As a FedEx Authorized ShipCenter^®, you likely see all sorts of customers come through your door, from local residents to businesses big and small to students and travelers. Each customer set has their own needs and priorities, and for each one, you can find unique ways to attract them, serve more of their needs, and keep them coming back.

Small and medium-size businesses (SMBs) are an especially promising type of customer because they have so many different needs, according to Marty Johnson, owner of Uncle Marty's Shipping Office in Ithaca, New York.

“Small businesses, especially startups, are looking for convenience,” he says. “They want to be able to get it all done in one place because they have so much on their plate.”

Marty, whose FASC just celebrated 10 years in business and whose parents also operated shipping stores, is a member and former board chair of AMBC, a national nonprofit trade association for independent shipping stores.

We sat down with him and the incoming board chair, Norman Froscher of Espresso Mail in West Palm Beach, Florida, to get their advice on the best ways to market to SMBs.

“Word of mouth is first and foremost the best marketing — more than any advertising, pamphlet, or anything,” Marty says. “Treating people with respect and having them come back, and post good reviews online — there’s no better marketing than that.” Uncle Marty’s serves many individual departments in local universities, which he says operate much like small businesses. “We treat each department like its own little business. They talk with each other, so that’s word of mouth marketing.”  

“We like social media,” Marty says. Norman agrees: “I use social media templates from the FASCnet Marketing Toolbox — I pull one off and add my own touch to that.” Marty adds, “With customers’ permission, we’ll share a photo of a printing or shipping job. Campus clubs are also like their own businesses. They see those posts and come in wanting their flyers shared on social media too!”

Your FASC location can be a great marketing tool itself — a chance to show passers-by and walk-ins what you can do. Marty makes regular use of the signage in the Marketing Toolbox on FASCnet.com. “We have posters behind the counter we switch around by season — and we swap them out to keep them fresh and not torn or faded. The illuminated sign is huge —  being associated with FedEx lends credibility to our business.”

“We do five or six direct mailings a year, targeting heavily concentrated business routes with a mailing piece about our printing or international shipping capabilities,” Norman says. Marty adds, “We also do more targeted letters to businesses — something that relates to what they do.” For instance, his FASC offers free shipping for Locks of Love — a nonprofit that creates hairpieces for children with cancer using donated hair— so he sends beauty salons a poster they can display about the offer. As a bonus, that sends new customers to his store.

“And we send holiday cards — not only to high-volume clients but also to nearby businesses, even if they don’t spend a dime here, just to keep in touch. We’ll also send sympathy cards, or a thank-you card after a big sale. A personal touch like that makes a big difference.”

“B2B clients are looking for someone with a good reputation,” Marty says. “If you have certificates or training, or you’re featured in an article or local publication, frame it and display it in the store. That kind of thing legitimizes a business.”

“I think the best advice we can give is networking with other businesses,” Marty says. Besides their involvement with AMBC, Marty and Norman both belong to local trade organizations. Marty founded and runs the Collegetown Small Business Alliance in Ithaca. Norman is in a networking group with 25 members in different professions. Marty and Norman agree that networking is invaluable for getting peer advice about your business.

In addition, says Norman, “It’s another way to market our services. The other small business owners come to me for help with their printing and shipping. That networking builds those relationships. I’ve been doing it for about three years and even with members from three years ago, I’m their go-to source.”

Did you get some new ideas for marketing to SMBs? If you’re ready to implement Marty and Norman’s advice, you can start by getting signage and social media content from the Marketing Toolbox at FASCnet.com.