Forums: Discussions for entrepreneurs and small business.

Ed,

The model is not to complex, the simpler the better.  I didn`t go into details because, I came up with them, I am just giving a generalized flavor of what I am trying to accomplish, there are several moving parts that have not been explained for obivous reasons. There is a benefit for large retail opening, but there is also a price to be paid for it.  I did a survey that spanned the entire southwest region of the US, over 1000 men, women and couples were asked while I was at Petco, Wal-Mart, Costco, Sam`s Club, Target, PetSmart, Ralphs etc. 

What I found is that 81% of consumers would frequent local establishments if they knew they existed.  87% of those people believe they get better service.  77% shop at these large stores for sheer convenience and 71% believed prices are higher at most independent stores, which is not the case.  What most don’t realize is that 91% of all (Pet) business being done is being done at these large chain stores, which means that there is only 9% that still see value in local community stores, and so the goal is to erode that 91% and give it back to these smaller businesses.  Most independent stores don`t advertise, they usually just use yellow pages and word of mouth.  They are concentrating on servicing their customers, not getting bigger.  Large corps saturates airwaves and TV with their message, which usually becomes the inevitable end for these stores.

We offer them the opportunity to get flagship advertising and PR at an extremely low monthly price, we bring new customers to them, which takes market share away from large retail chains and puts it back into these local community businesses. We are the experts; we help build/expose their business while they concentrate on running it.  There is a tremendous value in that.  I need new ways of building exposure for my business. There are a lot of businesses to still help. Hope I answered your question.

Rob

Ed,

Thanks for your thoughts and info, it sounds like you have been down a very similar road.  We do everything; mass mailings as well as target, calling (hot/cold) and walking into these businesses and as well as most pet events in the region and conventions.  We act as a company that has been around for many years, we have those processes. We do a tremendous amount of work for the low price we offer, it’s really a flagship product that we are offering at a loss to help business owners compete.  Most business owners feel they don’t need to advertise, they have the same set of customers or they feel that they have been in business for 50 years, and nothing is going to change, as complacency sets in, so does aggressive competitors.  I may not be the most informed, but as a business you constantly have to reinvent yourself to survive, many are not willing, and such as that nature has a way of handling them. 

We don’t go into social networks for our businesses, we go on social networks since that is where the masses are, and you always go to where your potential customers are at. Part of the social network piece is brand building like our general grassroots and advertising campaigns. Scooble touches every part of the business model, from manufacturer to distributor, to retail storefront to consumer.  Part of what we do is to educate these businesses that may not even have a fax machine on business building tactics, however competing at a local level vs. a national level are completely different objectives, and hence is why I am looking for pointers on getting my message out. Many stores are prospering for everything that we have done for them. We don’t want to appear self serving on our service website, but we may have to rethink that. 

Pet food manufacturing is a tough place to be right now, attorneys are filing class action lawsuits against everyone. I would tell that individual to not close his stores and just hire scooble to help him prosper.