When Tracy Swan started working in the promotional products industry, she immediately noticed a disturbing trend: People never fully took a vacation.

“I saw this gap in the market, that even when people were ‘out of office,’ they weren’t really out,” she says. “They were still checking emails, still responding, still half working.”

So, instead of sitting on the sidelines and watching it happen, Swan decided to do something about it. And that’s how her venture “The Promo Gap” was born.

The Promo Gap is a short-term coverage option for distributors, suppliers and reps looking for a trusted and reliable source to step in while they’re away or need a bit of breathing room. It’s a one-woman show for the time being, but if Swan gains enough industry interest, she plans to hire more people. She’s been offering the service for free for a while now, and she’s ready to make it more official.

“This just brings a bit more structure to something that already works,” she explains.

A Foundation in Promo

The Promo Gap’s services run the gamut, from emails and presentations to sourcing, supplier communication and timeline management – all the things, Swan says, that promo professionals are already doing.

“Most people don’t necessarily want to hire more people, they just need someone reliable at the right time,” she says.

Given the nuances of the industry, Swan believes she can add value as someone who’s in the business. She’s proficient in promo industry-specific tools, uses both Microsoft and Google Workspace, and builds visuals and mock-ups quickly using advanced AI tools.

“My background is also in branding, design and creating products, so I tend to look at things a bit differently,” she says. “I’m not just processing requests. I’m thinking about what will actually work, what fits the brand and what the end-client experience will feel like.”

Swan currently serves as the executive branding manager at Woodinville, WA-based distributor Footprint Promotions (asi/339111), a title she’s held for nearly eight years. Prior to that, she was the brand marketing specialist at Wilson MGi and operated her own branding and product design firm, Smart As A Fox LLC, for over four years.

While many industry professionals rely on virtual assistants for administrative tasks, Swan says Promo Gap provides a more industry-specific coverage option.

“VAs are great for things on the back end, but Promo Gap helps with the front end,” she explains. “Instead of supporting tasks, we step in as an extension of you. It’s less about delegation and more about continuity.”

Since the promo industry is built on and maintained by human interactions and relationships, The Promo Gap offers clients a real person to communicate through. Meanwhile, the reps, distributors and suppliers who usually answer their questions get an opportunity to take a real vacation.

“I tend to look at things a bit differently. I’m not just processing requests. I’m thinking about what will actually work, what fits the brand and what the end-client experience will feel like.” Tracy Swan, The Promo Gap

While Swan is open to working with brands of all sizes, The Promo Gap’s sweet spot is providing coverage for small companies and solopreneurs.

“They’re the ones who don’t have backup,” she says.

Many large suppliers and distributors have the benefit of a sales team that can cover for each other while one team member is sick, away or busy with another client. That’s especially true with approaches like team and collaborative selling – where team members work together to close a deal as opposed to assigning one rep to each account – growing in popularity. Small firms, on the other hand, often don’t have that luxury. If a client contacts a solo entrepreneur or a small business when their point of contact at the firm is away, staff typically have a responsibility to respond – even if they’re sick or away on vacation.

That’s where Swan comes in: She does everything from responding to emails to pulling ideas together and conducting presentations. “The goal is that nothing stalls when they’re away,” she says. “I’m basically an extension of the company that they’re working for – whatever that means to them.”

Maintaining Client Trust

One of the biggest sources of skepticism Swan hears when she tells people in the industry about her business is a fear that she’ll steal a distributor or supplier’s clients. “I have no interest in doing that,” she says. In fact, she ensures client confidentiality early in the process of working with her customers.

Once they define the scope of the coverage, discuss the workflow and agree upon coverage dates, Swan and her client each sign a nondisclosure agreement. This step happens before she accesses any client information.

The Promo Gap offers different levels of coverage, ranging from 7.5 hours to 30 hours a week. All packages include daily summaries and a comprehensive end-of-period recap, which Swan says helps clients easily transition back to work (instead of returning to a number of requests and a full inbox).

So, whether you’re planning a honeymoon at an all-inclusive resort, or finally crossing that national park off your bucket list this summer, Swan wants more industry professionals to truly unplug.

The work will still be there when you return to your desk.