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Sweet marketing music

Tanner Montague came to town from Seattle having never owned his own music venue before. He’s a musician himself, so he has a pretty good sense of good music, but he also wandered into a crowded music scene filled with concert venues large and small.But the owner of Green Room thinks he found a void in the market. It’s lacking, he says, in places serving between 200 and 500 people, a sweet spot he thinks could be a draw for both some national acts not quite big enough yet for arena gigs and local acts looking for a launching pad.“I felt that size would do well in the city to offer more options,” he says. “My goal was to A, bring another option for national acts but then, B, have a great spot for local bands to start.”Right or wrong, something seems to be working, he says. He’s got a full calendar of concerts booked out several months. How did he, as a newcomer to the market in an industry filled with competition, get the attention of the local concertgoer?

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by Andrew Tellijohn
February 2006

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'Hold firm to core values'


Meeker & Associates founder
relies on Ruth Hayden’s
wisdom for 15 years

John Meeker recently expanded his executive search firm, Meeker & Associates in Edina, into a new line of business.

He has a background in educational software at Control Data, and his main business is recruiting and placing managers and executives in education publishing, testing and technology companies. Most of his clients are on the coasts, where those industries are active.

Now he’s also targeting a new clientele, placing executives in educational institutions themselves, especially in development or career counseling jobs.

Not only is that a new market, but it’s also one that will allow Meeker to gain clients in and around Minnesota because many institutions exist here.

As usual he turned to Ruth Hayden for advice. He meets with her each quarter, and has done so beginning in 1995. She is president of Ruth L. Hayden & Associates in St. Paul, a frequent commentator on Sound Money, the author of books including Start Where You Are, and counsels business owners and individuals."

"If I’m implementing some new idea, I suddenly have a sense that Ruth raised this issue 18 months ago,” Meeker says.

“I find it very valuable to have an outsider,” he says. He believes his investment in Hayden’s services pays for itself even if she helps him improve business with just one client.

“I can’t do all kinds of things. I have to be very sharp,” he says. Hayden’s best advice, according to Meeker:

“There will always be ups and downs in your business, but through  it all, hold firm to your own core values and qualities that clients value. Do not respond to downs by starting to hustle for less than high quality work or to provide less than the highest quality service for clients.”

Ruth Hayden, Ruth L. Hayden & Associates: 651.690.3797; www.ruthhayden.com John Meeker, Meeker & Associates: 952.921.3262; john@johnmeeker.com; www.johnmeeker.com