Most business owners don’t consider is the power of a well-crafted new mover marketing program. There are many options so how do you choose the best one? […]
Choose the best new mover marketing program
Category: Blog
What are proven offers?
When talking about new mover marketing programs, we often mention proven offers. But what are proven offers and why do they matter? We all get coupons in the mail- it’s practically a fact of life. We are all familiar with the coupon books and bundles delivered in our mailbox every week. Most of these coupons are for a fixed dollar amount off a purchase, buy one get one free offers, or a percentage off. These coupons are often mixed and it requires effort to go through them all. We know that these types of coupons and mailers carry low response rates. Only a tiny percentage of people will redeem an offer for a free soft drink with a purchase or a dollar off a lunch buffet. A tiny percentage of people will redeem an offer for a free soft drink with a purchase… Since 1972, we have worked with hundreds of thousands of businesses to bring new customers through their doors with our new mover welcome package. This welcome package is full of gift certificates that invite the new mover in to various local businesses to try their products and services. While that may sound simple, there is a science behind it. Our goal is to make our new mover marketing program bring you great results, so how do we determine what works and what doesn’t? Through our proven offers! So what are proven offers? Our proven offers are gifts to new movers which historically have an exceptional response rate, which allows us to accurately determine future response rates. To put it another way, let’s look at an example for pizza shops. When we set up a new mover marketing campaign for a local pizzeria, we look at what has worked in the past. We know offering a free large pizza is all but guaranteed to get redeemed over a coupon for 25% off the customer’s entire purchase. Imagine for just a moment you have recently moved to a new city. You only know of major pizza chains in the area and you know nothing about any of the locally owned pizza shops. If you’re like me, the national chains are fine if that’s all there is, but there is nothing like a great locally owned pizza shop. You get a coupon in the mail for 25% off an entire purchase at a national chain and a gift certificate for a free pizza at a local pizzeria. Which one are you going to be quickest to redeem? If your family has the opportunity for a free pizza at a local pizza shop, no strings attached, do you think you would act upon it? You bet you would! Each redeemed certificate contributes to the data used to calculate our proven offers. The same holds true for other industries too! Which would you make a priority to redeem: $5 off a haircut or a free haircut? $10 off an oil change or a free oil change? You get the picture. We compare the certificates scanned to the number of mailings that have gone out… How do we know these certificates get redeemed? Through our TruTrak® software, each business scans certificates and our database instantly updates to reflect the redemption. We compare the certificates scanned to the number of mailings that have gone out to help determine if an offer is successful. We have over 45 years of historical data on-hand to help us accurately predict the success rate of every new mover marketing campaign. That’s data from millions of certificates redeemed at thousands of businesses at our disposal so we know what works and what doesn’t. This all plays an important role in how we determine a proven offer. Besides knowing which gifts are being redeemed, we take it a step further. Each new mover is invited to take part in a new mover survey which gives us unbiased ratings and reviews for the businesses in the welcome package. The data collected from the survey allows us to know exactly what people are saying about the offer they’ve redeemed and their experience at the business, good and bad. If an offer has a high response rate, but a low customer satisfaction rate we know that there are adjustments to make. We receive thousands of survey results every month and they are all reviewed by real people. Using proven offers is vital to your new mover marketing campaign and we have nearly half a century of data at our fingertips to make the best recommendations for your business. Contact me today for a free, no-obligation market analysis so we can determine which of our proven offers will make your campaign a success! Steven SgroiSteven is Our Town America’s corporate sales manager and oversees the national sales team. www.ourtownamerica.com […]
Your Pizza Is Delicious. Get New Customers to Take a Bite with New Mover Marketing
Pizza marketing doesn’t have to be a challenge. Two things are inevitable: everyone moves at some point in their life, and everyone needs to eat to survive. And, while maybe not applicable to every single person in the US, MOST people like pizza. In fact, pizza is a $30 billion per year industry. So, as a restaurant owner or marketer for a local or chain pizzeria, it seems like a no brainer to advertise your product to new residents in your market/area/city. But why haven’t you started yet? You do Facebook marketing and sometimes you stick a sign about an event you’re hosting on your business lawn, but these methods are not necessarily geared towards new movers. What if your prospective clients don’t have internet yet or simply haven’t driven by your storefront to see that sign? In fact, getting new, working internet can take up to 2 weeks after moving into a new residence. …Partnered pizzerias and pizza restaurants can see response rates over 27% This is where New Mover Marketing comes into play. While we can’t speak for all New Mover programs, Our Town America’s partnered pizzerias and pizza restaurants can see response rates of 27.66% (based on our historical data). This means over 27% of new movers who receive gift certificates are redeeming them. That number is unheard of! ‘How the heck is that even possible? Isn’t direct mail dead?’ You may be thinking to yourself. Very far from dead, actually. According to the U.S. Postal Service, 98% of Americans check their mail on a daily basis. While email can get overwhelming with hundreds of promotional emails received daily, direct mail is delivered just once a day. Many people actually look forward to opening a tangible envelope that was placed in their personal mailbox. Furthermore, the Our Town America envelope is personally addressed to the new mover by name – not to “current resident” or “owner”, but to ‘The Robinson Household’, for example. Unlike other mailers, the Our Town America New Mover Welcoming Package is received only once – not periodically, eliminating the possibility for consumers to see it as a bother. Not only will your prospective customers be inclined to open this piece of mail addressed directly to them, but they will also be intrigued by the “Housewarming Gifts from Your Neighborhood” text on the front of this beautifully crafted, oversized envelope. Your pizzeria will stand out from others in your area, as you will be the only pizza restaurant in your chosen zip codes’ package. This is key, as you are introducing your business to new movers before your competition even has a chance! Your new mover gift certificate offer is decided upon by you with the help of our skilled New Mover Experts who have access to 46+ years of historical response rate and offer data at their fingertips. Once your new customers redeem their one-time housewarming offer, the gift certificate is scanned to gather accurate tracking data, as well as trigger the second loyalty mailing. This loyalty mailer is a one-time postcard mailed to the new mover shortly after they redeem their New Mover Gift Certificate. This loyalty mailer allows you to present new residents with a second offer, or just simply thank them for stopping in and invite them back. This is seen as an extra touch, as not many pizzerias will go out of their way to thank their customers for stopping by, or even know who is new to their establishment. This shows that you are in tune with your business, the neighborhood, and that you go the extra mile. If you are looking for a way to ramp up your pizza marketing, look no further than in your own backyard. While there are many ways to market your business, there is no other like our New Mover Marketing program; a one-time mailer to new residents, personalized by name, offering free offers (not just discounts), trackable, full color, exclusive to your pizzeria and offering a second follow-up mailer. If you are looking for a way to ramp up your pizza marketing, look no further than in your own backyard. Our Town America is available in all US markets, and would love for you to gain new, loyal customers while creating a bridge between your business and consumers. Want to get started? Contact me at 800-497-8360 and let’s discuss how we can develop a pizza marketing strategy that will work for you! Steven SgroiSteven is Our Town America’s corporate sales manager and oversees the national sales team. www.ourtownamerica.com […]
Dave Butz – In the Zone and Loving Life as an Entrepreneur
Dave Butz is in the zone. Being a business owner isn’t easy – but he makes it look that way. Before Butz became an Our Town America franchise owner in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, he worked as a plant manager. In fact, for eight years, Butz worked at an industrial factory that made building components. When we caught up with Butz recently, the former plant manager turned Our Town America franchise owner, he was a fountain of information. Here are a few highlights from our conversation. How Butz got started. Butz was good at his job and doing just fine at the factory, but it was a demanding profession, one that required him to be on call, 24/7. “After my son was born, I started thinking that I would like to do something on my own, so I could work my schedule around watching my kids grow up,” Butz says. He began doing research, looking into starting a business or buying a franchise. “I thought about restaurants,” Butz says, adding: “I have no restaurant experience, so I’m so glad I didn’t go that route. I’d probably be back working at my old employer if I had.” He also concludes that even if he had been a successful restaurant owner, it may have been a more time consuming job than being a plant manager. “I work with so many restaurant owners now,” he says. “They’re always working.” Butz learned about Our Town America through a business broker who introduced the franchise to him. Butz liked the concept of the New Mover Marketing company, and the rest is history. The best part of being an Our Town America franchise owner. The last dozen years have demonstrated that Butz’s decision to become a franchise owner was undeniably a good idea. When asked what’s the best thing about being his own business owner, Butz can’t quite come up with only one thing. “You’ve got a lot of flexibility in your schedule, and that’s nice. You’re home for the holidays. You can determine your own income. You’re your own boss,” he says. “Geez, what don’t I like about it?” Hardest thing about being an Our Town America franchise owner. But that isn’t to say running an Our Town America franchise is easy. Being a business owner never is. “You know, if you don’t work, you don’t get paid. So you’ve got to be very motivated,” Butz says. “Plus, there’s no water cooler, where you have a crowd of people with whom to interact.” Working in a city that’s known as a tourist destination. Being the owner of a New Mover Marketing franchise in a city like Myrtle Beach can be interesting. Some businesses in vacation destinations, of course, feel that they don’t need to necessarily market to the locals moving in as they have a slew of tourists paying money. Other business owners are desperate to market to the locals; it isn’t like a lot of tourists are flocking to a chiropractor or an auto repair shop in Myrtle Beach. Still, many business owners recognize that they want to attract everyone, local or not. In any case, for Butz, Myrtle Beach has been a good location to set up shop. It’s the second fastest growing area in the country, according to census data, Butz points out. “It’s awesome,” he says. “People are moving down here in droves. It’s turned into a place where people move to year-round, and that’s reason enough for business owners invest in New Mover Marketing, even during the winter, when many owners are careful about their spending.” What businesses seem to really gravitate to Butz. Restaurants, he says. “They’re a dime a dozen over here and very competitive.” The fun stuff. Butz is enjoying being an Our Town America owner, especially the work-life balance that he has managed to create. Butz and his wife, Tanja, are often at the beach or on their boat with their son Finley and daughter Emily. Butz often fishes with his son. The family skis, snowboards and mountain bikes. Tanja runs triathlons, and the kids are both on a soccer team that travels and occupies a lot of time, especially on the weekends, according to Butz. When they’re at home, they hang out with their dog, Lilly, and Finley’s pet turtles. Our Town America is a pretty great business for someone plugged into the community, according to Butz. “You absolutely build some great relationships doing this. I’ve become friends with a lot of my sponsors (clients), and you end up running into your sponsors at the grocery store. This is a small town.” And it probably helps if you’re an extrovert? “Actually, I wouldn’t call myself an extrovert, but I’m not an introvert either. I can turn it on and off when I want to. If someone is 100 percent introvert, this may not be the best fit for them, as relationship building is a large part of this business.” Advice for fellow franchisee owners, especially the new ones? In the beginning, Butz says, it can be challenging to start an Our Town America franchise. “There’s a sink or swim mentality when you first start the business, and if somebody does tell you no, that they aren’t interested, you have to work a little harder. But after a while, when you have a lot of accounts and somebody says no, it gets easier.” But whatever you do, Butz says, “Don’t take rejection personally. Maybe that sounds kind of cheeseball, but it’s all business. You have to stay motivated and not take a ‘no’ to heart. It isn’t personal.” Are you looking to get in the zone as a business owner, like Dave Butz? Does the Our Town America franchise opportunity sound like it could be for you? If so, learn more at https://www.ourtownamerica.com/franchise-us/. 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. […]
Why New Mover Marketing Works
Did you know new movers spend more in their first six months than established residents spend in two years? New mover marketing works and we know why. […]
Playing A Key Role in Veterinarian’s Journey
Our Town America, the nation’s premier new mover marketing franchise, is committed to helping families settle into their new community. From restaurants to gyms to veterinary offices, new residents have to find their community staples. Our Town America presents new movers with a welcoming package filled with discount offers to local businesses, delivered right to their mailbox. These offers can serve as a convenient starting point for residents as they work to establish their new normal. Dr. Ilene Serentill, owner of Laurel Road Veterinary Clinic in Nokomis, Florida, has first-hand experience with Our Town America’s New Mover Marketing program. After moving to the area a few years ago to be closer to her child’s school, Serentill was greeted with a personalized New Mover Welcoming Package from Our Town America. She was immediately drawn to the colorful, appealing offers. Upon flipping through the offers, she discovered a free pet exam from her neighborhood vet, Laurel Road Veterinary Clinic. This piqued her interest as she herself was a veterinarian and was seeking employment close to her new home. Dr. Serentill realized the veterinary clinic was within walking distance of her new house. She decided to stop by, introduce herself and see if there were any job openings for a veterinarian. Fate was on her side that day; a full-time veterinarian had just turned in their two-week notice a few days before, and the clinic needed a new vet. Dr. Serentill decided a great way to get to know the clinic was to utilize her Our Town America gift certificate for a free, comprehensive exam for her dog, Sarge. During that visit, Dr. Serentill was able to meet the clinic owner and staff members. She immediately felt at home and was confident in moving forward with the veterinarian position at the clinic. Fast forward to today, and Dr. Serentill is now owner of the Laurel Road Veterinary Clinic. “It’s been a long journey, but it all started with Our Town America,” says Dr. Serentill. “I first found out about the clinic through an Our Town America offer, and now, after a lot of long hours and hard work, I am the owner! I took over the business in September of 2018, and I am excited to continue our partnership with Our Town America. They have been incredibly valuable to our business.” As a new business owner, Dr. Serentill is very budget-conscious and has cut back on all marketing expenses…except Our Town America. Today, the Laurel Road Veterinary Clinic still offers new movers a free, comprehensive exam for their pet, valued at $45. Additionally, Dr. Serentill and local franchise owner, Jennifer Moseley, decided to send Our Town America thank you cards to new residents that took advantage of the free exam. Those thank you cards are good for $5 off the customer’s next visit. (check out this Veterinary News article for more details on how this program works for veterinarians) “Our Town America gives us a measurable metric to determine the effectiveness of the campaign and helps us establish relationships with new customers,” says Dr. Serentill. “On average, we see three new clients per month who are using their new mover offer for a free exam. Those customers often come back time and time again; many become life-long, loyal customers. That new business is great for our bottom line.” Our Town America has been helping businesses across the country capture the attention of new movers for more than 45 years. Capitalizing on new residents through appealing vouchers, discounts and unique offers can give local businesses a competitive edge. By providing new residents with personalized coupons, delivered straight to their mailbox, Our Town America helps stimulate the local economy and grow local businesses. Are you interested in putting our industry leading new mover marketing program to work for your business? Click here to get started – https://www.ourtownamerica.com/movers-on-demand/#business-info 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. […]
Kristen Lundgren: A Working Mom on a Mission
There’s a lot to admire about Kristen Lundgren. In 2014, Lundgren, a single mom, left a six-figure sales job because she wanted to work from home to be there for her son, Gabe, who is now 18 years old and a college student. “I was missing soccer and basketball games and leaving him home alone for long stretches of time. He’d get home at 3, and I might get home at 7 or 8, depending on traffic,” Lundgren says. It’s easy to imagine some parents shrugging and figuring that’s just how it is. And, of course, plenty of parents in the same situation simply can’t change their situation without going into financial turmoil. But, in any case, Lundgren is definitely not the type of parent to shrug, so she started looking for a way that she could work from home and still make a good living – while being there for her son.Kri That’s how, in the course of her research, she became the franchise owner of Our Town America in Eden Prairie, a suburb of Minneapolis. We caught up with her recently. Here are a few highlights from our conversation. “That’s one of the really nice things about owning an Our Town America franchise: the freedom and flexibility you have. You do have to put the hours in and work hard, but when you do, it pays off.” Best thing about being your own boss. “Having my own free time,” Lundgren says. “For instance, last summer, before Gabe went to college, I spent a lot of time with him. I chose my own hours and took him to San Diego for a week.” She sounds sheepish for a moment before saying, “I really didn’t work much that summer. Luckily, I had built up the business, so I could do that, although, yes, it probably hurt my bottom line in the long run. But it was so nice to have that time with him. That’s one of the really nice things about owning an Our Town America franchise: the freedom and flexibility you have. You do have to put the hours in and work hard, but when you do, it pays off.” Most surprising challenge Lundgren faces as a business owner. “Working at home when you’re an extrovert is really hard,” she says. “But the positive is you get to interact with so many fantastic local business owners.” Least surprising challenge Lundgren faces as a business owner. Landing clients. Of course, sometimes it’s easy, but sometimes it isn’t. And sometimes it’s surprising who is hard to keep as a client. “So, dentists seem like such a great category, where they would want to market to people moving into a neighborhood for the first time, but it’s sometimes difficult to connect with them because they often keep their distance behind gatekeepers,” Lundgren says. But that said, one of Lundgren’s very first clients was a dentist – and who must have had a pretty good response rate from new movers because she has kept that dentist on as a client since she started her franchise in 2014. “I called their marketing agency, which is sort of a gatekeeper for them, and they said right away, ‘We’re not interested,’” Lundgren recalls. “And I said, ‘But you don’t know what you aren’t interested in.’ And I got the reply, ‘No offense, but I’m sure the dentist won’t be interested.’ And I said, ‘How do you know?’” Ultimately, Lundgren kept working at it and was finally allowed to make her pitch to the dentist, who ultimately signed up. Lundgren’s advice for her fellow franchise owners. She recently utilized a Sales Training and consulting firm that does a lot of work with Our Town America. “They had a Sales Trainer speak at our last convention, and offered a discounted rate if we signed up following convention. My last session was last Friday, and the trainer was just phenomenal,” Lundgren says, adding that the training includes strategies for cold calling that she found invaluable, or as she put it, “golden.” And Lundgren’s advice for somebody considering buying a franchise. “You need to ask all of the right questions, and if you do become a franchise owner, you need to be prepared that it isn’t going to always be easy. You’re going to have days where clients cancel if they don’t get the response they were looking for, and that’s going to be frustrating. But you have to be able to go back out there and be creative and resourceful,” Lundgren says. In other words, if you get discouraged easily, this isn’t the business for you. If you enjoy selling and running a business and all the perks and pitfalls that come with it, and you enjoy creating your own schedule and carving out time to hang out with your kids, then this just may be your thing! For more information about opening an Our Town America franchise, please visit https://www.ourtownamerica.com/franchise-us/ or call 1-800-497-8360, or if you’re a business interested in partnering with Kristen – give her a call at 612-709-3859 or email klundgren@ourtown.net. 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. […]
Michael J. Avallone – From Frequent Army Brat Mover to New Mover Marketer
Michael J. Avallone already knows the perfect customer for Our Town America, the nation’s premier new mover marketing franchise…because he himself IS that perfect customer. Avallone became an Our Town America franchise owner after a friend moved and told him about the Welcome Package he had received. Immediately, Avallone thought that was an intriguing business concept. Avallone’s father, after all, had been a major in the army, and so Avallone knew a lot about moving as a child, mostly shuttling around cities throughout New York and Ohio. And then, as an adult, Avallone’s career in shipping logistics had bounced him around between New York, Ohio, and Florida. So, when he heard about Our Town America, a business model based on a personalized welcome package catering to new residents of a city or town, it seemed like a genius idea. it’s just a wonderful program, not just for the new mover, but also for local business owners who want to meet those new movers “As somebody who moved a lot, I understand the process of establishing the necessary business relationships to live your everyday life,” Avallone says. “I talk to clients about this all the time now – when I lived in cities like Albany, Rochester, Columbus, Orlando – and now St. Pete – I had a dentist in all of those places. I got my hair cut in all of those places. I did my dry cleaning in those cities. All of these things that I’ve done as an adult and remember my parents doing, you have to find those places when you move to a new community, and so it’s just a wonderful program, not just for the new mover, but also for local business owners who want to meet those new movers.” And as luck would have it, about the time he heard about Our Town America, he was looking to start his own business. And then working with a business broker, Avallone learned that a franchise in his area just happened to be for sale. Which is how earlier this year, Avallone came to be the owner of Our Town America – Tampa Bay. In fact, right now, Avallone is more like his customers than even he probably realizes. As everyone knows, moving is stressful – can be exciting sometimes, but still stressful. And so is starting a new business. As well as raising a family. Avallone has done all three within the span of a year. He only recently moved to St. Petersburg, Florida (just down the way from Tampa Bay). He just bought his Our Town America franchise and is adjusting from being a paid employee (a sales manager) for a shipping company to being a business owner. And he and his wife, Stacey, recently had a little boy named Matthew who just turned 8 months old. “I’ve literally been a mess of stress… I’m a headcase. But I’m learning, and I know it will get better with time,” he jokes, shortly after a visit with a prospective new client. Oh, he’ll do fine – and Avallone admits that he thrives on stress, and that he is very motivated to run a successful, thriving business. Plus, while his last name sounds like “alone” (if you say it quickly… okay, really quickly), he isn’t alone. First, he has a very encouraging spouse (“I can’t say enough good things about my wife,” he says). Avallone also has a very supportive team behind him. “All the folks at the corporate office in Clearwater have been so tremendously helpful at every turn. It’s an amazing group a people and they are a team in every sense of the word. I’m lucky to be a small part of that team,” Avallone says. He also gives a special mention to Mike and Julie Fisher, who owned the Tampa Bay franchise before him. “Even though they aren’t technically required to answer questions, they’ve been so helpful, and I can’t thank them enough. Mike and Julie still love the business and that is a big reason why I bought the franchise. I knew I’d have their support and they continue to provide it any chance they get,” Avallone says. “And the other franchise owners around the country, they’ve been so incredibly supportive, helpful and welcoming – and full of good advice as I try to learn the business and promote to local businesses to do their marketing with Our Town America.” And it sounds like he’s doing a great job. You can hear the excitement in Avallone’s voice when he talks about the Our Town America concept. “You have that audience who, for the first three to five weeks after they move in, are walking to their new apartment or driving to their new condo. They have to grocery shop somewhere. They have to find a doctor somewhere. They need to get their car serviced somewhere. We know that, and that’s a powerful way to not just attract a new customer but to have the first chance to earn their business for as long as they’re going to live in their new home.” Are you looking for the excitement of being a business owner like Michael? More specifically, an Our Town America franchise owner? If this opportunity sounds like it could be for you, learn more at https://www.ourtownamerica.com/franchise-us/. 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. […]
Finding Her Franchise Fit
There are times in life when we all need a change of pace. For Our Town America franchise owner, Wendy Baird, that change of pace occurred in 2016. Baird is now a successful owner and operator of Our Town America in Asheville. “I have never regretted joining the Our Town America family – not even for one second,” Baird says. “It was a lifestyle change that I needed. It was the best move I’ve ever made.” Asheville has been Baird’s home for nearly two decades. She knows the area well. Baird was born and raised in a town about a 45-mile ride outside of Asheville. She landed a job at a local insurance company while still in high school. “I started there when I was in 11th grade,” she says. “I started out filing paperwork and answering the phone.” Upon high school graduation, Baird earned a Property and Casualty license, taking her part-time job into a full-time career in insurance. Baird worked in the insurance industry for a total of 29 years. Fifteen of those years were spent working as a commercial lines agent. Job functions included writing general liability, property coverage and workers’ compensation for restaurants, apartment complexes and other commercial entities. While it paid the bills, the career had run its course. “I was in it for a long time,” says Baird. “I got tired of sitting behind a desk. I reached the point where when I asked my boss for a raise, I was granted one, but not really enough to make much of a difference. I was scared to make the change, but that pushed me over the edge.” Baird was about to take a journey she had, up to this point, never experienced. With no previous experience with entrepreneurship, she made the bold move to retire from insurance and join the ranks of America’s small-business owners. “I discovered Our Town America through a friend of the family who said I would be good at it,” Baird says. “He kept talking to me about the benefits of being a franchise owner until I knew I was ready to transition away from the insurance business. After several conversations about Our Town America, I was excited to tell him I was ready to start my new career”. Any angst and apprehension about joining Our Town America were soothed when she met with Bassam Safi, the owner of Our Town America in Wilmington, North Carolina. Safi showed her the ropes, allowing Baird to join him as he canvassed and fulfilled appointments. “We spoke in depth about how it had changed his life and how nice it was to be able to work hard but still be able to set your own schedule for time off,” says Baird. “After a few appointments, I was sold. I knew I wanted to become part of the OTA family.” What began as a curiosity has turned into two years of a dedicated commitment by Baird to provide a service that connects Asheville’s new residents to the area’s favorite businesses. When people move, they leave everything they’ve established in their old town behind,” she says. “They need a new hair salon, pizza place, steakhouse, etc. My job is to help both new movers, and the small-business owners providing the services, establish new relationships.” The transition from selling insurance to B2B was a minor adjustment, but Baird’s friendly disposition and dedication to working hard never wavered. “Working in the insurance business, people needed me, they came into our business for services,” she says. “This is different. I go out and search for these businesses. It’s my job to explain how I can help their business gain new loyal customers.” Baird says the experience she had selling insurance gave her the necessary confidence when she had to become a full-time saleswoman outside the office. She’s thankful for the 29 years of experience she accumulated but isn’t second-guessing her decision to go the entrepreneurial route. “I love the freedom that comes with owning an Our Town America franchise,” says Baird. “I love that there isn’t a limit to the money I can make. I love that I can take time off to visit my grandbabies, keep them for a week, travel anytime and anywhere without asking for time off because I’m THE boss!” She understands being a business owner isn’t for everyone, but she encourages those giving it serious consideration to go for it! “Take the leap like I did. If I hadn’t, I’d probably still be sitting behind a desk somewhere, looking out the window wishing I had taken the opportunity when it was presented to me.” Baird believes Our Town America is the perfect lily pad for those contemplating making the leap. “The corporate office staff is very supportive and helpful in every way to help you reach your goals,” she says. “It’s like we are all one big happy extended family. We have annual conventions and we go on vacations together. They mix a lot of fun in with a lot of information to help you achieve more sales and reach your goals.” Are you looking for a change of pace like the one Wendy has achieved? Does the Our Town America franchise opportunity sound like it could be for you? If so, learn more at https://www.ourtownamerica.com/franchise-us/. 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. […]
Allen Busse on Work-Life Balance with Our Town America
“I’m all about watching my kids in their athletic endeavors.” Allen Busse is afforded the opportunity to watch his kids grow because he owns an Our Town America franchise, the nation’s premier new mover marketing franchise. Busse, who owns and operates Our Town America of Greater Milwaukee, is dedicated to family, church and work. The order of those three can change on any particular day, but for Busse, life is good. The busy schedule that comes with being a husband and father comes with some unexpected, but welcomed, “consequences”. In March, at Our Town America’s annual convention, Busse earned the company’s “Highest Percentage of Revenue Growth from March 2017 through February 2018” award. That earned he and his family a trip. “The hardest thing about this is trying to determine when we’ll be able to take the trip,” says Busse. “It’s hard to imagine when our schedules will align. Between school, and camps, and practices, life can sometimes get in the way of us having fun – but that’s OK!” For Busse, it’s one of those “good” problems to have. He’s been with Our Town America for 12 years. Prior, Busse sold packaging equipment in the food and pharmaceutical industry. The job paid the bills, but it came with a steep price. “I was away from my family all of the time,” recalls Busse. “My kids were very young and here I was travelling, on the road two weeks out of the month at times.” He wound up switching jobs. The desire for a more consistent work-life balance, coupled with an ambition to increase his income eventually lead him to the decision to become an entrepreneur. “My list of criteria wasn’t particularly long but there were a few non-negotiables,” Busse says. “That included excluding any brick and mortar type business. I wanted minimal to no employees. Finally, my business opportunity required I worked from home. I had been in sales all my life. I knew owning a business was something I could do.” Research quickly revealed that Our Town America cleared the bar on his list of criteria. Before long, Busse purchased the territory to open his Our Town America franchise in the Greater Milwaukee area. Owning a business was a new experience for Busse, personally, but it wasn’t a foreign concept to him. “My father was a business owner,” says Busse. “He was a hard worker. I knew if I worked hard and did what I was supposed to do, things would turn out just fine.” Busse was particularly confident because he believed in franchises, particularly the Our Town America model. “The corporate office in Tampa has a very good formula for success,” Busse says. “Our Town America provides a road map for success. If you follow their plan, you should be successful. Their external product and services, what we present to businesses, are excellent. Their internal services, how they treat me and other franchise owners, is superb as well.” Unfortunately, life tends to throw curveballs. The game of life stared down and threw a curveball in 2009. Three years after becoming an owner, Busse, like the rest of America, was dealing with the economic downturn. “When the market crashed, we lost a lot of business,” he says. “I was second guessing my decision to own a business. Hardships included making sure we had enough cash flow to pay the bills. It was a very stressful two or three years, but we made it through”. Busse remembered the lessons learned from his father, to always work hard. That, plus he leaned on his faith. “It gives me a lot of strength to always keep on doing what I’m supposed to do. I’m tasked with making sales every single day in this business, or at least prospecting. Faith helps me get through that process.” With that tumultuous period behind him, Busse is now enjoying the perks that come with being an Our Town America owner. Mainly, more time with his wife and kids. “It’s been very rewarding,” he says. “I enjoy my work-life balance.” Personally and professionally, things are going quite well. “I’m meeting my goals,” says Busse. “You have to work hard to reach them, that’s why they’re goals. Some years you reach them, some you don’t. No matter what, you must set goals. The great news for me is that my revenue has been trending upward the last few years.” Which, of course, was made evident by his recent Revenue Growth award. “The Our Town America business model is great. If you check off the items on the list needed to be a successful Our Town America franchisee, you will certainly prosper. By staying motivated and meeting new business owners each day, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t succeed.” Are you looking for a better work-life balance such as the one Allen has achieved? Does the Our Town America franchise opportunity sound like it could be for you? If so, learn more at https://www.ourtownamerica.com/franchise-us/. 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. […]
