July 11, 2005
Cutting loose | A chat with Suzette Bergeron, owner and president of Fun Management Group in Scarborough.
By Richard Smart
Founded: June 2004
Employees: Two
Startup costs:$15,000
Revenues, 2004: $35,000
Projected revenues, 2005: $75,000
Contact: 839-9919
4 Earles Way, Scarborough
www.funmangroup.com
Tell me about Fun Management Group.
We help businesses build customer and employee loyalty by providing creative ideas for promotional items, incentive gifts and branded logo products. Our signature product line is the corporate fun package that comes in the form of a gift basket goody-bag.
We definitely specialize in things that have a fun side to them, but we'll put a logo on about anything our customers ask us to, [from] T-shirts and travel mugs to high-end gift giveaways of the latest and greatest gadgets.
What kinds of things go into the gift baskets?
Typical fun packages include business books, desk items, office gadgets, stress relievers ˆ that kind of thing. We are an alternative to the corporate food basket. With food allergies, you never know if what you're giving is appropriate.
How did you get the idea for the company?
I was working for Northern Sky Toyz [in Portland], and [owner] Bob Ray and I were in California at a business growth summit. We had heard somebody at a meeting somewhere mention corporate gift baskets ˆ that there's potential for a product line ˆ and on the trip we developed that idea. We got back from the trip and crunched the numbers, worked out the logistics and all of that, and we decided to launch it as a partnership between Bob and I.
How did you finance the launch?
Personal funds. Bob and I invested in the business.
What kind of marketing have you done?
Well, naturally, I put my logo on all kinds of promotional products and give them out to just about everybody that I meet. And I have also participated in four trade shows, some in Maine and a large trade show in Boston. I sponsored some events for the [Portland Regional] Chamber and I sponsored, and am continuing to sponsor, some human resource appreciation events such as the Maine HR convention at the Samoset [in Rockport] in May.
Definitely the biggest expense so far has been marketing. Because I don't have a storefront, it requires a lot more effort just to let people know that I'm out there. And my business is all about marketing, so really I need to practice what I preach.
How do you distinguish yourself from your competition?
There are a lot of companies that sell promotional products, there are a lot of companies that sell gift baskets [and] there are some companies that sell interesting office gadgets, but I have searched and searched and I have yet to find anybody who offers the gift service program that we do. That's a combination of the gifts themselves and then just creating superior presentation and packaging.
What are your plans for growth?
Basically expanding into new markets and identifying some national accounts that really embrace the concept and the benefit of building customer and employee loyalty to help the bottom line. As far as what I will do to achieve that goal, today I would take on a salesperson or a partner because I really feel that there's a lot of business out there. But I'm trying to be controlled and smart about growth and show that I'm taking time to learn and develop myself.
What aspects of your business have been different than you expected?
I've really been surprised that the companies that I've worked with are what I would consider conservative. TD Banknorth is one of my best clients. I wouldn't have thought that they would have adopted that type of philosophy. I think it's just been surprising that these companies that I thought were conservative have been really open to the idea [of having fun at work].
What's the weirdest thing you've ever been asked to put in a gift basket?
One of my strangest requests was from a seemingly conservative, prominent Portland CPA firm who shall remain anonymous. They were looking for gag gifts for a group that had been putting in a lot of extra hours on a special project. Surprisingly, they chose nose pencil sharpeners ˆ you stick the pencil in the nose to sharpen it ˆ excuse ball keyrings and trick rubber pencils.
New Entrepreneurs profiles young businesses,
6-18 months old. Send your suggestions and contact information to editorial@mainebiz.biz.
Employees: Two
Startup costs:$15,000
Revenues, 2004: $35,000
Projected revenues, 2005: $75,000
Contact: 839-9919
4 Earles Way, Scarborough
www.funmangroup.com
Tell me about Fun Management Group.
We help businesses build customer and employee loyalty by providing creative ideas for promotional items, incentive gifts and branded logo products. Our signature product line is the corporate fun package that comes in the form of a gift basket goody-bag.
We definitely specialize in things that have a fun side to them, but we'll put a logo on about anything our customers ask us to, [from] T-shirts and travel mugs to high-end gift giveaways of the latest and greatest gadgets.
What kinds of things go into the gift baskets?
Typical fun packages include business books, desk items, office gadgets, stress relievers ˆ that kind of thing. We are an alternative to the corporate food basket. With food allergies, you never know if what you're giving is appropriate.
How did you get the idea for the company?
I was working for Northern Sky Toyz [in Portland], and [owner] Bob Ray and I were in California at a business growth summit. We had heard somebody at a meeting somewhere mention corporate gift baskets ˆ that there's potential for a product line ˆ and on the trip we developed that idea. We got back from the trip and crunched the numbers, worked out the logistics and all of that, and we decided to launch it as a partnership between Bob and I.
How did you finance the launch?
Personal funds. Bob and I invested in the business.
What kind of marketing have you done?
Well, naturally, I put my logo on all kinds of promotional products and give them out to just about everybody that I meet. And I have also participated in four trade shows, some in Maine and a large trade show in Boston. I sponsored some events for the [Portland Regional] Chamber and I sponsored, and am continuing to sponsor, some human resource appreciation events such as the Maine HR convention at the Samoset [in Rockport] in May.
Definitely the biggest expense so far has been marketing. Because I don't have a storefront, it requires a lot more effort just to let people know that I'm out there. And my business is all about marketing, so really I need to practice what I preach.
How do you distinguish yourself from your competition?
There are a lot of companies that sell promotional products, there are a lot of companies that sell gift baskets [and] there are some companies that sell interesting office gadgets, but I have searched and searched and I have yet to find anybody who offers the gift service program that we do. That's a combination of the gifts themselves and then just creating superior presentation and packaging.
What are your plans for growth?
Basically expanding into new markets and identifying some national accounts that really embrace the concept and the benefit of building customer and employee loyalty to help the bottom line. As far as what I will do to achieve that goal, today I would take on a salesperson or a partner because I really feel that there's a lot of business out there. But I'm trying to be controlled and smart about growth and show that I'm taking time to learn and develop myself.
What aspects of your business have been different than you expected?
I've really been surprised that the companies that I've worked with are what I would consider conservative. TD Banknorth is one of my best clients. I wouldn't have thought that they would have adopted that type of philosophy. I think it's just been surprising that these companies that I thought were conservative have been really open to the idea [of having fun at work].
What's the weirdest thing you've ever been asked to put in a gift basket?
One of my strangest requests was from a seemingly conservative, prominent Portland CPA firm who shall remain anonymous. They were looking for gag gifts for a group that had been putting in a lot of extra hours on a special project. Surprisingly, they chose nose pencil sharpeners ˆ you stick the pencil in the nose to sharpen it ˆ excuse ball keyrings and trick rubber pencils.
New Entrepreneurs profiles young businesses,
6-18 months old. Send your suggestions and contact information to editorial@mainebiz.biz.
Most Recent
Most Recent
Comments