Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Nicole Crocker. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Nicole, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today How did you come up with the idea for your business?

My husband and I own a successful remodeling company in San Diego that has been in business for 11 years now. When we first started that company, my background was in business-to-business marketing; I had no experience in business-to-consumer.

So I reached out to some marketing agencies to supplement my knowledge but was shocked to learn most of them wanted $3k, $5k, or $10k minimums, which we did not have as a start-up.

When I did find a few marketing agencies to work with, I was dissatisfied with the number of actual deliverables I was receiving for the money I was forking out. As a start-up business owner, this was very scary, impactful, and unnecessary.

Fast forward to 2020 ….our remodeling company was flourishing, we didn’t want to grow it any further, and I felt like it was time to turn around and give back.

So I developed a concept to help other startups and small businesses get the supplemental marketing assistance they needed so they could achieve the level of success we had.

SBMS Media provides affordable services to startups and small businesses that want to scale intentionally and incrementally to preserve cash flow as they grow.

Nicole, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I fell in love with marketing in the 5th grade when my teacher asked me to create a trifold brochure for a pretend vacation. I was part of the school news publication and yearbook and I went into sales the moment I was able to. With great mentorship, a college degree, and 26 years of marketing services – I am confident I am an expert in the field of marketing.

Startups and Small Businesses can hire SBMS Media to be a full-service marketing team for a fraction of the cost of ONE employee. And that includes advertising spend!

Our team consists of college-educated marketing and advertising professionals who work off-site. Our services are available nationwide across all industries.

Most of our clients are home service providers (contractors, interior designers, remodelers, home builders) but we also work with a handful of businesses that specialize in Live Events, Performing Arts, and a few that offer custom creations.

My biggest accomplishment, so far, was to produce a television series (13 episodes) that aired on Fox 5 San Diego for a client as part of a marketing campaign in 2021. Our team is very creative when it comes to finding ways to gain brand exposure for our clients and we do not shy away from a challenge!

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

The most effective strategy for growing our clientele has been consistency in messaging, word of mouth, networking, and attending live events.

When we engage with others, every interaction is intentional. For example, when we go to a networking event – there is a specific goal of how many individuals or companies we will introduce ourselves to.

There are specific metrics we have to achieve every month as part of our growth plan including a specific number of sales calls and emails that must take place as well as a specific number of events we must attend and outreaches we must make on social platforms.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

In 2008 during the recession, I was laid off and had to re-evaluate my career choice. I was in sales and marketing for a construction company. At this time I had been in the industry my entire career (12 years) and the economy was in the toilet.

I decided to pivot to try another industry and landed in print advertising sales for a year. I also worked for a placement company for a year before I ran back to the construction industry.

What I found during that time was invaluable. During my time doing print advertising sales, I learned about content creation and other avenues of reaching clientele for business-to-consumer interactions. During my time with the placement company, I learned how to interview, hire, and fire employees.

All these experiences helped me when we built our first business (the remodeling company) and continue to help me grow my current business (the marketing agency)

Contact Info:

• Website: sbmsmedia.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/sbmsmedia
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sbmsmedia/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicole-crocker-48173615

Image Credits
Marcy Browe Photography