As a kid, Jaime O’Neill scooped ice cream cones at his father’s Carvel ice cream shop in the Bronx. Those sprinkles paved the way for his now thriving marketing business.
On A Dime Marketing is a digital marketing agency that was founded by its president, O’Neill, in the midst of the 2020 pandemic. With the help of his father, he started the business with a small creative team in July. Through past experience, O’Neill knew what he was getting into from the start. His confident preparedness relied on his impressive sales knowledge, as well as the trust of his previous clientele.
“It’s called On a Dime Marketing because it’s all about turning things around quickly regardless of the industry. We’re creatives that stop you on a dime,” O’Neill said. “We probably had about 25 accounts to start right out of the gate.”
O’Neill has managed his accounts slowly but surely through personal relationships and compassion. He believes in the importance of regarding his clients as partners, not just consumers.
“I’m being very conscious to grow slowly because it’s very easy to pick up clients, but losing them is just as easy. We’re making sure that the support is there and that we’re not growing and going after that new shiny dollar until we know that everybody that has taken a leap of faith with us is taken care of along the way,” O’Neill said. “Most of my clients are now friends who started as clients.”
Despite starting out in the middle of a pandemic, O’Neill recognizes that his business is one of the lucky ones that prospered instead of closing its virtual doors.
“I constantly keep myself grounded,” O’Neill said. “It has been successful so far. We’ve grown, we’ve actually picked up new accounts and I’ve grown my staff. So I don’t take it for granted, because I see what’s happening. All you have to do is walk around your neighborhood and you see local businesses that have just been decimated by this.”
The Bronx native’s compassion doesn’t end with his clients. He recognizes the importance of small businesses in local communities and wants to support other business owners like himself through marketing.
“When we opened, one of the goals that I had was to concentrate on small businesses,” O’Neill said. “By putting together affordable packages for small businesses that have made it through, I think it’s going to be more important than ever to make sure they stand out from everyone else. I think the community is hopefully going to continue to support local businesses…There are people behind these businesses and they can use all the help they can get.”
After the pandemic, On A Dime Marketing will remain remote, as O’Neill sees a brick and mortar establishment as unnecessary for the general online services. The remote aspect benefits O’Neill not only as a businessman but as a family man too.
“There’s a ton of negatives to COVID. Selfishly, I have a bunch of positives that came out of COVID,” O’Neill said. “I have a brand new child. I couldn’t imagine the world without him. I’ve gotten to see my other two children grow up on a day-to-day basis… Now I’m having breakfast with them every day and they pop in and out of my office. Those are huge advantages that hopefully everybody gets to experience.”
For more information on O’Neill’s business, visit On A Dime Marketing’s website.
