Each week, we to curate some of the best advice for small businesses from around the Internet. This week, these four articles caught our attention:
- Paddy Hirsch: Why The Number Of Independent Bookstores Increased During The ‘Retail Apocalypse’
- Ryan Erskine: How To Protect Your Brand From Angry Customers In The Reputation Economy
- Rhonda Abrams: Small businesses: This is why your customers are dumping you
- Hector Macdonald: Three Things the Best Bosses Do That Keep Employees Engaged
Why The Number Of Independent Bookstores Increased During The ‘Retail Apocalypse’
In continuation of our independent bookstore analysis from yesterday, we thought we’d take a listen to this segment from NPR’s All Things Considered. From 2009 through today, the number of independent bookstores in American has increased nearly 40%. Even with intense competition from Amazon and big-box stores, independent bookstores have found niches that allow them to thrive.
Our take: While the convenience of e-commerce and one-stop shopping appeals to many, plenty of consumers prefer local businesses and will go out of their way to shop at them. Independent bookstores are a perfect example of this trend. It’s important, however, that independent shops be as easy to find online as the bigger chains so that customers know where to go.
How To Protect Your Brand From Angry Customers In The Reputation Economy
Proactive management is smart management. As big brands like Facebook, Uber, and more have suffered massive hits to their reputations, it’s important to learn from their mistakes. Ryan Erskine describes four ways to proactively protect your brand.
Our take: It’s no secret that we take reputation management seriously at Womply, and with 84% of people trusting online reviews as much as personal recommendations, it’s easy to see why. We agree with Ryan; a proactive approach is the best option.
Small businesses: This is why your customers are dumping you
Why are some of your customers not coming back? In this quick read, Rhonda Abrams goes into seven possible things you could be doing every day that could be distancing your customers from your business.
Our take: We know that retaining customers is one of the top concerns of small business owners. It’s important to understand why your customers love you, and what you might be doing (even inadvertently) to push them away. Reevaluating your business’s practices can help prevent an unnecessary breakup with your customers.
Three Things the Best Bosses Do That Keep Employees Engaged
Employee management is key to the success of small businesses, which typically rely on a smaller workforce doing more tasks. But what habits should managers be practicing when it comes to managing their employees? Hector Macdonald outlines a few ways to better engage your employees.
Our take: Busy business owners need to share the load, so they really need to get the most from their few employees. Ensuring that employees stay engaged can help alleviate additional stress and boost small business productivity. Take a read and see what you can implement in your business to better engage your employees.