Murphy Redd Marketing - "A Marketing Voice with a Passion for Encouragement"
When family and friends told Kelly Murphy-Redd she should start her own business, she had the same “What-ifs?” and the “How do I do this?” questions we all have when considering a startup company.
She knew she had a passion for it. Her creative passion stems from her B.A. in Theater Arts and many years performing in and directing theater productions. She loves to communicate, generate ideas and strategize. She can write, design, and even decorate; bringing life to your office space. Resourceful, Kelly can really help your business grow!
She suddenly found herself quite busy in 2018 when several prior business partners called her out of the blue to assist with their marketing needs. Her new clients were extremely happy with her work. Even with 26 years of marketing experience, 14 years of real estate experience, six years of real estate development experience and several years of economic development experience, she did not seriously consider opening her own marketing business prior to this new encouragement. The prospect of doing something new was exciting.
Naturally, there were the ups and downs of starting a business. And, like everyone, when the pandemic set in, she too worried about how this setback would affect her new business. Watching some of her clients struggle during the COVID pandemic, she recognized the pandemic was an anomaly and knew she couldn’t base long-term decisions about her ability and success on something out of her control. Kelly encouraged her clients to accept this as well. Laying foundations for future projects, she also used the time to plan and improve her skills.
For Kelly and her business, it is all about staying grounded, surrounding herself with positive encouragement, and keeping her faith. Kelly thinks it is important to find what motivates you and to remember to show yourself some mercy. It is also important to recognize the events that clearly tell you to go in another direction as opposed to setbacks - which everyone faces. If you pay attention, you can usually tell the difference. Neither means giving up. One means making a change and the other requires perseverance to overcome the setback.
Kelly encourages everyone to follow their passion, “When you feel fired-up about something, when the idea stays with you, then take a step. If you receive positive in return, take another step. You will be able to see when you are making progress or you are beating your head against the wall. I am a firm believer in asking God to close doors he wants closed. But remember, there will always be those people who try to tear you down. Don’t let them. Don’t make yourself less than so others can feel better about themselves.”
Why is she so passionate about marketing? She wants to be your voice and help you show the world what you do and how awesome you are at it. Marketing is important for all businesses, no matter how big or how small. According to Kelly, marketing is product, price, distribution and promotion, which is a big umbrella, but nothing to be scared of. “Sometimes people do not understand marketing,” said Kelly. They don’t know what they need. It can also be uncomfortable for some people to get out there and sell themselves. They don’t want to be viewed as egotistical.”
Some also shy away from calling a marketing company because it seems overwhelming and potentially expensive. Kelly takes the mystery out of it. She defines the marketing products a business needs and prices each product; taking the guess work out of it and keeping it affordable. She can write your blogs, articles, case studies, and newsletters and tell you why you need them. She can design your ads and develop a strategy. She can even help you plan your events and update your office decor! All of these things are important to help advertise your business, so you can be successful, profitable, and grow. You do not have to do it alone. The wonderful thing is, there are people like Kelly who will help you with marketing, so you can focus on doing your work.
Since Kelly started her business, she thoroughly enjoys being her own boss, maintaining her own schedule, and interacting with clients. For those of you considering working from home, you may find this freeing! Just remember to stay disciplined and try not to allow the home-life distractions to get in your way. Kelly finds working from home enables her to be more flexible for her clients.
Stay positive, be kind to yourself, and keep moving forward. Opening your own business has many challenges, but it is very rewarding to see it grow. Kelly is there to help you, and you can count on her to be honest and give you all of the encouragement you need.
Practical Advice from Kelly:
1. Name your business what it is. Too many businesses create fun, clever or personally meaningful names that do not let the customer know what you do.
2. Pay for professionally designed logos that communicate what your business does and are transferable between billboards, signs, business cards, etc. There is an obvious difference between non-professionally designed and professionally designed logos.
3. If you have a brick-and-mortar location, make sure you have a professionally designed sign that can be read from a distance.
4. Answer your phone. There is nothing worse than phone trees leading the customer down a rabbit hole or not answering during business hours.
5. Follow up – consistency matters. Provide concise information when communicating.
For more information about Murphy Redd Marketing, visit Kelly’s website at: https://www.murphyreddmarketing.com/, email her at: murphyreddmarketing@cox.net, or call her at: 850-723-4541.
