Small Business Can Offer a Personal Touch for DIY Customers
>> Friday, March 2, 2012
Throughout the United States there are mega discount stores that all have a do it yourself section. They offer cheap prices and big on hand inventory but not much else. These stores can make it really hard to stay in business if you are a small store offering the same products.
The first step to take when up against one of these mega stores is to look at your business plan. A business coach can be very helpful when looking at your business plan. These people can be objective and they have the knowledge base that you need. Personal business coaching is a huge industry that specializes in helping smaller business to thrive. Whether you go it alone or you hire outside help you will need to see the points of weakness in the big chain stores and come up with a way to exploit that weakness. Frequently the big chain stores do not have the best customer service. As a small store you can offer advice and great service.
Personalized service is something that your customers will come to appreciate. Because your business is small you can see the needs of your area and be the place that everyone goes to for the little items and the larger ones.
Look To Your Own Neighborhood For Ideas To Make Your Business
Look at your neighbors. What is their age demographic? What is the home projects that you can see going on in the area. What do they seem to need most? Make sure you can supply them with all the outdoor and indoor project supplies that they are likely to need. You may even consider asking your neighbors that you come in contact with, let them know that you want to be the store they turn to for all their DIY projects.
Let’s have a look at Bob’s hardware store. This is a fictional example of how to get a good idea of what your customers want. Bob's store was in a area that had over the years gone through a lot of change. The older folks that had dominated the area before and were Bob's customer base had all moved away. Now there area was full of younger people and more and more of those people were single or renters. This changed everything for Bobs store. Now he had more people with less experience as homeowners trying to take on projects in older houses that he was familiar with, so he advertised that his store was always looking to help out and give advice. Furthermore he used his knowledge of the area to stock the things he knew that people would need for their homes. Bob understood that since the income bracket in the area had increased it would be a good idea to have security systems and a nicer selection of outdoor lighting.
Understanding where your business fits into the market is the most important step to being successful. No matter what you do, Bob’s story helps to illustrate this point. Understanding your market is vital.
The first step to take when up against one of these mega stores is to look at your business plan. A business coach can be very helpful when looking at your business plan. These people can be objective and they have the knowledge base that you need. Personal business coaching is a huge industry that specializes in helping smaller business to thrive. Whether you go it alone or you hire outside help you will need to see the points of weakness in the big chain stores and come up with a way to exploit that weakness. Frequently the big chain stores do not have the best customer service. As a small store you can offer advice and great service.
Personalized service is something that your customers will come to appreciate. Because your business is small you can see the needs of your area and be the place that everyone goes to for the little items and the larger ones.
Look To Your Own Neighborhood For Ideas To Make Your Business
Look at your neighbors. What is their age demographic? What is the home projects that you can see going on in the area. What do they seem to need most? Make sure you can supply them with all the outdoor and indoor project supplies that they are likely to need. You may even consider asking your neighbors that you come in contact with, let them know that you want to be the store they turn to for all their DIY projects.
Let’s have a look at Bob’s hardware store. This is a fictional example of how to get a good idea of what your customers want. Bob's store was in a area that had over the years gone through a lot of change. The older folks that had dominated the area before and were Bob's customer base had all moved away. Now there area was full of younger people and more and more of those people were single or renters. This changed everything for Bobs store. Now he had more people with less experience as homeowners trying to take on projects in older houses that he was familiar with, so he advertised that his store was always looking to help out and give advice. Furthermore he used his knowledge of the area to stock the things he knew that people would need for their homes. Bob understood that since the income bracket in the area had increased it would be a good idea to have security systems and a nicer selection of outdoor lighting.
Understanding where your business fits into the market is the most important step to being successful. No matter what you do, Bob’s story helps to illustrate this point. Understanding your market is vital.
About the Author:
Morris N. Mann, P.D. – Morris provides business owners and professionals with mid-life coaching. He has worked for over 15 years as a business executive responsible for marketing and systems management in international product and service companies. Morris holds a Ph.D. in psychology and has been a successful coach for over 10 years.
Please share:
0 comments:
Post a Comment