Image credit via Flickr by David Blackwell There are things that stick with us the whole year — we remember whatever holiday celebrations we conduct, we remember the end and beginning of school for as long as we have school-aged children or have to drive through school zones, and we Read more…
One of the largest complaints we hear from small businesses is that they simply don’t have time to market themselves to the extent that they’d like. They also don’t have the resources to dedicate to hiring someone who solely does marketing. Hiring an agency is also out of the question Read more…
Customers who feel valued become return customers and are a great source of word-of-mouth referrals. For that reason it’s important to make an impression on them. You do this with excellent customer service, providing world-class service or products, and delighting them. Whether you are a business owner or a chamber Read more…
There are many chambers using gift certificate or currency programs. They’ve been extremely successful in the past and the program is well received. Because of this many chambers don’t recognize a program that’s no longer working because from their perspective — sales — it sill is. But that’s not the Read more…
Who carries cash anymore? Not many of us. Mostly it’s credit and debit cards. 99% of the time this is perfect for any purchase but occasionally, like at farmers markets, we’re left rooting through pockets and purses. Yes, some markets have electronic payments but for most, it’s cash only. Unless… Read more…
People love free and often when we incentivize their “good behavior” they tend to repeat it. Here’s a creative idea your chamber can use for the holidays to get more people to shop local. Catch Them in the Act with Chamber Bucks One of the most effective positive reinforcements occurs Read more…
In addition to marketing, one of the most valuable things your chamber bucks program needs is referrals. If people are talking about your program, more people will want to be a part of it. But how do you make that happen? Get Them Out There Marketing occurs on many levels Read more…
Retailers work hard at attracting the Millennial customer because there are so many of them and they are approaching the age of having some discretionary income. The media has painted this niche-brand-loving generation as being “shoppers with a conscience,” who want to purchase from stores that are giving back and Read more…
Many budget conscious shoppers avoid local stores because they think products cost more at these small shops. These stores don’t often use loss leaders to attract people, nor do they offer coupons that when stacked create free product opportunities. Yes, some products will cost more in local stores than in Read more…
Polls will tell you most people support shop local, in theory, but in reality there are a lot of hurtles to getting people to do shop in your local stores on a regular basis. Many of these hurtles involve preconceptions people have about local stores. Don’t ignore them. Take the Read more…
