Harry and Rosie Hicks are the owners of Show-Me Promotions and Apparel. They are business and life partners and have been married for 29 years.
“We got into this business quite by accident,” said Harry. “We were the owners of Chem-Dry Mo-Kan Carpet & Upholstery for 22 years and about a year-and-half ago we sold it. It was those customers that kept asking us where they could find baseball shirts and other promotions. It got us thinking about a new business venture.”
Start up
This is the third business that the Hicks started up. “We prayed and thought a lot about opening this type of business,” said Rosie. “So in 2004, we went into it part-time. Today, we are a full-time business and have three consultants working for us, Berta Graham, Cheryl Bradley, and Tawna Noftzger. Our sales have increased 10 percent over the last year. Not bad for being in a recession.”
Rosie is the bookkeeper and Harry is responsible for the orders and getting the product to the customer on time and correctly. “We provide personal attention to each and every customer,” she added.
The company has more than 800 vendors. And they only deal with four-star companies as rated by the Advertising Specialties Institute. Their customers are both local and national including a national tire wholesaler.
Some of the items that can be personalized for your business include apparel, office products, golf products, banners, business cards, pens, pencils, cups, and more. But the item that really caught my eye was a stapler shaped like a swan that also included a place for scotch tape, business cards, and sticky notes. Rosie said they found this stapler at one of the many trade shows they attend.
Their logo, “We Promote You” is the base of their marketing. “Buying the right product for the right company is what it is all about,” said Harry.
ASI survey
According to an ASI survey ad specialties are essentially gifts that break through the information clutter, reach consumers on a personal level, and provide real impact in a creative way. Here’s what ASI found:
- ■ 84 percent of people remember the advertiser on a product they receive.
- ■ 24 percent indicate they are more likely to do business with an advertiser on items they receive.
- ■ 62 percent have done business with the advertiser on a product after receiving it.
- ■ 81 percent of promotional products were kept because they were considered useful.
- ■ 54 percent said pens and pencils were the most commonly owned advertising specialty followed by shirts, caps, and bags.
■ More than three-quarters of respondents have had their items for about seven months.
Harry wrapped it up saying, “I see a need for promotional items as businesses need to keep their name out there. Promotional products are one of the most cost effective ways of doing that.”
Customer service first
Good customer service is on top of Show-Me’s marketing plan. “A lot of people in this business don’t provide good customer service, we feel that we do it very well,” said Harry. “Referrals come easy when customer service is good.”
Other examples of marketing include networking through ASI, several area chambers of commerce, and the ACA-American Club Association.
The company also has a newsletter and a Web site www.showmepromotionsandapparel.com.
“The fun part of this business is helping other businesses grow,” said Harry.
Harry and Rosie Hicks reside and work in Independence. They can be reached at 816-478-2402 or by e-mail at showmepromotions@sbcglobal.net.
