PressurePros 249 Report post Posted July 17, 2006 The marketing firm I hired is about five minutes from my office. Great people very knowlegeable. Long story short, among other things they now handle all of my mail outs. The owners asked me to take a look at their deck and are now going to have me do it. By myself I will have the entire deck done in one day and the gross profit from the job will cover all of their fees for labeleing, mailing list, and the postage on my last mailer. I am only posting this because there is a definitive advantage to doing business locally. Many of us get so caught up in saving $20 here and there that we lose sight of the big picture. This is a job I most likely would never have landed. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RPetry 564 Report post Posted July 17, 2006 Ken, Did a large mahogany job a few years ago. Turned out the customer was a graphics designer. He redesigned my logo and a few other graphic jobs. The bill was reduced substantially and both of us were happy. My insurance agent is a customer. My accountant is a customer. My optrician is a customer, my mail carrier is a customer, my dentist is a customer. My neighbors are customers. Small business is local, local, and local. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Neil_Asheville 114 Report post Posted July 17, 2006 Excellent points Ken and Rick. Local is the life blood of any service business. Just like in town, you will find online shops that are great and ones that are awful. I've been happy with biz card printing from overnightprints.com. iprint.com I wasn't happy with. I have all my design work done by good friends locally. On the other hand there are awful online shops that I don't see how they stay in business. Dealing with the group used for the WRAPI logo was just a joke. Keith from KBK has dome some kick ass work for WRAPI. I took my creative guy out to lunch last Thursday and come to find out he was having dinner that night with his builder who's the incoming Home Builder's Association Prez. My designer used to work for an agency in Manhattan and I knew him from a former position, he's since relocated his family down here and built a house. Another cool thing is that his closest and oldest school buddy is an exec now at InfoUSA. It all ties back to I'll scratch yours if you scratch mine philosophy. I encourage all to shop local first, then set out online if you can't get what you're after. Local shops will often meet an online price to get you as a new client. /neil Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Celeste 341 Report post Posted July 17, 2006 Here in the south it's referred to as "the good ole boys network" and it is awesome! Celeste Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PRESSURE PACKED 14 Report post Posted July 19, 2006 I Have An Opportunity To Start A Biz. Stationary Detailing. Does Anyone Have Any Info They Could Pass On It Would Be Much Appreciated. Should I Lease From A Gas Station Or Build My Own .... If I Lease From A Station What Is A Fair Lease Agreement Percentage. I MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN A RIG WASHING SET-UP AS WELL I JUST DONT KNOW ALL THE LAWS CONCERNING EPA FOR DRAINAGE. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Camelot 68 Report post Posted July 19, 2006 Ken - Funny that you should bring this topic up...I live in a town of about 5200 people. This afternoon I spent some time hitting a few local establishments that I have overlooked in the past in an effort to gain some business. As I sang the praises of my company, discussing my superior service, professional equipment, high end products, etc., it always came back to the fact that I was a local business owner. They were most impressed with that, and I believe it will help me get some new business. My point is that I guess it sort of works both ways. Not only in what we buy, but in our efforts to sell, we need to look at what is right on our doorstep because other local business folks have the same idea! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
