Urban Enterprises

Our featured staff member for April 2013 is Shelby Watson. Shelby has been of tremendous assistance in the office.  Shelby has been working with Urban Enterprises since December 2012. We began bringing her into the Urban office in March to help with data entry and building our Neighborhood Distribution Program. "Shelby is a quick learner, has a wonderful attitude and is very thorough.  I'm so happy we are bringing her on to be a part of our office staff!" -Kelly S.

Urban Enterprises was thrilled to host our 2nd annual "Let's Rock" in the New Year party at Hard Rock Cafe's Velvet Underground. It's a wonderful chance to celebrate the past year with our clients and office team. In 2012, we passed out 2 million coupons and expanded our markets to encompass additional Southeastern cities. We are also excited to toast to 2013 being an even greater year! Shayne introduced the newest members of the Urban Team, Kelly Greene- Staffing Coordinator & Brad Gibson- Marketing Coordinator. We'd like to thank Hard Rock Cafe's attentive serving staff for their hospitality, Last Five Standing for their awesome entertainment, and Brandon Polack for his photography. Thanks to all of our clients who were able to make it out and celebrate. Let's Rock in 2013!!
~Kelly S

The Dutch Valley Food Truck Wednesdays is partnering with The Feed The Hungry Foundation to run a 2 week food drive event! Starting December 12th with Freckled and Blue and continuing on December 19th with The Blaxican, Parkside Piedmont and other Dutch Valley offices workers receive a free drink with the purchase of lunch and the donation of at least 3 non perishable goods. We filled the barrel both weeks with a great supply of food to Feed The Hungry, a fellow tenant in Parkside Piedmont. Find out more about Feed The Hungry and how you can help! Also follow Urban Enterprises on Facebook to see our weekly truck schedule. We'll resume on January 9th with Mix'd Up and their delicious Burgers! Stay tuned for updates and Happy Holidays from Urban Enterprises!
~Kelly

Tune in on December 19th to A2Zen.fm and you may hear a familiar voice! Urban Enterprises’ very own Shayne Walsey recently did an interview for the radio program, “The Better You Project”. This program highlights business leaders and entrepreneurs in the Atlanta area while asking thought provoking questions like: “Over the course of your journey, what qualities have you found in yourself that you may or may not be surprised about that made you a “better” you?” and “Knowing what you know now, what advice would you give someone who was ready to take the plunge or make that jump towards becoming a “better” person by following their passions in life?”

The hosts of the program, Susan McMullen and Eric Holtzclaw, both have their own businesses outside of the radio program. Susan offers Business Consulting, Public Speaking courses and workshops for both. Eric, founder/CEO of User Insight, has founded multiple successful start-up companies, including one of the first profitable Internet enterprises, and implementation of over 30 consumer oriented and internal use products and services worldwide.

Mark your calendars for December 19th!
~Jess

Worldwide brand recognition is something all business owners strive to achieve. There are very few proprietary concepts in business these days, so how does a business stand out among its competitors? By developing a brand that is memorable and identifiable by even a toddler who cannot read, businesses create universal brand recognition.

According to the American Marketing Association dictionary, a brand is a “name, terms, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one seller’s good or service as distinct from those of other sellers.” The Italians were among the first to use brands, in the form of watermarks on paper in the 1200s according to John Colapinto’s New Yorker magazine article “Famous Names."

Appropriate and repetitive branding may result in higher sales for a company and higher brand awareness. This is why it is very important for a company to ensure that their brand and logo are easy to read, easy to understand, and marketed often. Some successful brands just known by their logo are Apple Computer's Apple logo and McDonalds' golden arches.

At Urban Enterprises we believe that using our Office Building Distribution service multiple times a year will not only drive customers into a restaurant, but it also allows for a restaurant’s brand or logo to be viewed by tens of thousands of people multiple times a day. This results in memory recall at a later time when a customer chooses to dine at a certain restaurant because he or she was previously exposed to the brand. Our clients typically see a 5%-12% return per distribution, and they often report that customers come in and state, “I came in because of a coupon I received at work, but I forgot the coupon." This is one great example of how seeing your brand drives customers to your restaurant.

Urban Enterprises’ success is based on REACH, FREQUENCY, and EFFECTIVENESS. By utilizing Urban Enterprises' Distribution Services, your audience is reached on a person-to-person level while receiving the promotional pieces during prime decision-making time.  By performing multiple distributions, we are able to maximize exposure and increase returns as studies (and our 30+ year experience) prove that it takes numerous exposures to a brand before a customer responds.  As effectiveness of any promotion is directly affected by the call to action, we encourage clients to provide strong offers and incentives.  Return on investment is highest when reach, frequency, and effectiveness of the offer are all maximized. Contact Starr Cumming for pricing or to schedule a distribution.
~Starr

Shayne recently had an interview the Atlanta Business Chronicle about being a leader and the importance of communication within a company. The Atlanta Business Chronicle is a great publication and site covering daily local business, resources and more throughout Atlanta. Check out Shayne's interview here from Page 18B of the October 19-25 edition of the ABC. Register for upcoming issues and to be a part of this great organization!

As the office summer intern, I have been given the privilege to work with Urban Enterprises from May to August. I have gained so much experience and seen how each piece fits into the puzzle.  For these few months, I have felt so included as I have been allowed to learn and grow. At every chance available, Shayne has given me the opportunity to experience each individual part of makes up the company;  poster distribution,  sales calls with Starr, working events for Caitlin, green market with Jessica, and understanding what goes into ‘hand delivering’ as well as all of the work Kelly puts into the process. Thanks Kelly and Caitlin for always having a task for me to work on and the guidance you have given me. I would also like to thank the entire staff of Urban Enterprises for sharing their office with me. Urban Enterprises was a fabulous internship and I feel lucky to be a part of it. Overall, this summer was a great learning experience. I have met so many amazing people and the connections I have made are invaluable.
~Leanne

For the past two months, I have gotten a glimpse into one of the Atlanta Business Chronicle's Best Places to Work. For the third year in a row, Urban Enterprises has been honored to receive this prestigious nomination, building upon its previous recognition as the 9th Best Place to Work in Atlanta in 2011. Selected for their amazing work environment, and for being a company that thrives on creativity, Urban Enterprises has shown me that teamwork and a valued concept of cooperation can provide any company with the framework necessary for growth. Working among these women while in the office or staffing an event, they are always there with a friendly face and are ready to meet any challenge they may encounter. Congratulations ladies on this honor, and thank you for giving me a preview into the working world.

~Leanne

My first week at Urban Enterprises has been great.  I am so excited to be working with such a dynamic group of talented people. I have been in the commercial real estate industry for 15 years in the shopping center industry in the areas of property management, development, marketing and leasing. I look forward to helping take the company to its next level of success. I have used Urban Enterprises for the past 10 years as a vendor while I was the Retail Marketing Manager at Perimeter Mall and the Specialty Leasing & Sponsorship Manager at Atlantic Station (North American Properties).   I was/am one of their biggest fans and I can’t believe that I am now on the team.  You just never know what the universe has in store for you.  It is a small world after all; so don’t ever burn any bridges. 

My primary role at Urban Enterprises will be to bring in new customers for both our staffing services and promotional distribution in Metro Atlanta and beyond.  The World….well at least the Southeastern U.S.A….is my oyster.  In my spare time I am a Mother to two amazing little boys and love spending time with them and my husband at our lake house on Jackson Lake.  I also enjoy writing and sharing my years of experience by writing articles from time to time for Specialty Retail Report Magazine.  Here is a link to my Fall 2010 article Picking Profitable Product.  Please contact me if you are interested in hearing more about the services that we can offer you at Urban Enterprises-Starr Cumming, Director of Business Development. 

~Starr