If Every Sunshine Coast Business Owner Spent 45 Minutes Per Week Doing This, Our Local Economy Would Grow Like A Weed

If you’ve been on Facebook for any length of time you’d have seen a photo of a sandwich board that says…

Do you know that if each of us spent $100 a year more on a local business instead of chain stores, it’d put an extra $3 million a year into our economy, not only that but it’d create thousands more jobs every year

I have a love hate relationship with this sign.

I love the concept, I love small business and I really want to see it flourish. But I hate the victim – welfare mentality behind the way that the idea is shared.

IMHO it’s basically saying…

Here’s a problem, here’s the solution, I’ve done my bit sharing it now somebody else should do something to fix it.

I also hate the fact that people seem to think that the mere act of sharing it around is their way of making a difference.

Sharing that photo without taking action makes f#ck all difference.

Now if you’ve shared it, this isn’t a personal shot at you. In fact I’m just as guilty for not taking action that could make a difference.

I’ve been telling anyone that’ll listen about the problem with this sign, and the fact that without action it’s a complete waste of time, but I’ve done nothing about creating a positive solution, until now.

My Dad who passed away just over two years ago always told me…

Don’t complain about something, unless you’re prepared to do something about fixing it.

I have to put my hand up and say that I’ve complained about people sharing this sign, without doing something about fixing the problem so I’m just as guilty as everyone that’s shared it.

The rot stops right now, enough is enough.

Here’s what I’m changing the focus to, and here’s how I’m going to do it.

The focus – mantra for fixing the problem is going to be…

Do you know that if every business owner on the Sunshine Coast committed to spending just 15 minutes per day, 3 to 4 times per week taking one of the following actions, the Sunshine Coast community would be the shining light that all business and governments all around the world would look to for advice on how to build financially strong vibrant communities.

Here’s just a few idea’s for actions…

• Train staff on how to help customers make informed, intelligent decisions about their purchases.
  
• Create irresistible offers that customers are delighted to purchase.
  
• Create services that over deliver on value for the price that they charge for them.
  
• Create direct response advertising that makes it easy for people to understand what they’re offering
  
• Make it easy for people to get started using their products and or services
  
• Personalise the customer experience instead of just treating them like a wallet with legs.
  
• Make it a priority to remember customers names.
  
• Treat interaction on Social Media like it’s a piece of Gold instead of just another hassle.
  
• Make their websites, advertising, marketing all about the customer and their problems, instead of about themselves.
  
• Treat customer complaints as an opportunity to improve.
  
• Actively listen to people when they speak.

 

Here’s how we’re going to take action and make this work…

I’ve created a Facebook group called a beer with Beanie that you can request to join by clicking here.

Every week I’ll post an action for you to focus your efforts on, but it’s not just about focusing on your own business.

Each week every member will do…

1. One action (you can do more) for their own business.
   
2. One action for another business that you buy from and support.
   
3. One action for a charity – non profit that you support.
   

I’ve set the group rules up this way for two very good reasons.

1. Far too many groups that I see just become a spam fest for people to pitch their products – services.
   
2. Because everyone within the group is just posting their “hey look at me buy my stuff” type of posts, people lose interest in the group, posted get ignored, and the interaction dies.

In this group you don’t post what you have for sale, you post an action – strategy that you’ve implemented.

This way you’ll be creating buzz about your business by sharing great stories about the action that you’re taking, instead of just saying, “hey look at me you should buy my stuff”

It doesn’t always have to be a success story.

If you tried something and it didn’t work particularly well, then post and let us all know as no doubt someone in the group will have an idea that’ll be a solution to your problem.

Each time you take an action (so three times per week & I’ll be checking to make sure everyone is doing their bit every week & removing people from the group that aren’t) you drop into the group and comment to let everyone know that you’ve taken your action and that you’re on track for the week.

The goal isn’t to put $3 million back into the economy, it’s to blow that out of the water by ten times.

So I’m going to post this on Facebook and ask people to share it with the difference being this…

The post will start with the call to action of..

Please only share this post (or tag someone in it) if you’re prepared to join our Facebook group and take decisive action to make this idea work.

Just sharing great ideas doesn’t make them happen, but if you’ve read this far I’m tipping that you’re the kind of person that’s determined to take action and make a real difference in the Sunshine Coast Community.

So we’re looking forward to seeing the impact that you’re going to have working with us.

Here’s our mantra…

Do you know that if every business owner on the Sunshine Coast committed to spending just 15 minutes per day, 3 to 4 times per week taking a measurable action towards encouraging people to buy locally, the Sunshine Coast community would be the shining light that all business and governments around the world would look to for advice on how to build financially strong vibrant communities.

To discover how and why this is going to work click here => (which will be the link to this blog post)

And when you’re ready to start making an impact, you can request to join the group here => http://ift.tt/1Q7X11P

What’s the real difference between doing this and sharing that photo on Social Media?

The difference is this gives you control of making the goal on the sandwich board a reality, and when you’re in control, then you can really make a difference.

When you’re ready to start making a difference, click here and request to join in

Speak Soon

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