How to Bring Your Old Family Business Into the Modern Day Times
Many smaller family owned businesses today are feeling the pinch of the current recession.
Some of these businesses have been owned for many generations and have not really changed their way of doing business in all of those years.
Now that the economy has taken a turn for the worse, many of these mom and pop type companies are in danger of going out of business for the first time.
This article will discuss ways that these smaller companies can maybe think outside of the box and use some other options to make up for some of the loss their business have experienced during the recession.
One example is a local vacuum pump repair shop that was started decades ago by the owners father.
They specialized in fixing vacuums and vacuum pump parts and had always had steady business.
They still operated the old fashioned way with a cash register and paperwork and receipts.
Advertising for their business was purely based on recommendations from customers and word of mouth.
For all of these years that had worked just fine.
Now, their business is struggling and the owner is fearing the worst.
The whole business model for their shop was If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
Well, now it needs some fixing and they do not know what to do.
The most important thing for businesses such as the one highlighted above is to become as current as the person who is just opening a shop this week.
Many old Mom and Pop businesses are like the one above, not using computers and no advertising.
Times have changed and competition is fiercer than ever.
The shop should first get a business computer system installed that will allow them to be current on everything.
The next thing they need to do is to look into starting a website that can appeal to a broader audience.
Most businesses today have a website, whether it is just an informational one with the location and products and store hours on it or they want to try to sell to the entire internet world.
The yellow pages are becoming less used as now people to choose to Google whatever they are interested in finding.
If the little Mom and Pop store does not have a website, then they will miss out to the business that does have one in the same area.
The difference in being on the internet versus not could makeup the difference in the percentage of sales being loss during this recession.
These smaller businesses should search to find someone that is very knowledgeable in computers and website design and start-ups to help them to get started.
There are businesses that do just that and can be found on the internet.
Stepping out of your comfort zone and changing a business model that may have been started by your grandfather can be intimidating and scary at first, but it worth the leap and time to get into the modern way of doing business through the internet.
Some of these businesses have been owned for many generations and have not really changed their way of doing business in all of those years.
Now that the economy has taken a turn for the worse, many of these mom and pop type companies are in danger of going out of business for the first time.
This article will discuss ways that these smaller companies can maybe think outside of the box and use some other options to make up for some of the loss their business have experienced during the recession.
One example is a local vacuum pump repair shop that was started decades ago by the owners father.
They specialized in fixing vacuums and vacuum pump parts and had always had steady business.
They still operated the old fashioned way with a cash register and paperwork and receipts.
Advertising for their business was purely based on recommendations from customers and word of mouth.
For all of these years that had worked just fine.
Now, their business is struggling and the owner is fearing the worst.
The whole business model for their shop was If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
Well, now it needs some fixing and they do not know what to do.
The most important thing for businesses such as the one highlighted above is to become as current as the person who is just opening a shop this week.
Many old Mom and Pop businesses are like the one above, not using computers and no advertising.
Times have changed and competition is fiercer than ever.
The shop should first get a business computer system installed that will allow them to be current on everything.
The next thing they need to do is to look into starting a website that can appeal to a broader audience.
Most businesses today have a website, whether it is just an informational one with the location and products and store hours on it or they want to try to sell to the entire internet world.
The yellow pages are becoming less used as now people to choose to Google whatever they are interested in finding.
If the little Mom and Pop store does not have a website, then they will miss out to the business that does have one in the same area.
The difference in being on the internet versus not could makeup the difference in the percentage of sales being loss during this recession.
These smaller businesses should search to find someone that is very knowledgeable in computers and website design and start-ups to help them to get started.
There are businesses that do just that and can be found on the internet.
Stepping out of your comfort zone and changing a business model that may have been started by your grandfather can be intimidating and scary at first, but it worth the leap and time to get into the modern way of doing business through the internet.
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