I just returned from a marketing consultation trip to Nashville where I met with two restaurant owners. One restaurant is a Chinese Buffet that opened about three months ago and is having trouble gaining customers. The other is a Mexican store and restaurant with a long history of great food, however they have seen sales slump due to the economy. Wiregrass Advertising, Inc. was requested to provide marketing consultations with each establishment and provide some ideas for improving business.
The Chinese restaurant is managed by a young man in his early to mid twenties. He had managed a different Chinese restaurant before being tapped for this position. Currently the eatery's income is about 1/3 of their budget. The evening I spent with him I only saw 6 customers eating. As we sat down, the manager expressed his concern about the cost of any ideas I brought to the table. I assured him that I had some ideas that would not cost him any money, but that he should be open to all ideas. During the discussion he made many excuses, and, unfortunately, seemed very unwilling to make any changes. I expect the business to close next month.
Mr. Andreas, the owner of LaCabana Mexican Restaurant in LaVergne, Tennessee, was much more receptive to my visit. He had already made some improvements to the building prior to my arrival. We talked more about changes he could make to the store to improve sales. On entering the store I looked around and wandered the small aisles and then watched as customers came in and purchased. The typical customer entered the front door, walked to their right and picked up tortillas, then crossed to the cash register, paid and exited. Few customers went beyond mid-point of the store.
The store was too small for shopping carts, but he had shopping baskets for his customers. The baskets were to the left as customers walked in and out of the way. My first suggestion was to move the baskets to a location immediately in front of customers as they walked through the door; a location where they could not be over looked which would encourage people to pick them up which, in turn, would encourage them to buy more products. Next, since tortillas are his biggest seller, I recommended he move them to the very back corner of the store to force people to walk the aisles so other products would be viewed and purchases encouraged. In addition he needed signs hanging from the roof pointing to specials and items on the shelves throughout the store. Mr. Andreas listened intently to these and other recommendations. He was excited to have some help and anxious to start putting the suggestions into action. I believe Mr. Andreas will survive this downturn.
By the way, If you ever want a great, authentic Mexican burrito at a great price, visit LaCabana in LaVergne. Be sure to to tell Mr. Andreas, "Hi" for me.
Most business owners do not have marketing degrees. Nor can they afford a marketing team. Yet marketing can be the very thing that decides the success or failure of a business. Most of the time the marketing strategy is haphazard and poorly implemented. The end result is lower than necessary sales and money wasted. Sometimes it results in the total failure of the business.
With a little bit of marketing help, direction and inspiration a mediocre business can be turned into quite a success. Over the past twenty years I have worked closely with many businesses and watched their mistakes as well as their victories. I have also watched many businesses who took my advice thrive and grow while other businesses chose to go their own path and failed.
Small business seems to be my company’s niche market. It could be everywhere, but I have noticed it more here, in south Alabama, that when business slows the first budget to be cut is the marketing budget. I have never understood that. It goes against everything I was taught in college as well as everything I have seen for twenty years.
I am sold on marketing. Not because I am in the marketing business, but because I know marketing works. But not just any marketing. A good marketing plan is a strategy. It is a game that, when well played, nets the winner a special prize. The looser looses all.
That “game” is what I love about marketing. Even when I play board games with my family I get very bored (pardon the pun) unless the game has strategy. I find myself always in the future. Planning. Strategizing. Scheming. My wife calls me a visionary. That is exactly the type of person you need for a marketing person. And guess what? My company and I are for hire as strategic marketing consultants. Contact us today.
It has been a busy week here at Wiregrass Advertising, Inc. with the completion of three websites! First is Ronnie's Men's and Boy's Wear. They have two stores, one in Dothan, AL and the other in Cowarts, AL. Ronnie's specializes in supplying clothes for big and tall men. No matter what size you are, Ronnies can supply your clothing! Visit Ronnie's Menswear at www.ronniesmenswear.com to view their latest specials.
Another website completed this week was Snead Tractor, LLC in Centre, AL. Snead Tractor sells new and used tractors and should be your first stop when looking for tractors, farm equipment or lawn mowers. This website is chock full of opportunities to meet your outside needs. Browse Snead Tractor's used and new tractor and far equipment inventories, order parts and accessories for lawnmowers, tractors and farm equipment and build your dream tractor package. Visit Snead Tractor at www.sneadtractor.com.
A rather neat site that we completed this week is the Jeffersonian Populist Council. Don't let the name scare you off. Over the next few weeks this site will become THE place to go for any research paper or to aquire general knowledge of speeches by notable people in U.S. history, founding documents and the U.S. Constitution. Can't remember who said something? Search the site and find it. Visit the website at http://www.jeffersonianpopulist.com
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