Why Small Businesses Matter
Shop small, do big things for your community
Why Small Businesses Matter puts a spotlight on the local merchants who donate their time, talent, goods, and services for the betterment of our community. The shop local movement spreads virally as local businesses who are “tagged” have the opportunity to share their story!
You're IT MaxEx Public Relations!
Four questions with Linda Kavanagh, founder of MaxEx Public Relations.
Why did you start your business?
I am a chef by trade and worked in the hospitality industry for 10 years before starting my business in 1997 and transitioning to the marketing side of the foodservice industry. While I wanted a change from the kitchen side of things, my heart remained in the hospitality industry. MaxEx Public Relations, LLC is a support arm for the industry with a focus on public relations, marketing, and social media. I have great respect for the foodservice industry and MaxEx allows my team and me to support an industry we hold dear.
What is your best selling product/service?
MaxEx has been operating for 23 years. With that, comes a wealth of experience, relationships, and connections that are crucial to an effective marketing team. Our first-hand knowledge of the industry also gives MaxEx an edge. We are known for laying down a strong foundation for our clients – much of what consumers don’t see.
Backend operations, platforms, and resources are a priority. From there, managing a client’s marketing program must remain consistent. This is where we thrive. Strong content can be seen through our press releases, photography, and graphics, which are published daily by the media and regional influencers.
How many local businesses do you use to support your business (products and services) and can you name them?
MaxEx works closely with a number of Fairfield County services, including Hearst Media, Moffly Media, GoNation, Patrick Sikes Photography, Speed Printing and Graphics, Balancing Act Financials, and Hey Stamford to name a few.
Have you "reimagined" your small business?
COVID was a huge wake-up call for how we as a company operated, as well as how we needed to pivot for our clients and their needs. MaxEx now employs more stringent invoicing/collections practices. This is actually a benefit for BOTH MaxEx and the client. We further activated our talent pool from the New England Culinary Group (a 501 c3 professional organization that MaxEx owns), utilizing numerous service providers who specialize in the hospitality industry, and we did a complete audit of our clients’ products/services/practices in order to save them money, create more efficient operations, and renegotiate leases terms with landlords.
As a marketing group, the MaxEx team worked double time throughout the initial pandemic shut down and consequent opening stages of our industry. This is where our industry knowledge was a key component in knowing how to best support our clients and the industry as a whole. Online ordering, take-out menus, and take-out/delivery practices were not a part of 75% of the restaurants’ day-to-day businesses in our area. A mad dash to implement this portion of a restaurant’s business ensued.
We were also able to tap into the regional social media influencer world due to our strong relationship with them and provide our clients with the exposure they needed since the mainstream media was hard at work reporting on the pandemic and could not devote time to businesses support. Our information highway has grown significantly and we appreciate our local news platforms and influencers immensely.
Visit MaxEx Public Relations online here, and make sure to check out their Facebook and Instagram pages as well!
HamletHub thanks Fairfield County Bank for making our Why Small Businesses Matter series possible!