It seems that each passing year puts more pressure on brick and mortar stores to do more than just sell products. Between the growing convenience of e-commerce platforms and the increasing competition for shrinking crowds, shop owners are continually looking for small business tips that can help them differentiate – and thrive.
While there’s no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to small business tips, we hope these strategies will help you start thinking about your business and its presentation in a powerfully new way.
Offer Delight
Every good sales person knows the importance of solving a customer’s pain-points. However, if that’s the sole motivator for a consumer, he or she will simply make the purchase online. Instead of just solving your customers’ despair, find ways to delight them, to make them smile, to ensure they’re happy they walked through your doors.
Capture their Attention
In a busy downtown area, you need to capture future customers’ attention from the street – it’s that simple. If you’re in more of a “destination” location, you need to show your customers that they’re in the right place as soon as possible. Stand out in the crowd. A branded awning or canopy – with you company name, colors, and logo – is a highly effective way of drawing more business into your shop.
Make it Easy
We live in an on-demand world – in person and online. Many small business owners forget that urgency is one of the primary motivators for in-person shopping (at least in today’s convenient Amazon world). Find ways to shorten the number of steps in the customer journey, such as giving every employee the power to ‘ring up’ customers and abandoning traditional check-out lines.
Make it Memorable
One of the biggest ‘small business tips’ we can offer is to give your customers a reason to stop by. Customers who are visiting a brick and mortar business are looking for a certain ambiance and an experience. Maybe you transform your back patio to create an indoor/outdoor retail experience (with a retractable roof structure for weather protection) or you offer a customized service that complements the customer’s purchase. The opportunities are endless.
Display your Values
Especially with the Millennial Generation, modern consumers are more socially and environmentally aware, and they appreciate brands that are, too. It’s important to be genuine and authentic in your activism or involvement, so be sure you “walk-the-walk.” For example, if protecting the environment is your cause-of-choice, then install retractable canopies or shades to support your energy efficiency goals and reduce your carbon footprint.
These small business tips can help you differentiate your business from your competition, but there are many more tips & tricks on our blog.
Small Business Tips & Commercial Awnings – Explore the Synergy
At Retractable Structures (a division of Eide Industries, Inc.), we specialize in designing, manufacturing, and engineering commercial retractable structures and awnings. With almost 80 years of extensive design, construction, metal fabrication, industrial sewing, and installation experience, we are proud to offer the highest quality custom and pre-engineered products possible, made right here in the U.S.