Have you noticed what is happening on 63rd St at Oak and to the east?  After years of being an eyesore (except for the NW corner), new businesses are moving in! The old Blockbuster building at 414 E 63rd St will house The Aveda Concept Store; the Hammersmith Community Workshop is operating next door to the east, and the Heirloom Bakery plans to open before the end of the year at 63rd and Oak.  I will  profile these companies on the blog in the upcoming months. 

The Brookside Modern building, on the south side of 63rd,  has also steadily increased occupancy over the past several months. Many professional and retail services are found here, including two dentists, a psychologist, architects, a workout space, hair salon and numerous others. Earlier this year, a Brookside resident relocated his company there:  AlexanderG Public Relations, located at 751 E. 63rd St. #213. 

Alex Greenwood and his staff

Alex started the company out of his Rockhill Gardens home in 2010.  Specializing in public relations and social media strategy, Greenwood started with several local clients, then quickly added  national accounts. His firm works with manufacturers, musicians, authors, financial services firms, associations, and retailers. Recently he received an inquiry call  from a prospect in Dubai!

As his business grew, he needed to add employees and that meant office space. He looked in Midtown and the River Market area, finally settling in Brookside Modern.

“I like what I see here and wanted to help this end of Brookside expand and improve,” he said. “The neighborhood has many amenities and I can stay close to home.”

The Brookside Modern Building gives him a lot of space for the rent price and is backed by a quality management team. (Bonus: this building has covered parking–a great amenity for his employees and clients during hot summer days and inclement weather!).  Alex now has three employees on the payroll:  Noah Smith and Erica Tucker (Executive Consultants) and Amy Goldman (Office Administrator). Brookside enthusiastically welcomes small businesses, and being  in this central part of the metro  is one reason Alex and his staff love this office location.

“We needed a solid base of operations that’s easy for clients to visit, and Brookside certainly fits the bill,” Alex said. “We can meet at the office, or easily see clients at the Roasterie Cafe or one of the many great restaurants in Brookside.” 

As we talked, I asked him a few questions about what makes his company different from others – what sets them apart.  He says:  

“We’re a small firm, which is actually a plus for our clients because they have direct access to team members who have detailed knowledge of their account. We’re nimble–we work quickly with individuals and larger companies, and we’re affordable for a wide range of PR and social media needs,” he said.

“You may have read or heard on the news that public relations is one of the most stressful jobs in the USA–that can be true, but we thrive on the challenge!” Alex said. “We can deal with a last-minute crisis situation, create a fun, engaging social media campaign, organize a special grand opening and work to arrange interviews with various media outlets–every day is different and interesting.”

“Our clients especially appreciate the way we integrate social media into their PR and marketing programs. Your social media presence must involve a strategy that consistently promotes your brand online, responds quickly and decisively to questions or negative comments and reflect the overall tone of your company or brand. It’s extremely important that your PR and social media efforts work seamlessly.”

Alex offered this advice for small businesses seeking to hire a public relations firm: “It is very important that the firm you are interviewing listens to what you are saying. We interview prospective clients about their goals and ways of communicating as much as they interview us about our work practices, fees and references. If we don’t feel it’s a good fit, we will recommend another firm.”

Reach Alex at www.AlexGPR.com or call 816.416.8002. Or, just stop by his office at Brookside Modern!