When your business is rapidly turning into a lemon as is the case with the unfortunate Oswaldtwistle storekeeper we met in the previous chapter, you are left with only one option; make lemonade. On the face of it, this business would appear to be doomed; only a matter of time before the shutters are pulled down permanently and the enterprise consigned to the scrap heap. We see it all the time; small businesses going to the wall all around us. And yet, incredibly, for every small enterprise that closes down another one pops up in its place; the embryonic start-up syndrome in action.
This must tell us something. It must indicate that regardless of adverse trading conditions in any given field, the entrepreneurial spirit of the small operator is far from snuffed out; it is alive and kicking as is evidenced by the encouragement provided to mini start-ups by central and local government alike; grants, low-cost loans, training, etc. But there is another form of help readily available to struggling small enterprises: self help; and it is to self help that the Oswaldtwistle storekeeper should be looking, not just to survive but to prosper.
Using Self-Help To Alleviate Dire Circumstances
Our hypothetical, under-pressure storekeeper (let’s call him Ossie) must base his ‘lemonade-making’ strategy exclusively around the
creation of incremental income from the surest source of revenue he will ever have:
the existing customer base. Whatever is done by way of resuscitating this ailing business will have no impact whatsoever on the surrounding multiples although it could conceivably attract some additional custom from nearby competitive independents.
That, however, is not the purpose of the proposed online marketing exercise; the focus is on engendering loyalty and persuading existing customers to open their purses wider and spend more with their friendly grocer cum newsagent cum whatever else.
Getting Rid Of The Negatives Before Tackling The Positives
- “I don’t have a computer and there is no cash available to invest in one.”
Visit any computer superstore and acquire a brand new internet-connected machine at no deposit and with up to 12 months before a penny is paid out. Even then, if there is still no cash available, ownership can be obtained on deferred payment terms and the cost offset against operational expenses.
- “I can’t afford the time or money to learn how to use a computer.”
Nowadays that is not a genuine reason for failing to get up to speed on information technology; visit the nearest local small business initiative, community centre or public library and sign up for free evening classes on mastering computer basics. Children can do it, and so too can any business owner.
- “I don’t see how a computer can help me increase my turnover.”
Read on and find out how ...
Going Online: First To Survive, Then To Grow
So what now for our theoretical storekeeper? Ossie has lots to do, but has made a good start already. He shopped around judiciously and settled on a package deal; the computer of his choice together with combined printer/scanner/copier and digital camera as free add-ons. He has also attended some evening classes and is getting to grips with information technology and how to handle the equipment.
Much of what lies ahead of Ossie initially is
offline activity which is right and proper because his objective is an increase on instore sales as opposed to virtual transactions. These may come later, if at all.
Ossie’s Internet Challenge
- Ossie is about to use the world’s most sophisticated and powerful marketing device to promote a corner shop but that’s okay;
- His little mini-site will be in competition for the attention of internet users in tandem with billions of other web pages and that’s still okay;
- Ossie has no digital products available for download, so even if he attracts a handful of visitors from outside his catchment area, he has nothing to sell them – and even that’s okay.