One of my favorite aspects of starting our own business has been networking. The last couple of weeks have brought some fun and interesting business connections.
Yesterday, Alan and I went to a health fair at OrangeSoda where we gave seated massages to 30 employees during a 3 1/2 hour period. OrangeSoda is an internet marketing company that is doing great things for small businesses.
Hansen Chiropracitc and their Health Fairs of Utah branch coordinates health fairs throughout the valley and invited us as well as a handful of others to educate people and market ourselves. There were demos for spine alignment, vision screening, diabetes/blood sugar checks, and Red Cross disaster prep info.
We gave a 5 minute massage to each client and made some happy people even happier. Corporate massage is really a great perk for employees, however it’s most beneficial with at least 15 minutes in the chair. Here are some ways it can help employees and their employers:
- Lowers stress
- Helps prevent injuries from overuse like carpal tunnel syndrome, back strains from poor posture, etc.
- Fights against illness and fatigue
- Offers employees something new and different
- Appreciated employees = happy, grateful, productive employees = loyal employees = company wide success
That last formula seems to be working for OrangeSoda. We found the company to be as effervescent as their slogan, “Online marketing with fizz.” I remarked to a few of the employees that they seemed to be a happy bunch. They all said something similar to, “Yeah, they really make it a fun place to work.” It most definitely says something about an employer’s appreciation for their hired help when they offer perks like health fairs, a ping-pong table to play on breaks, and regular performance incentives–all of which OrangeSoda has.
We had a great time with the employees at OrangeSoda and were pleased to see the line of people after all the other organizations had packed up and gone home. And, to add to our happiness, I worked on one of the employees today in our office and have another fantastic prospect in the wings. Great thing, networking!
We also had a great time with Hansen Chiropractic and others offering their services yesterday. We’re looking forward to working with them throughout next week for Teacher Appreciation week in Utah County.