Locally Owned and Operated

By Jason Epner

 

You should be proud.  Just don’t say it in your ads.  It’s cliché.  It’s become industry jargon.  My mind goes numb when I hear it.

 

Instead, show me what it means to be locally owned and operated.

 

An example.

 

Inevitably, I heard those four words when I sat down the other day with the owner of an auto repair shop.  I asked him what being locally owned and operated means to his customers. 

 

<Friendly staff and great customer service,> he said.   Better, but still not saying much.

 

After digging a little deeper he finally told me that that he will drive his customers to and from work while the car is being fixed in the shop.  What a great way to differentiate himself from the competition!  What a valuable service!  I guarantee that message resonates with customers much better than hearing where the owner resides.

 

The bottom line is consumers are bombarded with thousands of choices every day on how to spend their money.  As a business owner, educate them how you can help in their terms.  You will find consumers care a lot more about keeping their dollars local when they see the value in the services you provide.