DeepSummary
Jason Gitani, the owner of Gitani Stone, shares his insights on steadily growing his family's stone business over the years. He discusses the importance of building loyal, trusted client relationships and how he targets both B2C and B2B customers differently. Gitani highlights strategies like forming strategic partnerships, investing in R&D and innovation, and using emotional decision-making rather than purely rational analysis.
One of Gitani Stone's most extravagant projects was an $8 million private residence in Vaucluse, where the total stone package cost over $8 million. Gitani emphasizes the value of storytelling, sharing the heritage and origin of the stone to create an emotional connection with clients. He also touches on the role of AI and the shift towards visual marketing through social media platforms like Instagram.
Gitani attributes much of his success to his father's immigrant roots, starting the business modestly in 1974. He now employs 60 staff, turns over $40 million annually, and owns an Australian quarry while still importing from the quarry in Italy where Michelangelo once sourced stone. Gitani's steady approach and focus on building relationships have helped the business grow steadily over the past 49 years.
Key Episodes Takeaways
- Building loyal, trusted client relationships is crucial for steady business growth in the stone industry.
- Targeting both B2C and B2B customers requires different strategies and approaches.
- Forming strategic partnerships, such as with architects and designers, is key to securing major projects.
- Investing in R&D and innovation, like the slab scanner at Gitani Stone, can provide a competitive advantage.
- Emotional decision-making and intuition play a significant role in Gitani's business approach.
- Storytelling and creating an emotional connection with clients by sharing the heritage and origin of the stone enhances the customer experience.
- Visual marketing through platforms like Instagram is becoming increasingly important for businesses like Gitani Stone.
- Gitani Stone's steady growth over 49 years, from a modest one-man show to a $40 million business, exemplifies a successful long-term approach.
Top Episodes Quotes
- “I'm all feeling like, for me, all feeling. It's just, it's the only way to do, in my opinion, it's the only way to do business.“ by Jason Gitani
- “Early days. Back in the nineties, I invested heavily in the magazine side of things and being like being a visual product. So, you know, people love seeing stone in bench tops and walls and floors. They, you know, they see it and they fall in love with it and they come to source it.“ by Jason Gitani
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Episode Information
The Small Business Big Marketing Podcast with Tim Reid
Tim Reid
8/28/23
Old-school marketing strategies. If you’re interested in building a business with rock-solid foundations that’s primed for growth, then you’re in the right place. Not because today’s special guest owns Australia's largest, family-run stone business; but because he’s doing it in a way that ensures steady, long-term growth that avoids the painful peaks and troughs. It’s a not-so-rocky episode 648 of The (14 year-old, award-winning) Small Business Big Marketing podcast.
A little more about Gitani Stone Owner Jason Gittany...
As an immigrant tiler, Jason Gittany’s father started Gitani Stone in 1974. At the time, it was a modest business providing exceptional supply and installation of marble stone bench tops and other stone products to homes across the Sydney metropolitan area.
Fast-forward to 2023, and Jason’s now running the business, having taken it from a modest one man show, to now one of Australia's premier, family-owned stone suppliers and installers, employing 60 staff, and turning over $40 million annually. They even own their very own Australian quarry, whilst still importing from a quarry outside of Florence, Italy where Michaelangelo once acquired his own stone for the likes of creating David and other famous works.
In this candid chat, Jason shares what he calls his steady strategies for growing the business to where it is today, how he builds loyal, trusted client relations, and how he targets both B2C and B2B customers, each one requiring something just a little bit different.
I started off by asking Jason what the most extravagant project Gittany Stone has ever delivered.
Last Week's Episode of The Small Business Big Marketing Podcast
AI For Small Business: A Beginner's Guide with Dr Catriona Wallace | 648
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