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Comment by Bruce Lazarus on October 10, 2009 at 4:52pm

Commercial and Bridge Loans
bruce@athascapital.com for additional information

Comment by John Dilbeck on September 17, 2009 at 4:24pm

Good afternoon.

I was re-reading some of what I wrote and I wanted to stop for a moment and say that I'm just passing along some of what I learned and I'm not trying to be seen as the know-it-all master of promoting businesses, either online or offline.

I seem to have a writing style that sometimes comes across as if I'm more authoritative than I mean to suggest.

I'm really trying to share some of what I've learned and to spark discussions with others so we can all benefit.

While I'll only suggest tools and websites that have worked well for me, they are not the only sources for quality services, and I hope others will step in and suggest the services, tools, and methods they use to promote their businesses.

All the best,

JD

Comment by John Dilbeck on September 15, 2009 at 11:08am

Good morning, fellow business owners.

While I'm thinking about it and posting links, I'd like to suggest another outstanding post by Sonia Simone:

Finding Your Village of Customers

This was posted a few days ago and captures in a few paragraphs some things that I've been thinking about and trying to implement for well over a year.

Do you have a village business?

Is Wal-Mart a village business? Of course not. They're out to dominate retail marketing across the entire planet.

Is The Village Grill a village business? Yes, it is. It even says so in the business name.

What makes it a village business? While they are located on the highway and probably get a substantial portion of their business from people passing through Murphy, they also cater to a very local clientele living in the Ranger area of western Murphy. Sunday afternoon, for example, they have a regular group of people who come directly from church for a relaxing Sunday lunch.

I've been there and listened as the friendly wait staff greet regular customers by name and offer helpful advice and suggestions related to the menu and what's available.

Even though they are located about 12 miles from the nearest village, Murphy, they have a village business of their own.

Another example?

Rumors Clothing is a village business. The owner, Heather Rice, is offering stylish clothing for teenagers and young women who are looking for the latest fashions and want to buy them locally and not have to drive to a surrounding city or shopping mall.

I'm sure she wants to build a community of women who appreciate the clothing and jewelry she offers and who enjoy being able to purchase them, at reasonable prices, without having to go out of Murphy to do so. After all, gasoline is expensive and it takes time - of which many people have a dwindling supply - to drive somewhere.

It's also part of another village, the businesses located at Brother's Landing, and they are cooperating with one another in their advertising and promotions. I think cooperation is a major part of having a village business.

After all, the butcher recommends the baker who recommends the candlestick maker.

Murphy is a village

Have you ever realized that Murphy is a rare type of town where it is possible to walk the entire downtown area without any real exertion? Have you thought of all the businesses that are located within a quarter-mile or so of the downtown major intersection?

Yes, it's true that Murphy includes a much larger area than downtown and it is rapidly spreading westward along the four-lane. Businesses such as The Poltrock Team and S&L Auto and Tractor Parts consider their location close to Murphy, but not downtown, to be an asset that offers easy access, lots of parking, and being out of the "crowd."

I'm sure that John and Jessica Poltrock and Paul Beaster enjoy their village businesses. I know that they know their customers by their first names and they are friendly and engaging when you contact them.

So, it's a lot easier for us to have a village business than it would be for someone who lives in a densely populated city.

What's so great about a village business?

You'll have to decide that for yourself.

As far as I'm concerned, I like to go somewhere and get greeted by name, with a smile, and a sense that I'm really welcome. At the same time, I want to know the name of the owner and the employees. I want to talk to real people and be treated like one, in return.

I think that's one of the things that makes the difference between just a small business and a village business.

What these business owners are doing offline, I'm attempting to do online.

That's the whole reason I started Murphy Connections. I want to get to know people, whether they are customers or not, as individuals. I want to learn about them and their interests. What is happening with their families and the goals they want to achieve.

What do they enjoy about Murphy and what would they like to see changed or improved - those are of interest to me.

At the same time, I want it to be a friendly place where we can talk about business, gardening, pets, and other topics of interest without being bombarded by ads, solicitations, and creepy members. That's why advertising is restricted to members' blogs, a couple of sections of the Forum, and some of the groups, such as this one.

I think business is an important part of a village. Each of us has to produce something to earn a living, but we don't have to be overzealous and insensitive in promoting our businesses. After all, there is a proper time and place for everything.

I truly believe that Murphy is a great place to live and I really can't imagine living anywhere else. That's why I enjoy telling people about it. I admit that I don't promote the bad things, such as crime, accidents, and so forth, but I link to the newspapers who have that job - as well as telling the better things about our community and the people who live here.

Do you have a village business?

Do you want one?

It's my belief that a village business is different than just a small business.

I think it's one where the business owner is interested in knowing the people who enter by their real name and are happy to treat them as real individual people. I think it's one where the customers and clients learn about the business owner and what is important to him or her - their families, hobbies, activities, interests. I think it is one where the owner and employees are willing to go out of their way to be helpful and to communicate with the people who put a roof over their heads and food in their mouths.

Yes, it takes more effort to do this, but I believe it is important. I think we're seeing a revitalization of small towns and small businesses and a decrease in the dominance of big businesses all across America and much of the rest of the developed world.

We have to adapt to these changes and make the best of them.

Or we don't.

Of course, you don't have to be friendly, courteous, helpful, knowledgeable, communicative, or any of the other attributes I would consider to be part of a village business.

Not at all.

Nope.

You don't have to go out of your way to be a business owner that people like. Take the easy road and leave that to one or more of your competitors. Given enough time, no matter your current position in the village, you won't have to deal with as many people bothering you as you do now.

They'll just leave one day and not come back. After all, one of your competitors is friendly and helpful and welcomes real people when they walk through the door, make a phone call, or send an email.

You don't have to go out of your way, at all.

What do you think?

Do you agree or disagree? What are your thoughts about this?

Do you have a village business, or are you trying to build one?

Tell us about it.

All the best,

JD

Comment by John Dilbeck on September 15, 2009 at 9:48am

Earlier this year, I think sometime in March, Sonia Simone wrote a very interesting article on the CopyBlogger blog:

Four Old-School Reasons Why You Can Thrive in this Recession

I think you'll find the article to be inspirational and a reminder that modern technology, when properly used, is providing ways we can adapt to the changing economic environment, but life, for the most part, goes on and we have reasons to be optimistic.

Whether your promote your business products and services locally in Murphy, NC or globally around the planet, now is a good time to remember that there are always opportunities to grow your business and reach new customers.

Many of us no longer trust a company to take care of us with lifetime employment, health and retirement benefits, and all the other things that were staples of the American economy of the last 50 years.

Now, we're hustling to do what we can to come up with new ideas, better ways to serve our customers, and new ways to spread the word on what we offer.

Take a couple of minutes to read the article, if you're interested.

What do you think?

All the best,

JD