Mary Schmidt Marketing Troubleshooter

Since lately I’ve been posting more “don’t worry, be happy!” things on Friday, here and at Lipsticking - thought it was more apt to call this “Pollyanna Ponderings than “Martini Musings.” (But not to worry, my cranky old irreverent self is still here somewhere…and I still drink ‘toonis…;-)

Last night we had our annual AIBA (Albuquerque Independent Business Alliance) gala at the wonderful Los Poblanos Inn (Travel tip: If you come to Albuquerque, Los Poblanos is a must. It’s a gorgeous old farm/B&B with lavender fields, killer views and extensive gardens.) The overall mood was upbeat and happy (of course, the free wine from a New Mexico winery may have had a little to do with that…)

As I wandered the room full of over 100 business owners, I heard a lot of “Well, my business is going great!” “Hey, let’s get together and talk about that deal!” and so on and so forth.

Then, our two presenters, Steve Wedeen of Vaughn Wedeen and “Farmer Monte” Skarsgard of Los Poblanos Organics, spoke briefly on “home-grown marketing.” In addition to giving great ideas and perspectives, both were very positive about their businesses and the amount of opportunity for everyone.

Farmer Monte’s business is up a good 50% from last year and he anticipates an even better 2009. (He grows and then delivers organic produce right to people’s doors. I’m signing up today.)

Steve started his bit by saying, “Yes, we know the economy is ‘bad’ and we’ve decided not to participate.” Steve’s award-winning creative agency has over 20 employees and expects to book even more business next year. (They also designed our AIBA logo and new directory, pro bono.)

The “secret” of Steve’s and Monte’s success? They’re both passionate about what they do and are very good at it. They know that it’s all about:

1. Establishing relationships. Monte gets up at 5 on Monday mornings to write a quick newsletter about what’s going on at the farm - how the chickens are doing, what’s coming in the customers’ baskets this week and why and so on. He knows that his biggest advantage is his loyal customer base, who spread the word about his farm.

2. Knowing your real niche. Steve gave the example of bowling allies. Bowling allies don’t really compete against other allies. They compete against “everything else you can do to kill a Friday night.”

3. Delivering real value, consistently. And, that takes time and hard work. Steve started out in a basement, a company of one. Monte has worked diligently for years, not simply “growing things” but learning how to build a financially sustainable business.

Our MC, Myra Ghattas, did a great job reinforcing all the presenters’ points, with personal examples. Her restaurant, Slate Street Cafe, serves breakfast and does their own baking, going through a lot of eggs each week. So, about a year ago, she made the decision to start buying local, organic eggs. Now, her “egg man” drives into town every week to make deliveries. She feels like she’s got a friend, not just a supplier. They talk about how the chickens are doing, what they’re eating, and so on. She noted that “Yes, it costs a bit more, but it’s worth it. The eggs taste better; I’m helping my community; and I feel good about what I’m doing.”

So, that’s my Pollyanna pitch for this week. Look around - there’s still a lot of opportunity for indie business, especially if we support each other.

Buy Local!

(P.S. If you visit AIBA’s web site - yes, it’s whacked. What I saw yesterday is not what you’re seeing today. *Sigh* We’ve been having issues and we’re fixing them soon.)

Tags: customer relationships, customer service, small business marketing, entrepreneur sanity check, Albuquerque Independent Business Alliance, Albuquerque