Consultants, massage therapists, small retail stores, auto mechanics, chiropractors, doctors, lawyers ... What do they have in common? Plumbing, chimneys, dentists, energy healers, musicians and photocopiers. Each of them is a small private practice, limited to production in certain periods of time in a limited geographic area.
If you are one of these small local service providers, here's what you are up against:
- there is only 24 hours a day,
- you can see or visit so many customers or have so many customers in your store at a time,
- About 100,000 people live in Tompkins County
- tough competition
- you can only pay for your goods or services
- only a lot of people can come to you in due time,
- the only way to grow your business is to hire more employees or contractors or attract a partner (both of which are very expensive offers).
What if there is another way?
I was in the store this week. It was a small shop with various souvenirs, cards, trinkets. There was one person, a store owner, helping six customers who came to the store within 20 minutes when I was there. For this store it was a rush.
The environment was pleasant: good smells, attractive displays - a great combination of goods. A bit chaotic in places, but good experience over all. When I arrived, there was only one couple, which was helped by one shopkeeper. This ratio works. But when the six of us were there all at once - the store became crowded and difficult to move around, and the owner could not immediately help everyone. Not everyone bought something.
Last year, I had to see my chiropractor. I was rude, with pain and needed help right away. Fortunately for me, she was able to give me a lift and saw me for a short series of visits. During one of my visits, she mentioned how busy she was and how her heavy schedule affected her life. She wondered about options for her business that would not require her to work more hours than she wanted to work.
There is a powerful solution available to both a small shop owner and a one-person service provider who does not require employees or partners and can help expand and expand your business: this is the Internet.
I am convinced that the Internet can save our small, central New York cities and our rural communities. This is a tool for economic development of the 21st century.
A doctor, a massage therapist, a consultant, anyone can create a good website, get access to new prospects, teach them how to do business with you, help prospects with their questions and problems, sell goods and services, receive at least one of the least expensive advertisements (ever compare the flexibility and cost of a website with the yellow pages?). It all goes straight to your bottom line and you don’t need to hire anyone.
The theme of creating a website fills thousands of books and millions of web pages. My goal here is to encourage all Tompkins County small business owners to consider the impact a good website can have for your business. Do it yourself or hire a website designer (there are pros and cons anyway).
A good website that earns money for you 24 hours a day can bring you peace of mind if you have an empty waiting room or a showroom. A good website increases your accessibility outside of Tompkins County to the world.
A bad website just spends your time and frustrates your potential customers. Do not just place the page where it says "here we are." A good website attracts customers to you - they want to learn from you, they want to buy from you, they want and need your services.
My advice to all small office / home offices is to have a good website to complement your offline business. This is an educational tool. This is the largest billboard on the best road in the richest city. This is a virtual store. Ultimately this is a handshake with the world.
