Tell that Robin Hood guy that we need to talk
That funny looking guy with the green tights and weird hat… where has he been lately? When you see him, tell him I need him. We have some work to do, he and I. And I’m not the only one. There are a ton of local business owners like you and me that need him urgently. Like, yesterday.
Who is going to save local business owners when big box stores are popping up like whack-a-moles and we can’t find a hammer? The good news is, someone figured this game out a long time ago. The bad news? The solution hasn’t been adopted like we need it to be.
Local businesses are struggling in communities all over the country because they don’t have the income to survive. As much as I don’t want to say it, some local businesses need to expire. They are past their prime and have no interest in changing. They are selling buggy whips in an automobile culture and keeping their fingers crossed that the horse and carriage market will hang on for them. Not gonna happen.
But for many, they have potential and their local economy can’t sustain them. What’s the answer? There are probably many answers, but one answer is the old trusty internet. The money is there. If you don’t think people are still purchasing, just look at Black Friday, or the sales of Amazon.com or eBay. The money is there. If it’s not in the local economy, it may be in the community next door or across the country. If the money is out there, how do you convince people to spend it on your product?
“The hardest part is making your needle easy to find in an enormous online haystack.”
Many old-school local business owners are hesitant to put their products online. They don’t understand what that means for their business. They don’t know how to build an online store and the word “ecommerce” might as well be written in Aramaic.
If you’re one of those business owners, don’t think of that as a criticism. The way I see it, the tech community has let you all down. When new technologies get created, part of the responsibility that goes along with the creation is teaching people how it works. This is where the ball has been dropped.
My goal is to help business owners understand the crazy lingo and the mechanics of what selling online really means. I don’t know about you, but I believe that we have the responsibility to teach people what we know.
Do I have all of the answers? Of course not. But I believe getting the conversation started with local businesses is crucial. And that’s why I’m on a mission.
If you’re a local business owner that isn’t selling (or selling well) online, I understand the fear and the growing pains. I’ve been through the process and I’m actually helping my parents through the process now. If you don’t make the change now, when do you do it? The internet isn’t going away. You can try to ignore it. You can continue holding on to your horse and carriage — or you can buy that fancy new internal combustion automobile, put the pedal to the floor and hold on for the ride (random fact: the first Model A had a top speed of 28mph so you wouldn’t have to hold on too tightly).
Take the Robin Hood approach. Instead of trying to create money where it doesn’t exist, go to where the money is and earn your fair share. I know Robin Hood didn’t “earn” it, but give me a break. The analogy isn’t perfect.
The point is this. Get your business online now. If you need help, let’s chat. I’m not trying to sell you anything. I just know the conversations are crucial.
If you are selling, and want to do it better, you know the pains as well as I do. Again, shoot me an email and let’s chat. There’s no risk because there’s no money involved. And the ones that do take the risk, well, they are going to be a step ahead of you.
Also, who else is willing to give you free advice? I’ll tell you who: Robin Hood.
But if you can’t find that guy, I guess you’re stuck with me.
Find me on Twitter at @JoshLayhue or email me at josh@ghostcreativ.com
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