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Tag: New Mover Marketing

Playing A Key Role in Veterinarian’s Journey

Written by Brittany N. Johnson
New Mover Marketing for Veterinarians Laurel Road

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. […]

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Kristen Lundgren: A Working Mom on a Mission

Written by Brittany N. Johnson
Kristen Lundgren Single Mom Our Town America Franchisee

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. […]

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Michael J. Avallone – From Frequent Army Brat Mover to New Mover Marketer

Written by Brittany N. Johnson
Our Town America Relationship Builders

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. […]

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Our Town America’s Hurricane Florence Fundraiser Helping Local Businesses

Written by Brittany N. Johnson
Tavern 14 Wilmington North Carolina Hurricane Florence Fundraiser

Wilmington Business Journal (October 24) — The impact of Hurricane Florence on area restaurants was far reaching, from the loss of perishable products and structural damage to the loss of revenue. Many independently owned establishments are struggling financially. Bassam Safi, owner of the Wilmington branch of Our Town America, a national marketing company that targets new residents, was inspired by the company’s past efforts to help hurricane victims. Our Town America franchise owners hosted Facebook fundraisers following hurricanes Irma and Harvey, to help businesses impacted by the storm, and Safi said he wanted to follow suit. Safi’s Hurricane Florence Facebook fundraiser generated more than $1,500, which he will be donating this week to Tavern 14, located at 6309 Market St. Tavern 14, which remains closed, sustained significant damage due to water and mold, forcing owner Christyne Nagaishi to gut the 5,000-square-foot structure. In addition to the mounting repair costs, Nagaishi estimates a loss of $4,000 in food and $8,000 in liquor, beer and wine. While her employees are currently receiving unemployment benefits, she is concerned that the longer she remains closed, the fewer of her employees will be likely to return to the tavern. Nagaishi began working at Tavern 14, formerly a private club that operated under a number of names for the past three decades, when she moved to Wilmington six years ago. At that point it was located across the street at 6320 Market St. She purchased the business two years ago and when the building was sold this past spring, Nagaishi moved to the current location and integrated a kitchen. When she reopened June 1, she began working with Safi on targeted advertising to capture new business as well as keep the loyal clientele she had worked hard to build. “I invested everything into the move and took out a loan to add the kitchen,” Nagaishi said. “So for this to happen three months later is really devastating.” Nagaishi said she learned of Safi’s efforts and the money she would be receiving from the Our Town America corporate office. “I wasn’t surprised that Bassam was behind the effort, but I had no idea he was doing this with us in mind,” Nagaishi said. “He truly embodies the local spirit of taking care of one another.”   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. […]

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Cause Marketing and Why Is It Important?

Written by Brittany N. Johnson
Cause Marketing Our Town America Franchise

Franchising.com (October 2018) – We asked Steven Sgroi, National Sales Manager for Our Town America, “How is your brand’s involvement in cause marketing helping in franchise recruitment?” At Our Town America, community-building is built into our DNA and brand promise. As a new mover marketing company, our job is to create long-term, valuable relationships between reputable local business owners and folks who have recently relocated to the area. Our franchisees are literally improving the local economy while extending a helping hand to new movers — a wonderful cause in and of itself that attracts phenomenal franchise partners. However, it’s our commitment to go beyond that with all marketing efforts that has helped us attract the right kind of franchisees who embrace our culture. Here are three specific things we’ve done recently. We used Facebook fundraisers to raise thousands of dollars for local businesses in Houston and Tampa after the hurricanes wreaked havoc in those communities last year. The coolest thing? After handing over thousands to a local Shipley Do-Nuts to help with repairs, their owner turned around and gave it to an employee who had lost everything in the flooding — a phenomenal pay-it-forward moment! Each year, our franchisees visit their sponsors (the local businesses who partner with them) in the weeks surrounding Small Business Saturday. Functioning as a “Small Biz Support Squad,” they bring them gifts (such as free massages, restaurant gift cards, etc.) to encourage them to take a load off after working insane hours during the holiday season. Earlier this year, our Boise-based owners, husband-and-wife team Scot and Amy Hecht, partnered with a local doughnut shop to extend the impact of the “We Dine Together” movement in Boise. They brought free food and organized a breakfast, ensuring the grassroots movement applied to the breakfast hour too! How it helps These fundraisers and causes have accelerated the number of qualified leads contacting us because they see how invested we are in dozens of communities. They love that we think down to the local level and always have the best interests of the community in mind. It’s simple: employees and franchise owners love being associated with a company that cares. And we’re proud of that! 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. […]

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After Hurricane Florence WBTV Reports on Our Town America

Written by Brittany N. Johnson
Hurricane Florence Assistance Good Neighbor Day Our Town America

WBTV Charlotte (September 2018) –Hurricane Florence flooded the Carolinas with a record-setting 24 inches of rainfall.   In fact, according to Moody’s Analytics, the total damage caused by Florence is estimated at $17-22 billion – making the hurricane one of the 10 costliest in history. Florence’s impact is, and will continue to be, devastating for tens of thousands of business owners throughout North and South Carolina who will spend months, potentially years, getting their lives – and businesses – back on track. This makes this year’s National Good Neighbor Day (September 28) more important than ever in Charlotte and other communities throughout the Carolinas.   And one local business owner, Jane McElhaney, is trying to make it an uplifting day for local business owners with the “Charlotte Small Biz Storm Response Squad.”   She will travel all over Charlotte on September 28th to surprise local business owners with balloons, food, gifts and a helping hand! McElhaney created the “Charlotte Small Biz Storm Response Squad” to thank small businesses for being fantastic neighbors every day of the year – creating jobs, providing goods, keeping our local economy chugging, etc. – and remind them that the local community has their back as they pick up the pieces post-Florence. President Jimmy Carter issued Proclamation 4601 in 1978 to recognize National Good Neighbor Day as a national holiday.   Carter’s reasoning was that “the noblest human concern is concern for others” and a sense of community is nurtured when everyone feels “part of a larger family.”   McElhaney’s mission is to ensure all local business owners know good neighbors are there for them in the wake of the storm. Watch video below for full 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. […]

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Finding Her Franchise Fit

Written by Brittany N. Johnson
Become an Entrepreneur with Our Town America Franchise

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. […]

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Allen Busse on Work-Life Balance with Our Town America

Written by Brittany N. Johnson
Work Life Balance Choices

“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. […]

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Entertainment Centers Use New Mover Marketing to Grow Business

Written by Brittany N. Johnson

Implementing New Mover Marketing campaigns can give entertainment centers (i.e. bowling center, movie theaters, go-kart places, etc.) a tremendous competitive edge. In today’s world, most people who move to a new house either have children or are young married couples who are likely to have kids in the coming years. Thus, new movers are prime potential customers for entertainment centers across America! Our Town America, the nation’s first and fastest-growing New Mover Marketing franchise, specializes in helping local businesses capitalize on the goldmine that is new residents. By delivering gift certificates with personalized offers right to a new resident’s mailbox, Our Town America helps local businesses get noticed. The moving industry is growing, so appealing to new movers continually draws in customers. Businesses just need a way to get their foot in the door; fortunately, Our Town America has the keys. The Moving Industry is Thriving A growing economy correlates to an increasing number of movers in the U.S. As companies begin to hire more and more employees, families are uprooting and moving to new areas to take advantage of those job opportunities. New, higher-paying jobs mean that families will likely have more expendable income. Local entertainment centers are a prime opportunity to get out of the house and do something fun as a family, so it’s no surprise that entertainment centers are keen to draw in those new residents. In addition, boomerang buyers are coming out in force. These buyers are the portion of the population who foreclosed on their homes during the recession and have been working to build their credit back up ever since. We’ve just about hit that point where those buyers are now able to jump back into the world of home ownership, and that often means a move to a new community. Regardless of why a family has moved, they are inevitably on the hunt for things to do in their new neighborhood. New movers mean new opportunities to draw customers in to your establishment. Why Target New Movers? As families move into new neighborhoods, they are naturally looking for the nearby necessities such as grocery stores, hair salons, auto mechanics and more. Finding safe, family-friendly activities is sure to be high on the list of priorities as the family settles in. The key is to draw those new residents into your establishment before they come across your competition. Grabbing new mover attention early will help you build brand awareness and loyalty. It’s much easier to get customers in the door if you aren’t trying to lure them away from competitors. According to the Harvard Business Review, acquiring a new customer can cost five to 25 times more than retaining a current customer, depending on the industry and market. This is because you are not expending as much time and resources to target new clients. Instead, you focus on building out the quality of your establishment and work on keeping your current customers happy. In fact, according to research done by the Frederick Reicheld of Bain and Company, if you increase customer retention by just five percent, your profits may increase between 25 and 95 percent!   Why Our Town America Works Through Our Town America’s New Mover Marketing programs, you are ensuring your company is seen immediately upon a family’s arrival to the neighborhood. That initial awareness shows your company is active in the community and will help establish your credibility. The next step is to provide the customer with the incentive to come visit. Our Town America’s personalized gift certificates do just that. Our Town America’s success lies with the expertise of our corporate staff and franchisees. Our Town America will work with your entertainment center one-on-one to devise the perfect marketing campaign for you and your market. Our Town America gift packages deliver personalized and valuable offers that are geared specifically toward your target demographic. That customization, attention to detail and years of experience will make all the difference in your bottom line. Testimonials Our Town America has a proven track record when it comes to capturing the interest of new movers on behalf of entertainment centers.   Consider… The innovative New Mover Marketing campaign has had a profound impact on businesses such as Royal Cinemas in Royal, VA. Rick Novak, the cinema complex owner, has used Our Town America’s services for more than seven years, calling it “the best Return on Investment for a business.” Unlike ordinary coupons, Our Town America evaluates each market and comes up with a custom strategy based on valuable offers built for that region. For Royal Cinemas, Our Town America capitalized on the trend of people migrating west of Washington, D.C. As a result, Royal Cinemas has seen an average monthly response rate of 11 percent, with some months exceeding 17 percent. Those numbers speak for themselves! New Mover Marketing campaigns work.   Rob Suess, owner of The Alley at Southshore in Riverview, FL, has seen tremendous results from Our Town America’s new mover campaigns. Suess offered one free hour of bowling plus free shoe rental. He says, “This is probably one of the best redeeming offers I’ve ever seen go out in my 20 years of this business. Dozens more new customers are entering our doors each month.”     The same is true for Robb Tacelosky, owner of Ultimate Play Zone in Cockeysville, MD Tacelosky has worked with Our Town America for years and could not be more pleased with the results. Since 2014, he has been offering new movers a three-for-one admission rate to his entertainment center. He has seen “an exponential amount of new movers who redeem the gift certificate to become repeat, long-term customers.” Tacelosky believes that Our Town America has been invaluable to his long-term success. If you’d like to take your business to the next level, visit OurTownAmerica.com to learn more about Our Town America’s New Mover Marketing Programs. You can complete a contact form or give us a call at 800-497-8360. Be sure to mention this article! […]

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Our Town America Celebrates June’s Immigrant Heritage Month with Bassam Safi

Written by Brittany N. Johnson
Bassam Safi Our Town America Franchisee Immigrant Heritage Month

America has several monikers, including “The Land of the Free,” “Home of the Brave,” “The Melting Pot,” and “The Land of Milk and Honey” among others. Bassam Safi’s road to success is comparable to most Americans’; he worked hard, faced some setbacks, persevered and is now thriving in the Our Town America system as a Regional Developer and owner of franchises in Wilmington and Raleigh, North Carolina. It’s the journey to where he is right now, that has Safi fond of one particular nickname for America, “The Land of Opportunity.” “I’m extremely grateful and appreciative to this country,” Safi says. “My appreciation for the opportunity of what we enjoy here is endless.” Family comes first for Safi. He is a husband and a father of two teenagers. He loves to travel, loves to learn and enjoys playing and watching sports of all sorts. At the age of 50, Safi considers himself amongst the nation’s retirees. “I’m already doing something that I enjoy so I’m already retired,” he says. Working with Our Town America is something that he enjoys because becoming an owner and regional developer is something Safi worked so hard to attain. Safi’s personal and professional journey has roots overseas. Safi was born to Lebanese parents who moved to Kuwait at the time of his birth. “Growing up in Kuwait was a wonderful experience,” Safi says. “It was a small community in the sense that people knew each other and cared about one another. The culture was hospitable. People would go out of their way to help you and others out if you needed direction or advice. It’s similar to what we call ‘Southern hospitality.'” Safi got a taste of ‘Southern hospitality’ when he moved from Kuwait to America after graduating from high school. The time was 1991. Iraq invaded Kuwait. For America, it meant leading a coalition of nations to wage war against Iraq. For Safi, the impact was also extremely personal. “I was enrolled in college in Wilmington when the war broke out,” Safi says. “At the time, my parents were funding my college tuition. However, Kuwait’s assets were frozen, meaning the money I was receiving from my parents was unexpectedly cut off. I had to get two, sometimes three, jobs to make ends meet.” That also meant Safi’s pursuit of a college degree was on hiatus. Instead, he was now a student at the School of Hard Knocks. Safi seized the opportunity presented to him and ran with it. Safi snagged a job delivering pizza part-time. That job became a career. “I went from deliverer to manager, to general manager to district manager, to an executive in the corporate office,” says Safi. “I spent a total of 17 years with the company. There’s nothing I didn’t do. I worked my way from the bottom to the top.” Climbing the corporate ladder within a pizza franchise would be enough for most. Safi is cut from a different cloth. “My goal was to own franchises along the coast. Unfortunately, none were available. I would’ve had to move to the Midwest.” For the first time in nearly two decades, Safi was looking for a new professional opportunity. Our Town America stood out above all others. “I had previous experience working with Our Town America as a client of theirs, so I was familiar with their services,” says Safi. “It was an excellent service that delivered on what they promise. They welcomed new people to the area and capitalized on the concept of hospitality.” Safi was ready to experience Our Town America from the other side, as an owner. He has been with Our Town America going on 11 years, and says he hasn’t looked back. Safi says, “It has been rewarding in every sense. Knowing that I’m able to make a difference in the community by easing the transition for the new movers and replacing the lost sense of belonging with a personalized and hospitable gesture and a gift from a local business.” The road hasn’t always been smooth, but Safi takes it all in stride. “Some businesses have canceled on me, and some have tried not to pay,” says Safi. “I’ve learned how to deal with collections by cutting losses early. I’ve also learned to not take it personally.” What he does take personally are the relationships he’s formed since joining Our Town America. That includes the bonds he’s developed with the communities he now calls home. “There’s so much growth here in Raleigh, as well as Wilmington,” he says. “They’re both such hot markets. Both consistently make the top of the lists of cities where Americans are relocating. They’re full of small businesses and owners who appreciate and understand Our Town America’s unique concept.” Safi is also appreciative of the unique relationship Our Town America’s corporate office offers, including how Michael Plummer Jr. manages to treat everyone as a member of the family. “As an Our Town America franchisee, you have all the necessary tools, the system, training, technology and support to succeed,” Safi says. “The corporate culture, from the CEO to our staff, makes you feel like family. They go out of their way to help you – which is reassuring. I don’t know many CEO’s who will pick up their phone on a Saturday or return a text on a Sunday.” Safi has worked hard his entire life to reach his current status. He’s capitalized on the opportunities and is appreciative of what they have produced. “I am incredibly grateful to this country and all that it has given me. I would never take this life for granted. I lived in a different world. Things that we enjoy here in America may be a given to many people, but they’re not everywhere. I appreciate the opportunity I’ve had here.” Do you want to realize your business ownership dreams, like Bassam Safi? 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 […]

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