IDAHO FALLS — Ryan Joos had nothing but optimism for the future ahead of him when he opened a marketing agency in Idaho Falls in February 2020.
He started his career in marketing six years ago after selling pest control products in Indianapolis one summer. He knew he had found his career path when he was introduced to SEO and inbound marketing at a conference he attended.
“That’s the way to do it,” Joos recalled thinking at the time. “From that moment on, a light went on inside me and I was like, ‘This is what I want to do.'”
While working for a marketing agency in Burley, he realized that his true aspiration was to own his own marketing business and his hometown of Idaho Falls is where he wanted to do that.
Although his peers and associates told him it would never work, he ignored them. He formed Vulpine Marketing on February 26, 2020 and signed a lease for a small office space inside the Idaho Innovation Center at 2300 North Yellowstone Highway. It had started operating about a month before while still transitioning from Burley and had already acquired several customers. It was an auspicious start and Joos was happy.
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Less than a month later, something happened that no one expected. On March 25, 2020, Governor Brad Little issued a temporary stay-at-home order in response to the initial outbreak of the coronavirus. People were being asked to shelter in their homes and businesses across the state were closed.
In a chat with EastIdahoNews.com, Joos recalls what was going through his mind at the time.
“For a lot of people in different circumstances it would make them incredibly nervous. But I felt so confident that this was the right path we had to take,” he says. “If (businesses aren’t able to operate)…they’re going to find ways to innovate and introduce themselves to people because that’s what we do.”
Two years after launching his business, Joos is proud to say he has weathered the storm. His business has not only survived a global pandemic, it is thriving.
Vulpin Marketing provides web development, search engine optimization, social media advertising, and video production for dozens of clients in the United States and Canada, most of which are small to medium-sized businesses. Locally, his clients include Cooper Norman Accounting Services, Beard St. Clair Gaffney Law Firm and Mrs. Powell’s Bakery.
Many of the marketing firm’s employees are working-from-home moms. Building a business that allowed employees to work from home before the pandemic is one thing, according to Joos, that worked in their favor because it didn’t require a major adjustment during the stay-at-home order.
“We have several people working for us who can only work 10 hours a week. It is very good. We are happy to use their talents whenever we can,” says Joos.
He also cites relationships and networking connections as another factor that helped him through this turbulent time. He joined several local committees, such as the Idaho Falls Business Networking Group on Facebook, the Idaho Falls Chamber of Commerceand the Idaho Entrepreneurs Facebook Groupwho helped support local business owners during the height of the pandemic.
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“When we opened up, I just said, ‘I’m going to be an active presence in this group. When people have marketing questions, I’m going to be the answerer, I’m going to be the go-to source for digital marketing information, and we’ve developed a reputation very quickly for being good at it,” says Joos.
Vulpine, a word associated with a fox meaning cunning or cunning, reflects the objective of the company to find smart ways to help customers win. Joos is happy to serve customers all over North America, but is especially grateful to local customers who have stayed and supported him and his team.
He believes the secret to a thriving community is supporting local entrepreneurs and he invites you to celebrate the company’s second anniversary on Thursday, February 17 at The Westbank from 5-8 p.m.
“We just want to keep providing great jobs for people. If that means working at home moms, great,” he says. “Providing jobs to people everywhere (is our #1 priority), but we absolutely have a soft spot for the people who live here in Idaho Falls.”
If you would like your business featured in the Small Business Spotlight, email rett@eastidahonews.com. Please use “SBS” in the subject line.
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