To put it plainly, we specialize in generalizing.

That may sound counterintuitive at first glance, but it makes more sense than you think. Because the companies we work with need assistance across the board in many areas – not just one. And with 30+ years of being the Best Second Banana Ever for small business owners, we know what it takes to make the First Banana look great. (That would sound a lot better if ducks ate bananas, but you catch our drift.)

We know microbusiness owners have at least 27 ducks not in a row at any given time. But they’d like them to be.

After many years working exclusively in, with, and owning very small businesses – we know your pain.

You may have started your business with a passion and a desire to share it with your customers, but the demand of day-to-day operations is keeping you from enjoying what you set out to do in the first place.

With so much to be done and so little time left in your day – you may not know where to begin. And even if you do, you’re already wearing a dozen different hats. You want to take your business to the next level with new technologies, marketing opportunities, and customer trends. But the staff just isn’t there to make it happen – it’s all up to you.

A Duck Enters. And suddenly, life has changed. Keep reading to see why.

Sam has a sweet business. It serves a niche better than anyone else could for a community that gladly returns the affection. Sam’s heart lies in what he does, believing wholly in his products and services. Every conceivable effort is put into making it grow, and it works – this business is a success.

But Sam knows there is so much more he could do to make it better – if he only had the time.

It would be great to find even better ways to strengthen Sam’s relationships with customers, because that’s the key to this business. Sam wants to keep in touch even when he’s not in the store; let customers know how much their business is valued; expand opportunities to really be of service to them; and make sure Sam is the go-to source for anyone who is looking for what Sam sells.

Also, Sam could use some help simply finding new ways to organize – and utilize – the information he already has – right there in his files and sitting (unexamined) on his computer. There must be a way to analyze what Sam’s done so far to pinpoint what works and what could be improved – and to help raise the level of both the company’s presence and his customers’ experience.

But – all those things take time and planning. It’s not just a matter of throwing a bunch of over-hyped and overpriced services at the business. Because Sam’s tried that before – with companies who promise the moon but fail to even deliver a moon rock. The solutions Sam wants won’t be solved by the sales pitch of a one-trick-pony – those anonymous offers to “build you a new website for free!” or “we can put you at the top of the search engines!” – promises to “get your Free Facebook page here!” or “our virtual assistants will get your tasks done!” Sam already knows that if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. And that there’s no single ‘fix’ for what he wants to accomplish.

What Sam needs is a strategy. A way to consider all his options, pick the best of the lot, and then find a way to put those into action – in Sam’s own voice. Sam needs someone who knows this business – what it’s about, why it’s here. And someone who feels Sam’s passion – with a clear view about where it came from, where it’s headed, and what his ultimate goal is.

More importantly, Sam needs someone who understands that the term “small business” means just that. It’s personal. He wants more than a huge corporation assigning a random (and revolving) executive to ‘manage his account,’ a person whose goal is to sell Sam products and services that don’t get him any closer to his customers. They don’t “get” Sam’s business – they’re just good at spending his money.

If Sam could only find that person – someone who would partner with him in tackling the real, tangible things he wants to get done. It would take his business to the next level, and lift a huge burden off Sam’s shoulders.

And that, is where an Office Duck enters.