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Southwest Florida BUSINESS TODAY ®
AUGUST 2021
AAF-SWFL MEMBER Businesses thrive with strong values, culture
BUSINESS SERVICES Grow your business with help from friends
Establishing a clear set of company values lets employees, customers, clients and the community know exactly what your company stands for. What do your company’s values say about your business? At Priority Marketing, those guiding principles include words like responsive, accountable, optimistic, resourceful and integrity, as well as phrases such as take initiative, be passionate, show character and solution-driven. In all, there are 37 words and phrases. They aren’t just buzzwords pulled from an HR handbook, though. They are the values that guide our company, and the guiding principles that have established a foundation of success for Priority Marketing and its client partners. These words are used daily – in the way we talk to each other, our clients, vendors and community partners. To thrive in a today’s marketplace, businesses must differentiate themselves from the competition. What would make a customer or client chose your business over a competitor? It can be better products, superior service, lower prices, larger inventory, convenience or many other factors. Similarly, what would make a business-to-business (B2B) partner choose you over a competitor? Values. Businesses and nonprofits want to work with like-minded organizations that share similar values, ideals and goals. These guiding principles are the collective agreements about how we will behave to internal and external audiences. Values form the basis of a company’s overall workplace culture. That’s why it’s so important to have a deliberate approach to establishing company values and reflecting them every day. Below are four examples of values that Priority Marketing emphasizes in its day-to-day business interactions: • Proactive: One of the keys to a successful marketing plan is to take a proactive approach by developing a plan that aligns with a client’s business goals. This entails a collaborative team effort with solution-driven professionals to ensure that clients are connecting with their target audiences with concise messaging, the right timing and opti-
mal marketing strategies. • Caring: When companies care for their employees, their clients, their partners and community, everyone benefits. It starts at the leadership level by establishing a work environment founded on respect, integrity and kindness. When caring is engrained in the culture, it trickles down to everyone who interacts with your organization. Listening is a great way to show BY TERI you care for customers, clients HANSEN and co-workers, and really get Guest Columnist to know them on a deeper level. • Professional: Reflecting a professional image goes beyond how we dress, communicate and behave. It’s also about how we deliver exceptional service, honor commitments and demonstrate accountability in all that we do for everyone we interact with both inside and outside the office. • Creative: Successful marketing requires the marriage of two very powerful forces: creativity and logic. Priority Marketing has accomplished its award-winning, results-driven marketing campaigns through its Creative Logic approach. Too often considered mutually exclusive, creativity and logic work best together. Team members combine their passion and curiosity to inspire creative solutions for clients on a day-to-day basis. Values help form a company’s identity. They should be ingrained in every interaction, from internal meetings and watercooler chats to client presentations and customer communications. Successful, thriving businesses, as well as the employees who work there, should live and breathe the company’s established values. This ultimately gives businesses a competitive advantage and head start in reaching their ultimate goals.
Finding qualified candidates with the right skills.
Recruiting all your employees in one place.
Working together to lower your costs.
At SWFL Inc., we are proud to work with 1,621 business members (and growing!) across Lee, Collier and Charlotte counties and see firsthand the innovative ways they’re growing their organizations. Many of the businesses we work with are B2Bs – the organizations that are helping other businesses grow. If you know an entrepreneur who’s just getting started, here are some great companies for them to connect with and cover their printing, legal and accounting needs. Presstige Printing is a family-owned business and BY TIFFANY the 2020 SWFL Small BusiESPOSITO ness of the Year. What makes Guest Columnist it great for a new business’s printing needs? They can handle any print job, big or small. They offer design services, meaning you don’t need your own in-house designer to start creating highquality work. Best of all, they can offer direct mail to your clients in Naples, Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Sarasota, Venice and beyond. If you’ve ever sent a mass email only to have emails bounce right back to you, you understand the value of direct mail. presstigeprinting.com When I think of the word “swag” I think of SWFL Marketing Group. They’re our goto resource for branded water bottles, polos and even pull-up banners for events. The small but mighty team there can help you procure and brand just about any item you’d like. swflmarketinggroup.com Dentons Cohen & Grigsby is one of many fantastic law firms in Southwest Florida. Their team is based in Naples and can help your business with everything from business formation to real estate transactions, to mergers and acquisitions. dentons.com/en/global-presence/ united-states/naples-fl. Have an HR question? Call Kim Hastings, PLLC. She’s a labor and employment attorney who specializes in human resources management and conflict resolution. You can reach her through LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/ kimhastings. If you’re just starting up a business, you have an opportunity to start your bookkeeping off in a paperless way – Less Taxing Services can help. They’re all about using online services to keep your bookkeeping, payroll and business taxes in order and digitally accessible to you 24/7. lesstaxingservices.com. For accounting assistance, check in with the experts at Rehmann. They have team members with specialties including business valuation, the affordable care act and strategic planning. Rehmann has four Florida offices to choose from, including one right in Bonita Springs. rehmann.com. If you’re looking to build your network in Southwest Florida, give us a call at SWFL Inc.! We offer a free, Basic Membership that’s perfect for businesses just getting started at SWFLinc.com.
Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities. Telephone numbers may be reached via the Florida Relay Service at 711. An equal opportunity employer/program. A proud partner of the American job center network.
Tiffany Esposito is the president and CEO of SWFL Inc., the regional chamber of commerce for Lee, Collier and Charlotte counties. SWFL Inc. is ranked in the top 1% of chambers nationwide. Contact her at tiffany@swflinc.com or (239)992-2943.
AWARD PAGE 1
Teri Hansen is president and senior creative director at Priority Marketing and a PRNEWS “Top Women in PR” honoree. Visit PriorityMarketing. com, call (239) 267-2638 or email Teri@PriorityMarketing.com. For more business news, visit www.swfloridabusinesstoday.com
swflinc.com/incredible-awards-september-9. The deadline for award applications is Aug. 10. The awards to be presented are: Small Business of the Year, which is celebrating its 21st year, Nonprofit of the Year, Innovation Award, INCredible Award and SWFL Citizen of the Year, which will be presented by the Naples Daily News and the
News-Press Media Group. Organizations nominated for the Small Business of the Year, Nonprofit of the Year or Innovation Award must be members of SWFL Inc. Membership is free and available online at SWFLinc.com.
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