Doing Good
Some call it “giving back.” I prefer “doing good.”
417 Marketing has exceeded my expectations as a business. It has given me so much. Liberty. Confidence. A part of my purpose. A way to provide for my growing family. It has been a huge blessing. When I reflect on these blessings, I feel motivated to use the business as a platform for doing good.
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Sometimes you have to listen to your customers. When 417 Marketing began, our purpose was to give small businesses the opportunity to hire a team to serve a mini-marketing department. It wasn’t a terrible idea. But it had its faults. So we adjusted. Today, we keep things simple. Hosting. Web Design. SEO. That’s what we do. It wasn’t a hard decision to move in the direction we did, and we haven’t looked back. If we hadn’t listened to our customers we may not be here. But we are still here, and we are stronger than ever. It turns out listening to your customers actually works. Imagine that.
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Sometimes you have to listen to what is inside. When my wife and I took a tour of Harmony House in the absolute worst part of snow-mageddon 2010-2011 (there was a foot of snow on the ground), it hit us hard. We still talk about that visit – frequently. The stories of abused and battered women that find a new start there. The kids that are pulled from their beds in the middle of the night to go there. The small rooms. The humble quarters.
Women frequently find themselves trapped. Trapped in abusive relationships with (what seems like) no hope. Without places like Harmony House, where would some of these women go? Too often, they are forced with a choice of:
- Continue to be physically and/or verbally abused
- Become homeless
That’s not acceptable.
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I’m in a BNI group here in Springfield, and they’ve been asking me to give a seminar over the past couple of months. Not demanding it or anything, but asking. Honestly, I was having a hard time getting inspired about the idea, mostly because we’ve been really busy and I’m about to welcome my first child into the world. Frankly, other things have been pressing.
But when I realized I could satisfy their request for another seminar AND turn it into a fund-raising event for Harmony House? Let’s just say when I get inspired I move quickly.
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Here’s where we are know:
This is an opportunity to raise $2000-$3000 (maybe more) for the Harmony House. This money will help them better fit the needs of the people they serve: abused women. I’m selling tickets (limited to 50 due to space restrictions) to this seminar, and all proceeds are going to them (roughly 75-85% of all revenues will go directly to them as expenses for the event are low). 417 Marketing will not take one dime. Nor will I. Once the food is paid for and eventbrite.com take their small percentage, the rest is for Harmony House.
Added bonus: I will teach you to market yourself or your business using the Internet. I know that sounds vague, but I’m trying to keep the idea simple here. Want a more complex explanation? Here is what I’ll be addressing:
- Why most people view their website the wrong way (and how to change your mindset)
- Social media, unreasonable expectations, and the failed strategies behind the predictable disappointment
- Using search engines to build brand exposure and increase sales
That’s the event in a nutshell. But I reserve the right to change the outline. Here’s what I can promise though: you will learn something. If you don’t, tell me and I’ll give you your money back and donate your ticket price to Harmony House myself.
Will you join me in this effort?
Click here for more information or to register for the event.
If listening to what’s inside works half as well as listening to our customers, this event will be a success. But it can’t be done without you.
