Our Investment In You

We at Pro Marketing Works™ believe in supporting entrepreneurs, small- to medium-sized businesses, and marketing directors of all sized businesses in Bellingham and Whatcom County. It is our mission to support our local economy, sustainable business practices, environmental stewardship, good working conditions, strong communities, and vibrant neighborhoods. We consider it a privilege to support the work of those who do likewise.

We are living in a very unique time and a very common time. Throughout the history of civilization, wealth had always been redistributed, little by little, to a small upper class. Historically it has taken extreme events such as revolutions and cultural collapses to redistribute vital assets and restore balance. Currently we are poised on the brink of economic and environmental disaster that is spurred on by our globalized economy.

Fortunately, the answer is simple. We do not need a dramatic event to rebalance our economy or our environment. We need only to redistribute our wealth by keeping our money local. By buying from local businesses, your money benefits your neighbors and your community. As a healthy local business, you are far more likely to treat your employees well, choose sustainable ways to dispose of waste, use and sell products that are produced and distributed with less environmental impact, and support legislative policies that protect the general public’s interests.

We use our creative talents to help local businesses in Bellingham and Whatcom County promote themselves, and by doing so, are helping to create a community and world we love living in.

Answering A Personal Call to Support Businesses Through Marketing
By Peter James, owner of Pro Marketing Works

My mother had a dream of running her own business. When I was a teenager, my mother, Kathy L. Klco, opened “Believe In Yourself Unlimited,” a fitness center for people who didn’t feel comfortable in gyms and aerobics classes full of people who were already in great shape. Unfortunately my mother didn’t know how to clearly communicate what she was offering or to get people excited but trying something new. This was because she, like most new business owners, didn’t have any experience with marketing. My mother’s business succeeded in helping many people, but still went under after less than a year. A year later she died, without ever fully achieving her dream. Soon after that I decided that someday I wanted to own my own business and help other independent businesses succeed too.

Because I already had interests in photography, I decided to enter photography school and someday open my own studio. I entered photography school just as Photoshop was coming out. I learned a lot about how to manipulate images and create graphic design with Photoshop. I opened a photography studio in Bellingham doing all types of photography. I was very open to learning what people wanted and how I could best serve them. It wasn’t long before my clients’ needs became obvious. Small businesses needed business portraits, ads, business cards and everything else that went with owning a business. So, I started tailoring my business to meet those needs.

While working with my clients, I noticed a general theme, which was, “I need help.” For example, “I have this ad or business card to do. I want it to be awesome, but I don’t know how to do that. Can you help me?”

Sometimes clients would come back six months later, create another ad, and not attempt to keep it consistent with the last one. Well, I knew that wasn’t good, and I didn’t want to waste my clients’ marketing budget on ineffective strategies. So, I developed a system, Pro Marketing Works, to address these needs, taking in the entire picture and making a long-range marketing plan.

Now I help businesses, and entrepreneurs, like my mom, succeed. We let our clients focus on what they do best. We do the rest.


3 Rules of Marketing

To create company recognition and credibility, all of your marketing materials should be relatively consistent.

Customer response to marketing takes time. To see results from your marketing, you have to stick with it. Your marketing methods must be a long term commitment.

What you put into your marketing now will come back to you over time. The potential return is far greater than the initial investment.