STRATEGY-LINK PUBLIC RELATIONS USES ITS OWN BRANDING EFFORT TO SHOWCASE ABILITIES OF VIRTUAL COLLABORATION AMONG INDEPENDENT PRACTITIONERS

Strategy-LINK Public Relations today announced its re-visioned graphic identity, part of an extensive branding effort including a new website with a client viewing center and a unique new communications coaching service.

Strategy-LINK Public Relations today announced its re-visioned graphic identity, part of an extensive branding effort including a new website with a client viewing center and a unique new communications coaching service.

It was time for a change," said consultancy president Laura L. Link, APR. Billings should increase this year 400 percent over 2002, and having just celebrated my fourth anniversary, the business has grown beyond its infancy, to use the metaphors espoused by E-Myth author Michael Gerber."

Harrington Design, premier provider of corporate identity repositioning services and a strategic virtual partner of Strategy-LINK, designed the new logo.

As a high-level consultant to marketing executives, entrepreneurs and others wanting to grow their businesses, Ms. Links consultancy is literally a link between the client and its target audiences, whether they be internal, shareholders, the media or clients and prospective clients," said Jeff Harrington, who personally worked with Strategy-LINK president Laura L. Link, APR to create and refine the new look. Thinking strategically about Strategy-LINKs role, along with the obvious but subtle play on the name, inspired the three-link chain in the logo."

I see myself as being the middle link between those with a communications problem to solve and the end solution," said Link, It is my mission to pull the two ends together, thus creating an integrated communications response.

The chain mark also symbolizes the collaborative nature of being an independent consultant," said Link, a founding member of the local Public Relations Counselors Network, and member of SOHO Pros, and other virtual alliances. I am independent, but I never call my self a solo practitioner because the independents I partner with and I consider ourselves critical links in each others supply chains."

Link, a vocal advocate of free agentry, recognized the value of collaboration so strongly that after recently joining the Jacksonville Regional Chamber of Commerce, she helped develop and volunteered to chair a collaborative effort to present a booth for SOHO Pros at the Chamber of Commerce Expo April 30 where the consultancys new identity will be unveiled.

My philosophy is one of abundance and collaboration," said Link. When my redesigned and revised website is unveiled, it will include case studies of how Strategy-LINK has worked virtually with other independents such as graphic artists, web designers, printers, marketing consultants and other public relations consultants. There will even be links to their websites."

The redesigned site was designed by another strategic partner, QED Technologies.

Jacksonville-based Strategy-LINK Public Relations is a locally-owned virtual Public Relations consultancy and agency. Established in 1999, the consultancy provides complete marketing communications services through partnerships with local as well as national firms specializing in web design and development, media buying, graphic design and print and broadcast production. Strategy-LINK PR offers public relations, coaching and in-house training, community relations, strategic planning, marketing consulting, web services and research for businesses and executives ready to move their company to the next level.

See below for interesting facts and statistics about independent businesses.

-The U.S. Census Bureau calls us Nonemployer Businesses, and according to the 2000 Census, Businesses with no paid employees grew 2.3 percent between 1999 and 2000 from 16.2 million to 16.5 million, according to the Commerce Department's Census Bureau.

-In Florida, Nonemployer Professional, scientific, & technical services (the classification that includes attorneys and public relations consultants) comprised a whopping 81 percent of all businesses in that class. (Most recent numbers are from 2000.) source: http://www.census.gov/epcd/nonemployer/2000/us/US000.HTM

-Nationally, four economic sectors accounted for almost 60 percent of nonemployer receipts real estate and rental and leasing ($133 billion); construction ($108 billion); professional, scientific and technical services ($90 billion); and retail trade ($74 billion).

-Jacksonville, Florida could be considered to be on the cutting edge of the free-agentry trend. Chamber sponsored SOHO Pros grew from 15 to 100 members in a little over one year; there is a local chapter of Fast Company magazines Company of Friends; the Public Relations Counselors Network, founded in 1999 is one of the first of its kind among public relations practitioners nationwide.

-The total number of persons who reported in May 2001 that they worked at home as part of their primary job-regardless of how often they engaged in home-based work activity-was 25.0 million. (Source: Monthly Labor Review http://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2002/mar/wk3/art03.htm)

-Definition of Independent Consultant: Workers identified as wage and salary workers in the basic CPS who answered affirmatively to the question, Last week,were you working as an independent contractor, an independent consultant, or a freelance worker? That is, someone who obtains customers on their [sic] own to provide a product or service." Also, workers identified as self-employed in the CPS who answered affirmatively to the question, Are you self-employed as an independent contractor, independent consultant, freelance workers or something else (such as a shop or restaurant owner)?" in order to distinguish those who    considered themselves to be independent contractors, consultants, or freelance         workers from those who were business operators, such as shop owners or restauranteurs. (Source: Monthly Labor Review)