One of the best ways to make your local business succeed is to make it an integral part of the community. If you start up a local shop and ostracise the rest, or try to take away business from elsewhere, you will see that negatively work against you. The best thing to do is to welcome competition, as it represents a community. Instead of trying to gain others’ customers, carve a niche market for yourself that you can take advantage of, while other already-established businesses can continue to thrive. You’ll see that you all win when you focus on community instead of the bottom line at the end of the first day or week. Here are some great ways to build a community around your store that will help you and your new business-minded friends.
1. Community Fair or Fest
Want to get customers new and old excited about your store, and also earn the trust and assistance of the other stores around you? Organise a community gathering centre around your store, whether it be a music festival for local bands, or a Fall or Spring fest centre around local goods. You can host it at and around your store, and shut down the street and invite all local businesses to have booths. Not only will it clearly bring a lot of families and hipsters to your place of business, earning potential repeat customers along the way, but it’ll show your neighbours that you are indeed about the community. People love other people who genuinely show interest in the community.
2. Welcoming and Professional Signage
The best way to appear credible and reliable and bigger than you are is to be credible, reliable and bigger than you are. Never underestimate the power of professionally designed and printed signage. These days, it’s easy to get such materials online, and a retractable banner stand and a printed sign with your company’s logo can be gotten really easily at places. Not only will these materials drum up business, but if done tastefully, they can contribute to a décor of the entire community in a way that can make the whole are more attractive to locals and those in nearby communities.
3. Movie Night
Most likely your business is not in the market of selling movies. Right? Right. So what better way to attract those who haven’t yet come to see your store than to host a fun night that has nothing to do with your store itself. Show everyone that you love your local community, and host a movie night and show a cult favourite of some sort. Turn your store into a movie theatre for the night: offer free admission and cheap snacks and drinks, and you’ll bring in a lot of people who will feel cool for knowing about the event and for knowing you. It’s thinking outside the box like this that can really turn your business in the right direction.