Any business which can provide services or goods to a local audience is often regarded as a local business. Usually denoted by brick and mortar, a local business may be a privately owned company or a franchise with multiple outlets operating within a given area. Franchises are often seen as a way of establishing a brand name in a room, while companies with local offices offer goods and services to the public on a much smaller scale. Both forms of local businesses, however, have their advantages and disadvantages. When looking at the advantages and disadvantages for both types of companies, it becomes apparent that franchises have a clear advantage when considering expansion and management costs.
The simple fact is that most local businesses would struggle when faced with significant expansions or new product development. Franchises tend to have a history and a set of core principles that they operate. This means that start-ups and established companies tend to run things similarly rather than dealing with many different competitors, depending on which core values they subscribe to. This can make them easier to integrate with other like-minded businesses and provide a template for running a business within a given community. While this is not true of all franchises, it is undoubtedly the case for most of them.
The second significant advantage to owning a franchise is its access to a readymade marketing system. This means that a local business owner does not need to start from scratch when promoting their product or service. Most locally owned businesses will already have a network of contacts that they regularly use and rely upon. Whether that is through local chambers of commerce or networking groups or through existing suppliers of the products or services they offer, the advantage of having a readymade marketing system available is a significant help to new start-ups and established businesses alike.
The third significant advantage to owning a franchise is the level of support that is available. Typically, you will find that most locally owned businesses will be held by individuals who are family members or are related to those in a legal capacity. This means that they will have developed and applied methods and techniques that work naturally and effectively for their own situation. This means that those involved will be fully aware of the implications of their choices and may apply specific rules to ensure that the business functions as smoothly as possible. In many respects, these owners operate much like a consultancy in that they can act as a lead consultant for you should problems occur during the implementation stage of your project.
Finally, another significant advantage to franchising is that of the information across the board. The benefits of having your brand and reputation can be far-reaching and far beyond the scope of this article. However, one of the main advantages of marketing on a regional basis is communicating with potential customers in person. This can often happen via in-store displays, in-store solicitors, and customer service lines over the phone. These communications can provide a valuable source of information about the type of products and services your company offers and result in additional sales.
Finally, the most significant factor in franchise ownership is the level of community support that is offered. Most small businesses will require resources to develop a sustainable and repeatable business model that will generate a solid customer base and profit stream. However, most of these resources will not be created within the boundaries of the company’s physical premises. Instead, they will come through the established community support and engagement offered by local businesses in your chosen location.
This is not to say that small business owners cannot develop their brands and operate a successful business in their backyard. However, local coffee shop owners are often well-served by forming a strategic alliance with other local businesses to share resources and create a mutually profitable business relationship. In addition to creating brand awareness, these alliances will allow the small business owner to benefit from the increased foot traffic to their coffee shop due to the partnership’s marketing efforts. The more credible a local business looks, the more likely it will get new customers.
Although some think that the growth of the Internet has harmed the local economies, the opposite is true. The growth of today Internet has created dozen of new opportunities for small businesses throughout the country. More small businesses are starting each day than are being sold during traditional shopping seasons. The key is to take advantage of the opportunities available and make sure that you invest in your local economy before it’s too late.
The simple fact is that most local businesses would struggle when faced with significant expansions or new product development. Franchises tend to have a history and a set of core principles that they operate. This means that start-ups and established companies tend to run things in similar ways rather than dealing with many different competitors, depending on which core values they subscribe. This can make them easier to integrate with other like-minded businesses and provide a template for running a business within a given community. While this is not true of all franchises, it is undoubtedly the case for most of them.
The second significant advantage to owning a franchise is its access to a readymade marketing system. This means that a local business owner does not need to start from scratch when promoting their product or service. Most locally owned businesses will already have a network of contacts that they regularly use and rely upon. Whether that is through local chambers of commerce or networking groups or through existing suppliers of the products or services they offer, the advantage of having a readymade marketing system available is a significant help to new start-ups and established businesses alike.
The third significant advantage to owning a franchise is the level of support that is available. Typically, you will find that most locally owned businesses will be held by individuals who are family members or are related to those in a legal capacity. This means that they will have developed and applied methods and techniques that work naturally and effectively for their own situation. This means that those involved will be fully aware of the implications of their choices and may apply specific rules to ensure that the business functions as smoothly as possible. In many respects, these owners operate much like a consultancy in that they can act as a lead consultant for you should problems occur during the implementation stage of your project.
Finally, another significant advantage to franchising is that of the information across the board. The benefits of having your brand and reputation can be far-reaching and far beyond the scope of this article. However, one of the main advantages of marketing on a regional basis is communicating with potential customers in person. This can often happen via in-store displays, in-store solicitors, and over the phone using customer service lines. These communications can provide a valuable source of information about the type of products and services your company offers and result in additional sales.
Finally, the most significant factor in franchise ownership is the level of community support that is offered. Most small businesses will require resources to develop a sustainable and repeatable business model that will generate a solid customer base and profit stream. However, most of these resources will not be created within the boundaries of the company’s physical premises. Instead, they will come through the established community support and engagement offered by local businesses in your chosen location.
This is not to say that small business owners cannot develop their brands and operate a successful business in their backyard. However, local coffee shop owners are often well-served by forming a strategic alliance with other local businesses to share resources and create a mutually profitable business relationship. In addition to creating brand awareness, these alliances will allow the small business owner to benefit from the increased foot traffic to their coffee shop due to the partnership’s marketing efforts. The more credible a local business looks, the more likely it will get new customers.
Although some think that the growth of the Internet has harmed the local economies, the opposite is true. The development of the Internet has created many new opportunities for small businesses throughout the country. More small businesses are starting each day than are being sold during traditional shopping seasons. The key is to take advantage of the opportunities available and make sure that you invest in your local economy before it’s too late.