Why Small Businesses Close

   After hearing about Millie's in Salem closing today, I thought about a few things. Here are some of my thoughts on why some local businesses close and what they can do to stay open. 

  I went to a Salem at Night event last November. And I can pretty much predict who will remain open and who might close in the next five years. When I stepped into Millie's, I was greeted, but that is where the relationship ended. I felt like I was being judged in the first ten seconds upon appearance. Bad form for people in the customer service field. I felt like, upon leaving, that they just didn't need my business. I was looking for ideas for my sisters and figured I might find something cool and different for them. Taking no interest in why the customer is in your store is not going to help your business be successful. 

1. Never, EVER, go into business because you think it will be cool. You go into business because it is your calling in life. 
2. You will put in more than 40 hours a week.Your business is with you 24/7. You have to be committed to that concept in order to be successful. 
3. Have a solid business plan and a solid direction. You really can't just walk into a business and expect it to take care of itself. You have to research and your plan has to reflect new things that you have learned. 
4. Be flexible. Sometimes ideas and plans are not going to work they way you expected them too. Revamp, redesign, and learn from it! You can not be a control freak where people are involved!
5. Create conversations with open-ended questions. Someone should have asked me who or why I was shopping there last night! Make me talk! I know it's easy to leave people to their own devices, but if you create a relationship with them, they are more likely to be return customers! Talk about your products and why they are great!
6. DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF SOCIAL MEDIA. Ever. Good reviews travel just as fast as bad reviews. People band together and stick to their favorite places. 

  I know Millie's had a strong following, but I feel that they could have reached out more. Or just done more. A business is not a hobby, it is your life. The amount of effort you put into it will hopefully be what you get back! 

Here's the skinny...

   Many of you know me from some of the other blogs I write. However, it has come to my attention that some local businesses need a leg up... or a slap on the wrist. I have worked retail in many various forms for over 16 years. I have run small businesses and been a supervisor for larger corporations. I know all the tricks and tools of the retail trade.

  I have also learned that you have to occasionally shift careers and do something different. Currently, I am a full-time Chemistry-Math major, part-time instructional assistant, business manager for a home-based business, and a marketing director for another home-based business. I'm a pretty busy girl. But not busy enough to not tell you, the follower, when a business does not act like it should. 

  But I won't just talk about those "bad" businesses. I am also going to tell you about excellent examples of customer service, awesome marketing techniques, and great local products! 

  Who makes the difference on this blog... you do! Comment below or send me a message of what you would like to read or your experience with a local business (Southwest Virginia)!