Bash and I took the scenic way into Laceyville (population 379) today, on the way to pick up chicken feed for Bash’s flock. He said, “there’s not much to it—about two blocks and we’re on the other side.” As we drove through this little village, which was very reminiscent of the small towns in southern Ohio, where I grew up—I was caught up with a sense of nostalgia. The town was laid out with buildings that you could tell were the hub of the entire community at one time.
“Cute,” I said. “But, looking a little run down.”
“Yes, it looks like Laceyville’s been knocked down a few times,” was Bash’s reply.
Today is Small Business Saturday, and we didn’t see any small business hoopla as we drove through this sleepy little town. It made me wonder if there was anything happening to support the small businesses in my own hometown. The only thing I’d seen recent news of from Portsmouth was a trampling at the local Wal-Mart. I can hardly bring myself to visit the place I grew up, because the town I knew no longer exists. Rather than a downtown lined with small businesses and shops, all decked out for the holidays—the only game in town today seems to be the big box stores. How is it that a town that suffered a devastating flood in 1913 and again in 1937, only to rise to it’s hustling, bustling hey-day of the 1950’s allowed itself to implode to such degrees? Was it from lack of support, or did the small businesses lose touch with their community?
I’m the co-owner of a small business, and I work with small business owners everyday. In the veterinary profession, we are faced with a defining moment in time. The Internet and big box stores are making it much harder for the small business veterinary owner to survive. We have a choice before us—-we can either hope for the best and weather the storm, OR we can decide now that our fate is in our own hands and find new ways of doing business. It’s time to tap into the technology we have available to us, while raising awareness within our communities as to the value we bring to them as small businesses.
Never before has the power to connect with our community—-the community of pet owners—been easier than it is today! Social media and technology have truly been, and continue to be game changers. The challenge is using social media effectively. Are you doing social because you’ve heard you need to, or have you taken the time to explore the ways in which you can now connect with people outside the walls of your practice? Take a lesson from those in the profession who have cut their teeth on this new way of communicating and use what you learn to build relationships with the people within your community.
That little town of Laceyville? It hasn’t folded up its doors yet. Inside that feed store, it’s obvious that the small business owner knows what it’s all about. Not only does he take the time to bring his customers what they need, but he knows each of them by name. He takes the time to get to know them, and brings value to the table in the way he does business with them. Take the things that you excel at, as empathetic, caring veterinary professionals and amplify your voice through social media to keep your conversations and relationships growing.
If you’d like to learn more about using social media, attend one of the HTC Social Media Workshops in 2014! Sign-up for the HTC newsletter and we’ll keep you abreast of the dates and locations as they are rolled out.