Marketer’s Edge Interview with Autumn Pruitt: Small Business Retail

Marketer’s Edge Interview with Autumn Pruitt: Small Business Retail

RSW/US is an outsourced ad agency business development firm that works specifically with ad agencies, PR Firms, and Martech Firms to find better-qualified new business opportunities and get you closer to close

In this episode of Marketer’s Edge we’re talking small business retail with Autumn Pruitt, Small Business Owner at Hardy Coffee Co. in Omaha, NE.

If your ad agency focuses on Small Business Retail, you should watch this episode of Marketer’s Edge.

Founded in 2010 by Autumn Pruitt and her husband Luke, Hardy Coffee Co. started off as a small bakery that was subleased from Aromas Coffeehouse.

A year and a half later, they purchased the coffee shop and have since opened three additional locations.

In 2015, they began roasting their own coffee under the brand Hardy Coffee Co. and later brought every piece (bakery, coffee shops, roasting lab) and location (downtown, Benson, North Omaha, Chalco) of the business under that unified name—Autumn’s maiden name.

For Autumn and her husband, specialty coffee (and all that goes with it) isn’t so much about indulgence, but ritual—having places and moments and things in life that add value and create rhythm.

Why Advertising Agencies Should Watch This Episode-Autumn talks:

Challenges in Managing Retail Locations Compared to Wholesale Business

  • 📈 Strategic Focus for Growth: The importance of delegation and maintaining a strategic focus.

Consolidating Brands

  • 🔄 Brand Identity: Consolidating multiple brands under Hardy Coffee Company for a stronger brand identity, and the challenges faced during the rebranding process both internally and externally.

Learning and Development

  • 🌱 Continuous Learning: From exploring new coffee flavors and trends through supplier relationships and industry events to focusing on R&D for product improvement.

Working with Agencies

  • 🤝 Agency Collaboration: Her experience with agencies and how they can bring a personalized approach and clear value proposition to the business.

Advice for Small Business Owners

  • 💡 Industry Experience: The importance of gaining industry experience before starting a business, seeking mentorship, and building a supportive network of entrepreneurs.

Autumn’s Journey

  • 🏆 From Bakery to CEO: Autumn’s journey from starting as a bakery to owning multiple locations of Hardy Coffee Co. and her role as the CEO handling sales and marketing.

Marketing Strategies

  • 📢 Engaging Customers: Marketing strategies and content creation to engage customers effectively.
  • 🆚 Differentiation: How she differentiates her business from competitors.

Expansion

  • 🚀 Growth: Expansion from retail-only to B2B sales through roasting for wholesale accounts.

Balancing Responsibilities

  • ⚖️ Work Balance: Balancing working in the business versus on the business, prioritizing tasks, and effective delegation of responsibilities.

Community Involvement

  • 🌍 Local Engagement: Her involvement in local community events, collaborations with local photographers, and using retail locations as showrooms to engage with customers directly.

Continuous Improvement

  • 📚 Learning and Innovation: Autumn’s continuous learning and actively seeking new marketing approaches, technologies, and consumer trends through various sources like podcasts, books, seminars, and team input.

Advice for Marketers

  • 📈 New Agency Onboarding: Advice Autumn would give to marketers looking to bring a new agency onboard.

Advice for Agencies

  • 🎯 Winning Business: Autumn’s advice for agencies looking to win business from marketers.

If your firm is struggling with new business, contact Lee McKnight Jr. at lee@rswus.com for a conversation. That’s our sole focus at RSW/US.

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