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Crowdsourced ideas for coffee shops and other third places

By Becky McCray

Coffee shop with local art displayed on the walls

  At the Main Street Now conference, I sat in on a session about coffee shops. I wrote down bunches of ideas that the audience shared. I thought you might know a coffee shop person, or you might think of ways to use these with other types of small town businesses. Hold trivia nights or […]

May 20, 2019 Filed Under: customer service, entrepreneurship, marketing, rural, Small Biz 100 Tagged With: coffee shops, coffeesoutside, community, crowdsourced, customer service, food business, gathering, restaurant, small business, small business success, success, third places

The secret to effective follow up: What NOT to say

By Becky McCray

women using laptops

You probably know better than to follow up with someone like this: “Just following up!” You realize that doesn’t really help either of you. But you still might be making this mistake: “Did you do that thing you said you were going to do?” That feels like it’s helping, but from the customer perspective, it’s […]

April 15, 2019 Filed Under: customer service, entrepreneurship, marketing, mistakes, rural Tagged With: customer perspective, effective marketing, follow up, FollowUpFriday, service businesses, small business, small business success

Don’t bother to mention the benefits unless you tie them to this

By Becky McCray

A sign in an old-fashioned feed store says "better feeding brings bigger profits"

  “This product is great! It will save your marriage, improve your bank account and make you slimmer!” OK, enough with the benefits overload! I can’t believe your benefits claims because you didn’t show me why they’re believable. Sales pages online are drowning in benefits, but without any hint that they connect to an actual […]

November 12, 2018 Filed Under: customer service, entrepreneurship, marketing

Want to sell more in the evenings? Use this easy promotion

By Becky McCray

Orders in shopping bags, ready to pick up in store

  Being open later hours in the evenings is hard for a lot of small businesses, but we have an easy promotion for you to make more sales later in the day. Reach out to your existing customers, and let them know you have a new service: Call ahead, and we’ll have it ready for […]

August 20, 2018 Filed Under: customer service, entrepreneurship, marketing, rural

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