Route 66 Branding: Support your fellow small-business owners

Session 1, segment 6: Build your brand by supporting your business neighbors

We've come to conclusion of this series on branding basics for small business. I hope you've learned a lot, or at least enough to encourage you to find out more about the branding process and what it can do for your business.

For this last segment, I want to talk about paying it forward. Supporting your local small-business neighbors builds relationships with those that will want to return the favor. Which means, talking about your brand, sharing your messages and the unique experience that makes your business, product, or service worth the customer's time.

The shops in downtown Ocean Springs seem to understand this concept clearly as evident by the flyer I found in the dressing rooms or on the counters while I checked out. Cindy Baxter (retail consultant) started the 3/50 project. Her project was fueled by an online post she came across following some media hoopla about the economy, spending practices and another successful small business experiment story shared by a friend. She wanted to take action. Read the full story here.

The premise.

1. Pick 3 of your favorite small businesses
2. Spend $50 a month
3. For every $100 spent in independently owned stores, $68 of that returns to the local community.        

So the next time you're on your lunch break, mozy next door and talk to the staff or owner. Get to know each other and discover what makes his or her business unique. You will have a new small-business ally and more more importantly a brand ambassador.

I've enjoyed sharing this time with you. And please, contact me at anytime with questions or comments.