Collaboration in the Community

Rural communities have a lot to offer to their residents and to the many small businesses that can be found within their borders. I love the fact that when you walk by on the streets, people wave and say hi. They smile at you when you enter the stores, and ask how your day has been. They know your likes and dislikes and have your drink orders ready for you when you walk into the restaurants -- not having to wait til you place your orders. It's a small environment with a lot of people in close proximity. with close-knit social networks. Everyone knows everyone, everything is less anonymous. Does that sound about right?

I love living in a rural community! I love getting to know the people -- learning what they do, what they enjoy, how they spend their time. One of my favorite television shows recently has been "The Hart Of Dixie" and is all about small town life in the south. It deals with the everyday lives of the people in the community -- both their personal and their business lives. It is very enlightening!

Since this is a blog about business, I suppose there is a reason I'm talking about tv shows and small town life. And, of course, the answer is yes there is. Since everyone knows each other and since the community is close knit, when one is is considered an "outsider" (someone not born into the community), it can be difficult to become a part of that inner circle. And when you are offering something that might not be a commonplace type of business, then it becomes even more difficult. There is a lack of trust. The residents don't know you. They don't know WHO you are, what you stand for, can you be trusted with their money, their friendship, their lives. And they are fiercely protective of those items.

So, what do you do? You need to get involved. You need to become a part of the community yourself -- not just your business, but you. Let people know who you are and what you stand for. Does that mean going to church? Joining the civic organizations? Getting out and talking to people on the streets. Let them know you care about them as people -- not just as a source of income. Be part of the community in whatever what you can....And most importantly, you must be real about all this. Don't do it, just to get into the circle. Be legitimate. Show that you really want to be part of the social structure of the community.

A couple of ideas? Be part of the monthly FREEcycle Swap meet that is starting the last Saturday of the month at BSU. Its a way to help others in the town by providing items that you no longer need but others might. It also helps keep stuff out of the landfills. We need to be aware of the ever increasing trash around us. If we can eliminate even just a little, that's a good thing.

What about the whole "Buy Local" concept? If you can spend your money in the local community, isn't that better for us all than if you go to large town and give them your hard earn dollars? What can you do to help support (collaborate) in the community? I guarantee -- even if you're a life time member of the town -- you'll be and feel much better about yourself and where you live if you just try to be more aware of what happens right in your own back yard!

Excellent Marketing

As I’ve mentioned before, I love Success Magazine and think there’s something in it for any business person. This month it’s all about the most important element of business: marketing. The most important part? According to Darren Hardy, the publisher of Success, there are four main categories of business success – the product, the management, the profit margins, and marketing. Yet, the one that stands out as the most important is marketing. With quality marketing, even mediocre products can be sold, make lots of money and while management can be really, really good, the product can still fall short.

So, you get it – you have to market your business. However, just marketing isn’t going to do the trick. You have to use the right type of marketing, the right message, and send it to the right people. Wow. That makes it harder, doesn’t it. How are you supposed to know all that? A lot of it is trial and error. You try, and it works or it fails. Then you either move on or do the same thing over again. Then, it’s also important that you work with those who have better understanding of what good marketing is all about. Mentors, programs that teach you, groups that work together to collaborate and to share ideas: these are all methods that will help you learn what is better versus bad marketing. But the most important thing to remember in any marketing effort: NEVER stop learning what your customers and/or potential customers want.

Find your target niche (who it is that wants what you have to offer) and then market to them where they are. Two types of marketing are the niche market and then there’s also shotgun marketing. Shotgun marketing, like it sounds, is when you shoot and the message lands who knows where. This is actually a waste of money as you never know if the person reached has need of your product or service.

It’s also important to create a series of marketing programs using both online and offline techniques. According, again, to Success, approximately 46 million people check their social media sites several times a day. This is a great way to quickly, inexpensively and effectively touch bases with your market. However, it is also a known fact that it takes more than seeing your name, phone, email, ads, in order to get someone to choose you over the competition. It is also more effective to use a variety of techniques such as email, direct mail, social media, telephone and more. You need to find what works the best for your market.

The most effective marketing however is when you build relationships with your customers. It is much easier to get someone to want what you offer when they understand it, like you (your brand) and feel that they can trust you. This is great news: you just have to make your customer your friend, and they’ll buy from you. Not as easy as it sounds. It takes time (and we’re all in a hurry to get that sale), and it takes effort. You need to pay more attention to what you can do for them, than what they can do for you. If you give what your customer wants, then you become successful as well, but not overnight.

In the end, if you provide great marketing support, a super product at a good price break and run your business with knowledge and understanding, you are going to be one of the lucky ones! You’ll have a successful business.

The Winter that Wasn't

Yesterday was Ground Hogs Day and Phil didn’t see his shadow, so that means that we’re going to see an end to winter soon. But – have we even seen winter yet? Don’t bet on the fact that it’s all but over. There can STILL be a lot of winter left in the next couple of months. And when it does come, we grumble, go out and shovel, pick ourselves up and keep on going; knowing that eventually things WILL get better and spring will be just over the next bump in the road.

This reminds me of other things as well: business for instance. Right now, we’re in the middle of a very dark, very cold and very snowy winter for many of our businesses. We wake up each morning hoping to see a bright shiny day (i.e., lots and LOTS of customers falling in our doors, ordering many products or services, and the cash register ringing off the counter top). But for many, those days have been in hiding (in hibernation like Phil). All we can do is wait for the spring thaw.

Unlike the weather, however, we oftentimes find ourselves not able to keep on going. Obviously, money has a lot to do with it. There is only so long that we can go on without an income to generate rents, more sales, phone bills, electric bills, salaries: all the fun stuff of running a business. We worry that we’ll never see a successful day. The spring is NOT just around the corner.

But, I have to ask you…when it snows, what do you do? You put on gloves, boots, wrap a scarf around your neck and you go get your shovel and start to dig, right? What have you done for your business? Have you done the same thing here?

All too often, a person starting out in his or her own business is filled with excitement, energy and lust for getting their dream fulfilled. They pick a name, get a phone number, go to the nearest office supply store and buy pads of paper and pens, and then they’re ready to make their first sale. They sit there and they wait, and they wait, and they wait. No one comes. Okay – did they advertise? Does anyone know they exist? Probably their family and friends, but …

So, this tells you the first thing you need to do is let people know you’re there and what it is you’re selling. How? Go to meetings: places like the local Chamber, civic organizations such as Rotary and the Lions, find a bulletin board and put up a flyer. Network, network, network.

I’ll also bet that there’s a lot about running a business that you probably don’t know. But, going to college and getting a Master’s Degree in Business Administration is also probably not an option. So, again, there is a solution. Find online educational training programs, hook up with Score, or find a place like Business Success Unlimited, where you can get education, do the networking, and even have a little fun. These organizations are here to help you and support you and show you how others have “been there and done that.” People with feet on the ground who have lived the lives will give you opportunities to think in ways that you may not have envisioned without their guidance.

This is the equivalent of getting out that shovel and getting to work digging your way out of the snow. It can be hard, it can take a long time, and it can be an unhappy experience but – in the long-run you’ve got a driveway clear of snow and ice and you can make your way out of home base and into the streets where you can accomplish what you’ve set out to accomplish.

Don’t underestimate the time and work that it will take to get you there, but on the other hand, don’t just sit there and wait for spring to come. It may be a long time in the future, but with work (yuck!) you will have a much better chance of getting something done before the thaw starts in the future.