MINNEAPOLIS – Prince George’s County-based Blueline Security Services has been selected by Deluxe Corporation (NYSE: DLX) to participate in Project REV 2012, a yearlong program to help 10 U.S. small business owners improve their marketing, find more customers and grow sales.
Blueline Security Services, a private security firm that provides armed and unarmed guards and executive protection, was selected from more than 1,200 applicants to receive $15,000 worth of free marketing tools from Deluxe and yearlong access to marketing advisors, mentors, products and services. Blueline Security Services will also receive guidance from a local chapter of SCORE, a national nonprofit dedicated to educating entrepreneurs and helping small businesses start, grow and succeed.
“Learning how to properly create and execute a marketing plan will put our business on the map, giving us an edge over competitors,” said Shawn Scarlata, owner of Blueline Security Services. “Until April of 2010, we hadn’t spent any time marketing Blueline Security Services. Project REV is going to help us create a stronger Web presence and define our unique selling proposition so that we can reach new people and grow our client base.”
“Last year’s Project REV participants collectively doubled their sales despite the economy,” said Laura Radewald, vice president of brand and media relations with Deluxe. “We selected Blueline Security Services as a 2012 program participant because it represents so many service-based businesses across America that want to strengthen their marketing efforts in order to grow. We’re excited to see the results they achieve over the next 12 months.”
Blueline Security Services was founded in 2008 by four Washington D.C. police officers who wanted to start a business that they could carry into retirement. As active duty police officers, the owners of Blueline Security Services bring more than 75 years of combined experience in law enforcement and security work to the company. Shawn and his team pride themselves on providing high-end security services with unmatched customer service, something that has earned the company an admirable reputation.
Small Businesses Key to Economic Recovery
Growth of small businesses like Blueline Security Services is critical to an economic recovery. In the United States, small businesses represent 98 percent of businesses, employ over half of the workers and produce over half of the gross domestic product.[1]
At the Federal Reserve’s Nov. 9 conference on small business and entrepreneurship, Chairman Ben S. Bernanke said “small businesses have played an important role in fueling past economic recoveries” and encouraged our nation to “provide small businesses and entrepreneurs with the support they need.”
“Many small business owners put off marketing because it’s not their area of expertise or past results did not meet their expectations,” said Radewald. “Project REV is here to show small businesses across America that developing a marketing plan and choosing the right tools can expand their customer bases and increase their sales.”
For more information on Project REV 2012, please visit www.projectrev2012.com.
About Deluxe Corporation
Deluxe is a growth engine for small businesses and financial institutions. Four million small business customers access Deluxe’s wide range of products and services including customized checks and forms as well as web-site development and hosting, search engine marketing, logo design and business networking. For financial institutions, Deluxe offers industry-leading programs in checks, customer acquisition, regulatory compliance, fraud prevention and profitability. Deluxe is also a leading printer of checks and accessories sold directly to consumers. For more information, visit us at www.deluxe.com.
