She answers all the requests with – I’m on it and is about to turn the phrase into a business opportunity.

By Pepper Parr

BURLINGTON, ON  May 24, 2012  –  I have for some time been looking for a real example of how social media actually did something for someone that was useful.  I know that it is something you can spend hours of your time on and it is certainly the one place where every inanity can be observed.

What I wanted to see was something that produced something for someone.  James Burchill and I pull a pint on occasion and we talk about the number of people who attend his Business in Burlington events – but did those events actually get anything done?

The first Meet Up was on the small side - but then it grew and James Burchill now pulls in well over 200 people at the Waterfront Hotel in Burlington - next event - June 6th. (Photo credit Margaret Lindsay Holton)

The Mayor of Burlington showed up at one of the Burlington events and the Mayor of Oakville made the scene at an event in that town – but other than handing out business cards and getting your face in front of someone else – what did you get?

We at Our Burlington did pull a number of news stories out of the event we attended and it was an opportunity for us to rub shoulders with people we might not have otherwise seen.  But was there real value – did I get something that I probably couldn’t have gotten anywhere else.

We may have found an example.

Kim Neale, a woman who spent fifteen years in Call Centre management decided she wanted to get out on her own and developed a concept and began to market herself and the business she was building.  We will tell you about that in a moment.

She was also involved in the development of a community hospice two people in Milton wanted to get started and she was loaning them her marketing skills.  She wanted to have some T-shirts made up promoting the organization developing the hospice.

Neale does the “admin / executive asst. / social media strategy tasks for the Townsend Smith Hospice Foundation on a voluntary basis.  The story of that organization is interesting in itself – if getting a hospice off the ground interest you at all – take a look at what this group is doing; it’s a rather touching story. They’ve not put up a web site yet – but they can be reached at: Townsend.Smith.House@gmail.com     P. O. Box 489 – 420 Main street East Milton, Ontario L9T 5G3

Business in Burlington is more than a place to hand out your business cards - exactly what it is though is not yet clear. It's certainly a nice piece of promotion - but to what end?

Neale had been to one of the Business in Burlington events and decided to start a discussion group through which she asked – does anyone know where I can get quality T-shirts at a decent price.  She was wowed by the response.  People came back with strong referrals.  Yes, others jumped in saying, they supplied T-shirts and they could help.

What Neale wanted was recommendations from people and some sense as to how much money she was going to need to buy her initial run of T-shirts  Not only did she get names, with a specific person to call, but she found that several people recommended the same company.  Getting multiple strong references is about as good as it gets when you are looking for a supplier.

It all started with Kimberly asking:

I’m looking for a local promotional product company. Need quotes for printed T-Shirts for The Townsend Smith Hospice Foundation – a great…

The responses rolled in:

You need to call Ralph at Battlefield 905 662-1199 ext. 221

Nancy Schreiner of Excel Advertising 905 335 9784 or nancy@exceladvertising.com you can mention my name, we live in the same neighbourhood in Burlington

Contact Garrett at Brash Avenues. His number is 905-637-1578. They are a local Burlington business which I have dealt with personally on many occasions.

I would highly recommend Battlefield Advertising – they do all our promotional stuff. great company and they go above and beyond. Ralph at Battlefield 905 662-1199 ext. 221

Kimberly I see you have a few companies to choose from. If you need 1 more quote contact Sandy Stevenson @ sandys@thecorporateclothier.com or Cell: 416-209-4073. He lives in Burlington, and they SPECIALIZE in T-shirts, golf shirts, etc. Good luck! 🙂

In less than three days Kimberly had what she needed and ended her conversation with:  Very useful ! I spoke with some wonderful people and found the information I needed. Life is good!  Thanks BiB!!

So it works – not quite sure why this particular query worked when others don’t seem to be able to get any traction.  None of the companies that were referred were aware of what was being said about them.

Kim Neale proved you can make social media work for you - now she has to focus on her business and make that work for her and her client base.

So Neale will settle on one of the two T-shirt suppliers that came highly recommended.  Prices from both were about the same which was important for Neale.

The Halton Hospice will soon have their first run of T-shirts and that community opportunity will work through its own destination.  Meanwhile Kim Neale will get on with her own business – which has a name that says it all.  Her web site is Im on it.biz

The logo says it all - now all Kim Neale has to do is deliver on the brand.

The name says it all doesn’t it.  You know exactly what she does and you get the sense that she is efficient, quick and no nonsense.  The proof of course will be in the pudding – but if the brand name matters – this woman nailed it.

Her target audience is quite specific.  While she will work as a “personal assistant” for anyone,  she sees a market within the affluent seniors community – those that live in the high end retirement homes who want and can afford to have someone handle small administrative matters where confidence and trust are important.

Neale describes herself as “a freelance personal assistant that helps busy people and / or small business owners with their excessive task list, on an “as-needed” basis.”

The developing of the relationship with the senior and linking into their families is the stuff of developing a solid customer base.  Neale is developing relationships with several large residences where the residency costs are not cheap.  These people have significant disposable income and they want to spend it and not be tied down with all the details of getting small things taken care of quickly, efficiently and confidentially.

 

 

 

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2 comments to She answers all the requests with – I’m on it and is about to turn the phrase into a business opportunity.

  • Jennifer Royston

    What a great story about Kimberly Neale…….I have known Kim for a number of years and her work ethic and dedication to her role has always been admirable.
    I have watched Kim’s journey to where she is today and I can assure you that Kim is a true example and role model for those taking on the challenge of starting a business from the ground up as well as succeeding within the corporate world with style and class.
    Kim has overcome many obstacles on this journey and how wonderful it is now to watch her business flourish.
    Congratulations!

  • I’m so pleased for Kim, I saw that query arrive the day she posted it. With as many people actively engaged on BiB as we have *currently just shy of 1100 on LinkedIn* it’s no surprise to me she got such a warm and helpful response. The BiB members are an awesome bunch of business people and I’m proud to be associated with them. Thanks for the story Pepper, I appreciate you shedding light on BiB once more.