If you are a small business owner in southeastern Wisconsin, there’s a good chance you’re ready for our winter to be over. The Milwaukee area experiences long, cold winters; depending on your line of work, you may see a decline in business over the winter months as people tend to hunker down and avoid going out whenever possible.
However, there’s good news! It’s the middle of February and, while it’s still very much winter, we can see the light at the end of tunnel. The days have started to get longer again, and we’ve even had a few days with some decent temperatures and sunshine.
So you might be excited the end of cabin fever is in sight. Not only are we all ready for a break from the cold weather, but the coming of spring may have a very real positive impact on your business, especially if you rely on foot traffic.
If you think it’s only your customers who need to get out and about, we’d like to challenge your thinking. What about you? Do you need to get out and about? With the weather starting to warm up, it’s a great time for you to get out in your community – not just because it’s good for your own sanity, but because it’s good for business!
That’s right, getting out and connecting with your community is great for business. Go out and support other local businesses. Engage their owners in discussion about what challenges they have faced and what successes they’ve had. Find people who can give you good advice, and give good advice to those you can help. Get involved in a local chamber of commerce or other type of business organization. Find people who may offer a product or service that dovetails nicely with your business and agree to recommend them (when appropriate) and ask them to do the same for you.
Finally, getting out in your community also lets your potential clients and customer put a face with a name. When they see your advertisements or drive by your business, they are much more likely to sit up and take notice if they’ve had a positive interaction with its owner. You are part of your business’s brand, so use that to its fullest advantage.