Over the past 20 years I have been fortunate enough to have started, grown and sold four companies whose main business function is centered on direct response marketing. In each instance, I learned more and more about the critical components that motivate consumers to want to buy a particular product or service from my companies as opposed to others. Everything from presentation to channel development strategies, along with constant testing, ongoing analysis and utilizing best practices and latest technologies correctly play a role in successfully converting sales.
It’s hard for some to remember back in the late 1980’s when people bought computer products from 400 page catalogs and ads in the back of magazines. Back then my company, Envisions, was one of the top 40 mail-order companies shipping many millions of dollars a year. We were constantly adjusting ad copy, layout, pricing, placement, special offers and incentives. Today that would be considered site optimization and we were better than most at making every square inch of print profitable.
Most recently, the basis of the Business Calcium model can be found in a company I co-founded most recently with Victor Hanna 9 years ago called Betty Mills (www.bettymills.com). At Betty Mills, we partner with some of the largest janitorial and facility manufacturers in the world to help them create an online profit center. Today, Betty Mills has become the largest online reseller for many of the companies it represents with annual sales of 14 million dollars a year.
Why Did We Start Business Calcium?
The twenty+ years of experience I had working closely with manufacturers had prompted me to develop a model that would enable manufacturers across multiple industries to create high-growth online distribution channels and to utilize new marketing techniques like Mobile and Social. We would invest in, develop, manage and grow their online profit center, and in return, earn a percentage of the rapidly growing sales.
A pretty simple idea really.
We spoke with many partners and advisers before starting Business Calcium with the objective of helping manufacturers in specific industries grow their business through an online direct-to-consumer channel. We found that successful partnerships start with the following common traits:
- Quality products and customer service are at the heart of the business.
- There is a deep desire to grow, learn and innovate.
- An expectation of six figure first year sales followed by 100% + growth per year
We look forward to working with manufacturers worldwide to create high-growth enterprises delivering best of breed products and services.
Sincerely,
David Schulhof