Blog Post
Americans believe in Small Business
Linda Horstmyer • September 20, 2020
Look! We want to buy local!
Things are tough right now. Really tough. Lots of folks are getting pretty discouraged. Me included.
This chart of how folks feel about small business gave me some encouragement, though. It reminded me that, of course confidence in small businesses is much higher. Why? Well, think about it. Small businesses make up the vast majority of businesses in the US. And not just small businesses, micro businesses particularly. And, when you get right down to it, we, as Americans have a great deal of confidence in ourselves and our country. So it follows that we have more confidence in our fellow small businesses.
Ok, now that I am back off the ledge. Now what?
#1 - Attitude Adjustment
I'll start by changing my mindset. Things feel scary and unpredictable because they are. The best way I have found to reset and recharge is to make time to calm what some Yogis call the "Monkey Mind". Stay with me here. The zillions of neurons firing in our heads at any one time is astounding. Clearing your mind, even for just a few minutes can make a world of difference. There a many ways to calm those frenetic neurons:
- Meditate (check out free guided meditations on Insight Timer or Calm.)
- Take a walk and focus on what you see and hear (birds, cars, planes, kids)
- Put on some music you love and sing along!
- Weed the garden. Or start one!
#2 - Business Plan Review
Pull out that dusty business plan you created who knows how long ago. Is it still relevant? Need some tweeks? Redo entirely? Whatever condition it is in, a review of your intentions for your business can be a terrific spark for new ideas, products, services and customers.
#3 - Find New Avenues to Promote in
Have you ventured out into any of the newfangled marketing and advertising vehicles this new connected world has brought us? Have a Facebook account? Need to understand what might work for you? There are dozens of Free online classes and coursed on the web that cover every topic imaginable. Jump in. Get up to speed and be inspired. Could be you are able to reach a lot more people with your messages.
#4 - Identify new prospects
Are there customers out there that you have not considered? Or, more likely, ones you don't think want your product or service. Broaden you view. While Kathy the Bowling Alley owner may not need your services/products, she likely knows someone who does. Making your company memorable will improve the rate at which folks will remember seeing something that helps a friend or relative. People like to help and make suggestions. Take advantage of that and get your message out to a broader audience.
#5 - Get Out There!
So, you see, there is a lot you can do to salvage opportunity our of this monumental change we are experiencing. And, armed with the knowledge that your fellow citizens believe in you, is great reason to keep moving forward.
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Five in a series.
This post is the fourth in a series where I want to share some of the things I have learned over the course of my career. It has been varied in terms of industry and the customers served and has given me many valuable lessons along the way. I hope to benefit my clients with advice, ideas and cautions as a way of contributing to my local community. Next up was a sink or swim introduction to the early years of the internet. My love of travel, and startups, lead me to a new subsidiary of a large travel wholesale group in Ft. Lauderdale. Certified Vacations offered wholesale travel packages in addition to running Continental Airlines Vacations and (CAV) Delta Airlines Vacations (DAV). I want to work for New River Technologies (NRT) which was the internet arm for Certified. Fast and furious, my experience with NRT was exhilarating! I managed a large staff of web designers and we crafted dynamic websites for CAV, DAV and countless others. Understanding client needs and goals and translating them into the digital environment was a challenge in this new form of communication. Key was understanding how people wanted to learn about and book travel. Early on we developed relationships with Microsoft, Priceline, Expedia and other emerging online travel sellers and, looking back, the experience was absolutely thrilling. To say that the pace was fast is an understatement! I was hooked. Somehow, I had to figure out how to leverage my marketing, advertising and communications background into a dream job. A short stop with Sunglass Hut, before they were bought by Luxottica, honed my skills for effective communications with retail customers. We launched a new, and very innovative, website for sunglass sales that, like other startups, was full of challenges in every department. We were a small group and gathered in a small area, we all learned a lot about each area of the business. The programming side of websites has evolved so far from some of the early days I am grateful have been witness to the genesis of what is now a highly technical process. 2000 was a big year and was highlighted by a move to Small Business Ownership. Stay tuned!
