{"id":6624,"date":"2014-06-23T01:10:43","date_gmt":"2014-06-23T06:10:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/smallbizsurvival.com\/?p=6624"},"modified":"2014-08-08T15:57:51","modified_gmt":"2014-08-08T20:57:51","slug":"7-strengths-of-small-town-businesses-1-get-to-know-you","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/smallbizsurvival.com\/2014\/06\/7-strengths-of-small-town-businesses-1-get-to-know-you.html","title":{"rendered":"7 Strengths of Small Town Businesses #1 Get to know you"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"7<\/h2>\n

7 Biggest Strengths of Local Shops<\/h2>\n

And how you can build on them.<\/h2>\n

Remember the 7 Weaknesses of Local Shops<\/a>? They were crazy popular because they touched a nerve. I acknowledged that some of our local businesses really need to step up to earn business today. This series is the flip side of that idea.<\/p>\n

Small town stores have strengths, too. Our best local shops know a lot about customer service and community, and every business would be wise to learn from our strengths.<\/p>\n

Because we have the Shop Local movement pushing more people to think about local, all the efforts we make at improving turns into a virtuous cycle: better local shopping, more people thinking local, more sales captured, more repeat sales earned, more prosperity for business, more prosperity in the community, and more prosperous small towns.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m launching a seven week series on the strengths and how we can build on them.<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Get to know you<\/a><\/li>\n
  2. Make customers feel loved<\/a><\/li>\n
  3. Fewer layers<\/a><\/li>\n
  4. More flexible<\/a><\/li>\n
  5. More knowledgeable<\/a><\/li>\n
  6. Innovative<\/a><\/li>\n
  7. Benefiting the local community<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    If you\u2019re a local business, you can take these to heart. Make an honest effort to strengthen each of these areas over the next 7 weeks.<\/p>\n

    If you\u2019re with a Chamber of Commerce or other business organization, you can gather a small group of merchants who want to work on these together. Meet, go over the strengths and work to be even better.<\/p>\n

    Strength 1. Small town businesses get to know you, your needs and wants.<\/h2>\n

    The pharmacy where they know and anticipate what you and your aging mother-in-law will need next week.<\/p>\n

    The local market manager who carries gluten free for you and actively looks for new items you might like to try.<\/p>\n

    The comic book shop owner who sends you pictures of the 3\u00a0new arrivals that he knows are your favorites.<\/p>\n

    Those are all true small-town stories shared with me by small town people.<\/p>\n

    Small town businesses get to know you. Not just you, the customer with money, but also you, the customer who matters enough to learn about.<\/strong><\/p>\n

    What can any business\u00a0do to get to know their customers better?<\/p>\n