So the other day I saw an enormous “going out of business” sign on the window of a neighborhood store. Oh. Sad face.
“Due to the current state of the economy, we are unable to continue ….”
I didn’t even need to read the rest.
But you know what?
Let’s talk about this.
Okay. I’ve walked past this very storefront at least twice a day — every single day — for the past year. And never noticed it.
Seriously. I could not, for the life of me, have told you anything about it. Nothing. What it is, what it sells, or even what it’s called.
Hmmm. And now they’re going out of business.
It must be the economy.
Right?
So I spent about ten minutes in the store. Talked to the owner. Poked around. And realized that I loved this place. I couldn’t believe I hadn’t known about it, because it was my kind of thing. I even bought something.
And I still don’t know what they’re called.
That’s how bad the economy is.
A name that’s not memorable — or located anywhere you could read it. A store that’s invisible. But it’s the economy.
I asked what the rent was, because I’m Israeli and don’t have problems doing things like that. Turns out that it’s just over $1200 a month.
On a street with an insane amount of foot traffic. A street that supports yarn stores and hipster cafés.
In fact, the café I sat in — on the same block — was packed. As were most of them.
You know, because the economy is so crappy.
Yes, the economy is crappy. You know what’s really crappy though?
That otherwise smart, goodhearted, well-meaning people start a business out of a labor of love, and no one tells them about the part where you have to learn how to run a business.
Which includes stuff like being visible. Telling me what’s special about you. Being as you as you can be — out loud — so that your Right People (hello, I’m one of them!) can tell people about you.
The fact that these wonderful people who start businesses don’t know how to do that is understandable. I mean, argh, it’s not as though someone sits down and explains it to you when you start your business.
So yeah, I get that there are a lot of us out there who don’t yet know how to tell the people who might be our Right People about how our businesses can give them what they want and need.
But to go and pin the failure of that invisible business on the economy … that doesn’t help anyone.
Not me. Not the rest of the people who would love to end up being your customers and clients. Not the economy. Not you.
I’m just going to go ahead and say it.
Even in the worst of economic times, there are thousands and thousands of businesses — large and small, in physical spaces and on the internets — which absolutely thrive.
You know I don’t go in much for the tough love approach here, but if we’re talking about businesses that thrive, I really have to say this:
If yours isn’t one of them, this is the time to figure out what’s not working.
Aside from the economy.
Because even though sometimes that’s a good enough reason? It’s not a good enough reason until you’ve been daring. Until you’ve tried some hard-core “let’s mix it up and change what we’re doing” stuff. This is the time to do stuff differently.
As Bill Clinton would have said if he were me, “It’s not the economy, stupid.”
If you want to open a shop in, say, Manhattan, you pretty much have to start with huge piles of money and have the best business plan in the world.
In way-lower-rent Portland, you can pretty much be all “hey, man, let’s open a store… it’ll be awesome.”
In times when money is flowing freely, that can totally work. There used to be so much money on the street that people were supporting this store despite its invisibility.
The good economy was camouflaging everything that they weren’t doing.
But in a tighter, more challenging economy, you absolutely have to pick up some basic biggification skills, or — you know what? It just isn’t going to happen.
A little story.
A couple of years ago I hired a business coach. Except that I didn’t call him a business coach because the word “coach” gets on my nerves, so he kindly agreed to be my mentor.
(Yes, I have issues.)
It was scary and wonderful and expensive. Did I mention scary? And wonderful. Because, among other things, he didn’t let me get away with stuff like blaming external forces for things not going right in my business. Which drove me crazy.
Resistance to this concept? Oh yes, I had it.
For example, I was selling DVDs that teach you how to do the wacky yoga brain training technique that is basically the thing that gets credit for most of my smartnesses.
When I say that I was “selling” them, that’s not really accurate. I had a website. Where you could buy them. Theoretically. If I sold one a month, that was doing well.
Me: “No one is interested in wacky yoga brain training stuff. Period. It’s not accessible. It’s too alternative. Also, people suck.”
My business mentor: “Before we go there, do you want to rewrite the copy?”
Me: “Huh?”
My business mentor: “Well, we could work on getting more traffic to the site, too, but you’re probably not going to get a huge upswing — at least not without a ton of work. But we could definitely do more to get the people who are showing up to know if they want to buy it or not.”
Last month I sold 55 copies of “that DVD that nobody wants”.
And not by trying to.
I don’t advertise. I don’t push. In fact, I hardly even mention them at all.
Is traffic higher? A little bit. But mostly people are buying now because I’ve done a better job telling them what it is, and who it’s for. People who would have shrugged and clicked away now get that this is the thing that is going to make a difference for them.
And that’s because I rewrote the copy. And rewrote some more. I’m not so madly in love with it that I don’t think it could still use some tweaking — but it works.
The thing I desperately wish people knew.
No, it’s not “learn how to write copy!” Though that is pretty good advice.
It’s “try stuff”.
You know what’s really tragic? The woman who opened that store is going to get a “real job”. Her words. The kind of job that has a boss, regular hours, and comes with a cubicle. She’s devastated. Understandably.
She’s finished trying to do the thing she thought she wanted to do — because of the economy.
But here’s the thing. By assuming she’d done all she could, she missed that fact that no one could see her store.
I don’t want to turn this into a “here’s 20 things to do” post, though we could do that sometime.
The point is this: TRY STUFF before assigning blame to the most convenient target. I know that the economy is scary. Just make your peace with the fact that hey, you haven’t tried everything yet.
There are so many tiny little things that you can tweak, alter and play with. This is true in a physical location and it’s true online … there are so many things to shift and change, and each one can have an insanely huge impact.
Tweak. Document. Repeat.
Some of the changes are soft changes. Mental and emotional shifts.
Like figuring out what part of you thinks that all marketing is sleazy and gross (because most of us have that), and doing some healing there.
Some of the changes have to do with things that are literally getting in the way.
LIke adding one sweet, quirky “Hi, I’m a real human being” line to the contact page on your website. Walking across the street to see if the name of your store is readable.
Point is: commit to doing stuff differently. As a general life practice.
Even one change to start with. Any change. Just make it. Small shifts. Medium sized ones. Write one blog post. Call one person.
And then the rest of it is about paying attention. Noticing what parts still need love.
I don’t mean to imply that it’s easy. Clearly it’s not. Also, it’s okay that you don’t know what to do yet. No one expects you to know what to do. And it really is that much harder right now.
So yes, you’re absolutely entitled to have a good cry and to ask for a hug or whatever else you need. And of course a long whine about how incredibly frustrating it all is. Completely legitimate.
And then it’s time to sit down and figure things out what would help your right people feel safe saying yes to you.
And what’s stopping them.
I’ll give you a hint. It probably isn’t because of the economy.
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Modesty doesn’t work in marketing? Shocking!
Joe Schmitts last blog post..joeschmitt: Apparently I can now sign contracts. Can you still sign with an X?
Havi, I love your advice: TRY STUFF!
That’s the first half of what I tell people when they ask for that foolproof secret marketing formula that only marketers know about:
Try something.
See if it works.
If it does, do it some more.
Repeat.
That’s it.
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@joeschmitt – Shocking indeed! That would make a great tagline. *scribbles*
I’m actually a fan of “hard-to-get marketing”, done right. But yeah, that’s totally different from “don’t-look-at-me marketing”, which is the problem here.
Okay, now I want to write five more bitchy posts, so I’ll stop myself. Since I’m only allowed one tough love rant per quarter. Damned board of directors.
Love this post! The economy makes things challenging, harder – but it’s an opportunity to make a change. To do business better than we did before.
And while you’re trying things out and tweaking – ask the customers what they think. Ask them what they want. They’ll give you tips on what you can do better.
Looking forward to reading more, Havi!
Great post. And someone could say the same about GM, too. And probably has.
It’s a real shame that the business owners on that street are getting together and sharing marketing ideas. Because they probably each benefit from everyone doing well. If there is a cluster of shops that can draw in each other’s customers…. Maybe an after-hours meeting in the coffee shop to share ideas and strategies, console, figure stuff out, celebrate? Maybe it’s too late for this woman, but who is going to be next? And at what point does that make it harder for everyone else?
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I love this. Love, love, love this.
Because it’s so true. And I’m slowly learning that but it’s kind of a perfect reminder. And a good motivator. I’m off to do some tweaking 🙂
Sarah Marie Lacys last blog post..Sooner or later.
Just the kick in the pants I needed. LOVE this! Thank you for being so forthright and telling it like it is!
Lynnes last blog post..Legend of the Sleeping Giants
See, I kind of like it when you show your bitchy side. It’s like your inner yogabitch comes out!
I like this post mostly because of I am so tired of people talking about the economy. Some people I know aren’t remotely affected but they’ve decided to make themselves suffer because “it’s a recession”.
That wasn’t actually the point of the post, was it?
I have actually known far too many people who deliberately run away from the idea of biggification in any form. They sigh over wanting to be full time writers or artists but when you talk about them actually selling something to somebody they run away screaming.
Well, not literally.
OK, I shall shut up now because I just had a shivapiphany and must write it down…
Joely Blacks last blog post..When in doubt, take tea with an imaginary person
YES! I have a lot of colleagues who have no business at all right now. They’ve been in business for a long time, so when I ask them what they are doing, they say the same things they have always done. When I ask if they are changing their offer, they look at me like I’m crazy. Yikes.
I agree, this economy has removed all the ability to be sloppy in our business practices. And it is totally overwhelming to fix the myriad of problems that accumulate to put us in trouble.
I keep getting stuck with finding where to start, maybe the answer is anywhere?
Christine Martells last blog post..My business has cracked!
Crappy economy or no, I’m sick of seeing neighborhood stores disappear, realizing only too late how I missed them. But then I thought, how often did I ever go in there or buy anything? If we want local business, we have to support them, whether that’s by offering free business coaching (sorry, I mean “mentoring”) or actually buying things there.
limeducks last blog post..Giving till it doesn’t hurt anymore
Thanks. I really needed this little wake up call today. 🙂
Livs last blog post..A Tale of Two Yarns
I laughed about your not calling your business mentor a “coach”. Hmmm. That’s what I am, a Mentor, so I get it.
The best I can say is; I wish I had written this!!!
I have these same thoughts myself. In my “previous life” I ran chain stores, and we’d come in to a new shopping center and I’d see those cute little stores that you’re talking about here.
Our store would put up a bright new sign, clean the windows, repaint the parking stripes, and put in fresh inviting window displays. While we were doing this, the other store owners would come over to tell us how bad business was.
Then, we’d have a grand opening — balloons, advertising, music, and fun. Customers would come in. Money would change hands, and business would be good.
Soon, one of the other little stores would spruce up a bit. Then the center wouldn’t be so awful, anymore. And the stores that didn’t do much usually went under.
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I needed to see this. Thank you!
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GREAT post here.
Even though I’m educated as a marketing major, I’ve been feeling a bit frustrated about how low my sales are and want to put up my hands and say “It’s the economy! I can’t do it!” At the same time, I keep telling myself that I need to do more for my business and get it till its right. Posts like yours reaffirm that I’m on the right track.
And also, can I link this post on my blog?
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Woohoo! Yes, indeed.
What’s the classic, fabulous definition of insanity? Oh, yeah: doing the same thing and expecting different results.
Change things up, tweak, retweak. Nothing in marketing is ever “done.”
Thanks, Havi. This was a great post in general, and especially relevant for me since I’m rewriting and retweaking my website for what feels like the gazillionth time, and yet each time I love it more, so why am I complaining? 🙂
Grace Judsons last blog post..What is vulnerability?
Great point indeed! And, I also get from your post that one of the first things you can do is start asking people – ask them what they like about what they experience in your offer, ask them what troubles them about the experience, ask them for suggestions on what would make their experience better. Stuff that is blindingly obvious to them will be utterly hidden for you – until you ask.
Thanks!
Woohoo! I’m so glad you wrote this post Havi! It’s not the economy, silly. 🙂 I think this message really resonates with all of us because you went through this yourself. You went from 1 sale a month to 55, and it wasn’t because of the economy.
Woohoo! Plus this gives me the motivation to make my own focusiness (aka business) better!
Another idea: Search for yourself on the web and make your presence look alive.
One small store here had five listings on various portal pages. Not a single comment. Might have been an empty office.
Search for their competitor. Twice as many listings, all with current (and current-looking) information, a review or two, and a link to their main site, which looked like they were alive.
If you have a website, get it out there! Suppliers often list their distributors. Half your competitors put their websites on that list. Trade associations often list members — ditto. Charities list contributors.
A DIY website showing happy faces at your latest workshop will interest me. An expensive one that shows stock pictures from the last decade isn’t worth exploring.
This was a very timely post to me. Using the economy as an excuse is yet another way of avoiding full responsibility for the outcome. I’ve been thinking about excuses lately. A recent key learning was that I was making myself busy with junk tasks so that I could use the “I’m too busy” excuse when I wasn’t doing the forward looking creative work that I say that I want to do.
Bottom line, we own our outcomes. Externalities such as the economy can influence those outcomes, but the final responsibility is ours. As you suggest, we need to accept that responsibility and look for ways to improve rather than blaming the economy while doing nothing to drive improvement.
Mike Stankavichs last blog post..My Toronto Thanksgiving
Great post and a really excellent point; try stuff.
The only thing I would add is to make sure you’re doing something that’s really you, something you’re passionate about. It’s hard enough and enough work to keep a business going, so it’s just smart to make sure the work is going toward something you really love and not a business-by-default.
Terry Heaths last blog post..Rampant Creativity and Capitalistic Tinkering
Amen and amen and amen and amen.
Yes, the economy sucks, but I’m having my best year ever. With both businesses. I’ve spent a lot of time figuring out who my “right people” are and focusing on ways to connect with them in meaningful ways. I still have a lot of things I want to work on, and I am constantly tweaking what I’m doing, but it WORKS.
I was wondering why our business is doing so well…
THis is awesome and you give me hope. You make me feel like I am on the right track, even if I go slower than I anticipated. After only recently finding you, I am discovering so much good stuff here!
rowenas last blog post..Just (Don’t) Do It
Brilliant post. My Mum has really effectively passed a negative mindset onto me. Like a lot of people, I’m finished before I even start. The first sniff of defeat and I’m saying “Oh, no one wants this. I’m no good at this”. I need to develop more mental resilience and stop thinking I’m rubbish and a failure just because my business doesn’t take off in one week when I’ve not really tried anything.
Thanks so much!
John Gallaghers last blog post..Would You Buy This Product?
THANK YOU! Thank you for writing this post!
I am so tired of people blaming completely unrelated things on the economy – or people blaming the economy for things that were going to happen eventually regardless of the economic status of the world.
You are so right (as always) and I adore you (as always!).
Add me to the ever-growing list of people saying, “I needed this.” I mean, I’m terrified – absolutely terrified – that I’m going to fail, which is the only thing that is keeping me from TRYING STUFF (and thus ensuring that I fail.) Darn it. Why’d you have to go and remind me that the only thing getting in my way is me? 😉
Wow. This really spoke to me, which surprises me because I know a LOT about how to run a business. I started nodding my head while reading this because, yes, I’ve totally said all the same things about businesses before: Not visible, not applying enough good businessification (that’s a Havi word, isn’t it?). Yes, yes.
As I read on, I stepped back for a moment and thought about my business. How I don’t like to toot my own horn, how I don’t like to put myself out there in a scary way, how I don’t like to be All About Me.
Now I know that one can have business visibility without being obnoxious (Havi is very good at not being obnoxious). And up to this very moment I thought I was doing all the right business things. But now I think, hey, I’m not really giving my Right People the chance to know what’s right about my business for them.
So I’m standing across the street (not literally), looking at my business and pondering. Thank you, Havi!
What an important, positive-yet-realistic post to be reading right now. “Try stuff.” If it’s not working, try a different approach. If you’re driving somewhere and realize you’re on the wrong road, you don’t step on the gas and keep driving down that road even faster. You make changes, and adjust your direction and approach.
I’m a big fan of local businesses, especially places like local cafes and independent bookstores that are up against all the giants like Starbucks and Barnes & Noble. But my husband, who has a great business mind, always reminds me that I can’t just blame the big chains for putting the smaller places out of business. If the smaller places made better coffee, offered a better atmosphere, sold a more unique selection of books and just generally distinguished themselves, they would have a great shot at success.
Kristin T. (@kt_writes)s last blog post..What does non-hypocrisy look like?
Great stuff! Really enjoyed reading it and it showed up in perfect timing 🙂 So now I will sit down and figure things out! Thank you!
Sander Goordens last blog post..Actie is reactie!
It’s the one that I’m looking for, who say’s what is really on her mind and express the thoughts and ideas. When someone establish a business your not relying merely on the economy but on yourself, your perseverance and the passion to run a business and be successful. But if it doesn’t change you can’t blame an economic crisis, you must find ways and means to change it into success.
Love this post. It’s the first fresh perspective I’ve seen on the economy/ recession-themed articles going on at the moment.
New to the online world, I’ve been very invested in learning all the marketing strategies, so I can do the “right” stuff. And the more I learn, the more I realise that there are only a few basic principles that are “right”, and these keep changing anyway. I’m really getting it that it’s about DOING something, NOTICING what the result is, and TWEAKING till you get the results you want. And you know what, this is much more fun that trying to get through a curriculum structured around what one person thinks is all the “right” stuff to do!
CathDs last blog post..The Bottom-line Bookclub is launching 1 March!
Wow! This could almost have been ghost written by Seth Godin. A must read for every small business.
@CathD — that is so right. There are so many biggified business people out there who are so invested in you following their specific system. Which can be so draining and just kind of annoying. So you’re completely on the right track.
@Stacie — what you said about how the fear of failure keeps you from trying stuff (which, frustratingly, is the thing that prevents failure), so so so perfect. And so hard to remember. Thanks for the reminder. Love it.
@limeduck — yes yes yes. Supporting local small business is SUCH a big deal. And those of us who are small business owners totally have a responsibility, in my opinion, to stand up for and with our fellow small-business owners. Solidarity!
Man, so much great stuff here. I can see I have a lot to think about. So I’ll just say that you guys rock. And hang in there, those of you that are in the hard right now. I know it’s miserable. Sending you love…
I loved this.
My husband sold radio advertising (still does) and as a side hobby, used to go and take pictures of all of the “Going out of business” signs that would eventually hang on the same businesses who told him that they couldn’t afford to advertise, or that advertising doesn’t work. He kept a Wall of Shame with all of the photographs in his office.
Shellys last blog post..The Nuts And Bolts Of It
FANTASTIC! You just gained a new follower.
Havi,
Thanks for the No Whining reminder and to try something different! It’s so important because sometimes it feels easier to whine, you know? I added this post to del.icio.us
Wendy
Wow I love this post!! I have been saying this for the past year, as soon as people started “complaining” about the economy.
Unfortunately here in America everyone has been stripped of their accountability, through their parents, schools, even government!
Its sickening to me to see people shift blame to someone or something else instead of taking accountability and saying “Hey maybe, just maybe its me, and maybe there is something I can change to make this better!”
Seems pretty brilliant huh:)
Anyway I LOVE LOVE LOVE this post and couldnt agree more!
Stop wallowing in your self pity and DO SOMETHING…Anything:)
What am I going to do? Shamelessly post the link to this Everywere:)
Amanda
Amandas last blog post..Simplicity – Circle Pendant Necklace – Sterling Silver
What a great article!
Fantastic! Inspirational, and it just plain reads like the truth. It’s easier to blame the economy (and yes, it’s slower…) than it is to work one’s butt off making improvements and changes, but not nearly as satisfying as a rise in sales from hitting upon the right forumla. Excellent, and thank you for the reminder, Havi. :c)
Wow, great article! You write in such a great straight out honest way! Very motivating!
Thank You,
Jodi
http://www.jodifrench.blogspot.com
http://www.jodifrench.etsy.com
jodi frenchs last blog post..Dramatic faceted glass and leather choker
I absolutely love this article.
Thank. You. So. Much.
Mostly just for saying things I would like to say, only SO much better. I jsut recorded a radio show this morning where I tried (and mostly failed) to make this point.
Seriously, if I hear one more “bad economy” commercial I might just throw my radio from the car 😉
An itch will ALWAYS need a scratch… you made some excellent points, I just wish I could send your post to the woman who is closing her shop… what a waste!
A dream job wants to be taken as seriously as a real job, and your reminders to present/test/measure/tweak/repeat for results (it sounded nicer in your words!) was advice she could really have used…
I love this. And I am off to try more stuff. Because even though I’m not doing terribly, I think I could be doing a whole lot better. Because cubicles are terrifying.
Thanks for kicking me in the butt.
Buster and boos last blog post..Jonquil, earrings
Well done! It is a wonderful article. I like the straight-to-the point attitude and the wonderful slap in the face that many of us small business people need to wake-up and try out new things. Very inspiring! I love it 🙂
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Yes, yes and YES. So tired of hearing people pin all of their business failures on the economy. I wish more of people would see this as the awesome challenge that it is. If you can make your business thrive NOW, just think of what you could do when things “pick back up.”
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Great post!, thanks for the advice ^_^
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Excellent advice, and so true!
I have recently resigned from the “it’s just the lousy economy” club and joined the “maybe there’s something more I could be doing to help boost my business” club.
There are many things I haven’t tried yet, and so I look forward to what lies ahead, instead of fearing it.
Great post, thank you!
Vanessa Sanchezs last blog post..Tie One On
Awesome post! So glad I found it (via Etsy forums). It was just the kick up the you know what I needed. Thanks!
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