Recession Inspires Company Growth
Hear how an outsider continues to keep business local in Volusia & Flagler counties
PORT ORANGE, FL (Wednesday, June 8, 2011) – It was the day after Halloween 2007 when Diane Michael was asked to fly to Daytona Beach immediately as her father, Rick Michael, former executive director of economic development for Volusia County, was scheduled to have a sextuplet bypass surgery.
Michael was the founder of Buy Me Love Benefits, a
As she was taking care of her father post-op she became restless and approached Halifax Humane Society, asking them to allow her to create an auction in
Four weeks later 15 eligible men and woman were put on stage at the Museum of Arts & Sciences. The 20-40 year old bachelor/ettes created date packages and were auctioned off one by one at a high energy cocktail party that generated $17,000 for the shelter.
The following day Michael flew home to
Knowing that Buy Me Love Benefits would not be continuously as successful as
In April of 2008 Michael hired developers to create a web-based email service platform. Knowing that the present day was moving towards more ways of electronic marketing, she knew she had to be one of the first to introduce the new word of mouth for small businesses in Volusia and
As a small business owner herself, she knew that time is money and that most small business owners did not have time to market themselves properly through email newsletters. In the first week Michael secured 8 clients including SoNapa Wine Bar, Michele McCarthy Interiors and Crouch & Dunn Family Practice. The roster grew and grew and in December of 2010 Michael decided to take the business, fondly named The Callan Group, after her deceased mother's maiden name, to the next level.
Despite several clients going out of business and the climate of the local economy, Michael chose to invest back in the business she started just three years prior. In such a short amount of time this company continues to make strides to be the best in their field providing the most current marketing avenues for their clients. The Callan Group won a Bronze Addy Award from the American Federation of Advertising recently. They also continue to support the ever-changing needs of their clients by providing QR codes, social media links and special rate deals in their e-Newsletters. The Callan Group also has teamed up with Gage Publishing and Marketing 2 Go offering several local businesses an affiliate program that covers all marketing needs from the professionals of each field. This was just the beginning.
In January of 2011 the training program was created; an opportunity for other entrepreneurs to purchase a business in a box. Similar to franchise models, Michael's program gives motivated individuals the chance to be their own boss. By recruiting their own clients and setting them up on the company’s monthly program, purchasers can easily make six figures in their first year. The first week after rolling out the program two buyers came about. The first, John Ferrado who had been selling on a commission basis for The Callan Group since April of that year with focused efforts in
Since their training began both have acquired several dozen clients including Rose Villa, Spikes Athletic Footwear, McCharacters and several local hotels. This opportunity allows for the business owner to have the freedom needed in this fast-paced world. Having the ability to work from anywhere provides the potential to have clients in other areas as well.
Despite the recession, this local company has been inspired to maintain a stellar product, proven customer service, affordable pricing and most importantly, a business opportunity for individuals that are qualified. This is the type of growth and attitude that smaller communities continue to need to attract and retain business growth.
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About The Callan Group
The mission of this Veteran/Woman owned firm is to assist the business community by bringing experience, innovation and training to help further economic growth through custom, personalized electronic marketing. The Callan Group was awarded a Bronze Addy Award by the American Advertising Federation for exceptional work in electronic marketing and all their employees are active in several non-profit organizations in Volusia and Flagler counties.
