Small business owners may have come away from the Mayor’s Breakfast, held here Sept. 12, with some new ideas on how to improve business.
About 55 people attended the breakfast hosted by Wellington North Mayor Ray Tout. It was the fourth meeting in a series of breakfasts that alternate between Arthur and Mount Forest. Guest speakers were Harold Devries, a small business advisor for the Guelph Wellington Business Enterprise Centre, and Beth Timlin, co-owner of the Grey Rock Clothing Company in Guelph.
Devries said the centre conducts thousands of consultations with budding entrepreneurs looking at opening their own businesses. The business people herald from Guelph and Wellington County.
“We are here to help people start a business,” he told those attending the breakfast of the work the centre does. “We provided 3,400 consultations last year and 70 per cent were in the retail sector.”
Devries pointed out that retailers from the rural township already have an advantage over big box stores and malls in their loyal customers. It’s a customer base grown by knowing the customer, the community and its needs.
“You have one big advantage going for you, you have a strength of community.”
And although big box stores may be able to offer a price advantage, small retailers have customer loyalty.
“The other companies have to work harder to pull them (customers) away,” he added. “It’s not just about price.”
Devries said business owners, however, have to know how to use current and emerging technologies to track shopping trends to better serve their customers.
“The neat thing about technology is it’s all about data,” he said. “You have to know your customers.”
Devries said some major stores in the U.S. have abandoned cash registers for I-pads and tablets to better serve customers. He said data has shown more customers do their shopping online, something businesses of all sizes have to recognize and adjust to.
“Last year 25% of customers did their business online,” he said. “We have an opportunity to streamline our business and focus on our customer. It’s important to look at who you are serving.”
Devries said Timlin, who was a centre client prior to opening her clothing store a year ago, has taken advantage of technology using facebook, twitter and the internet to grow her business.
Grey Rock has established itself as a store that sells what is termed “ethical clothing” purchasing from producers in third world countries that are not typical sweat shops.
“The philosophy behind the store is trade not aid,” Timlin said.
Her customer base is middle to high income earners who believe purchasing clothing and accessories does not mean using cheap labour.
Much of her marketing has relied on using social media to get her message across. When sourcing out clothing, Timlin believes social media allows her to find products that will be popular and sell.
“We’ve met so many people and built this,” she said of the store’s success in its first year. “That’s what sets you apart from the big box stores and malls.”
Mayor Tout thanked the speakers for their advice.
He also spoke about the value of volunteers in the community and the fact many business owners are themselves volunteers.
“It’s people who make changes to our community not because they have to but because they want to. Volunteers are the lifeblood of any municipality.”
He suggested a continued strong business sector translates into a strong economy.
