Any company that provides goods or services to a local population is considered a local business. Often denoted by the phrase, “brick and mortar,” a local business can be a locally owned business or a corporate business with multiple locations operating in a specific area.
Despite the growing popularity of online shopping, more than 90 % of sale occur in brick and mortar location.While some local businesses may not have ecommerce channels, web presence is critical for local businesses hoping to increase foot traffic and compete with chains and larger organizations. Digital media and online listings have changed the game for local businesses by providing them with avenues for greater online visibility.
Let see different type of small business running around us.
- Breakfast Joint/Take-away
2 Juice Points/Shakes Counters
3. Tailoring/Embroidery
4. Online Businesses
5. Blogging
6. Cookery Classes
7. Daycare Services
8. Dance Center
9. Photography
10. Yoga instructor
11. Wedding Bureau
12. Travel Agency
13. Salon
14. Real Estate Agent
15. Photography
16. Ice cream Parlour
17. Handicrafts Seller
18. Dance Centre
19. Consultancy
20. Boutique Store
21. Catering
As lots of business grow around us but still most of business or small business fear to come online with several reason.Let see what are the fear which stop local business to come online.
1. Not knowing where to start.
Most entrepreneurs don’t know where to start when first setting their ideas in motion. Start out by finding someone who achieved the goal you’ve set for yourself.
Read about the person, the structure of her business and reach out to see if she can offer advice or information. Even if businessperson doesn’t have the time or an interest in speaking with you, you’ll know that she has achieved success so it’s possible for you.
2. Not being an expert.
You probably know enough about your product or service to answer the lion’s share of questions and solve most issues that may arise. So don’t worry if you don’t feel like a complete expert in the field yet.
For the things you don’t yet know, you can find answers. There is no shame in continuing to learn. In fact, this is a requirement for continued growth. You will never be finished learning: Wear the “expert” label anyway and commit yourself to excellence.
3. Being considered crazy.
Some people will think that you’re crazy to start a new business and they will be correct. The safe and rational thing to do would be to never take a risk and work for someone else for the rest of your life.
Did you gag as you read that sentence? That’s because you’re an entrepreneur and risk taking is in your blood: You can’t live without it.
You are a bit crazy to step out on a limb, believe in your talents and convince others to believe in them, too. Accept your craziness and then appreciate that it’s thecrazy oneswho end up making a difference in the world,
4. Not finding funding.
Being a business owner would be a breeze if every person with an idea could waltz into a bank and receive a loan or attract an angel investor. Since this is not a dream world, entrepreneurs without investors must jump-start their businesses anyway.
Even if you don’t have the necessary capital at first, you’ll soon learn that a slow and steady process of building the business may be the best thing after all.
5. Not being believed in
Even if you have doubts that people will react well to your business because of your credentials, skin color, height or gender, show up anyway and deliver an outstanding service.
People might be influenced by an physical appearance but no one can argue with a solid work ethic. Even if at first no one believes in you, people will learn to believe in your results.
6. Not attracting customers.
It’s terrifying to take the risk of offering your skills to the world, wondering if they’ll be valued. Unless you start your business with an established audience of people ready to throw money at you, a stampede won’t immediately swarm to knock your door down.
If you approach your business with joy, consistently delivering what’s promised, you’ll undoubtedly experience a turn of the tide. In the meantime, work your marketing plan feverishly, study to increase your level of expertise and be kind to yourself because you’ve already made it further than most.
7. Being incapable of handling success.
The flip side of enduring the dry spells of a new business is facing that you’re offering exactly what the world has been waiting for.
Imagine that as you turn on the neon sign, people are lined up for blocks eager to see you. Does that notion scare you? Are you afraid that maybe you won’t be able to handle the demands of running a successful business?
It may be lonely at the top but someone has to be there to lead the progress of humanity.
8. Failing the family.
While you might be scared that your new enterprise will not provide for your family or be an embarrassment, what if someone told you that your family needs this experience to grow closer together? Your spouse needs you to lean on him or her for support.
Your children need to see you go for the gusto and give all to your dreams. Speak to members of your family and let them know that as you undertake this venture, you won’t sacrifice their safety or let them go hungry. Talk openly with them about the risks you’re about to take and how it’s important that you invest your time and energy into the success of this business. Prepare your family as best as you can and ask them to walk this journey with you.
9. Not earning enough to recover an investment.
The definition of entrepreneur is all about a person who organizes and operates a business taking on greater than normal financial risks.
If you happen to invest in your business and don’t see an immediate return, keep working. Should you quit before you earn a profit, you’ll never earn a profit. And if you do decide to quit before your business sees a profit, remember that you raised the investment capital once. You can always do so again.
10. Discovering everything goes wrong.
You can’t play a game of bowling without knocking down the pins. What do you do after they fall? Sit down and cry? No, you set the pins back up and play again.
Setting the pins back up is just a part of the game. When problems arise in business, this just provides you the chance to set the pins up again. As an entrepreneur, you most likely have what it takes to complete the game. So don’t be afraid when the pins fall. You can set them upright again.
Let us learn how to bring our local business online and start promoting it.
With the world going digital, brick-and-mortar business owners intuitively know that in order to take advantage of this trend and stay relevant, they must bring their business online, as well. But how exactly do you go local online? And where do you start?
With tons of possible business profiles and platforms you can potentially create on the web, it can be difficult for an entrepreneur to understand how to set up your online presence in a way that is most efficient for your business.
Your website is the hub of your business online
Your company’s website is the central platform where potential customers go to find out more about you. As such, it should reflect your brand, core offerings and include call-to-actions to generate leads from your visitors.
https://servicecentreworld.com/why-service-centre/
Establish a Google My Business profile
Now that you have your website, the next thing you want to do is set up your Google My Business profile.
This is the business profile that allows you to show up in Google Maps for keywords relevant to your business.
Social media profiles
The most important point here is to make your social handles uniform across all platforms. The reason for this is to ensure your brand is consistent across all platforms, making your brand easy for customers to find.
So, even though you may plan on only utilizing one or two social media platforms in the beginning, it is always a good idea to set up a uniform handle on as many social media platforms as possible to secure consistent branding. Just in case you decide to use more platforms in the future, you’ll have them.You should do this with Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter and LinkedIn
Online directories
Now that you have your website, Google My Business profile and social media accounts set up, the final step to bringing your business online is to add your business to as many local business directories as possible. Such directories include Yelp, Yellowpages, Foursquare, Better Business Bureau, your local Chamber of Commerce, etc.
Directories are still relevant, and consumers use them to search for local businesses when in need of a specific product or service. Ensuring your business is present within these directories will allow you to get more eyeballs on your website, and ultimately, more leads and sales for your business.
https://digitalkhalil.com/why-business-needs-a-website/
Conclusion
Business owners have become increasingly aware of the benefits of having an online presence but may find it difficult to understand where to start.
With so many options on the web, it can be frustrating to decipher the actual process of building an online presence for your business.