Owned and operated by Michelle and Michael Finger, Our Keys is a thriving young business that has revitalized the advertising world in the Lower Keys. The direct mail advertisement is the only one of its kind in Key West and reaches nearly 12,500 Monroe County homes on a monthly basis.
Michael, a marketing guru of nearly thirty years, developed the idea while grooming his former business in Orlando. “I was advertising my business in a similar publication and was having a lot of success with it,” Finger recalls. “I was amazed to discover that there wasn’t a single direct mailer in the Keys and so I saw an opportunity.”
The great thing about Our Keys is it’s the only marketing tool of its kind to focus on locals instead of just tourists. Additionally, as Finger explains, much of the local business in Key West operates on a small scale, as such, Our Keys is designed to provide an affordable yet efficient marketing experience for an operation of any size.
With nearly 80 businesses signed up from Key West to Big Coppitt, Our Keys is growing at an impressive rate, but its owners don’t want to stop there. “We launched the website in July and have nearly 7,000 visitors viewing our Facebook posts each month,” Michael states. “We’d like to have a presence up to Key Largo in the next five years but we’re not trying to get ahead of ourselves.”
The beauty of Our Keys is that it is a perfect fit for any business. For instance, the Fingers note that many of their customers are restaurants and watering holes, but anyone from a chiropractor to a pool service can find inexpensive and effective marketing solutions with the help of Our Keys.
One of the reasons for the success of Our Keys is the working relationship between the owners. As Michael describes, “I handle a lot of the graphic design and sales, but Michelle really wears many hats and I certainly couldn’t do it without her.”
While Michael and Michelle have been together for nearly five years, it was the island of Key West that actually introduced them. “I was here on vacation,” Michael reminisces as he looks at his wife and smiles, “and I met her.”
“We love it here,” Michelle says. “The weather, the people, and the community really make it home.”
