Southeast Texas Business Owner Featured On Top Small Business Website

Howard Theriot of Catch Light Productions has been selected as a featured Biz Profile on Business Owners Idea Cafe, a top-rated small business website, for his outstanding business story and unique marketing strategy.

PORT NECHES, TX (PRWEB) October 1, 2003 -- Out of the thousands of businesses that visit the site, fewer than one in ten are selected for a Biz Profile Spotlight. Biz Profile submissions are judged on the quality of the owner's personal business insights; advice and tips for others starting a business; and unique business tales.

Theriot started Catch Light Productions -- a full-service marketing, advertising, and public relations firm -- fresh out of college in 1989. Armed only with a commercial arts and advertising degree, and an entrepreneurial spirit, he took the plunge into self-employment when most of his counterparts were taking their first jobs. In doing so, he discovered a great need among small to medium-sized businesses who seemed to be lost somewhere between "do-it-yourself" and "scraping pennies to hire the big ad agency." His niche became working the middle ground between these two business extremes. As a result, Catch Light Productions has grown from a one-man show into a nationwide network of independent specialists.

Theriot has recently repositioned his firm into what he terms a "hub agency," which is designed to better serve this marketing middle ground. With the hub agency concept, the clients work directly with a small management core (providing the human factor), but they get the advantage of having a marketing team pulled together to meet their specific needs--as opposed to adapting the clients' needs to potentially limited internal capabilities of an agency staff. This also keeps overhead low, which results in more cost-effective marketing solutions.

Over the years, Howard has learned many lessons that have ultimately led to his success and expansion. He cautions new entrepreneurs to choose their business-to-business relationships very carefully and notes that being responsible for other people's productivity, along with his own, presents challenges as well. When asked about his long hours as a business owner, he answers, "It doesn't really seem like I have a job at all. It's really sort of strange when I stop to think about it. There is no strict division between my personal and business life. Everything gets done, but not like in a normal 9-5 routine."

Francie Ward, CEO of Business Owners Idea Cafe, says Theriot was selected because his story "embodies the essence of independence, hard work and a positive attitude. Theriot's story will inspire and encourage others who come to the site seeking advice on starting and running a business."

The site offers a wide variety of Biz Profiles in several categories. Catch Light Productions is the most recent spotlight in the Marketing, Advertising and PR category.

Business Owners Idea Cafe has been using its "Fun Approach to Serious Business" (sm) and popular CyberSchmooz community forum since 1995 to help small businesses get informed, network and thrive. You can view Catch Light Productions's Biz Profile at http://www.businessownersideacafe.com.