I've noticed that prospective customers will tell you what THEY want, but then I find that it's usually what they want, at that specific moment. Once that moment passes, they couldn't be bothered to come to your store, unless you have some item that they might want, but it then falls back into that loop of, the moment, it passes, so no.
I will always support small businesses, but what I really hate are how people at first support it, and then they completely forget about it, then it goes out of business and people wonder why. I mean, it shouldn't take a rocket scientist to figure out why a business closes.
@Vancore6 Yep. But if the customer isn't coming to your store, say it's a niche store. Maybe like a paint store. But let's say it's a mix of painting pictures paints, and ability to buy interior and exterior wall paints. Sooo the customer wants to paint a wall in their home, they buy the big tin of paint, well once that is done if that person has no more painting to do, they ain't coming back anytime soon.
There was this game store like GameStop. It was called GameCrazy. When GameCrazy went out of business, the one manager there opened his own video game store, Press Start Games. I went there numerous times. I got games, a steering wheel, ended up returning eventually, got more games, and then like just hadn't been there in a while, one day had to go over to Giant on the south end, Press Start Games sign and everything just completely gone.
I looked it up online and I never found anything about why they closed, where they went, did they move? Can't find anything about it. And it's a shame because he was a real friendly guy, I would call and ask about games and things, what new stuff was coming out, would come into the store, maybe buy a couple things, talk for a bit, I mean he was doing good business it seemed like. And I feel like either he wanted out of that or maybe he wasn't getting the business he once was.
In any event I feel like that store was a GameStop alternative, with honest people who didn't try to rope you into a magazine subscription or some mailer or some promo emails.
@Vancore6 It's not really hidden. It's called upselling. It's what Jiffy Lube does. Say I want to get an oil change. So I'll take my car to Jiffy Lube, I'll walk in and say, I would like to have an oil change done. Now in my mind, I would say to the customer, "Okay an oil change." "Is that the only service you need from us today?"
But no, they say, "Oh ok, We have such and such wiper blades for X amount. Do you want those?" No. "Okay, we have such and such service, it's X amount, do you want that?" No. "Okay, we also offer yadda yadda for X amount, do you want that?" No. And this guy behind the counter tries to upsell you on 10 different things that I don't want or need. All I want is a simple 30 minute oil change.
Oh but it gets even better. One time I went in for oil change. There was a woman in a chair waiting, where I was sitting you can see clearly through the glass door into the garage. This guy walks toward the door that leads into the room where we are, stops at a trash can in the garage area, takes out a dirty air filter. He goes behind the counter, calls the woman up, and proceeds to tell her, "Ma'am, this is your air filter, you see how dirty and old it is?" "Well, you're going to need a new one....." And I'm sitting there with my jaw dropped to the floor.
HOWEVER...... I don't know where her car was in relation to the trash can in the garage, and I don't know if that really was her air filter or not. So I didn't say anything, but Jiffy Lube is one of the most dishonest places you could take your car.
You'll always have competition that's capitalism for you. Start small and stay small until the time is right. Small businesses actually go out of business because as well because they do to much. Yes customers will come but kerp in mind you aren’t the only person in that field. Niches are hard to break into but my advice would be settle on a list of items you can offer first.
Now if you're talking about being a treasure hyhter(not literally) then yea people would use yournservice if it means it saves them time.
@Vancore6 It's in the name. I am the "Guy". It's always been "Hey Play do you know...?" "Hey Play do you have...?" "Hey Play can you.. .?" "Hey Play will you...?"
And THEY always want da "Homie Discount"!
I just had to figure out how to make money doing it. Then how to keep it. And my freedom!
