Today’s edition of the Burlington Free Press passed on another business obituary.  Sprout has closed its Church Street location.  They sell specialty items for infants and toddlers…

…Huh?  I walked by this store every day on the way for my morning coffee and breakfast sandwich.  I assumed it was an organic gardening supply store or vegetarian health food store.  

Why didn’t more people shop here?  Economic instability?  Perhaps, but that doesn’t stop shoppers from dropping money up and down the rest of the marketplace.

More likely: RELEVANCE. 
Sprout never spread the message about its goods and services to a community that has enough disposable income to support their business.  I tried viewing their website and quit after the page failed to load.  

Local businesses take heed: Relevance to your buyers is job # 1.  Give them a compelling reason to spend their dollars with you.  Then keep repeating this process again and again.

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I am guilty of associating the holiday with a day off from work spent sleeping in, relaxing, and giving little thought to the hard work and struggle workers in the past endured to make this holiday possible.  

This morning I flipped open the Burlington Free Press ‘Business Monday’ section to read how SBE Inc.,

“built on 20th century capacitor technology, has survived by continuing to adapt, taking a Vermont-made product and carving a national market.”

 Ed Sawyer, president and CEO of SBE Inc., helped bring the company into 21st century  global competitiveness after nearly closing the doors because of foreign  manufacturing.  

Developing new patents and focusing on cutting edge technology have sparked a resurgence at this local Vermont business.  The article describes the need to maintain a competitive edge and be flexible enough to shift with demand.  Inspiring to know local business is alive and well in Vermont.  

I encourage you to read the entire story.  Local Vermont ingenuity continues to be the envy of the modernized world in so many ways…thank goodness we have this beautiful day to reflect and enjoy.

Adapting to Survive – and Succeed

Betting Big on One Horse

Elaine Young

Elaine Young, associate professor of marketing and e-business management at Champlain College, offers tips and advice to local Vermont businesses looking to understand – and take advantage of – the Internet on a local level. 

Her article shines a light on why reaching your local audience is so important in this ‘Internet Age’.

PRICELESS business advice…free to you Burlington Means Business readers

From eMarketer:

eMarketer projects that local online advertising spending in the US will reach $2.9 billion in 2007…[and] is set to become a significant growth area for the maturing Internet ad space. 

College students return this week with good wishes – and ample fun money – from Mom and Dad.

Several local businesses are turning the corner by advertising online to reach prospective buyers.  And the dollar is on the mend.  

The Dollar

* Full Disclosure:  Generating increased sales and revenue for your local, greater Burlington business is the main focus of this publication.  More information available upon request: joe.mescher@gmail.com

Thousand of Greater Burlington Residents want to learn about your business…

…give them something worth reading:

Here’s a Little Inspiration

Networking on the Net

Click the Link above to learn ways to position yourself online in the Economy 2.0