I promised that whoever was responsible for the most registered supporters on The 3/50 Project website by midnight April 15th would be thanked by a moment in the spotlight here on the blog. Well folks, meet John Ranes, independent retailer (The Frame Workshop in Appleton, Wisconsin), who single-handedly brought in no fewer than twenty-five businesses…that we know of. Given the plethora of frame shops that came in around the same time, not referring to a specific person by name, something tells me twenty-five is shooting low.
What I didn’t expect was that the person who attained Rock Star Status would also be someone with so much business savvy and sage advice to lend other retailers of all types. The following interview shows incredible insight and brings wise reminders that are a pleasure to share. Given the amount of great material, today’s installment will be part one of two, focused primarily on The 3/50 Project.
So here you, John. Take the mike, step into the spotlight, and enjoy the accolades you so richly deserve.
Cinda: What element of The 3/50 Project resonates with you most?
John: What I like most about the project is how it asks the consumer to think about the impact of their actions. In today’s society too much of what folks do is fill their homes with things – acquisition and fulfillment becomes more important than the shopping experience and pursuing quality purchases.
Cinda: How have your customers responded to The 3/50 Project?
John: Almost to a person, our customers have been very enthusiastic about the project, with many picking up the printed literature on their own, and sharing the information with their friends.
Cinda: What methods did you use to share The 3/50 Project message with them?
John: We printed the 5×7 flyer and set it out on our custom framing design counter. In addition, we added three links to the 3/50 Project website from our website. One of these links also has the video clip from the WCCO coverage of the project. Did I mention that the 3/50 Project bumper sticker is on our business van?!
(Insert mental image: Cinda doing the happy dance about all this great PR.)
Cinda: Let’s shift gears a bit. What do you see as the biggest challenge independent retailers face today?
John: Pure business survival requires passion, service and a marketing plan. Small independent retailers often don’t cover all three well, and are often guilty of cutting advertising dollars spent during down economic times. This is a sure recipe for disaster. Being prudent is fine, but keep your name in front of your potential clients.
Okay folks…that’s your teaser for Monday’s post, when John talks about overcoming that challenge, recognizing what your best assets are, and how he gets through the tough times. Trust me. It’s worth the wait.
Click here to tell me what you think....
John has pointed out what is to me the critical ingredient for any small, independent retailer in the current environment; passion, service and marketing. I’m very struck by the fact that he started with passion, because that’s where building a successful independent retail business begins – with passion. rom there the challenge is communication and engagement, with both customers and employees. In the end, small, independent retailing is all about building durable relationships. Great interview.