Tough economic times can force a company to take stock and re-evaluate how to stay relevant to their clients. It’s not any different at Penney and Company Marketing in North Bay.
Tough economic times can force a company to take stock and re-evaluate how to stay relevant to their clients.
It’s not any different at Penney and Company Marketing in North Bay.
The recession made them brainstorm on how they can stay in the minds of their clients, both current and potential, while offering more for them.
"The biggest thing we’re pushing is new business start-ups," said owner Bernard Penney, who is gearing up this year to do on-the-road seminars and workshops across northeastern Ontario to appeal to potential small business clients.
Together with his wife, Linda, a certified accountant who handles the company books, they run a four-employee full-service creative firm that will design and cross-promote a client’s message or logo for print, broadcast, trade show displays, web and multimedia presentations.
The firm recently moved from a Main Street West brick home to a new studio on Worthington Street across from North Bay city hall.
A trend began last year with government agencies pulling back their marketing money in favour of hiring their own creative design staff. This was Penney's bread and butter.
The next avenue of growth is appealing to first-time entrepreneurs to keep his company in mind in assisting with their start-up.
The firm plans to launch a series of seminars this year in North Bay, New Liskeard, Bracebridge, Huntsville and Parry Sound.
Together with Linda, they want to walk participants, and possibly future clients, through a business and marketing plan.
"I’ve really hung my hat on educating clients," said Penney. "My philosophy is if you do it right the first time, your chances of survival are much better."
Penney got on the seminar kick after serving for seven years on the board of North Bay’s Downtown Improvement Area. There were instances of new shop owners starting up in the fall who didn’t survive past Christmas. Their upcoming seminars, Our Two Cents Worth, is based on the story of their company but will offer a small business primer on weathering tough times, finding new markets and expanding product lines.
"We started up from scratch and have been through a couple of economic ups and downs."
In the late 1970s, after working as a labourer at the Carol Lake iron mine in Labrador, Penney arrived in North Bay. He graduated in 1980 from Canadore College’s graphic design program and worked for 13 years at Fedeli Advertising, a defunct firm headed by North Bay mayor Vic Fedeli.
After the company was sold to new owners, Penney branched out on his own in 1992. He merged briefly for two years in a business partnership with Marcus Cooper, winning two prestigious Summit International Awards, plus a North Bay Chamber of Commerce award, until the relationship dissolved in late 2008.
Today, the firm’s clients runs a range from mine suppliers such as J.S
Redpath, to institutions like Canadore College, along with insurers, financial planners and regional health units.
www.penneyandcompany.com
