Comments on: How small shops can compete with big ones http://smallbusiness.blogs.cnnmoney.cnn.com/2008/02/20/how-small-shops-can-compete-with-big-ones/ Editors from FSB magazine answer your pressing small-business questions. Tue, 15 Dec 2009 12:52:55 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: Anonymous http://smallbusiness.blogs.cnnmoney.cnn.com/2008/02/20/how-small-shops-can-compete-with-big-ones/#comment-1812 Anonymous Thu, 28 May 2009 23:32:24 +0000 http://askfsb.wordpress.com/?p=188#comment-1812 You must have superior customer service. Don't count on your employees to do this for you. Do the work yourself and get to know your customers. I have a small neighborhood convenience store...I work at least 10 hours a day and I know my customers and I've had many comments on how welcome they feel there You must have superior customer service. Don't count on your employees to do this for you. Do the work yourself and get to know your customers. I have a small neighborhood convenience store…I work at least 10 hours a day and I know my customers and I've had many comments on how welcome they feel there

]]> By: roger ,cleveland,ohio http://smallbusiness.blogs.cnnmoney.cnn.com/2008/02/20/how-small-shops-can-compete-with-big-ones/#comment-632 roger ,cleveland,ohio Wed, 28 May 2008 13:58:44 +0000 http://askfsb.wordpress.com/?p=188#comment-632 use coffee promotion cards to give customer free cup of coffee when they buy 5 cups or make a package of other snacks if you sell snacks in your store because bigger store cannot afford to give anything like this use coffee promotion cards to give customer free cup of coffee when they buy 5 cups or make a package of other snacks if you sell snacks in your store because bigger store cannot afford to give anything like this

]]> By: Renee O'Connor, Tucson, AZ http://smallbusiness.blogs.cnnmoney.cnn.com/2008/02/20/how-small-shops-can-compete-with-big-ones/#comment-511 Renee O'Connor, Tucson, AZ Fri, 21 Mar 2008 20:34:32 +0000 http://askfsb.wordpress.com/?p=188#comment-511 My wife and I have opened our "Mom and Pop Furniture Shop" next to one of the top 100 furniture distributors (Box Store) in the country. We are truly David (or even Davids little brother) in a David and Goliath scenerio. We are finding that more and more people are getting fed-up with the high volume, low quality, high pressure sales approach. My wife and I tell our customers that we run our store completely opposite of the big box stores. We don't buy in high volume, nor do we sell cheap items, and you will never feel pressured into buying. Our mantra is...Our customers will be treated just as we would like to be treated when we're shopping for furniture. So far our practices have gotten great results. During these stressfull times in the economy (especially in the housing and home furnishings industry) when our "Goliath" neighbors sales have dropped by half, we are steadily holding our own...even increasing sales during times. Many Thanks for noticing that there "are" small businesses out there! Warmest Regards Craig and Renee O'Connor Owners - Shadow Furniture, Tucson AZ www.shadowfurniture.com My wife and I have opened our "Mom and Pop Furniture Shop" next to one of the top 100 furniture distributors (Box Store) in the country. We are truly David (or even Davids little brother) in a David and Goliath scenerio. We are finding that more and more people are getting fed-up with the high volume, low quality, high pressure sales approach. My wife and I tell our customers that we run our store completely opposite of the big box stores. We don't buy in high volume, nor do we sell cheap items, and you will never feel pressured into buying. Our mantra is…Our customers will be treated just as we would like to be treated when we're shopping for furniture. So far our practices have gotten great results. During these stressfull times in the economy (especially in the housing and home furnishings industry) when our "Goliath" neighbors sales have dropped by half, we are steadily holding our own…even increasing sales during times.

Many Thanks for noticing that there "are" small businesses out there!

Warmest Regards
Craig and Renee O'Connor
Owners – Shadow Furniture, Tucson AZ
http://www.shadowfurniture.com

]]> By: Aura Mae http://smallbusiness.blogs.cnnmoney.cnn.com/2008/02/20/how-small-shops-can-compete-with-big-ones/#comment-432 Aura Mae Wed, 20 Feb 2008 19:54:51 +0000 http://askfsb.wordpress.com/?p=188#comment-432 I own a small hair salon. We have four hairdressers and for the last two years have been voted one of the top 10 salons in our market. We have branded ourselves as a niche business. We don't try to attract every client, and we work hard to create an atmosphere that is comfortable to the clients we do attract. We don't have the advertising budget of a big salon, but we have a website and a blog and if we can get our prospective customers to read those, they self-select and we only end up with clients who are likely to enjoy the atmosphere. Not everyone will like us and that's ok! If we aren't struggling to keep clients who aren't a good match in the first place, we can focus our energies on delivering the experience that the other customers will enjoy. In a nutshell: Don't try to be all things to all people. I own a small hair salon. We have four hairdressers and for the last two years have been voted one of the top 10 salons in our market. We have branded ourselves as a niche business. We don't try to attract every client, and we work hard to create an atmosphere that is comfortable to the clients we do attract. We don't have the advertising budget of a big salon, but we have a website and a blog and if we can get our prospective customers to read those, they self-select and we only end up with clients who are likely to enjoy the atmosphere. Not everyone will like us and that's ok! If we aren't struggling to keep clients who aren't a good match in the first place, we can focus our energies on delivering the experience that the other customers will enjoy. In a nutshell: Don't try to be all things to all people.

]]> By: Brandon Cornett, Austin, TX http://smallbusiness.blogs.cnnmoney.cnn.com/2008/02/20/how-small-shops-can-compete-with-big-ones/#comment-431 Brandon Cornett, Austin, TX Wed, 20 Feb 2008 19:04:06 +0000 http://askfsb.wordpress.com/?p=188#comment-431 Hi Alison. Great article. As coincidence would have it, I just finished an e-book on this very subject (it's free too). The premise behind the book is that small businesses can now compete with their larger competitors like never before, especially when they know how to leverage the power of the web. The book is entitled "Online Equalizer" because it shows the small business owner how to level the playing field online. You (and your readers) can download it or read it online at OnlineEqualizer.com Take care! -Brandon Hi Alison.

Great article. As coincidence would have it, I just finished an e-book on this very subject (it's free too). The premise behind the book is that small businesses can now compete with their larger competitors like never before, especially when they know how to leverage the power of the web.

The book is entitled "Online Equalizer" because it shows the small business owner how to level the playing field online.

You (and your readers) can download it or read it online at OnlineEqualizer.com

Take care!

-Brandon

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