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Larry Neal Multi-Unit Michigan Owner

Written by Brittany N. Johnson
Franchisee Success Series Larry Neal Our Town America

“I wish we would have done it earlier,” says Larry Neal, speaking about his experience with Our Town America, the nation’s premier new mover marketing franchise. Neal and his wife, Paulette, became Our Town America owners 12 years ago in Detroit, and they haven’t looked back after making the life-changing decision. “I have no regrets,” says Neal. “Our Town America is a different company. The franchisee/franchisor relationship is extremely strong. Corporate will do anything and everything to help fuel your success.” Neal, an avid reader, says the Our Town America business model is just one of several factors that play to his success. He is quick to give credit to his Christian beliefs. “Our faith in Jesus Christ directs us in everything we do,” Neal says. In the early 1960s, Neal made the decision to leave his small town of Ironton, Ohio, nestled along the Ohio River bordering both Kentucky and West Virginia, to enlist in the Army. “In my family, no one went to college,” says Neal. “Very few people in my high school went to college. Graduation from high school meant either working at the steel mill or a life in the military. I chose the Army.” Neal spent three years in the Army, including one year in Vietnam, just as the war was escalating. “I was just a little boy, 17 and you think you’re a grown man,” he says. “You don’t know anything. My experience in the Army was eye opening. The culture, it opened my eyes and showed me there was more to the world than just a little town in southern Ohio. I enjoyed the experience of the Army.” After leaving the Army, Neal worked for a giant multinational chemical corporation in sales. Several times he was able to avoid layoffs, but after 25 productive years he decided to take a retirement package. That didn’t necessarily mean he was retired. Neal had already begun building homes as a part-time job. Now that he was “retired”, Neal was able to focus on building homes on a full-time basis. Like any successful journey, Neal encountered a few bumps in the road. For Neal, it came during the onset of the Great Recession in the 2000s. “I was building homes and then the economy started to take a turn for the worse,” Neal says. “Paulette and I couldn’t afford not to work. I knew at my age that it would be hard for me to get a job. We made the decision that we would have to go the entrepreneurial route.” The Neals consulted with a franchise broker who gave them a few options. Those options included a bagel franchise, a fire, water and restoration franchise, and Our Town America. The Neals quickly decided on Our Town America. “Our Town America was very inexpensive with very little overhead,” Neal says. “It fit my sales niche, it didn’t require a physical building or any employees, I was able to run my business the way I saw fit. Our Town America is a phenomenal organization.” In 2006, the Neals became the proud owners of their first Our Town America franchise in Detroit. Now, the couple has three franchises under their belt. “Detroit gets a bad rap,” Neal says. “Sure, there are bad apples, but that doesn’t represent what I’ve grown to love about the metro area. You need two things to be successful as an Our Town America owner: movers and businesses. There is an influx of movers moving in. And there are thousands of businesses in the Detroit metro area that I haven’t stepped foot in. The potential is unlimited here. Detroit is a great blue-collar town because of the Big Three (Chevrolet, Chrysler and Ford). It’s a great place to live and a great place to own a business.” Larry handles the sales and customer service. Paulette oversees the back-end work. The pair is thriving, both professionally and personally. “I can easily say I love her more now than I did 40 years ago,” Larry says. “Operating a business together isn’t all peaches and cream, but I can’t imagine ever doing this without her. She is my rock and support. When I’ve had a bad day and I feel that everything is going wrong, she comforts me. She’ll boost my confidence.” After 12 years as an Our Town America owner, Larry’s confidence is as strong as the steel produced in his hometown. That confidence is the sum of hard work, perseverance, and faith. “I would leave my house the first two-and-a-half years of owning the business at 8:30am and wouldn’t come home until 5pm,” Larry says. “I was knocking on doors, trying to get appointments or making presentations. In our first year we earned the ‘Rookie of the Year’ award. At the end of our second year, we won the title of ‘Franchisee of the Year.’” Having the right work ethic and being a self-starter is a must, according to Larry, if you’re interested in becoming a franchise owner. Larry says Our Town America’s business model set him up for the success. “I’m a firm believer that you have to have sales experience to be successful. It takes years to be a good sales person, but Our Town America will give you all the support you need. It’s a great organization. We have so many tools to make us successful. If you’re struggling in any way, the corporate office is there to give you support. When you talk with other franchise owners, you’ll learn that the relationship between franchisee and franchisor is surreal. You don’t have that friction with franchisees here at Our Town America.” Larry has the utmost respect for Our Town America’s corporate headquarters. And he says the respect is mutual. “It is truly like family,” Larry says. “Both with the franchise owners and the corporate office. There are few companies where you can pick up the phone and call a CEO and go to a ballgame. But you have that relationship here at […]

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Using attractively designed mail pieces for prospective customers.

Written by John Guerra
Direct Mail Marketing

Get Higher Response Rates with Direct Mail Marketing. When business owners reach out to new customers in their communities, they turn to direct mail marketing. It is effective and relatively inexpensive, compared to other forms of advertising, such as radio and television. What is Direct Mail Marketing? Direct mail marketing is the use of attractively designed mail pieces – from postcards to brochures to catalogs and everything in between – which are mailed directly to the homes of prospective customers. Business owners usually choose standard direct mail, which blankets the entire ZIP Code, sending ad pieces to every address regardless of who lives there. This can be more expensive and less effective than New Mover Marketing, which targets new residents. How Does Direct Mail Marketing Work? Our Town America mails a welcome package containing gift certificates from local businesses to the homes of new residents, allowing you to reach a unique and profitable customer base. We obtain an accurate and timely list of new addresses and mail the welcome package only to those addresses every month. Direct Mail Marketing Campaign – Get Higher Response Rates Here are just a few reasons why mailing to unique addresses every month provides a higher response rate than standard direct marketing: When people move to a new town or neighborhood, they must find new local businesses to create their new network of resources. Our welcome packages direct new movers to our partnered businesses locations. New residents spend five times as much as established residents in the 12 months after they move in. New residents are very receptive to Our Town America’s decorative welcome package, which contains housewarming gift certificates from local businesses. The businesses gift certificates are specifically designed to create customer response. New mover campaigns can be designed to attract new customers. From free pizza to discounted kitchen supplies, homeowners will redeem gift certificates for products and services they need. Marketing studies show that 80 percent of new movers redeem gift certificates from local vendors. Why Our Town America for your Direct Mail Marketing Campaign? Our Town America’s New Mover Marketing program has been refined for more than 45 years. By obtaining the most accurate new mover address lists available, we help businesses save money and gain new, loyal customers who are uniquely positioned to respond to your marketing campaigns. Let us help you welcome new families to the neighborhood! John GuerraJohn is a guest blogger for Our Town America and previously worked in national sales at our Clearwater, FL corporate headquarters. www.ourtownamerica.com […]

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Franchisee Success: Jane and Tom McElhaney | Columbia, SC

Written by Brittany N. Johnson

The old saying goes ‘it’s not the destination, it’s the journey’. For Our Town America owner, Jane McElhaney, the destination currently has her operating an extremely successful, well-oiled machine. She along with her husband Tom are rockstars in the Our Town America family. The pair, who reside in the Charlotte metro, are currently Our Town America’s number one franchisee in terms of revenue. But the path to get to the destination with Our Town America, the nation’s leading new mover marketing franchise, wasn’t paved with gold. Their path has been cemented in the proverbial blood, sweat and plenty of tears. Our Town America’s business concept – networking, generating leads, connecting businesses with new residents – is right up Jane’s alley. “I had many years in professional experience dealing with sales, so I was extremely comfortable once I learned what Our Town America was all about,” says McElhaney. “Prior to buying the local Our Town America franchise, I worked in the business equipment leasing industry as well as for a direct mail fulfillment company here in Charlotte.” Jane and Tom met in 1994 at a church in a divorce support group. Before long, their families, 5 children in all, would be united in marriage. Jane made the decision to raise the family as a stay-at-home mom and left the company where she was working. In 2007, the McElhaneys saw their life get flipped upside down. As their youngest daughters were preparing for college, Jane was contemplating a transition back into a professional work setting. 2007 also marked the downturn of the economy. Tom, unexpectedly and out of the blue, found himself one of the victims of the recession. “For 29 years, Tom was a devoted executive and just like that, his job was eliminated,” says Jane. “We were pushed into a situation where we knew we had to do something, even though it was a time when people were getting laid off. Our youngest daughters were heading off to college, and I had been considering what’s next. I thought ‘”How are we going to pay for college?” It’s true when they say, ‘When one door closes, another one opens.'” Like every journey worth telling, there’s always someone along the path to help you get back on your feet following a tumble. For the McElhaneys, one pivotal person along that route was Mike Fisher, Jane’s brother, and a successful owner of an Our Town America Franchise in Tampa, Florida. He had a hunch the Our Town America business model would work well for his sister and brother-in-law. “Mike invited Tom and I to come to Florida to go on sales calls and to see what Our Town America was all about,” says Jane. “Plus, he didn’t live too far from the Our Town America corporate headquarters, so I was able to meet Our Town America Chief Executive Officer Michael Plummer Sr. I was very impressed with the people and the culture of the company, along with the passion that Michael Plummer had for his business. By the time I left Tampa, I was ready to buy a franchise.” It’s that enterprising spirit that has fueled Jane’s success. It’s also why she says she and Tom make a great team. “I have a real outgoing personality,” Jane says. “On the other hand, Tom is more laid back. He likes to analyze the situation before reacting.” After careful consideration, and from Jane’s recollection, 10,000 questions, Tom was on board. In a mere two months after her brother introduced them to the company, the McElhaneys were signing documents to become franchise owners in Charlotte. They haven’t looked back. “When I was a stay at home mom, I volunteered with my church and other organizations,” says Jane. ” The community service aspect of Our Town America really appealed to her, helping direct new movers to businesses they are searching for and, at the same time, assisting local businesses in their growth by sending new and loyal customers through their doors. Both of us have a background in sales, so it was an easy transition. You must be willing to step outside of your comfort zone and introduce yourself to strangers. I have a really outgoing personality, so that isn’t an issue for me. Tom is more reserved, but he’s an excellent listener, which makes him a fantastic salesman. The experiences from our sales backgrounds have been extremely helpful and has made our business successful.” Jane says her passion for helping others is a driving force behind her success. “Our Town America is all about connecting great businesses with great people.” Four years after buying their first franchise, the McElhaneys were in a position where they could purchase the other Charlotte Our Town America franchise from the retiring owner. Three years later, in 2014, Our Town America issued a challenge to its owners. Any franchisee that sold more than 100 accounts in that year would be awarded a territory. The McElhaneys were targeting Columbia, South Carolina, where they own a lake house. “You put two sales people together and an incentive like that, there was no stopping us,” Jane says. “That year was exhilarating. We kept watching the numbers climb and climb. We were determined to hit that 100-mark. Nothing motivates a salesperson more than giving them a goal.” With their hard work, they cleared the mark and earned their Columbia territory. It’s that rush that Jane says makes her excited every day to be an Our Town America franchise owner. “Being an entrepreneur has several perks, but one of the best is creating your own success and never having to worry about someone calling you and saying you don’t have a job,” says Jane. “Specifically, with Our Town America, there isn’t a need for outlandish costs either. It’s not a brick and mortar business. There’s very little overhead. It doesn’t require a building or even an office. You can work from home, you don’t have to hire an outrageous number of employees. And the corporate […]

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One Man’s Decision to Take Over the Family Business Has Helped Thousands

Written by Brittany N. Johnson
Our Town America franchise business

Our Town America is more than just a business to many By Yitzi Weiner and Casmin Wisner I had the great pleasure to interview Michael Plummer, Jr, President and CEO of Our Town America, the nation’s leading new mover marketing franchise business with more than 60 franchises nationwide. Thank you so much for doing this with us! What is your backstory? My journey to becoming the CEO of Our Town America began when I was 20 and my dad—a very hard working and generous man to everyone—offered me a job at the family business. The salary would have been a fortune for most 20-year-olds, but I declined. Instead I enlisted in the army and became a medic for the U.S. Army. My dad didn’t exactly think it was a great idea, but I wanted to work in medicine and create my own path. That was a decision I will never regret—and eventually my dad came around. Before long, you could tell he was very proud of what I was doing, and that I was forging my own path. In the year 2000 my dad had a major heart attack, and while he came out of it okay, I decided to finally take his job offer and work with him at Our Town America. I’ve never regretted that decision either. In 2009, my dad—who was only 57—had another heart attack and passed away suddenly. A few days after the funeral I was in my dad’s office signing paychecks for his 30 employees when once again I had a big decision to make. A business broker asked if I was interested in selling the business. I immediately said that I was not, but then I started having doubts. The recession was raging and it was a scary time. I started thinking that it might not be such a bad idea to sell the company. Long story short, I decided to throw myself into Our Town America, and fortunately, I’m three for three. I’ve never regretted that decision either. I’m extremely proud that we are celebrating 45 years in business as we unveil our brand new 44,000 square foot facility in Clearwater. Can you share the funniest or most interesting story that happened to you since you began leading your company? After growing up into my teens swearing I didn’t want to be like my dad, I am proud to say I am very much like him. I remember sitting with him on many occasions at 6:30 in the morning, enjoying a cup of coffee and listening to him explain some things that we were working on and why they were important. Some of the choices didn’t make a lot of sense to me at the time, but now—since having been in similar situations—I find myself doing similar things and making similar choices. While some situations call for obvious decisions, some need a little more heart and finesse. So, what exactly does your company do? We are a new mover marketing company that specializes in connecting businesses with new, loyal customers. For 45 years our innovative, new mover marketing program has helped businesses nationwide develop a constant stream of new, loyal customers. We do that by connecting businesses with families that have just moved into the community and other potential customers near their businesses using our famous welcoming package and full-color postcards. You get new customers each month who are actively searching for new businesses. It’s a niche market, but if you think about it, businesses want new customers, and customers who have just moved into an area want to know what’s out there. They’re actually far more receptive to advertising than residents who have lived in the area forever. What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story? After 45 years we have not only perfected our craft, but we have grown to be the most technologically savvy new mover marketing franchise in our industry. Our program offers tracking by barcoded certificates and postcards, tells you who came in by month, and allows you to build reports based off who redeemed the first offer. Unlike most other welcome programs, we reach all new-mover families (not just home purchases). Plus, people really respond to our high-value gift certificates. Our loyalty program thanks customers after their visit with a postcard to generate repeat visits, and our e-survey gives business owners survey feedback from their customers to help them monitor customer satisfaction and post favorable comments to their Facebook page. None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful for who helped get you to where you are? This won’t be surprising, but I’m grateful for my father Michael Plummer Sr. He founded Our Town America in 1972 and truly had a love for our company and each of our franchisees. His guidance—in business and in life—helped shape me into the person that I am today and paved the way for this company. How have you used your success to bring goodness to the world? I believe that hard work breeds success. If you truly want something, go for it. I’d like to think our company is making life a little better and friendlier for people moving into a community. A big move can be stressful and even scary, so I hope we’re doing our part to help people. I’d also like to think our company is helping franchise owners and their employees provide for their families. What are your “5 things I wish someone told me before I became CEO,” and why? Having been mentored by my father, I think I was somewhat told what to expect, but here are some lessons I have learned through experience and from my father. By no means is running a company a spectator sport. The job can be 24/7. I have worked on vacations, my honeymoon, and during breaks at family events. When things need to be done, you need to do them. I […]

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Franchisee Success: Scot and Amy Hecht, Treasure Valley, ID

Written by Brittany N. Johnson
Our Town America in Boise, Idaho

Our Town America provided an opportunity for our entire family What do you cherish the most? Is it job security? Is it a clear path to retirement? Is it more time with family? Is it quality of life? For Scot and Amy Hecht, it’s “all of the above,” and then some. They are the parents of two young sons and the proud owners of Our Town America Treasure Valley in Meridian, Idaho. That’s just outside of Boise, and for the Hechts, right in the middle of everything they wanted in their lives – especially now that they’re thriving as franchise owners with Our Town America, the nation’s first and fastest growing new mover marketing franchise. The couple moved to Idaho’s Treasure Valley to escape the rigors, headaches and the ceaseless rat race that came from living in Southern California. “We wanted to improve our quality of life as we prepared to start our family,” says Scot. “Meridian gave us access to everything we wanted, camping, hiking, anything dealing with the great outdoors, on top of a slower pace of life.” Both Scot and Amy bring an extensive sales background to their Our Town America franchise. Scot, a graduate of San Diego State University, has worked in sales for his entire career since graduating. “I worked with several small businesses, startup businesses and family businesses, mainly doing outside sales for my professional life before Our Town America.” Amy worked with 2 Fortune 500 companies after graduating from Ohio State University. “For the first three years of my professional career, I worked in sales and I was great at it,” says Amy. “But it wasn’t intrinsically fulfilling; I lost the passion for it after three years doing it.” Amy found that passion as an educator. She first taught middle school science and math, before spending most of her teaching career in elementary schools. It was Amy’s educational background, that allowed the newly married Hechts to make the bold move from stable jobs in Southern California to the uncertainty waiting for them in Idaho. “Neither one of us had jobs waiting for us in Meridian,” says Amy. “All we had was one another and our belief that we were making the right move for ourselves and our future family.” It’s the belief in one another that makes Scot and Amy the perfect couple. When Scot was ready to make the leap to become an entrepreneur, it was Amy who proved to be his biggest cheerleader. “My wife was the person who encouraged me the most to have the confidence and make the investment in myself,” said Scot. After years of working for others, Scot was ready to invest in himself. “I was tired of working hard and making money for others,” Scot says. “I wanted to stop making money for other people and make money for myself. I knew I had the skills, drive and motivation to do it. Also, I knew with Amy having a stable public-sector job, I had a built-in safety net. Amy and I did a great job absolving all debt and putting enough in savings to make sure I could take the risk. Worst-case scenario, if I tried and failed, I knew we would still be able to pay the mortgage and feed the family.” Scot had strict criteria when searching for a franchise,  including no inventory, no real estate, no employees and no suppliers. Scot was referred to Our Town America and was quickly sold. “Our Town America is an established brand with a successful track record,” says Scot, who adds, “I haven’t looked back.” With his sales background fueling his new business, Scot experienced immediate success, landing a large grocery chain as one of his first clients. While Scot was succeeding with the new business, Amy, his biggest backer, was toiling through the daily grind that comes with teaching. “I love helping my students, you’re changing kids’ lives,” says Amy. “However, the long hours associated with teaching are ridiculous and began to wear me down. My family was suffering, I was suffering, and the work-life balance was lacking.” Scot wanted a company that required no employees. He wasn’t getting an employee when Amy decided to join his efforts. He was getting a partner. A partner who had the knack and business acumen that would take the already thriving business to the next level. Amy had experienced success during her previous run at sales. Working with Our Town America was like riding a bike. “Teaching is all about relationships and so is sales,” Amy says. “This is about helping people. In this case, I’m helping welcome people to the community. I’m also helping introduce businesses of all sizes in our community to new customers. I’m changing lives, changing the community and making people moving into Treasure Valley feel more comfortable.” Our Town America’s business model is the perfect fit for Meridian, Boise and all of Treasure Valley. In 2015, Meridian topped USA Today’s best cities to live in rankings. More recently, Money placed the town in its top 50 Best Place to Live in 2017.   This growth makes Boise/Meridian a fantastic place to be an Our Town America owner and helped Scot and Amy secure two fantastic TV features – this one, when they first got started, and another recent feature showcasing how they give back to sponsors over the holidays. “The Treasure Valley is a perfect fit for our business,” says Scot. “When we moved here, it was a small town, now it is growing at a phenomenal pace. It’s a hidden gem that people from across America are discovering. That’s good for the Our Town America business since we’re based on new movers. It ensures longevity for my business. Selfishly, I miss the small town feel that drew us here in the first place.” The rush of new movers will assist Amy in her arduous task to land 60 new accounts in six months. “I want 100 accounts,” says Amy. “We started with 48 […]

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Get Your New Mover Mailing List Now

Written by Brittany N. Johnson
Our Town America New Mover List of New Residents

Target new residents and new homeowners with our proprietary mail lists Our company’s New Mover Marketing program, powered by our unparalleled new mover lists, is an effective strategy for your local advertising and marketing. You’re always searching for new customers ready to purchase your products and services. When new movers settle into their new neighborhoods, with their normal buying patterns disrupted, that’s your opportunity to earn a lifetime customer with our direct mail lists! New movers spend more money outfitting new homes and establishing new shopping habits than existing residents spend in five years. Because they’re new to the area, new residents and new homeowners don’t have favorite barbershops yet, for example, or grocery stores, car dealerships, dental offices, pet stores, or other everyday needs. To reach this audience with an accurate and timely mailing for your local marketing and advertising, contact us about our New Mover Marketing program now! Our direct mail company can manage your local postcard marketing campaigns as well. Tell us your ideas and we’ll design, print and mail your postcards. We can use the mailing list you provide, mail to a certain demographic area, or we can develop a mailing list with specific demographics. Choose an experienced new mover marketing company to run your local advertising and marketing How does our direct mail marketing company ensure that our new resident and new homeowner lists are accurate and up-to-date? We’ve been helping businesses gain loyal customers for over 50 years. Many marketing companies around the country claim to be specialists in local direct mail marketing, but as many as 80% have been in business for less than three years. We’ve helped tens of thousands of local businesses turbo-charge their local advertising and marketing by introducing themselves to new homeowners and new residents in the neighborhood. When partnering with us, you can use our direct mail marketing programs broken down by multiple ZIP Codes, single ZIP Code, carrier route, and other demographics useful to your business. Rely on new mover lists backed up by decades of managed data Our direct marketing company has half a century of experience in new mover history and data management. Local businesses can be assured that our new resident lists are effective in successfully targeting new families looking to buy goods and services, as mailing lists can be matched against previous lists – and previous successes with currently active customer bases. We collect and store data from up to 11 sources nationwide each month. This gives local businesses the comfort of knowing that our company’s new mover lists are timely, clean and accurate. That same care and experience transfer into our postcard marketing programs as well. How we ensure that our direct mail lists are the best Our New Mover Marketing program begins with an empty name file, and nationally recognized suppliers provide us with new mover intelligence, which identifies individuals and families who have filed an address change in the past 30 days. We receive millions of names, addresses, and other data for new residents each month. Sources of new mover information vary by community and part of the country, but data sources usually include deed transactions, credit cards, utility connections, credit bureau records, magazines, driver’s licenses or voter registration lists. A change of address does not necessarily indicate a move, though, which is why we process our data through our proprietary system to identify and eliminate potential errors. How our direct mail marketing company cleanses data The long list of addresses is standardized for postal validation. We go through the list again and remove any redundancies. That’s because the typical mover communicates up to eleven sources of his or her address change. We remove duplicate addresses to ensure that the same business doesn’t mail to the same address for at least six months. We compare every name to our historical database of 350 million households. Our Town America will never mail to the same name and address twice. The list undergoes final postal verification with the United States Postal Service. We are well-known in the New Mover Marketing industry as having direct mail lists with close to 100% accuracy To reach near-perfection, we discard as much as 60% of the names and addresses we receive. Businesses are wise to find the most accurate list of new residents before sending direct mail pieces to potential customers. Is the envelope addressed to the wrong family? Is it being mailed to an old address? How much of your local marketing budget can you afford to waste? Accurate lists increase a business’ return on investment, saving money and time. And our direct mail marketing company is known for our clean lists to help build customer bases for businesses just like yours. Period. 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 of Atlanta: Helping the Market One New Mover at a Time

Written by Brittany N. Johnson
Our Town of Atlanta on New Mover Marketing Business Radio X

Business Radio X (December 2017) – As one of Our Town America’s longest tenured franchisees, Chris Beer is an expert at helping local Atlanta businesses connect with new movers and create long term, lasting relationships. Listen to the clip below to learn more about New Mover Marketing, why your business should invest in it, what sets it apart from every day marketing tactics, and more! Click play to listen to clip below. Atlanta, GA area businesses looking to team up with Our Town America of Atlanta can contact Chris Beer at 770-655-2116 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.     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 of Atlanta Joins Small Business Support Squad

Written by Brittany N. Johnson
Small Business Saturday Our Town America on WUSF Radio

WDUN (November 2017) – Like many other Our Town America franchise locations, Our Town of Atlanta joined in on the Small Business Saturday fun by starting the “Small Business Support Squad” in their local area. The “Small Biz Support Squad” was created by Our Town America, a national marketing firm that targets new residents and businesses, to thank small businesses. On behalf of Our Town of Atlanta owner Chris Beer, Marketing Executive Brittany Johnson of the Corporate Headquarters, met with WDUN to discuss what Our Town America does for small businesses. Click play to listen to clip below.   Atlanta, GA area businesses looking to team up with Our Town America of Atlanta can contact Chris Beer at 770-655-2116 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. 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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Small Business Saturday by Our Town America Phoenix

Written by Brittany N. Johnson
Small Business Owners for Small Business Saturday

KNXV Phoenix (November 2017) – Phoenix’s small business owners are the backbone of our local economy. So, for Small Business Saturday, which took place on Nov. 25th, Phoenix’s “Small Biz Support Squad” celebrated some of their partnered local businesses. David Cox traveled through town to surprise local owners with balloons and stress-relieving gifts to thank small businesses them for everything they do for our community – create jobs, provide goods and services and keep our local economy chugging through good times and bad. American Express started Small Business Saturday in 2010 to honor local business owners in thousands of communities across the country.   In just seven years, the annual event has blossomed into a hyperlocal phenomenon as more than 112 million American shoppers helped local businesses generate more than $15.4 billion on Small Business Saturday in 2016. Phoenix is a perfect place to celebrate Small Business Saturday as brave entrepreneurs  work tirelessly to build reliable businesses in their community. Arizona is home to 511,828 small businesses and employs 955,194 workers, according to the S. Small Business Administration (SBA).  Forbes recently ranked Phoenix as the 35th best place for business and careers, and reported that the city saw 3.3 percent job growth in 2016. The Phoenix Chamber of Commerce reports that 9 out of 10 companies project revenues to increase in the coming year, while 98 percent of companies rated the business climate as excellent or good. Watch both KNXV Phoenix clips below for full story. To contact David Cox of Our Town America Phoenix, complete a Contact Form or call 602-923-7770. 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 of the Treasure Valley Supports Small Businesses

Written by Brittany N. Johnson
Local Business Our Town America

KTVB Boise – The long hours. The hard work. The aching back and feet! These are the hardships of Boise’s small business owners, the backbone of our local economy. So, for Small Business Saturday (Nov. 25), Boise’s “Small Biz Support Squad” celebrated some of their partnered local businesses. Amy Hecht traveled through town to surprise local owners with balloons and stress-relieving gifts to thank small businesses for everything they do for our community – create jobs, provide goods and services and keep our local economy chugging through good times and bad. American Express started Small Business Saturday in 2010 to honor small business owners in thousands of communities across the country.   In just seven years, the annual event has blossomed into a hyperlocal phenomenon as more than 112 million American shoppers helped local businesses generate more than $15.4 billion on Small Business Saturday in 2016. Boise is a perfect place to celebrate Small Business Saturday as brave entrepreneurs  work tirelessly to build reliable businesses in their community. Forbes has recently named Boise as the 11th fastest-growing city in America. The area’s population grew 1.83 percent in 2016, with a projected growth of 1.69 percent in 2017. In 2015, Boise made the top 10 cities for millennial entrepreneurs by Fast Company, coming in at number 2, and was ranked first on USAToday.com’s list of America’s 50 best cities to live in. Watch both KTVB Boise clips below for full story.   To contact Amy and Scot Hecht of Our Town America of the Treasure Valley, complete a Contact Form or call 208-866-9540. 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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