifth Minnesota location, further expanding its reach in a state that was recently ranked #1 for businesses and families alike*. […]
Denver ranks among the nation’s fastest growing cities* and that means countless parents who just moved to Denver are scrambling and stressing as their children head off to brand new schools. And according to a study by the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, these local parents have reason to worry, as kids who move to a new area are more likely to under-perform in school and develop behavioral problems. […]
Franchise Business Review – For their 2016 Top Low-Cost Franchises Report, Franchise Business Review surveyed over 11,000 franchisees representing 125 low-cost brands to identify the top low-cost franchises with the most satisfied franchisees. Our Town America is ranked one of the best in this comprehensive list of businesses under $100k. Our Town America is the leading Advertising franchise on the list. Franchise Business Review asked Our Town America what traits we feel our most successful franchisees share, in addition to a willingness to follow proven systems… “Motivation, internal drive, and a plan is what franchisees need to be successful,” says Michael Plummer, CEO of Our Town America, which specializes in New Mover Marketing. “Motivation, whether it be wanting to get the kids through college, set up something for a good retirement or simply wanting more money is important. Internal drive gets you through those days when it is tough. Planning is key to measuring when you have arrived at a milestone or goal and where to raise the bar to keep you moving towards your objectives.” If you’re interested in purchasing a low-cost franchise, page 6 is a great place to begin. Access the FREE Low-Cost Report HERE. Download the PDF. Complete an application to franchise with Our Town America or Contact Us us for more information. 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. […]
Dentists who measure the dollar value of their patients say that a single patient can be worth an average of $1,000 in the first year.1 In fact, some dental practices have told us that the value can be as high as $5,000. Whatever your estimate happens to be, the potential revenue is available from every new person who moves into your area. But how do you capture that revenue? […]
