20 Things Mimi's Clients Really, Really Said

1. “What the heck is a Mimi?”

That was my response when members of my staff told me I should look into getting an article in Mimi Vanderhaven's Fabulous Buys. “I've never heard of it! Who reads it anyhow?” Well, I soon found out...a whole lot of people! And just the people I want to reach.

After getting in contact with the people at Mimi I was pleasantly surprised at the knowledge and professionalism that permeated the organization. The publication was aimed at the suburban families that I want in my practice and I found out these consumers place a lot of credence in what Mimi says.

My front page article was well written, wonderfully accepted and, most importantly, was financially successful. No other marketing campaign has been as successful for me as was Mimi, and I still continue to get calls more than two months after publication.

I am reluctant to offer endorsements freely, but I wholeheartedly endorse “Mimi Vanderhaven's Fabulous Buys” as the best place to invest your marketing dollars.

Alan G. Psota, DDS
Psota Family Dentistry
7123 Pearl Road
Suite 100
Middleburg Hts, OH 44130

2. "What talent!"

I think Mimi and her staff are truly awesome! What talent! Since we just opened our business in February of 2007, we needed to be really picky about where we spent our advertising dollars. We decided to do a cover story after hearing how "bombarded” Studio Arts and Glass was after running a full page advertorial. The same day Mimi was delivered, our phone started ringing and people came in because they saw us in Mimi. In only a few days, we paid for the ad and then some.

The photo shoot with Benjamin was so much fun and we couldn't believe how beautiful he made my daughter and I look. What a cool guy he is! We made a great decision to do a story with Mimi's and would recommend the same to any future advertiser.

Kathy Bush and Jen Zeiger,
Co-Owners of Bead Boutique
6302 Market Avenue North
North Canton, Ohio 44720
330-494-5280

3. "People lined up out the door."

Lights for Less has been advertising with Mimi for the past two years and the response from these articles is amazing. Lights for Less was only a year old when we ran our first article and once the article hit we had people lined up out the door to see what we were all about. That one article paid for itself and then some in a week-end.

Months after we run an ad I still have people walking into our showroom saying they read about us in Mimi's.
I have been stopped outside of the store by people just saying, “Hi Karen, how's the business … saw you in Mimi's."

We use many advertising resources at Lights for Less but the greatest response has been from Mimi's to date.

Working with Dave Miethke has been a pleasure. Owning two retail showrooms is very time consuming and Dave has always made creating an ad or article very easy. Whenever he stops in he always has a creative idea ready to put into motion. His close attention to detail, whether it's a picture of our store or the layout of an ad, is like no other.

Please feel free to contact me at the number below if you have any questions or would like to discuss further the benefits from advertising in Mimi Vanderhaven's Fabulous Buys!

Regards,

Karen A. Smerglia
Vice-President
LIGHTS FOR LESS
1327 N. Carpenter Road
Brunswick, Ohio 44212
330.220.8110 Phone / 330.220.3754 Fax

4. "They emphasize a call to action."

Advertising our business with Mimi's has really worked! Our first experience with Mimi's was last fall, when we ran an informative, full page advertorial in three of their zones. They professionally interviewed us and took tons of photos and really got a feel for what we do and what makes us different. Nancy Dunaway actually wrote an article people wanted to read and told the readers how great our stained glass facility and studio really is! I can't recommend Mimi's enough, which is why we keep advertising—because it works!

In the past, we have advertised in radio, local newspapers, auctions, magazines and other places. All of these routes get some response but nothing like that we got from Mimi's. They emphasize a "call to action," which I didn't really understand at the time, but I do now!

My Personal Assistant couldn't have been friendlier or more reachable and we fully recommend them all.

Wendy Warren Joliet
Owner, Studio Arts and Glass
7495 Strauss Ave. NW
North Canton, Ohio 44720
(330) 494-9779
April 22, 2007

5. "I always recommend Mimi's to other businesses."

One of A Kind Pets Rescue would like to thank you for your generosity in promoting our organization in your publication. The exposure we have received has generated a great deal of interest in our organization and its mission to help the animals in our community.

Often we hear from new customers that they were not aware of our non-profit or our retail store until they saw our ad in Mimi's. In addition, the article featuring one of our adoptable animals has brought potential adopters through our doors.

I always recommend Mimi’s to other businesses. I believe that Mimi's offers something unique and worthy for the locally owned businesses to consider. It certainly helped us reach many new households and obtain new business.

Thank you once again for your support of One of A Kind Pets Rescue.

Sincerely,

Kathy Romito
Director of Development

6. "Nancy is short on nonsense and long on charm."

Great salespeople have the same qualities as great public speakers. A public speaker must choose a subject of interest to his audience, present a convincing argument and motivate the audience to action. A great salesperson must have a product that appeals to his potential client, present convincing arguments as to the benefit of the product and motivate the client to obtain the product. By this test, “Mimi Vanderhaven's Fabulous Buys”, as represented by Nancy Dunaway, excels.

Nancy is short on nonsense and long on charm. As a small business owner, time and money are equably valuable to me. Nancy and Mimi's wasted neither of these. The need to advertise had been at various times in the front or the back of my mind. I knew it was a product we needed to purchase but I was unsure of the best way to get started. “Mimi Vanderhaven's Fabulous Buys” is a wonderful advertising vehicle. Nancy convinced me of the present and future value of getting involved in advertising our business, guaranteed a significant response and got me moving. I was not disappointed.

Within two days of the appearance of our one-page advertorial, we had received telephone calls from twelve new customers and greeted six new customers that simply walked in our doors. That was an indication of the rush that would follow. To date, six projects due to ad response have been completed, billed and paid in full; three projects are committed and pending; one project is in the quotation stage and a host of other leads are being pursued.

Along with Nancy, we have planned a long-range block ad campaign matched to our specific needs with a view to our brand recognition. I have and will continue to enthusiastically recommend advertising in “Mimi's Vanderhaven's Fabulous Buys” as a certain route to success.

Katie Koske
Strata Granite & Marble

7. "We increased sales 50%."

Judy,

Thank you so much for the wonderful advertising in your magazine, it really has boosted our business! I wasn't sure how the ad was going to work out last year when we tried it out...but am I glad we did! We increased sales 50% or more just from one monthly ad in a few zones each month. I have been more than pleased with the calls we get from the ad exposure, over 80% of them leading to jobs sold! Great publication!

Also your service has been invaluable and I know I can trust you with taking care of any details that come up. You've always taken good care of us Judy! Keep up the great work!

Andy Ellebruch
Lightscape Systems
www.lightscapesystems.com

8. "We get better results from Mimi's than any other form of advertising that we currently do."

The minute that Mimi's is in home, we see a huge increase in sales. Our stores have been overflowing with people that read our article in Mimi's.

Sharon Myers
Main St. Fashion Jewelry Outlet

9. "Mimi's offers a different approach."

Sam's Emporium has been in business for over sixty years. Over this time we have used many different forms of media for advertising, including newspaper, billboards and radio. All of them resulted in minimal success. The main problem is you are competing with the national chains and it is hard to set yourself apart.

Mimi's offers a different approach. They are geared for the independent small business owner. You will never see a nationally advertised chain in Mimi's. The first time we used them we could not believe the response we received. What was even more amazing is people were still bringing in the ad weeks after it had run. Mimi's is very reasonably priced and gives you a great value for your money. Their growing circulation allows you to bring in new customers from many different areas.

Dave, Mitch and the rest of Mimi's staff are very knowledgeable, friendly and give you great service. We look forward to an ongoing profitable relationship with Mimi's.

If you have any doubts of the power of Mimi's please feel free to call me at 330-535-1911.

Lee Manes
Owner
Sam's Emporium
Akron, Ohio

10. "Our representative, Carla Houdek, is a joy to work with."

I am writing to commend you on the outstanding product that you provide, and let you know what a vital part of our marketing plan it is. Unmistakably Premier Homes has depended on Mimi Vanderhaven's Fabulous Buys to promote the grand opening of every new Premier community within your geographic reach, and we have always had great success. Your publication is interesting and well-written, and is always well received by readers. I wish Mimi Vanderhaven's was mailed to my home in Westlake!

Our representative, Carla Houdek, is a joy to work with. Her dedication to her customers and to your company is exemplary, and she makes advertising in Mimi's as simple as it is effective. I would recommend Mimi Vanderhaven's Fabulous Buys to any advertiser that is looking to significantly grow their market share at a price that is affordable.

Thank you, Mimi, for your outstanding publication and service!

Sincerely,

Michele Slaght
Director of Marketing
Unmistakably Premier Homes

11. "Three months later I still get people asking for my autograph!"

Mimi, I just wanted to say thanks for everything. The cover ad in your March issue was a tremendous success. It has been by far the best money I have spent on advertising. The crew that came out for the photo shoot and interview were great. I was a bit overwhelmed but they made all seem very natural. Three months later I still get people asking for my autograph! I can't wait to see the results from the West Akron cover this fall.

Thank you,

Bill Brobst
Quality Closets, LLC
209 W. Liberty
Medina, OH 44256
330.725.1122 office
330.715.6016 mobile
www.qualclosets.com

12. "They nearly all say they read it cover to cover."

Sure. I would be glad to tell everyone how well our response has been to Mimi's faithful. I have never received so many people making comments about seeing our articles or ads in Mimi, many of them men. They nearly all say they read it cover to cover because it is targeted, informative, well done, and local. When we ran our first ad, I remember being very impressed with the amount of people who actually brought in copies of the paper, asking about the ad. It was very gratifying to do some advertising for a change that got definite results.

And on top of that, working with Mimi's staff has been a true pleasure. Bill Yurgen really seems to care about our business, not just selling ads, and I get that feeling from the whole company. I would recommend Mimi to anyone in the area as a way to spread the word about themselves to a nice and loyal customer base.

How was that?

James Maibach
Maibach's Home Furnishings
www.maibachs.com
Phone: (800) 465-1905
Direct Line: (330) 331-4849
Fax: (330) 939-5805

13. "People love reading Mimi's."

After advertising with Mimi's Fabulous Buys magazine/newspaper for over four years we have discovered Mimi's works for our business for several reasons.

One of the most important and unbeatable reasons is the circulation Mimi's offers its advertiser by delivering to all homes and businesses in the zones in which they advertise. I do not know another newsprint medium that offers this coverage. The Cleveland Plain Dealer has a limited circulation and is perhaps the only other option for advertising that may reach only a fraction of population in an area.

The other very important and equally unbeatable reason is that people love reading Mimi's. We get very good feedback from many customers and friends saying how they enjoy reading the articles about businesses in their area. The articles are informative and interesting and give a good overview of what businesses do and the people that own and work at the businesses.

The magazine/newspaper is well laid out and informative. It is easy to read and colorful. I have not found another written publication that reaches as many people as Mimi's and is so well received.

Gregory Filo Jewelry Design, Inc.
14421 Pearl Rd.
Strongsville Ohio 44136
440-878-9744
Fax 440-878-9745
www.FiloJewelry.com

14. "[It has a] cult-like following."

Advantage One Mortgage Group has been advertising with Mimi for over 3 years. We have tried other types of advertising, but have stuck with Mimi's because of the effectiveness and the repeat customers we receive from their publication. I highly endorse this publication for any business because of the “cult like” following to this paper.

Sincerely,
Colleen Moran
President
Advantage One Mortgage Group

15. "I don't know what I would do without Mimi's!"

Dear Kathy,

I want to thank you for introducing me to Mimi Vanderhaven's Fabulous Buys. Mimi's has become my most effective advertising tool and a mainstay in my marketing efforts. Your paper has allowed me to reach a wide demographic of new customers while providing a quality method of communication with my existing base.

Please extend my gratitude to everyone at Mimi's for their hard work and dedication to a truly unique (and effective!) advertising tool. I don't know what I would do without Mimi's!

Best of Health,

Michael Ventresca
President
Vital Choice Healthstore

16. "Bill does this all with charm and grace."

We would like to take this opportunity to share some of our experiences with Bill Yurgen.

We are never on time, and yet he bails us out. We are never sure what direction to take, and Bill seems to guide us without being pushy.

Bill is given some fragmented ideas and he turns them into ads that look polished and professional. Bill gets massive amounts of random thoughts at 11:00 pm on the deadline day and he never once complains that we need to get our act together! Even better he corrects our grammar and punctuation without any disparaging comments!

Bill does this all with charm and grace never letting on how much harder we make his job. He is an asset to your publication. We have and would recommend him to other businesses who are interested in running ads with some heart!

We wanted our advertising to strike a comfortable feeling, and Bill has pulled together several ads that hit that chord perfectly.

We are a challenge, but Bill Yurgen is up to it, and he always does it with a smile, and a motivating get out there comment. We would find it difficult to work with anyone else!

Best Regards,

Sharon Fletcher &
Stephanie Roehm
Cutler Real Estate

17. "Finally you will see your advertising dollars working."

My name is John Lauter, owner of the Fashion Jewelry Superstore in Fairlawn and a very consistent and happy advertiser in Mimi's.

Mimi Vanderhaven's Fabulous Buys has been a huge part of our growing success in the greater Akron area and I felt it necessary to share my feelings with others who may be thinking of advertising with Mimi's but feel it is just another paper.

David Miethke approached me on several occasions in the very late part of 2005 and the early part of 2006 to advertise with him in Mimi's. At that time I was heavily advertising in the Akron Beacon Journal, WKDD, Leader Publications, Sun Newspapers as well as other smaller papers, with what little dribs and drabs I thought at the time was the type of response you should get. At that time I told him on more than one occasion that I was not interested in another advertising expense.

In February 2006 the Fairlawn area began to get copies of Mimi's delivered every two weeks and I began to see other merchants that were also friends of mine advertising there. After asking how they were doing and receiving high recommendations from them, I met with Mitch Allen and David Miethke. They designed and wrote a fantastic story and ad that ran in the second week of March. I could not believe the amount of response that we received from one story; it literally made my head spin! Needless to say I have been advertising with Mimi's ever since and have seen a drastic increase in business.

I now do very little if any advertising with other paper and look forward to the response that I get from each new issue of Mimi's that comes out. I urge anyone contemplating advertising with Mimi's to give them a try; finally you will see your advertising dollars working.

If anyone would like to speak with me more concerning Mimi's please do not hesitate to call the number below.

Sincerely,

John S. Lauter
“KING OF BLING”
Fashion Jewelry Superstore
2955 West Market Street STE F
Fairlawn, Ohio 44333
330-864-8777

18. "I was overwhelmed by the actual response I received."

Dear Bill,

In the January 18th publication of Mimi Vanderhaven you published an article about my practice and advertised our upcoming open house. I had selected this publication based on the demographics of my customers and Mimi's reputation. I was positive that I would have a “good” response from the article and hoped that this advertisement would introduce me to the community in a meaningful way. However, I was overwhelmed by the actual response I received.

Beginning on January 19th, my phone began ringing. Customer's had questions and wanted to schedule appointments immediately. I began to think that my open house might be very well attended. Again, I underestimated the response.

My first attendee arrived 10 minutes early, and the last one left 30 minutes after our advertised time. In between, we were packed. My staff and I literally stood in the same spots for hours with lines of consumers waiting to speak to us. Consumers were making appointments before leaving and taking our pamphlets with them.

The response continues. I now have the caseload that I was hoping to have by this summer. My staff's caseloads are also growing rapidly. I cannot begin to thank you enough for the quality of this editorial. The writing and the graphic presentation struck a nerve in the community and the response is wonderful.

It will be difficult to gauge the overall response of this article. For instance, thanks to this article I opened a case that required I contact a counselor at a local high school. I now have a meeting set up with the counseling department to discuss our services. As we are able to prove the high quality of services that we provide, counselors, doctors, and parents will tell us how their child was helped, which will further generate referrals.

I opened up this practice because I believed families in this community did not have good resources to cope with their mental and behavioral health needs. I knew there must be a need for high quality services here. When I saw and heard the relief in the parents I met at my open house I knew that we had done a good thing. Parents want to help their children, but they don't have many choices about where to go.

Thank you so much for conveying the message I was hoping to send. My staff and I are going to “Help Families Flourish” and it is due, in no small part, to the help this article provided us in connecting with those who are in need in this community. I will certainly continue to use Mimi Vanderhaven as my primary advertiser and will recommend you to others.

With sincerest thanks,

Leneigh White, NCC, LPCC-S
Director
Strongsville Family Counseling
10750 Pear Road, Suite E8
Strongsville, Ohio 44136
Phone 440-238-0008
Fax 440-238-0024

19. "Our most successful marketing endeavor to this point."

I can't thank you enough for the wonderful job Mimi's did with my cover story. My story ran on April 7, 2005. At that time, my practice was still very young in terms of new patient growth. Mimi's article attracted many new patients to the practice. We were very lucky to find people who appreciated the quality of our dentistry.

We have seen tremendous growth over the last two years because of our relationship with Mimi's and we continue to see new patients today who read that story two years ago. I will admit that I was apprehensive when I elected to do a cover story. I can now say that the story was probably our most successful marketing endeavor to this point.

I look forward to continued success and am grateful for all of your help thus far.

Thank you very much,

Ken Wolnik, DDS

20. "Amy is very good at creating just the right look and feel for my business venture."

I'd like to share a few words of appreciation. I needed an effective forum for advertising my business that was not cost prohibitive. Looking to reach a local target audience, Mimi Vanderhaven's Fabulous Buys fit the bill. I've had the pleasure of working with one of Mimi's personal assistants, Amy Bulger, who has made advertising easy, productive, and rewarding.

Amy is very good at creating just the right look and feel for my business venture. So, thanks to Mimi's for providing me an avenue of success.

Sincerely,

Julie Reeves, MD
Family Medicine
3637 Medina Road
Suite 70
Medina, Ohio 44256