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Many small, specialty businesses are closing due to the inability to compete with the internet. Once upon a time, record shops, independent bookstores, and specialty clothing stores were thriving in most cities. Today, you can walk down any urban street and see your favorite shop has gone out of business. People buy these items on the Internet. No one wants these colorful little places to go away, so the challenge is figuring out how small businesses can compete with the Internet.
Personality and Customer Service
Good customer service is the single most important component to running a successful small business. People will go to a real shop if they know the service is going to be friendly and good. Add a little unique personality to the business, and the store will become a destination for fun spending. It becomes a bit of a tourist attraction.
A good marketing campaign would encourage people to get out and see the city. Even though the economy is still in recovery, people want to feel happy, and that includes spending money on a day outing. If the small business has a cool aesthetic, and it is fun and interesting to move through, people will spend more time shopping. That means the odds of them buying something will increase.
Use the Internet
Even small boutiques need websites. It’s also a good idea to gather emails so that the shop can send email notices of sales and special events. The Internet isn’t going away, so along with good service, learning to use it to survive is an absolute necessity. As a shopper, continue to support those small businesses.
