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How Can Local Businesses use Social Media?

How can local business use social mediaI grew up in a tight knit neighborhood in Brooklyn – as if my accent didn’t give it away.  For anyone that has ever lived in the “city” you know that once the weather starts to warm up, around 7:00 p.m. everyone migrated to their stoops.

My mother would come downstairs with her freshly brewed cup of coffee and catch up on the local gossip.  My mother and the neighbors would discuss topics like the upcoming supermarket sales, who bought a new car or what stupid thing the kids got caught doing…

As I look back I wonder if my Brooklyn stoop was the original social media platform??

I have since moved to the suburbs – mainly because my wife couldn’t parallel park – and out here nobody sits on the stoop.  We all wave and smile, but there’s not a nightly exchange of info…

I believe the reason is because you can find out everything that you need to know on Facebook, Twitter or any of the other platforms…

If we bring this back to – How can local businesses use social media?

What if you were the one curating all of the local content?

Think about how that could increase traffic to your site.

Couldn’t you create a newsletter that had all the gossip going on in your area?

How much time would it take you to tell your potential customers what’s happening in their / your community?

You can discuss new restaurants opening up, the upcoming summer fairs, or cover the high school teams. Parents love to read about their children, even if it’s in the local closet company’s newsletter…

Here’s the best part of this strategy, every 7th story is something related to your product or service.  There could be a story about organizing a garage or storing the children’s toys… Maybe include a photo of Mrs. Smith’s new mudroom. See where I’m going with this…

Oh and by the way I don’t care what you sell, I think this will work for most local businesses.

A few tools to help you create your newsletter are MailChimp, ConstantContact or Aweber.

Are you currently doing anything like this?  I would love to hear your thoughts.

If you have any questions leave them below.

Filed Under: Marketing, Social Media Tagged With: , 2 Comments

Stiles & California Closets Host a Lunch & Learn

California Closets Lunch & Learn

Yesterday Stiles Machinery hosted a lunch and learn at the California Closets Franchise located in Suffolk County NY. Tony and Vera DeVincenzo opened their doors and invited many of the local closet and cabinet shops to see their operation.

Yes that’s right… They invited their competition into their brand new 10,000 square foot facility during business hours.

Not only did they allow their competitors in, I saw Tony explaining tricks that he uses to accomplish certain tasks in his shop.

California Closets Lunch & Learn

Everyone had a great time… What do you expect when you get a bunch of closet guys together.  🙂

Their new shop features a Stiles Mid Range Cell that includes a:

  • Holzma HPP-250
  • Brandt Edgebander
  • Weeke BHX 055TC

Stiles demonstrated specific challenges and gave a solution for each one.

They began the lunch and learn discussing the importance of machinery layout to reduce material handling. Tony benefited by knowing exactly the equipment he wanted and was able to design the space to the equipment.

Stiles explained the benefits of using software, creating a production list and downloading cut sheets.

We learned the importance of creating a bar coded label to help sort and stack the completed parts.

We saw the speed of the Weeke and the benefit of the clamping system. It eliminates constantly moving pods to cut smaller pieces.

Stiles showed us samples of Brandt’s new Air Tec Edge. Stiles explained that this is the future of edgebanding. It creates a zero glue line and in closets we all know how important the glue line is.

Here is the breakdown of what a mid-range cell can produce –

  • Holzma can cut over 90 cycles per shift.
  • Brandt can band 2500 edges per shift.
  • Weeke can machine over 400 parts per shift.
  • All of that can produce over 50 cabinets per shift

A few things for you to consider before purchasing new equipment –

Your available space – Believe it or not all of this can fit into 1000 square feet.

  • How do you currently manufacture?
  • Your software skills.
  • Skill level of the employees running your equipment
  • Pre-existing equipment.
  • Where do you see your company going?

For more info contact your local Stiles rep. – this setup is more affordable than you think…

California Closets Lunch & Learn

Tony, Vera and their Weeke

 

Filed Under: Closet, Machinery Leave a Comment

Get Social to Increase Quality Leads…

Get Socail to Increase Leads

Today I would like to get back to things that you should be doing to increase your leads…

I know I said the magic word – We all want more leads…

How do you get them??

Get Social to Increase Your Leads

You can keep wasting money on pay per click and traditional advertising or you can start investing in social media, SEO and email marketing…

I know your eyes just glazed over…  This is important and the future of your company depends on getting started.

Create a “complete” profile on the platform of your choice…

Pick anyone that you like –

It doesn’t matter which you decide on because your customers are there… Each platform requires a different strategy and form of engagement.  Pick the one that you feel most comfortable with.

Think and act like your ideal customer. 

What is important to them?  What questions are they asking you before they buy?

Give them that information.  This creates better quality leads and will help you work with the type of clients that you want to work with.

Provide value for free without expecting anything in return… 

Giving is easy  – not expecting anything in return is the hard part.

If you’re keeping score, in the long run you will lose.

Respond to all comments… Especially the bad ones. 

If someone calls to complain I’m sure you do your best to fix the problem…

What happens if that same customer tweets to 1000 of their closest friends and you don’t respond… I know you’re not on Twitter so how can you respond…

Guess what your competitors are there and if they are doing their job on social media they have a perfect opportunity to steal your client…

I would love to hear from you.

Have you started using social media?  What has your experience been like?

 

Filed Under: Marketing, Sales, Social Media Tagged With: , , Leave a Comment

The Poor Man’s CNC…

Fastcap distributed by the Mayor of Hardware

Well maybe this doesn’t have the capabilities of a CNC, but it’s an easy way to do “selective drilling.”

Use it on site or in the field.

Watch Brian Way show us how –

Another time saver from Fastcap!!

If you need more info contact your local Fastcap distributor or you can leave your questions below…

I’m happy to help!

Filed Under: Closet Hardware, Hardware Tagged With: , 3 Comments

What “Nuggets” Did You Take From the Closet & Cabinet Conference?

Mayor of Hardware

I have attended every conference since the beginning and every year I learn something new…

Some of the highlights for me –

Your turn –

What did you think of the conference?

What did you take from the show that you went back and put into action?

If you haven’t yet, that’s ok – put it on the calendar and get started!

I’m looking forward to your comments.

Filed Under: ACSP, Closet Conference Tagged With: , Leave a Comment
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