- Aaron Montgomery

My name is Aaron Montgomery and I started MontCo Consulting in late 2007 when I realized that, in my many years of working in and running small businesses, the marketing and promotions were typically the most difficult aspects for a small business owner to manage, yet were also critical to success. The company was created to bring marketing and consulting services to small businesses that would normally not have the resources for such services. Marketing consulting can range from helping with an entire overall marketing plan to gain increased sales for your business, to helping with individual product launches, to developing your company's image and more. I am also able to help with general consulting services for your business and have great knowledge of trade show coordination and overall business management. 

So, you ask, how can I help you with these things and why should you pay me for such services? Let me give you a brief bit of background on my experience and my thoughts on why small businesses need these services. 

I was introduced to the small business environment when I was very young. My father was quite an entrepreneur who, as a CPA, started his own small accounting firm. My first "go to work with your parent" experience was at my dad's accounting firm when I sat with the receptionist most of the day ruining sheets of paper on the typewriter. As I got older, I realized that I wanted a more hands-on view of the day to day business. And, I finally got the opportunity to be more involved when I was 16. As part of my high school's work studies program, I worked in my dad's firm (there were 3 other employees at the time). It was a great experience and I learned a lot about accounting and all the paperwork and filing, etc. I also saw, first hand, all of the work and risk that went into creating a successful venture as well as the unique rewards that can be realized. A few years later, when my father started looking into other business opportunities, he brought me on board and, together, we remained focused on remaining in the small business sector. Our opportunities came first in the form of art publishing (which went eventually morphed into an art gallery) and then, later on, custom home building, which later on enjoined with a log home distributor business. 

The art publishing opportunity led to one of the best times of my life, where, at the age of 17, I was able to be directly involved in starting a new business with my dad. We started by publishing a few art pieces for a well known wildlife artist. Then we acquired a large batch of prints, originals, and artist editions which required gallery showings and the like. As an 18 year-old, with my father manning the home gallery and showings, I was able to take on the responsibility of trying to find new galleries throughout the west coast in which to sell our prints. Ultimately, the venture was not a financial success, but was a tremendous learning experience that molded a young entrepreneur. I realized that success in the small business environment requires careful planning and lots of ground work. I also learned, amazingly, that an 18 year-old can just walk into art galleries hundreds of miles away from home and get them to buy prints. Who knew.... 

The experiences that I had in the art publishing business and art gallery made me realize just how much I enjoy being a major part of a smaller adventure and in seeing the success of a small business, where there is great personal risk taken to achieve great personal success. I decided then to remain in, and dedicate myself to, small business ventures. 

The opportunity that presented itself after the art business closed was as part of a construction company that my father started in Arizona which ultimately transitioned into a business role in Colorado's log home industry. Initially, I cut my teeth working on the construction crew. But, at 20, I began running the office and selling log home packages. I worked closely with the manufacturing company of the log homes and even got involved with the Dealer Association as the association's secretary. It was at this time that I attended my first trade show! I quickly learned that, regardless of what I saw in the old Jack in the Box Commercial, you can't go to a trade show with just a lawn chair and pen and expect to be successful. It requires a lot of pre-planning and diligence; and, yes, I learned this the hard way. 

It was around this time that I got married and had a wonderful son. I moved the family to Colorado Springs, CO and spent time in a variety of new and different industries (this time, without my dad)... 

Initially, I took a job as a delivery driver for a small, but up and coming, digital printing and packaging company. As our role was to supply inventory to customers just in time. I quickly realized that there were changes required to streamline the warehouse and provide an improved level of service in order increase our bottom line and elevate customer service. As a result of that initiative, I was asked to move into sales about a month after I started. With minimal experience on the sales side, I was hesitant, but decided that I had established some relationships already, and jumped in with both feet. Through this role, I learned a great deal about relationships, good planning, and the critical importance of good follow through (and follow-ups!). When my family needed to move back to Arizona to be closer to extended family, I realized that my 'place' was in a sales and marketing type role. 

Once I was back in Arizona, I found my way into a small, family owned business in the garment decorating industry where my job was to establish a sales force that would enable a company that did 95% of it business at trade shows, to make money in between shows. I helped plan and build our online e-commerce, set-up sales lead prospecting, helped bring to market new products, and developed a worldwide dealer network. As my role evolved, I became a sales manager responsible for four salesmen and two administrative assistants, in addition to maintaining a lead role on the sales team. I was in charge of the worldwide dealer network and traveled extensively for trade shows, dealer meetings, and customer demos, both domestically as well as internationally. During my time with them, the company grew from a family business with 8 total employees, to one employing at times over 100 people. In 2006, they were listed as the 12th fastest growing manufacturing company in the United States (by Inc Magazine) and also were Inc Magazine's 537th fastest growing companies in the Inc 5000. During my seven years with this company, I saw the good and bad of fast growth, the pros and cons of personal investment, the ins and outs of trade shows and customer demos, and the need for good planning. 

In mid 2007, I decided to explore a little, geographically, and moved from Phoenix to Boston. I also decided to try my hand at something that I had always wanted to pursue, volleyball coaching. To put it mildly, I experienced quite a change of pace and culture. However, what struck me is that the success of a program, small business, or even a team all depends on good planning, marketing, and strategy, regardless of the industry or location. The other thing that I have come to realize is that I get great enjoyment out of helping to provide those key services and fill that niche for people who are taking great personal risk to achieve great personal success; you, the small business owner. 

In today's competitive world, where you have to have every advantage over your competition and you don't necessarily have a huge budget to make that happen, I can step in and provide that assistance (maybe we can even call it coaching?). Contact me today!