Success Strategies For Successful People ~ Steven Roddy

The following is an interview with Paul Edgewater, aka Busy Bee Paul, and how he went from working at McDonalds to starting Busy Bee Promotions, a profitable promotions company in Chicago that is responsible for marketing companies such as Starbucks, Comcast, Verizon, Easter Seals, and many others including my personal favorite…the Chicago Bears!

StevenRoddy.com: How did Busy Bee Promotions get started?

Busy Bee Paul: My first job at the ripe old age of 14 was at McDonalds, followed by Burger King and a small hotdog joint. Then I ventured out into working for a marketing company and began doing some sales training, which I really enjoyed. The marketing job lead me into the promotions industry and I began doing some promotions for AT&T and Old Navy and started to have a lot of fun with the work and with the people whom I was working with.

However, the promotional contracts with AT&T and Old Navy ended and that is when my business partner and I decided to start Busy Bee Promotions in 1998 at the age of 32.

StevenRoddy.com: How did you know that the promotional business was right for you?

Busy Bee Paul: I believe in the promotional business. When a company does promotions their brand awareness is increased as well as their profit margins. So it is an easy sell.

You see throughout all of my miscellaneous jobs I have been freelancing as a musician performing in front of crowds, marketing myself and interacting with people so when I stumbled upon promotions I thought to myself, “Hey, this is already something that I am doing as a musician.” So when my business partner and I were talking about starting Busy Bee Promotions I figured that I am already doing the work as a musician so why not. I followed my passion and it worked out successfully…

StevenRoddy.com: What advice do you have for employees who are trying to launch out into their own business?

Busy Bee Paul:

1. Get into a business that doesn’t require business loan or love money. (Steven: Amen! Made that mistake first time around)
2. Follow your passion. Though I worked several different jobs for money I was always working in the entertainment business on the side as an outlet for my passion. Then I simply followed my passion for the entertainment business into the promotions business. Examine your passions and you will find your business.

StevenRoddy.com: What was the biggest risk you took with Busy Bee Promotions?

Busy Bee Paul: There were 2 great risks that I can remember taking:

1. Putting out lots of proposals before we had the man power or know how to get the job done. On the surface this may not seem like a huge risk however the emotions behind taking this consistent action were pretty intense. Sometimes the risk of failure, ego and reputation are the biggest risks you will take.
2. Taking on a large commercial space before we really knew if Busy Bee Promotions was going to be successful. We needed the space and had come to the point where we needed to make a decision, so we signed the lease and then just got busy promoting Busy Bee Promotions.

StevenRoddy.com: What is the cause for the success of Busy Bee Promotions?

Busy Bee Paul: We have found that finding a new client is 6 times more expensive than keeping an existing one therefore we increased our profitability by increasing our level of service to our existing clients. We launched into creating temporary signage, and banners, which are still a vital part of marketing, but were monies that we were losing by sending the business elsewhere so the client could get what they needed.

Secondly, we do not accept failure. Just like any bee you will see in nature we work, work, work and continue working. The result has been that 80% of our business is sent to us by word of mouth, which is a great compliment.

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1. Promotional Marketing Jobs Pay $35 Per Hour
2. Do Your Advertising Strategies Freakin Work?
3. Be Successful – Interview with Law and Order Star Mike Pniewski