Behind a Good Brand is a Good Story

Every Company Has a Story; you should want to talk about it and people should want to listen

Over a month ago I spoke to a friend I knew who worked at a local news station in Wichita. He was happy to see me back in town and was curious as to what would bring me back from Kansas City.

I began to tell him about how the softening economy had affected my then brother's business, and that he asked me to join him in rebuilding the company and putting new procedures in place to ensure growth or prevent further damage. I also told him what makes our company so different, truly unique, to any other labor staffing firm in the city, state, even region. I explained that we served people who had no other place to go, that we provided them a studio apartment, we worked to find them employment, and then we provided them with transportation to and from the jobsite.

His first reaction was that we were a social service and thought our funding came from the state or federal government. Most people have that perception when I tell them our purpose and our mission. However, we are a 100% private for profit company. When people hear this their second question/thought is, "How do you make money helping those who have hit rock bottom or have difficulties in their lives where they need your service?" The truth is that people are not disposable, while some to the majority of people seeking our service have created their own difficulties, once in that tailspin it is difficult to them to recover if no one reaches out to give them a hand up. Fresh Start's motto is "Giving a Hand up, Not a Hand Out". People in our program seeking residence and employment enter our program voluntarily. They need to be ready to seek help and have the drive to take full advantage of the service we provide.

For profit companies typically do not target the demographics we aim to serve. I believe this segment of our population is desperately under served, and that their is money to be made in acting socially responsible, while finding a niche to fill for a product that people will demand. So to answer the question, "How do we make money?" We look for men and women who are ready and willing to work and work hard in labor or light industrial industries. When someone enters our program they sign a contract requiring them to agree to work for us at one of our client companies. Upon entering the program they do not have to pay a security deposit or pay any rent upfront. In their contract they agree to begin paying rent once they begin working and they have agreed to work a set number of hours in order to honor their leasing agreement. The goal is to find them a good stable position, so they can meet the terms of their contract through us, and then begin rebuilding their lives, by leaving our program and rejoining their family and/or support network. We see ourselves as a short-term solution, which will need to lasting results for those who want to make the changes necessary in their lives.

The other side of our business is our staffing agency. We serve companies in and around the Wichita, KS metro area who are in need of labor or light industrial employees. We offer temporary to long-term solutions, by providing companies with an affordable and flexible option to meet their staffing needs. Our clients get the benefit of knowing the employees we supply have adequate housing, dependable transportation, and a disciplined and supervised living situation. This is what makes us so unique from other staffing firms. When a company employs the help of another agency, the agency is not able to guarantee to the company that their temporary help has stable housing or reliable transportation, nor will they step in to solve this problem if it is discovered the employee is without these resources.

Our client companies also know that they are doing well by the communities they serve. When they employ us to fill their positions, they are giving someone a chance to make a change for them self and for their loved ones. People who were without a home and a job are given the opportunity to end their downward spiral, and if the person proves that they are not ready, we are able to quickly identify those individuals and give another individual this opportunity. I do believe there is a place for government in serving our disadvantaged population, so I would never advocate that any government involvement is a bad idea. However, I do believe that company leaders need to look at our entire population and decide how they serve as many people as possible and in a responsible manner. Fresh Start is not able to help everyone, so other companies or government programs are necessary. Yet, when an individual loses their home and their job, and seeks help at a shelter, they may only find a safe place to sleep and food to nourush their body. If that individual is willing and able to work, then someone needs to step in and be the method of delivering the nourishment of employment as well. Few companies will consider employing someone who lives in a shelter and/or does not have their own transportation, so that is where we act as an advocate. We solve this necessary concern employers have and then ask them to trust that we will do our best to supply only the individuals deserving of this opportunity.

So after telling my friend about the interworkings of Fresh Start, he paused and said, "This is amazing. I never knew something like this in Wichita existed." I told him, "I don't think it exists anywhere else." I asked somewhat jokingly but seriously if he thought this was news worthy. He stated he thought it was and that he would pitch our company as a news story to the producers at the station. I soon received word from my friend that the producers were indeed interested, and just two weeks ago a business reporter visited our location. The reporter interviewed my brother and I, had a cameraman take shots of our office, our residential facility, one of our client jobsites, and at a site where some of our unemployed residents were volunteering with Habitat for Humanity. Last Tuesday, the story aired. This has to be one of my proudest moments in my life. I was proud of what my brother was able to do accomplish on his own after my uncle passed away last year. I was proud of the work our staff and residents put in to clean up and organize our operation. I was also proud that we had outlet and opportunity like this news story to help brand our company. I believe we have a story to tell, and this is just the beginning of getting that message out.

Company owners and leaders need to have a passion and a story of why they are in business.
· Be proud of what you do,
· Know what sets your apart,
· And tell anyone that will listen.
People love a good story, so create your own. I truly appreciate having a friend who allowed me to bend his ear and made this news story possible, but even if you do not have this channel to communicate to the masses you still need to have a message. If you struggle to excite others about what you are doing, then now is the time to address this dilemma. If you are excited, then don't bottle it up. Let it out! Get your 15 minutes of fame, and then once you have captured the moment; build on it. Rest is for the weary; results are for the determined.

To watch our featured news story on KSN Channel 3 News click on the link below
http://www.ksn.com/mediacenter/local.aspx?videoid=1475@ksnw.web.entriq.net&navCatId=22

For more information and resources on Brand Storytelling visit
http://www.fastcompany.com/blog/melinda-partin/work-tank/brand-storytelling-connecting-your-audience