American novelist Ellen Glasgow is quoted as saying: “The only difference between a rut and a grave are the dimensions.” While the imagery might strike you as morbid, we want to get readers of the Omaha Promos blog thinking about that analogy as it applies to their approach to business.
The Omaha Promos of today began life in a brave entrepreneurial moment 89 years ago, so we're obviously doing something right. Still, we continue to challenge ourselves so as to avoid the pitfall of the rut. And it's a good thing too, as our industry grew over 7 percent in 2011, reaching $17.7 billion in distributor sales. That's a whole lot of embroidered uniforms and corporate wear, employee incentive gifts, screen printed t-shirts, decorated caps, logo pens and drinkware, just to name a few of the various branded merch offerings Omaha Promos can source for you.
So, how do we do it? How do we stay fresh without innovating for innovation's sake? How does our family owned company "keep it real" and avoid the long fall to the bottom of the business grave? Three ways, mainly, and all involve a little effort and a little courage.
Network!
That means our clients, particularly those we've got longstanding relationships with, see us once in awhile, and not just when they need a new batch of embroidered company polos. Our clients mean something to us. Those relationships are the lifeblood of our operation. We're not just order-takers scurrying around behind the veil of a corporate website. Excluding our out of state customers, we conduct almost all our client interaction in person. We believe you have to have the courage to get up out of the office chair and get out amongst the people, existing clients and prospects included, in order to be your most effective self. If you're not selling your business, who will? And why would anyone buy from you if they don't know you or believe in you?
Homework!
That's right, we study! The only way to stay on top of evolving changes in your chosen industry is to avail yourself of all the trade shows, industry news, white papers, and statistics on what's trending up and down. We stay abreast of what's working for end users, our customers, and what's not. Oftentimes we find a lesser costly item works as well as one that stretches our client's specialty advertising dollars less, and we're able to save them money. Other times the old saw, "You get what you pay for" rings true and we steer our customers toward higher end, higher quality decorated apparel and branded items that will make a favorable first impression and provide long lasting value for years to come. This is why we custom tailor sample product array documents to provide our customers with a wide range of available options, sizes, colors and in-quantity pricing to perfectly suit their promotional marketing needs.
Overachieve!
We're not afraid to compete with industry giants in our attempt to earn our way into big accounts. So many times we've heard from fellow small business owners, "They'll never look at us, we're a small shop, you gotta be a player to compete for their attention." Nonsense, we say.
Every business owner makes their fair share of mistakes and overachievers may make even more than most. The difference is overachievers aren’t worried about making mistakes. They use each as an opportunity to improve their business. One of the biggest barriers for most businesses is they’re focused on not losing instead of on winning. So look inside yourself and take honest inventory of what's there; are you in the fight to win, or are you simply trying to stay on your feet and avoid being knocked out by your competition?
Example for inspiration: Canadian-born Guy Laliberté began his circus career busking on the streets: playing accordion, walking on stilts and eating fire. He gambled by bringing a successful troupe from Quebec to the Los Angeles Arts Festival in 1987, with no return fare. The bet paid off, and the circus group was eventually brought to Las Vegas where they would become the world famous Cirque du Soleil we know and love. Guy's company is worth $2.5 billion today.
Epilogue
Remember. The difference between a rut and a grave in business are only the dimensions. Don't fall prey to apathy. If something is worth doing, it's worth doing well. So if you're looking to gain name recognition for your business, get your customers to associate your company with hard work and solid value, and to get yourself branded in a cohesive way, call Omaha Promos for a consult. We're convinced we'll earn your business no matter how big or small you may be. 😉
