Frank chats with Dave about his business lessons and how he uses Constant Contact and traditional marketing methods to spread the word about The House Watchers.
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Episode Highlights
Inflection points from the show
[01:31] The Four P’s: Dave Charest, Director of Small Business Success at Constant Contact, discusses the four P’s — Peers, Pros, Patrons, and Promoters — and explains why they’re essential to your business.
[05:41] Feeling the spirit: Frank Fantasia, owner of The House Watchers, had prior experience with small businesses. He owned an ice cream franchise in his past life.
[07:18] Takes one to know one: Frank is a snowbird serving snowbirds. His home watch business is specifically designed for people who leave a summer home vacant throughout the year.
[08:03] Knowing your circle: Frank shares his hiring mentality. Of his three employees, he knows the first personally, and the second was a referral from the first.
[11:13] Stick to the basics: Why reinvent the wheel? Frank recommends other business owners draw on corporate experience if they have it. While the budgets might not be as big, the principles are similar.
[11:52] The marketing approach: Frank feels the foundation of good marketing is a good website. Beyond that, he uses Constant Contact to promote his business’s smoke detector testing arm to real estate agents.
[13:48] Keeping it traditional: Frank recommends more conventional marketing methods, like direct mail ads through USPS’s EDDM services and networking with local charity organizations.
[17:21] Advice for Constant Contact: According to Frank, doing is the best learning method. He’s used many of Constant Contact’s features firsthand, including text marketing, emails, landing pages, and surveys.
[21:51] Budget it out: Make a marketing budget and stick with it. Frank recommends tracking progress and results to see what’s worth the money when you’re budgeting for the following year.