Social Purpose Enterprise and The Frugal Marketer….

In this sluggish economy, nonprofit organizations like The Nezinscot Guild are struggling just to get by. We are operating free of state and federal dollars and relying on our products and services for survival. There is no budget for advertising, marketing or even creating more awareness of who we are and what we do. We at the Guild have employed a new strategy, Frugal Marketing. We have contacted local businesses that incorporate social responsibility into their corporate culture. This method is time consuming but pays dividends in the end. Caveat: Be prepared for a few rejections and some businesses may not respond at all, press on. This late spring and early summer I contacted over 20 local (Maine) companies for assistance with our mission. I was not looking for donations or funding in anyway, (though we do appreciate both), I was looking for assistance with advertising and creating more awareness of our mission by simply posting a small add and link on their websites to ours. I focused primarily on businesses involved in the lobster and seafood industry as I thought that was the most relevant to our new product The Original Maine Lobster Kit. A few Maine businesses have responded favorably. Simplylobsters.com, a Lewiston Maine company has included a link from their website to ours, where we are selling The Original Maine Lobster Kit to support our mission. Simplylobsters.com is a local company that ships live lobster and fresh seafood across the country over night. We have enjoyed a tremendous increase in traffic to our site since Simplylobsters.com included us on their site. The only thing that simplyslobsters.com asked in return was a link to their site. Another Maine company Down East Magazine, has provided us two months of free ad-space in their “Good Things from Maine” section of the magazine. The circulation is over 131,000 so this will provide us with great exposure. During my communications with Down East magazine I found them to be extremely willing to help us with every aspect of our advertisement. The campaign moves on and the search for socially conscious local Maine businesses continues. I believe that this strategy of “frugal marketing” is a win-win. There are many companies across the State of Maine that are socially responsible and believe in our mission at The Guild, but they too are struggling with this economy. Inclusion on corporate websites is a low cost or no cost way for socially responsible companies to assist nonprofits such as The Nezinscot Guild. Thank you simplylobsters.com and Down East Magazine for your help and your support. Kevin Ellingwood

Sheila’s Taffey Crates, passport to great food, great service

 

  Over the 4th of July I had a chance to mix a lot of pleasure with a little work.  I was in Old Orchard Beach on a mission;  fun,  sun and delivery of  some custom wooden gift crates to my friends Bob and Katie Scott at Sheila’s General Store on 178  East Grand Avenue in OOB.

The fun thing about this mission of delivering products to Sheila’s is walking into this great friendly atmosphere.  Bob and Katie and all the folks that work there seem to be on their own mission  of “making everyone’s day”,  who walks  in their front door.  It’s amazing to be on the receiving end of this individual attention and service and it lasts all day, all 16 or 17 hours a day long.   

And did I mention the food?  Because of the location,  across the street from the Atlantic Ocean, an establishment could probably get by on selling hot dogs and six packs.  But Bob has always had a unique relationship with food.  He really respects its preparation and delivery.  Every item they put forth is a gem.  The menu is gourmet deli and everything is as fresh as the crisp ocean air that surrounds Sheila’s.   At Sheila’s you can find all your beach needs, books, ice cold beverages, the very best fresh breakfast sandwiches and much more.   Over the last four or five years Bob and Katie have made Sheila’s their own and it is a very special place! 

The wooden gift crates we make for Bob and Katie are personalized for their products and are proven sales enhancers.  The Nezinscot Guild provides quality wooden gift crates and slide top boxes to many places in Maine,  New England and across the United States.  Sheila’s is the only one I make deliveries to when I’m on vacation.

The kicker to this story is that  Bob was a Manager of Production of the very wooden crates and boxes he now purchases from The Nezinscot Guild.  For seven years he trained and supervised workers with developmental disabilities with the same enthusiasm and freshness that has become his trademark as the proprietor of Sheila’s General Store.