Local businesses see massive growth by teaming up.
As a business owner, Savannah Jacklin has seen and tried it all: magazines, mail-outs, door hangers, you name it. She’s even tried networking at local events and sending referrals to businesses hoping to receive them back. But she spent more time networking than actually operating her business. She found the networking groups and meetings provided very little return for the time she invested.
Fast forward to today, she’s booked for six months and desperately trying to get more equipment. Savannah owns kidszonejumpers.com, a Sugar Land based party rental business servicing areas from Sugar Land to Katy TX.
Savannah started her business in 2016 with just a few moonwalks and a lot of debt. “In the rental industry, there is a heavy upfront cost in getting all the right equipment and licensing. You can quickly get $10,000 to $20,000 in debt. You think that once you have the moonwalks, you can put out a few door hangers and people will call, but that’s just not the case,” states Savannah.
“I was spinning my wheels with networking events, sending mail-outs and buying ads in magazines, only to end up further and further in debt. It really started to upset me because the more advertisements I bought, the more advertisers would call. I didn’t know what I was doing wrong, so I took a break. The business just wasn’t there and I had the equipment but wasn’t making any money.”
Savannah continues, “I went to lunch with a friend who’s husband hired a marketing firm to rebrand their business. She explained how they had to reshape their business objectives and change their approach for their business to grow. This was on a Saturday, so first thing Monday morning, I gave Christopher Bush at Team Hiploch a call.”
In explaining working with Team Hiploch, Savannah states, “From the very first call, I knew this was going to be different. They explained I should work for my brand, and let my brand be the spokesperson for my business. Honestly, I didn’t even have a brand. They went on to tell me, I was just working to get rid of my debt, so I really didn’t have a business at all. That struck home because it was true.”
Christopher Bush says, “I remember talking to Savannah. I could hear the frustration in her voice. She literally tried it all, every single form of advertising. But, like a lot of small business owners they skip the most important step in branding themselves. She was literally advertising the moonwalks and the rentals as opposed to advertising her brand.”
“Your job as a business owner is to build your brand and that includes making your website as newsworthy to Google as possible,” says Bush.
Bush continues, “So, we went through our process that allowed her to see the mistakes she was making, which gave her a sense of relief. First, we developed a simple logo for her which she, and most small business owners, think needs to be extravagant and cost thousands of dollars, but it really doesn’t. Some of the most recognizable logos are the check mark from Nike and the Longhorn from The University of Texas. You just need a logo, something to help build your brand.”
Savannah then explains, “The next lesson I learned was that you have to educate your customers. When you educate your customers, they’ll trust you. So, we made all the products on my website educational. There are descriptions, dimensions and required resources so that potential customers have an understanding of what to expect, therefore gaining their trust. More importantly, they helped me stay focused on the importance of working for my brand. Adopting this philosophy has literally changed my life.”
Savannah continues, “Then, Christopher asked if I’d like to join a team. They had a new concept they were launching that he felt could really help my business. At this point, I was all in because everything they’ve said made sense and worked.”
When asking her about the team experience, Savannah says, “They teamed me with other businesses in Sugar Land. We were all spinning our wheels buying advertisements, going to the same networking meetings, adding debt and getting very little results. With this program we didn’t have to meet in person. We meet online which is much more convenient and effective.”
“Another benefit to the team are the digital platforms THL provides. When I post content to social media, my team members can conveniently like and share it. When I want to send a referral, it’s a quick digital link, and it’s just as easy receiving referrals. I also like I don’t have to go meetings every week and pay for a breakfast, hoping someone will remember my name or keep my business card. THL Team’s digital structure makes it all possible.”
Savannah continues, “The shares really started climbing our rankings. Now we’re all ranked high on the first page of our target Google searches. One that really surprised me, was aliveat25texas.com which is operated by Young Drivers Safety Training. They dominate the entire first page if you type in Alive at 25 Houston. They’re #1 through #6.”
“Another pleasant surprise is I’m ranking in different cities and different search terms: Sugar Land Jumpers, Missouri City Moonwalks, Stafford TX Jumpers, which were all of my targets. So, the team works. What’s really exciting is we’re now adding more team members. If we all adopt the philosophy that we work for our brands and our brands work for Google, the more success we’ll see,” said Savannah.
“It’s great to see the success that Savannah and other team members are having. Part of the success and continued success is we only allow one business per industry and we have strict requirements to join. So, when team members are sharing content and referrals, they know it’s for another reputable business,” says Christopher Bush.
Team Hiploch is looking to immediately add businesses operating in Sugar Land in these ten industries:
- Plumbing
- HVAC
- Landscaping
- Electrical
- Garage Door Services
- Roofing
- Custom Pool Building
- Carpet Cleaning
- Maid & Cleaning Services
- Flooring Services
If you’re interested in joining Team Sugar Land or starting a team in your area, please complete the form below.
To view the requirements, please visit: http://bit.ly/2ZC3dJU.
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