Discover How to Help Your Small Town Business Thrive

Running a business in small town can be very different than owning a business in a big city. You may have less competition in your market, but if your competitors have been around longer, they likely already have long-standing customer relationships. However, there are advantages to having a small town business, such as the ability to experiment more with your products and services, and the capacity to stand out, so you can make a bigger impact.

But when it comes to standing out, you may wonder, “How do I do that?”

The Payroll Department has seen many businesses come and go in the small towns surrounding Indianapolis. Among the small town businesses that have thrived, we’ve noticed some common factors. Therefore, here are some things you can do to stand out and help your business succeed:

Offer Something to Make Consumers Get Out of Their Comfort Zones

Most people tend to stick with what they’re familiar with. If they’ve always shopped at XYZ business, they’re more likely to continue shopping there. They know what to expect, so they “play it safe” by frequenting what’s known to them. If you want people to come into your door, you need offer something that will make them want to get out of their comfort zone. Some ideas include:

• Providing more variety in your products or services.
• Offering better deals or lower prices than your competitors.
• Delivering legendary customer service.
• Building better customer relationships.

Make Your Small Town Business Known

While you may think in a small town that it’s easy to get drive-by customers, you can’t expect that to occur. Just because people see your small town business, they may not realize what you actually provide. Therefore, a sign or banner with your company name and/or logo is imperative. However, you also need to convey what it is you do and why you’re different from the competition. Shop windows are a great place to stage products to show potential customers what you offer. Also, it pays to advertise your business when starting out to help your spread your message and let people know where you’re located.

Host an Open House or Special Event. Offer a Special Monthly Promotion.

When starting out, a great way to introduce yourself and your business to the community is to host an open house. Also, you might offer a special discount for customers who purchase products or services during your first month open. But your grand opening isn’t the only time to have a special event. Various holidays also provide you with an opportunity to showcase your products or services – and offer a special promotion. You also may want to consider offering a special program for customers who refer new business.

Get Involved in the Community

 In a small town, opportunities abound for getting involved. You could sponsor a local little league team by providing jerseys with your company name and logo on them. You could give back to the local schools through monetary gifts or by hosting a fundraising event. You could support a local festival or celebration through a sponsorship or by volunteering your time. You could offer donations or prizes for local nonprofit fundraisers. You could serve on a community board that suits your interests and what your business is all about. Additionally, you can use social media to connect with your community through community groups or pages on Facebook.

This list is a great starting place on ideas to help your small town business thrive. With this inspiration, we hope you’ll take steps to help your business stand out instead of fitting in.

Another Way to Beat Your Competition

 Part of running a small business is understanding and optimizing your business’s processes. Small business owners often feel overwhelmed because they try to manage every aspect of their company, whether they have the expertise or not. Therefore, the best small business owners understand they can’t “do it all.” They need help and advice from the experts.

If you run a small business that has employees that means managing payroll. However, managing and administering payroll isn’t a straightforward process. There are rules and regulations you must know and follow concerning payroll, taxes and benefits.

Additionally, payroll processing can take a lot of time, especially if you’re not a payroll expert. And, that’s time that could be better spent doing those tasks you do excel in.

To optimize your payroll process, it just makes sense to outsource your payroll to a firm that knows and handles payroll. The Payroll Department are experts in this topic. We can help you improve your payroll processes to ensure your employees get paid correctly and on time. Plus, we stay on top of all the government rules and regulations, so you won’t be penalized. Contact Teresa Ray at The Payroll Department to learn more about outsourcing your payroll, so you can concentrate on helping your small town business thrive.

– Ariane of The Payroll Department Blog Team