Chris Ourand doesn?t worry about turning clients away.
“We?re picky about who we work with,” the founder of Chris O. Communications said. “I have worked with a fair number of clients who have had unrealistic expectations. I?ve told people, ?You?re just not really ready for PR yet.?”
Ourand, a former journalist and communications executive, founded the Severna Park-based marketing and communications firm in 2003.
“I had always had the entrepreneurial bug,” Ourand said. “A lot of things just lined up right and we?ve been going strong ever since.”
Ourand and his three full-time employees operate on the virtual model ? they get together at convenient places, such as coffee shops, when they need to.
“It?s a model that works well with us,” Ourand said. “The goal here is not to build a big agency. I like the flexibility and agility of a small shop like we have.”
SiteWorx, a Web design and development company, has been with Chris O. Communications for about three years on various PR strategy and media relations work.
“Chris is a good fit for us, where we have been and where we are going,” SiteWorx Vice President of Sales and Marketing Jeff Ellsworth said. “We?re a growing company. It?s difficult to hire someone and keep them directed. We get some really good third-party insight from him.”
But Ourand wants clients to know he?s not afraid to turn down work if it doesn?t fit with the company.
“Not everyone buys into our brand of PR, but that?s okay,” he said. “I know what I can do and what I can?t.”
Chris O. Communications
245 Tolstoy Lane, Severna Park
410-793-5271; www.chrisocom.com
