Another great article on buying local! This is what I am here for; to help & support local business in our community! LOCAL CUSTOMERS + LOCAL BUSINESS = YOUR ECONOMY!
Andre K. Fowlkes: Buy local to keep choices available http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2012/apr/22/buy-local-to-keep-choices-available/
Far too many Memphians aren’t giving back enough to the community.
They’re not participating in local activities, not supporting local causes, aren’t engaged in building up their hometown.
There are many ways to give back, but I want to focus on one that’s the easiest: supporting local businesses.
If Memphians simply made a conscious effort to support local businesses and establishments, it would make a dramatic difference in changing our city’s fortunes.
Studies show that locally based businesses tend to spend their money locally, but it’s not just about keeping more money in the local economy.
And it’s not just about individuals spending their money locally — companies, nonprofit groups and governments need to support local establishments, too.
It’s not just about money — it’s also about building a better Memphis.
Local business owners are more concerned about their neighborhoods because their businesses are a second home; in fact, actually many spend more time on the job than they do at home. They’re invested in their neighborhoods. And there also is a sense of community among local businesses; they contact each other and collaborate with each other.
Yes, it’s true, local businesses aren’t always as efficient or as convenient as the alternatives, but those aren’t the only criteria that count.
Our expectations as customers should go beyond price and speed; they should include the quality of experiences and last relationships, as well. Having someone who knows you and knows what they’re selling is priceless.
That said, many of our local businesses can also do a better job in providing a better customer experience, and not just rely on the “buy local” reasons for support. They should re-examine how they build and grow their relationships with customers.
Memphian Emily Yellin, author of “Your Call (Is Not) That Important to Us,” points out that far too often business owners neglect the little but all-too-important things in our interaction with clients and customers.
Actually listening and not being dismissive go a long way toward building a quality relationship with customers, she says.
One of the best examples of this in the city is Brad Pitts at Bari Ristorante in Overton Square. He does a phenomenal job at accommodating patrons, listening to them, and making recommendations that are on point. He has built such quality relationships with his patrons that he has even turned down job offers elsewhere.
We’ll all be better off if Memphians think local when making their buying decisions and local businesses focus on quality.
The payoff: Alternatives to cookie-cutter chain stores that sell the same things, the same way at the same prices. Instead of big boxes and “convenience” stores straddling traffic-clogged asphalt thoroughfares, it means neighborhood businesses and true convenience.
It means a wider selection of foods and menus, fashion and furniture, music and entertainment.
It means more choices in the “city of choice.”
– Andre Fowlkes: andre@launchyourcity.com
What else can we learn about the benefit of local pages? Depending on your social media goals, there are benefits across the board, though it’s clear now that just accumulating as many fans as possible shouldn’t be the end goal.
