Not many shoppers in your store on Mondays? Think about offering some lessons. Photo by Becky McCray.
Every retail store in a small town has slow days, times when you know you just won’t have many customers.
One of your fellow readers wrote in with this tip for slow days in retail stores:
I run a clothes shop in a small town in Oviedo in the north of Spain. I never have clients on Mondays so I decided to teach English to some of my clients. I charge just 5 euros for an hour. That makes them a compromise to come over, and sometimes they buy more because they see the others buying. Hope this idea works for you all.
Pat
You could adapt this to any kind of lessons that you lead yourself. The lessons could be related to what you sell, like wine appreciation classes for wine shops, or unrelated, like language lessons at the clothing store.
You don’t even have to be the one giving the lessons. Look around for smart folks in town who would like to teach something but don’t have their own space. Cooperation with other entrepreneurs is one of our secret super powers.
New to SmallBizSurvival.com? Take the Guided Tour. Like what you see? Get our updates.
- In an economic crisis, spend your brainpower before your dollars - November 25, 2020
- Video: How to fill empty car dealership buildings for the holidays - November 6, 2020
- How has 2020 changed the challenges rural small towns face? Tell us here - October 20, 2020
- The Idea Friendly Method to surviving a business crisis - October 6, 2020
- Join me for the Rural Renewal Symposium online Oct 13 - September 26, 2020
- Cheap placemaking idea: instant murals - September 11, 2020
- Refilling the rural business pipeline - July 7, 2020
- Huge vacant buildings: grants to renovate? - June 9, 2020
- Economic self defense for small towns - June 7, 2020
- The best things you can do for local businesses in light of coronavirus - March 27, 2020
Excellent Idea for any downtown USA business. We have collaborators right here in our town. Of 40K residents. Between these businesses and our own Main Street Community program we’re finally back to being busy 5 to 6 nights a week.
I’m glad you mentioned working together. That’s our secret upper power as small town businesses.