|
"Different
restaurants donated food and we had a really
nice breakfast-type atmosphere," Dana recalls.
"People came in, showed a military id and we
gave them a bag and a free shoe shine. It
brought a lot of people into my store who I had
never seen before."
"We found that the
free shine brought in business as well," she
adds. "When they came back for a shine, they
brought other work with them."
Dana said the cost
to bring the radio station to her store was more
than covered by increased sales during
subsequent weeks. She plans to use remote
broadcasts again in the future to boost
business.
Free Shines on
the Morning Show
Dana also supplied
the radio station with free shine cards which
were giving away daily.
"They
were given away all morning with the station's
trivia questions," she says. "I got at least
five free plugs a morning. I even went in and
gave my commercial twice a week. It was a great
advantage with potential and current customers
getting to know all about my business. I get
questions all over town about shoes. It worked
great for me."
Location, Location, Location
Jeff Lipson, Cobblestone Shoe Repair, St.
Louis, Mo.
Jeff Lipson relocated his store to a
more visible location that is passed by
53,000 cars each day. |
The best thing
Jeff Lipson did for his business in 2004 was
move it to a new location.
"My old location
was in a mall and not visible from the street,"
he says. "You had to actually go into the mall
to find me. The new location is on a main
street. More than 53,000 cars pass me every day.
I'm next to a Blockbuster Video store, and I
don't have to tell you how many people they
bring in."
|
Jeff's new
location is in a small strip center -- only six
tenants. He felt his store was lost in its
former location, saying shoppers could come to
the center, buy their groceries and never know
he was across the parking lot.
"It's making a
huge difference," he says. "I'm seeing people
have haven't seen for years. I'm seeing new
people, and I'm seeing people I saw in the other
center more frequently. They're telling me it's
because I'm more easily accessible."
To make sure
customers could find him after the move, Jeff
sent post cards to his customers and ran two
direct mail ads with Money Mailer. He called key
customers and left a sign in his former window
as long as the landlord allowed.
"The old adage
location, location, location couldn't be more
true in my case," he says.
Three
Ideas from the "Hartland"
Gene Hartsock, Hartland Shoe Repair, St.
Paul, Minn.
 |
Gene
Hartsock offered three ideas that have
helped his business. First is a bonus
card.
"The best
way to come up with new ideas for your
business is to look at what other
businesses are doing," he says.
"Frequent buyer cards are in."
Customers
keep the card and Gene stamps it each
time they purchase either repair work or
retail merchandise. When a customer
spends $100, they get a $20 coupon for
future repair or merchandise.
Weekly
Drawings
Some shoe
repair shops have problems with |
customers who
don't pick up their shoes or bring their claim
checks back. When Gene's customers bring their
claim checks back, they're entered in a weekly
drawing. Each week, he gives away a $10 coupon
toward a shoe repair or merchandise purchase.
"I send each
coupon at the end of the month," Gene says.
"It's a post card that I designed myself that
thanks them for their business. People are
excited to win, even $10. It builds goodwill."
 |
To further
address the issue of keeping claim
checks, Gene has a sign in his shop
titled, "Five Reasons to Keep Your Claim
Stub." They are:
-
Shows
when the work is to be completed.
-
Shows
our phone number.
-
Shows
our hours.
-
Proof
of Payment
-
Chance
to win our weekly drawing.
|
Gene produces all
of his promotional materials himself using
desktop publishing software. He learned with the
help of the printing business across the street
and can now produce printed materials very
affordably.
Web Site
Gene also points
to his web site as a business builder. Located
at
www.hartlandshoes.us, the site was visited
by 450 customers or prospective customers in
December.
At this point,
the site primarily contains information about
Gene's business and shows samples of his work.
There are limited opportunities for customers to
buy products, but that's something he intends to
expand in the future. He uses a
web coupon to encourage customers to visit
his site.
Gene encourages
reciprocal links with suppliers. He includes
several supplier links on his site and has
suppliers link back to him. Urad, for example,
sent 300 web visitors Gene's way last year.
Finally, Gene's
web site allows him to interact with shoe repair
customers around the country.
"It gives me a
chance to talk to the customers," he says. "I
answer e-mail before and after work. I can be
helpful and provide extra value."
Bigger
Location Proves Better
Ray Torcaso, Torcaso Shoe Repair, Lake
Geneva, Wis.
Ray Torcaso's new location is more
accessible and larger, which allowed him
to enhance his retail offerings and
spruce up the interior of the store.
 |
When Ray
Torcaso's landlord decided to sell the building
that housed his business, he decided it was time
for an upgrade. He found a new location with
more space and has been reaping the rewards ever
since.
"I was in my
own building before. I was secluded," Ray says.
"I found space in a converted grocery store with
six other service-oriented businesses. It's like
an all service mall."
Ray's store is
surrounded by an eyeglass store, a title
business, an interior design business, a
postal/shipping business, a dry cleaner and a
hair salon.
"Being next to
a dry cleaner is great," he says. "I have people
drop off shoes while they're dropping off
clothes."
"I'm seeing my
regular customers more and I've gotten new
customers I've never seen before,"
|
he continues.
"They come to see me because it's no longer a
special trip."
Ray's new space
is also larger than before. It enabled him to
put in more effective retail products and
displays.
"All of these
years, people didn't know I had laces. Now
they're noticing the retail," he says. "I have a
waiting area. I have displays. Customers can sit
or shop while they're waiting for their work."
Ray is also
meticulous about keeping the front of his store
clean. The new location and professional
appearance have increased his customer base and
helped him expand the services he provides. |
