INTERVIEW WITH SCOTT SALKIN
President and founder of Identity Studios Inc.
About Identity Studios:
Founded in 2007, Identity Studios is a full-service marketing firm that has helped more than 100 clients throughout the country build credibility and leave a lasting impression on the minds of customers and prospects through creative, focused and business-savvy marketing materials. We offer truly affordable solutions for everything from logo design and branding to e-mail marketing and advertising campaigns. We're business consultants who happen to be marketing experts, so not only do you look good, your bottom line does too.
Why did you start the company?
Having been in the corporate side of sales and marketing for a number of years, I had worked with and hired a number of marketing and advertising agencies, large and small, that had left me with an impression on the industry similar to what you hear from most people. The large agencies were good, but expensive and sometimes even a little arrogant. The smaller boutique agencies could sometimes deliver, but often failed when it came to integrating long-term business goals into our marketing. Today's small businesses have every opportunity to thrive in the face of competition simply by taking advantage of the sales and marketing mechanisms that are at their fingertips. We're here to help you recognize and use them most effectively.
How did you start the company?
From my early days helping nonprofits to my time learning to sell for one of the world's largest and most successful technology companies, marketing has always been what I consider the key aspect to long-term success. As I learned more about it from both personal and professional experience, the field truly became my passion. In mid-2007, I walked into the office of the vice president of marketing at NetPro, my employer at the time, and asked her to visit www.identitystudios.biz. By the next day, I had a proposal on her desk outlining the terms for a three-month retainer contract and suddenly NetPro was my first client. In the four weeks before I left, I secured enough revenue and pipeline to give myself the comfort and confidence that I had made the right decision.
What makes your company unique?
We start with a love for business, your business, and carry that into your marketing. The second thing that makes us unique is our appreciation and understanding of technology to help us not only keep our overhead down and stay connected with you and each other, but to also help you market more effectively and efficiently. In other words, we save money, which in turn saves you a bunch of money.
What advice do you have for other entrepreneurs?
Never let anyone tell you that you can't do it. All it takes is hard work, passion and a plan. Stay ahead of the curve, in technology and your expertise. Don't be afraid to ask for help or advice. You need to spend money to make money. The trick is spending it on the right things and getting the job done right.
What is the best thing about owning your own business?
Being in charge of my own destiny. Having the freedom to ask those who I respect for advice and implementing the strategies that I feel work best. As an entrepreneur, there is no ceiling. Oh, and the freedom isn't bad either.
What is the most difficult aspect of owning your own business?
The inability to sometimes put it down and, it's a good and bad thing, the fear of failure. It's part of what drives me every single day and what makes it hard to put down.
What are your future business goals?
While building the core goals and initiatives of my business is important, I also hope to build new revenue streams, in part by releasing a set of tools and resources I've gathered over the years to help future marketing professionals and entrepreneurs develop and expand on their own careers.
Identity Studios:
(877) 675-8303
www.identitystudios.biz
President and founder of Identity Studios Inc.
About Identity Studios:
Founded in 2007, Identity Studios is a full-service marketing firm that has helped more than 100 clients throughout the country build credibility and leave a lasting impression on the minds of customers and prospects through creative, focused and business-savvy marketing materials. We offer truly affordable solutions for everything from logo design and branding to e-mail marketing and advertising campaigns. We're business consultants who happen to be marketing experts, so not only do you look good, your bottom line does too.
Why did you start the company?
Having been in the corporate side of sales and marketing for a number of years, I had worked with and hired a number of marketing and advertising agencies, large and small, that had left me with an impression on the industry similar to what you hear from most people. The large agencies were good, but expensive and sometimes even a little arrogant. The smaller boutique agencies could sometimes deliver, but often failed when it came to integrating long-term business goals into our marketing. Today's small businesses have every opportunity to thrive in the face of competition simply by taking advantage of the sales and marketing mechanisms that are at their fingertips. We're here to help you recognize and use them most effectively.
How did you start the company?
From my early days helping nonprofits to my time learning to sell for one of the world's largest and most successful technology companies, marketing has always been what I consider the key aspect to long-term success. As I learned more about it from both personal and professional experience, the field truly became my passion. In mid-2007, I walked into the office of the vice president of marketing at NetPro, my employer at the time, and asked her to visit www.identitystudios.biz. By the next day, I had a proposal on her desk outlining the terms for a three-month retainer contract and suddenly NetPro was my first client. In the four weeks before I left, I secured enough revenue and pipeline to give myself the comfort and confidence that I had made the right decision.
What makes your company unique?
We start with a love for business, your business, and carry that into your marketing. The second thing that makes us unique is our appreciation and understanding of technology to help us not only keep our overhead down and stay connected with you and each other, but to also help you market more effectively and efficiently. In other words, we save money, which in turn saves you a bunch of money.
What advice do you have for other entrepreneurs?
Never let anyone tell you that you can't do it. All it takes is hard work, passion and a plan. Stay ahead of the curve, in technology and your expertise. Don't be afraid to ask for help or advice. You need to spend money to make money. The trick is spending it on the right things and getting the job done right.
What is the best thing about owning your own business?
Being in charge of my own destiny. Having the freedom to ask those who I respect for advice and implementing the strategies that I feel work best. As an entrepreneur, there is no ceiling. Oh, and the freedom isn't bad either.
What is the most difficult aspect of owning your own business?
The inability to sometimes put it down and, it's a good and bad thing, the fear of failure. It's part of what drives me every single day and what makes it hard to put down.
What are your future business goals?
While building the core goals and initiatives of my business is important, I also hope to build new revenue streams, in part by releasing a set of tools and resources I've gathered over the years to help future marketing professionals and entrepreneurs develop and expand on their own careers.
Identity Studios:
(877) 675-8303
www.identitystudios.biz