Small Town Life – Death of a Saleswoman

When I was single and working a limited amount of time and living in a place I knew very few people, I signed up under someone to be a part of a “relational marketing” group that sold product. I got the kit and promptly put it under my bed and never took it out to “market” to anyone. The main reason was that I never wanted to approach people about my product. How could I possibly know if that person had any interest in what I was selling if I was just sitting there with them at coffee and suddenly brought up my product and mentioned that I was also a salesperson for that product?

I also tried door to door sales for a year in high school and that was a bust.

I’ve never been good at that kind of marketing and I’ve never taken to kindly to being marketed to that way.

When someone calls me up and says, “Hey, I just wanted to talk.” I’m like, “Awesome! I missed you.”

Then they are like, “So I started this business and I want to tell you about it…”

And that’s when my heart sinks. Did this person really want to talk to me EVER? All future calls from them are under scrutiny. Are they trying to sell me something or get me to sign up?

The thing is, I understand the appeal of being a home based business because I’ve been a stay at home mom and I’ve needed income and not been able to find a job and I’ve just been there.

I’m not dogging the product or really the sales people. I think there is a way to approach this whole home based business thing that won’t alienate people. I also love Mary Kay (I already have a MK lady and we have a nice arrangement) and Pampered Chef products. (Don’t call me. I’ll call you.)

However, I have a store and people come to me when I have something they want because I’m in the Yellow Pages or on my website or whatever so I can sell like nobodies business because I know that people have come to me for the express reason of being sold to.

When I answer my phone seeing that it’s one of my friends, I’m answering the phone for the express reason of talking to my friend, not being sold something.

There has to be a way to put it out there that you are a home based business and then allowing people to come to you! I’m not sure what that is but you would think that with social media being what it is, we could accomplish that better.

How about you? Do you “do” the pyramid scheme? Do you “get” the home based business? Is there such a thing as “relational marketing?”

 

Small Town Life – Big Box vs. Local Biz

There is a local guy who started a very successful brewery. He has a bar and grill attached. Right across the street this year, opened up a big box type chain coffee place. (Not Starbucks…)

Knowing the logistics of all this, simply because it’s Small Town and we know everything about everyone, I’m not sure who I’m rooting for. Big Box was opened by a transplant from California who, trying to escape the high cost of living and taxes on the Sunny West Coast, sold everything and invested what would seem to be an insane amount of money to us in Small Town, in Big Box. I feel sorry for her even if she is a transplant simply because this Big Box is… maybe not going to make it and she might lose everything. Just because you are part of a franchise doesn’t exempt you from failure and her failure is very possibly imminent as… Local Guy opened up a coffee shop directly across from her, adding on to his already successful business, only days after Big Box had their grand opening. Now, all is fair in love and big business. Local guy started his business from scratch, not Big Box recipe book and he has the equipment and the know how and the local presence to succeed in the coffee business in this town. Big Box can’t even get the recipe right as they are all very new to the whole thing. It makes me wonder why she even decided on this business that she seemingly knows nothing about.

Local guy is roasting his own coffee and making local food and basically, he’s blowing her frozen and baked fresh every morning cookies out of the water. He is also very gracious about her business. He states that he believes there is enough business in this town for the both of them. Maybe he’s right. They aren’t doing EXACTLY the same thing. He’s doing everything and she’s doing… a little bit of stuff. 

Frankly, I see Local Guys place as a new hang out that is very close to my house and is going to be AWESOME and Big Box as being a place a take my kids every now and then to get a quick cookie and a scoop of ice cream. Here are a few pics of Local Guys place. It’s pretty awesome. His coffee is exceptional and the food… well, I’m very picky so I think it’s going to take some getting used to but the coffee alone is a reason to go there.

 

 

Small Town Living – Small Business

In small towns, you will find small businesses. I happen to run one. My parents own the business and the building and it’s a small clientele that I mostly know by first name. The newest of the 7 employees has been with us for 7 months and the oldest employee has 16 years under his belt. I’m saying, there isn’t alot of turnover. Everyone likes the job enough to stay.

It’s not a glamorous job but as an employee once pointed out to me, “I could move to another company, bigger with more benefits, but I would be a number in a line of possible budget cuts. Here, I’m a name.”

Small sometimes means appreciated more. Small means being known. Small means a human answering the phone that you can see when you walk into the office. Small sometimes means not getting what you want right away but being heard and understood and getting answers faster because you aren’t transferred to 3 different departments. Small means being able to bob and weave as a business because you aren’t to big to move.

I love it.

All images found on Google.

 

 

Pine Cone & Frost

Purple Aster