Young Business falls on Hard Times, due to Failed Promises

SITUATION: A retail specialty shop, offering a singular line of foreign products in an area where many people have visited these foreign areas.

Associates not following through on promises, including sharing client lists; illness in family; business slow to pick up; quickly running out of funds and may need to get another job.

Internet site still under construction at present.

NEEDs to do something fast.

RESPONSE: There is no doubt you’re in a difficult situation. Whoever might solve most of your issues, could become quite rich! But, I do have two suggestions:

First, contact the SCORE Chapter in your area and ask to meet for a free consultation. As many times as you might meet with one of their volunteers, it is no cost to you. Its website is: http://www.saltlakescore.com/

Next, this is one marketing effort that could bring some quick results with a minimum of effort and no cost.

I suggest you set up a Blog for each of your product lines. What will this do?

For each product type, present several paragraphs describing the history and variety of this product line. Discuss the uniqueness of each, the artisans, where appropriate, and the background or history.

For example: if you were selling imported, exotic lumber from Brazil, you might begin with a history of the demand for that export, describe the quality, grain, color, and use for each type. Once your website is functional, you will embed a link to your website somewhere within the text.

The idea is to get the attention of people interested in this subject and then give them something interesting to read. Then, ideally they will click on your link, or for the present, come into your store.

However, your website is not yet functional. That is priority one for this scenario to be most effective. I hope you’ve found a way to get a low-cost site implemented fast. At the start of a local business like yours, even though you might get some distant business, there is no need to spend thousands of dollars for the perfect website.

In the meantime, a boilerplate paragraph at the bottom of each Blog entry would invite folks to visit your store or call, to learn more and to see examples of this product.

(“Boilerplate paragraph” is a paragraph giving a short description of your organization, along with the name, address, email address, and website address. I.e., “XYZ is a retail specialty shop located in My City that offers an assortment of Commonwealth wares. Included are Artworks, Glass, …It is located at …Mention this Blog and receive our everlasting gratitude!)

This will be doing something very positive for your future, and you may benefit from the feeling that you’re preparing some good foundation material.

Setting up a blog is simple. Go to: https://www.blogger.com/start

When setting up each blog, use the same user ID and Password for each. Each will be a stand-alone page, but by using your same name and ID, the name of all of your Blogs will appear on each Blog.

I wish that I could help more, but I know you’ll be able to get some good mentoring from your local SCORE office.



Visit our website: http://www.southernutahscore.com/