Is Your Business Invisible to Customers?

Written by Jim Otto

It's a mystery! As a business owner, you just can't figure it out. You have a great location in a high traffic area, and you have a great store with a product or service that you KNOW the people of your community need or would love. However, you just aren't getting people to come through your door. What do you do?

I was thinking about this the other night when I was out with my family. We have an extremely busy intersection near our home, along with a nice shopping area where hundreds (if not thousands) of potential customers drive by every day. As we were looking for a little time to kill, we decided spur-of-the-moment to visit one of the stores that we had passed by every day for over a year, but had never visited before. After we had spent a little time there, we were all impressed with what the store had to offer - and wondered why we had never been enticed into shopping there before. After my spouse and I talked about it for a while (as we always find marketing and why people do the things they do to be of interest), I came up with the following...

1. We didn't recognize the brand: Even though the store was one we passed by every day, we didn't recognize the sign of the store and unfortunately had nothing to pull us into the store. Take for instance "Hobby Lobby" or "Michaels". The logo is instantly recognizable, and when you see the sign - you more than likely know what's inside. True, these are national brands that have a huge amount of marketing dollars behind them in order to build brand recognition But smaller brands who may not have those expansive resources can still work on getting the brand out to the immediate community through flyers, advertising in local papers, advertising at local sporting events, parades, guerrilla marketing  efforts, etc.

2. The exterior of the store was bland: Don't get me wrong, the exterior of this particular store is very nice. But there was nothing to actually communicate to us what was inside the store. No posters or window displays to attract our attention and help us understand what was actually waiting inside. Some local stores that we didn't know anything about prior to visiting, actually were able to get us to walk through the door through a cool window display, a banner on the outside advertising what's inside, or some kind of poster in the window showing more about what to expect inside the store.

3. Awareness of Service or Product Costs: Sometimes as a customer, we've decided not to visit a store because we don't really know how much the services or products may cost. It isn't until we look up a menu (for a restaurant) or find a sale advertisement in a local newspaper that we decide to pay the store a visit. For example, I love coffee shops. However, it wasn't until my local "Dunkin Donuts" sent me a flyer in the mail advertising their drinks that I was suddenly made aware that they were even in the community. And seeing that their drinks were comparable to what I was already spending, I was enticed to give them a try. After their effective marketing and great service, I now go there frequently.

Do you have a store that needs more customers?  Take a look at the exterior from a different viewpoint - use some of the tips above to communicate!  

Shear Madness Franchising franchises Shear Madness Haircuts for Kids salons. We have worked with franchise stores in providing franchisee support (in order to encourage continual growth and business success), and have sometimes seen the unexpected happen! We provide poster designs (to help communicate who we are), do photo shoots so our franchisees always have content to communicate with their potential customers!  We know that most franchise owners may not have opened a business before, having someone who can advise them is a significant advantage of franchise ownership!

Are you interested in learning how YOU can join the Shear Madness Haircuts for Kids family and run your own successful small business? We are one of the fastest growing kids hair salons in the industry today! If you would like to learn more about this franchise opportunity or small business marketing, great marketing strategies, resources for small businesses, franchise success, how to grow your small business or how to become a successful owner of your own kids hair salon franchise business, please click below or call 1-888-98 GONE MAD

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Shear Madness Opens in Orchard Park, New York!

Written by Jim Otto

Are you looking for an awesome experience that combines the magic of childhood with haircuts, kids parties, salon services and a fantastic kids boutique filled with toys, hair products, jewelry and more? If so, there’s a new kids hair salon in town that promises to help you transform the scary experience of getting your kids haircut into a fun one! The end result is a happy child with a great haircut, and a memorable experience everyone will be talking about for days to come! This growing hair salon for kids opens their newest location in the Orchard Park, New York area (at 3455 Amelia Drive, Orchard Park N.Y.)! The answer to harried haircutting experiences, Shear Madness Haircuts for Kids offers great haircuts and ear piercing for children while they sit in little cars and watch their favorite programs on flat-screen TVs or play video games! There are also normal chairs for older kids and adults who would like to get a haircut. And don’t forget that Shear Madness offers parties for your special occasions, as well as a great kids boutique filled with a unique selection of toys, hair products, hair bows, jewelry & more!

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July 2017 Newsletter: Celebrate Independence in Style!

Written by Jim Otto

Kids Model Contest 2017! Be a Shear Madness Model! 10 lucky winners will be chosen for each of the Humble Texas and Lake Forest California Shear Madness Haircuts for Kids locations, and included in a funtastic photo shoot! Now until Sept 22 at midnight (2017). Enter to win! (If you know someone who would love to participate from these areas, be sure to let them know!) Official rules and information right HERE!

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May News 2017: Flowers for Mom!

Written by Jim Otto

A Complimentary Flower for Mother's Day! Remember to surprise mom with a flower for her on Saturday, May 13th at Shear Madness Haircuts for Kids! Also, please don't forget that our store will be closed on Mother's Day (at participating locations). Shear Madness Haircuts for Kids really appreciates all of our amazing Mothers out there. You're awesome!

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Shear Madness Adding Stores in Texas, California & Kansas City Markets

Written by Jim Otto

Overland Park based Shear Madness Franchising announced today the opening of additional locations in the Houston Texas and Orange County California markets. Jacqueline Perkins of Humble Texas and Dr. Andrew Elmasri of California Children’s Salons LLC will become Franchisees in those markets with locations opening this fall.

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