This E-Newletter will take you just 4 minutes and 6 seconds to read, and it might change your city, your business, or even make you think a bit after reading it.
First: Check out our SuccessfulIndependentBusiness.com website where I’ve written about a tool that when independent retailers use it, it allows them to compete with Amazon, generate revenue when no one is walking in their front door, and simplify the entire e-commerce process.
All of this sounds pretty good, doesn’t it?
Follow this link and learn how one retail client of mine called this tool a “Gamechanger” and another client generated better sales in April, 2020 than in any other December/holiday time period she’s ever had using this tool. (And remember, during April, 2020, she had no customers coming in her store).
Click here to read about this amazing technology tool and watch the 11 minute and 52 second video describing it.
Second, I’m excited to tell you that three (3) State Main Street Programs are now bringing my Destination Creation Course to their State’s downtown training programs. I’m excited to welcome the North Carolina Main Street Program, the Missouri Main Street Connection, and Heritage Ohio who all have trained Facilitators on their team who can teach my Destination Creation Course to business owners in any city or town in their State.
I’ve posted a story written about these progressive State Main Street Programs and how they’re using our class to help local businesses during this Covid-19 pandemic. Access it by clicking here.
Third, if you don’t know about our Live 2-Hour Town Hall Forums, let me tell you that they give clear instruction for business owners who have lost precious revenue being closed the last couple of months AND helps them prepare for the uncertainty that’s going to be with us in 2020.
When your organization sponsors one of our virtual Town Halls (conducted via Zoom video conferencing), owners who attend will know how to increase their sales (in-business and online), recapture their most profitable customers, and do so even with the likelihood that customer traffic is going to be less in 2020.
Our Town Hall format is described in more detail at the very top of our “Help for Communities & Associations” page (click here to see it). Learn why one downtown director said our Town Hall gave his owners: “Both high-level strategies for the long-term, as well as accessible tactics that businesses could apply immediately.”
If you don’t want to click, you can email me at [email protected] with the Subject Line: Town Hall Forum and I’ll send you the details.
Fourth, we now have 53 trained Facilitators of our Destination Creation Course in Alabama, Colorado, Indiana, Kansas, Massachusetts, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming, and the two Canadian provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan.
I’m listing all of these states and provinces because if you’re living in any of the other 31 States or 8 Canadian provinces, and you want to help independent businesses grow up to their potential, think about taking our Destination Train-the-Trainer class and becoming a Facilitator of our Destination Creation Course. Click here to learn how to do that.
Finally, it’s obvious that businesses in tourist areas are hurting big time right now. The reality is that many of these businesses have been spoon-fed tourists from beaches, ski resorts, cruise ships, and other tourist-packed venues and now those customers are few and far between. I’ve found most of these tourist businesses haven’t developed solid relationships with local consumers, so they’re not equipped right now to bring locals in their doors, and locals are often jaded and think these businesses are all for tourists.
If you’re an owner or manager in this situation, I’d suggest you quit waiting for the next busload, carload, or boatload of tourists to arrive and start reinventing your marketing by courting the locals who are around, changing your product mix, offering some extraordinary ultra-services, and reinventing your marketing to expand the 30-50 miles around you.
You might also think about taking our Destination Creation Course. Learn how by clicking here.
Finally, for those of you in areas that are reopening, I know it’s a welcome sight to see consumers spending more and coming in, but please don’t start thinking all is well. Trust me: In the 7 remaining months of 2020, every independent business needs to focus on reinventing the methods they use to capture consumer dollars when consumers might not show up. You must not get complacent during this brief rush of consumer spending. You must use the limited time in your Summer to increase your arsenal of marketing tools, Destination business tactics, and consumer-friendly services because they’ll be needed in the fourth quarter of 2020, if not before.
Thanks, everyone! Email me at [email protected] if you have thoughts, questions, or you just want to say Hey!
Jon
