Posted on July 15, 2019

Bad Dog Distillery

Author: Jen Amundson, Deluxe Director of Social Media and Communications In our “Small Business Stories” series, we hit the road to interview small business owners about their unique journeys. Each story provides inspiration and insights, while shining a spotlight on the passionate small business owners who are so critical to our economies and our communities. […]

Posted on July 8, 2019

Surprise! Small Business Owners Reflect on the Unexpected

You love them. You hate them. Surprises. Good or bad, they raise the heart rate and challenge our creativity.

As the Small Business Revolution team traveled across the country to the Top 10 towns for Season 4 of “Main Street,” there were plenty of surprises to manage. When bad weather canceled the flight between Boston and Charlotte, the team jumped in a rental and drove 15 hours so we could meet the fine folks in Washington, North Carolina.  That’s a lot of singing show tunes and eating at gas stations, but the team made it. Let’s call that surprise a “Team Bonding Opportunity.”

Posted on July 2, 2019

An End That is Just the Beginning for Searcy

As our team headed to Searcy, Arkansas for the final week of intense filming for Season 4 of Small Business Revolution – Main Street, we were met with a mix of emotions. Every season, the final week of filming and reveal moments for the six amazing business owners we work with is always bittersweet. We are excited to showcase the incredible work the Deluxe team put into these businesses, from new websites, logos, branded apparel to email marketing and payroll. After hundreds of hours of work and making real connections with the business owners, it’s sad to see things come to an end.

Posted on June 24, 2019

Bubba’s Brewhouse: Bringing Music to a Small Town

Paul and Jennifer Steen have a passion for music. When they opened Bubba’s Brewhouse in Durant, Oklahoma three years ago, they knew they wanted the venue to feel like home for bands and musicians who played. Paul wanted to create a space that he would have wanted to play during his career.

Posted on June 11, 2019

Scenes from Creative Lab Week

The week of May 13 to most people was just any other week in May. In Minnesota, Spring was starting to feel like a reality, the snow was FINALLY gone and at Deluxe Headquarters, just outside of St. Paul, Minnesota, small businesses from Searcy, Arkansas were congregating to get a deep dive into marketing tactics with members of the Deluxe Small Business Marketing team.

Posted on June 11, 2019

Top 5 Things to Consider When Starting Your Own Business

It is a fact that we fail more often than we succeed. For small business owners, this fact is known, since many small business owners find out early and often what steps they need to take to thrive, and which are holding them back.

Posted on June 3, 2019

Trial and Error: The Key to Nest & Love Photography’s Success

Tanya Wright became interested in photography as a child. She would set up her toys in displays to take pictures. It wasn’t until 2017, however, that she decided to make her hobby a profession. Part of her goal was to show her three daughters that it was possible to follow your dream and be that strong role model they needed to pursue their own dreams. She went back to school, became accredited and bought all the equipment she’d need.

Posted on May 24, 2019

Three Tips for Social Media Success

Social media has become a normal part of our everyday lives. It feels like everyone, young and old, is on social, finding new recipes from that influencer on Instagram or posting photos of their child on Facebook because their mom said their grandma and aunts want to see more. If both of my grandmothers, who are in their 80s, are on Facebook and social media channels, shouldn’t small businesses as well?

Posted on May 22, 2019

Small Businesses + Community Financial Institutions = Main Street, USA

Leaving behind a well-paying job and a steady paycheck, Jonas Janek knew he wanted to follow his dream and open his own small business in Alton, Illinois. Buoyed by his wife, Andrea, who kept her job, Janek went all-in when he opened his custom metal fabrication shop, Henley Forge. And then reality set in.

Posted on May 20, 2019

Old Mexican Inn: The Tale of Family, Success and… Orange Dip

Not many businesses, large or small, can say they’ve been in business for more than 75 years. That’s a huge feat, for any business to reach. When our team set out to research businesses with compelling stories to share during our Top 10 town trip across the country, Old Mexican Inn in Corsicana, Texas stood out to us for that fact. Not only has the business been open since 1941, but it has been owned and operated by the same family since it began.

Posted on May 10, 2019

Wabash Inspires Young Entrepreneurs

I read a study a while back that said millennials will be more likely to work for themselves than anyone else. They are a highly entrepreneurial group.

In our high schools around the country, groups like DECA and others are helping the next generation figure out ways to foster their entrepreneurial spirit, spurning new, potential small business owners into our economic futures. At Wabash High School, teacher Tyler Olson is encouraging the next generation right now.

Posted on May 9, 2019

Managing public complaints on social media

I hope you never use this blog. I hope all your reviews are five-star.

Okay, let’s be real. Probably, at some point, you are going to hear from an unhappy customer. Maybe they’ll keep it quiet by emailing or calling you. But you may find yourself dealing with an angry allegation on your social media pages for all to see. Yikes.