OSM Thrives in Belleville with the Help of Local Support Like QEDC in Belleville

July 20, 2020

 Online Sales & Marketing (OSM) located in Belleville, Ontario is a full-service digital agency offering marketing, web design, hosting, and branding to their clients. A 21-year-old firm, OSM is well-established in eastern Ontario, supported by local services like the Quinte Economic Development Commission (QEDC), and is currently run by Josh Edwards, a long-time resident in theBay of Quinte region.

OSM Works Hard to Understand Their Clients

“We do our best to understand our customers, and that helps make us successful. When the company started in 1997, it was based on working with not-for-profits and ministries. We’ve always catered to start-ups and companies where the money isn’t yet flowing. Since then, we’ve worked with huge corporations too, we can do both.”

OSM provides web solutions for high-ticket clients, such as Habitat for Humanity and Home Depot, and has grown as a local eastern Ontario company because they have a good understanding of what people want.

“I’m always studying the consumer and what they want. That’s how we continue to grow.”

OSM Hires Local Talent to Help Them Succeed

OSM has a full-time team of 8, including Josh, and a number of sub-contractors on top of those, making their team about 12 in total.  

“About 80% of the people who work here are Loyalist College graduates, including myself. Our Senior Programmer is 51 years old and came out of Loyalist. We also have a Designer and Customer Care Rep who studied there as well. Loyalist has been a huge part of what has made OSM successful as far as staff for me.”

Josh got a really good foundation in business marketing and sales programs at Loyalist College and went right into OSM out of school. Hiring local talent has really helped OSM succeed because their employees have an understanding of the market around them because they live in it.

“I like the fact that if I have to go to a meeting, it’s easy to get around in eastern Ontario. I don’t have to fight the traffic of a big city, but I have all the talent and clients I need close by.”

The Bay of Quinte region has a very tight knit business community with active participation and networking with lots of local companies. And even though those companies are very busy, Josh has found that they’ll make time for him if he needs help or has a question.

“There is a community feeling here among the entrepreneurs, and people are having conversations with each other. Because I’ve been running the firm for just over a year, that kind of support has been so vital for me.”

QEDC Helps Companies Like OSM Succeed

As OSM continues to thrive and help more companies in eastern Ontario with their web presence, the Quinte Economic Development Commission (QEDC) is there ready to help new and existing businesses.

Visit our website to learn more about how your business can benefit and prosper in the Bay of Quinte.

The Quinte Technology Association (QTA) is another resource for technology businesses in the Bay of Quinte.