Greg Snyder, Marketing Director for Incognito Marketing is in Washington DC this week.  He is there with a delegation from Colorado Springs, Colorado to talk with Congress about the challenges Amercan small businesses face at this time.

Small business has always been the lifeblood of our country.  Nuturing and growing American business is vital to our economic and emotional recovery.

It is time to stop talking about how bad things are and start making a plan. It has been said that without a vision the people perish. So let us begin to see the type of future we want for our business. Let us have the creativity and vision to build products and services that meet needs globally.

Maybe it is time for change, and we move gracefully into the future and embrace the new ideas.

Erin

We’ve run into people in the past that didn’t know we do our own creative work in-house.  They thought we just created marketing strategies and hired out the design- not so.  We do it all right her.

Incognito Creative is for clients who already have a marketing strategy and direction but still need help with professional graphic design or a web site refresher. Check out the new web site and see some of our latest work including web design, print design, ad design and photography.

Incognito Marketing has been hired by Christofferson Commercial Builders, Inc. to create an updated Web site and develop marketing materials to support and improve sales effectiveness.

Colorado Springs-based Christofferson Commercial Builders, Inc. specializes in commercial projects in the restaurant, financial and retail industries.  The company conducts business in 17 states.  Local Clients include McDonalds, Chase Bank and the Coutura Design Center as well as many others. 

“We conducted a thorough proposal process and received proposals from firms in Dallas, Denver and two in Colorado Springs.  Incognito Marketing’s proposal quickly rose to the top for cost, efficiency, preparation and creativity,” according to Connie Christofferson, Vice President of Business Development with Christofferson Commercial Builders, Inc.  “The Incognito Marketing team has more than lived up to its proposal.  They always came prepared and brought us ideas that we wanted.  It was like we were all on the same page, which makes working together so enjoyable.”
“The commercial building market has been experiencing a slow down.  But building is still going on and it is critical that companies put themselves in a position to capture what business still remains,” commented Greg Snyder, president and CEO of Incognito Marketing.  “Updating your public presence and Web site and providing creative and effective tools to support sales efforts are a must.  Christofferson Commercial Builders has remained successful in these challenging times because they have taken the necessary steps and made the marketing investment.”

Christofferson Commercial Builders has seen a significant increase in the number of responses to sales efforts as the result of the new Web site and other materials.

Colorado Springs-based Concepts in Millwork, Inc. specializes in custom architectural millwork and fixtures for government facilities, medical facilities, retail facilities, educational facilities, professional sports venues, and airports.

“After 28 years of being in business in Colorado Springs, we made the decision that it was time to broaden our market.  To begin that process, creating a Web site was a necessity which would require outside help and expertise,” said Trey McFarlin, Vice President of Projects for Concepts in Millwork, Inc.  “We received several post card marketing pieces from Incognito Marketing which caught our attention.  And, when we met Greg and his team we were comfortable they would be able to understand our detail oriented nature and get this done.”

“When economic conditions erode, it is vital to continue to market your business or get lost in the washout,” according to Greg Snyder, president and CEO of Incognito Marketing.  “Concepts in Millwork, Inc. is proving its business acumen, by investing in marketing and getting more aggressive about diversifying their customer base in this environment.  This type of strategic investment and active implementation will help them stay in business today and accelerate their growth when the economy strengthens.”

Concepts in Millwork will continue its market expansion plans by using Incognito Marketing’s 7-hit Blitz campaign.

Colorado Springs-based Qualtek is a tool and die manufacturing company.  The business was founded in 1952 and has expanded its services to include heat treating, metal finishing, wire EDM and custom metal stampings.  The two companies will create sales and marketing programs and supporting materials to help Qualtek grow through difficult economic times.
“We don’t have an internal marketing department and had never created a marketing program before.  But given the economy we thought the timing was right to try and capture more business through a sales and marketing program,” commented Steve Bailey, general manager heat treat for Qualtek Manufacturing.  “Incognito Marketing had been talking with us over the past few years.  We were impressed with their persistence and good ideas which made it easy to hire them.”

“It is especially important to market your business and work to drive sales in a down economy.  You potentially save your business, strengthen your market position and put your business in the right place to maximize growth as the economy strengths,” according to Greg Snyder, president and CEO of Incognito Marketing.  “The combination of Qualtek’s quality product and our market knowledge and experience will prove to be a powerful mix.”

In challenging times it is important to look at your business with a renewed perspective to find alternative ways to approach growing your business.  Doing the same thing and expecting a different outcome is a strategy doomed to fail.

“One of the benefits of working with someone outside the company is that they bring a new approach to the process and help us be more creative.  Incognito Marketing has helped us lighten up and see things differently.  It has been an enjoyable process,” Bailey added.

St. Peters, Missouri-based Seyer Industries is a third generation, family-owned business that designs and manufactures support systems exclusively for military aerospace applications.  Seyer serves as a supplier to major prime contractors such as The Boeing Company, Lockheed Martin Corporation, Pratt & Whitney and Sikorsky as well as a direct government contractor to the departments of the Navy, Air Force, and Army. The two companies will team to develop professional materials that reinforce Seyer Industries’ strong reputation in this niche market.

Seyer Industries focuses on a very small group of customers and consequently does not have an internal marketing department.  However, it still requires professional materials so it started looking outside the company for help. According to Chris W. Seyer, Business Development with Seyer Industries, “About the same time we started looking for help we received a direct mail marketing piece from Incognito Marketing.  I found their web site to be very compelling and it seemed they had the same company ideals which made the decision easy to hire Incognito Marketing.”

“We practice what we preach and were very pleased to get the call from Seyer Industries as a result of our post card mailing,” commented Greg Snyder, president and CEO of Incognito Marketing.  “Seyer understands that no matter the size of their market, it is still important to put the right image out in the marketplace to reinforce your brand and reputation, which has made working together a success.”

Seyer concurs, “So far Incognito Marketing has been very easy to work with.  The options they presented to us were what we asked for.  They listen to us and provide us with work that is within the context of what we asked for rather than trying to tell us something we don’t want.”

Greg will discuss how you can build your own “brand” in today’s competitive world.  His presentation titled Branding a Product or Service – How do I do it? will cover:

• Creepin’ Commodities!
• Sticking to Your Story
• The Payoff
• Pigs & Spiders

The Colorado Entrepreneurship MarketPlace is Friday, October 10 from 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM at Otero Junior College in La Junta, CO.  Snyder will be speaking from 10:45 to 11:30 AM in Wheeler 111.

To register to attend go to http://www.regonline.com/Checkin.asp?EventId=638446.

We have taken two calls this week from businesses that are struggling. Both said they had no money for advertising, but both were desperate for new business.

Running a business takes a tremendous amount of focused energy. While you are getting the work done, you are probably neglecting the marketing and sales part. This results in severe up and down cycles for your cash flow and stress level.

One of the smartest things any business can do is continue advertising during both the busy and slow times. Keep a steady and consistent presence in front of the potential new customers. Focus your energy and resources with a plan.

For example: If you have a charcoal briquette BBQ, you know that scattering a few briquettes around and dousing with lighter fluid can create a big exciting fire. Leave it to go do something else, and when you come back all the fire and heat is gone. It is too spread out and dies from lack of fuel and heat.

But if you make a pile with the briquettes, they will all catch on and hold the fire and build long lasting heat. You will be cooking on nice, even heat before you know it. Focus your energies. Stack your briquettes. Keep your business going by focusing your energy.

When times are good, you should advertise. When times are bad you must advertise.

Focus on what you do best and yell it from the mountaintops!

It is October in Colorado. Many seemingly normal people from your neighborhoods and communities will head to the high country to attempt to harvest an elk. Perhaps no one told them they can buy red meat at the store.

There are a couple of techniques I have observed after spending several fall seasons in the Colorado Mountains in search of elk.

Camp A: A bunch of guys with a lot of liquor. They are in it for the fun. They make a fire pit you can see from outer space, hoot and holler most of the night. Get up around 10:00 am, try to make a plan on a pounding hang over, hunt an hour or so near evening, and (big surprise) do not bring any elk home.

Camp B: The quiet elk camp. These hunters know where the elk live, drink, and probably even where they sleep. These folks rise early in the morning while it is still dark to get into position before the elk even begin to move. They have a plan and work the plan. They prepare their gear and are ready for changes in the weather and movement of the herd. If bad weather or hard times move in, they are ready.

Finding new customers is like the elk hunt. Figuring out where they hang out, what they do, where they live and work is useful research. Planning your marketing and advertising, working the plan, and sticking with it is key to being prepared to find the perfect new customers you seek.

New customers mean increased income, smother cash flow and less stress.

Good hunting to you.