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Shop Small Biz directory helps independents promote their businesses
Terri Dawson and other small business owners are grateful for the positive attention generated among consumers by the CFIB’s Shop Small Biz directory.
When Terri Dawson in Lyndhurst, Ont., bought The Green Gecko store in 2005, it was her first try at running a business. “I just jumped in with both feet.”
Dawson says there was a huge learning curve involved, as there usually is for any startup. “It was more than I ever expected. It has definitely been a labour of love for me and my husband.”
Having worked in the hospitality industry, understanding the ins and outs of customer service was never a problem, says Dawson. “But when it came to bookkeeping and all the things that come with owning your own business, you end up being your own support system.”
When she heard about CFIB (Canadian Federation of Independent Business), all that changed. “I’ve been a member for four or five years now. I didn’t know about them before that but once I discovered them, it immediately made sense.”
Dawson admits it can be challenging getting noticed when your store operates in a small, rural community. So when a CFIB district manager brought the organization’s Shop Small Biz directory to her attention, she saw its value immediately.
The directory offers independent business owners a free venue to post information about their business. “I took a look and thought it was fantastic,” Dawson says. “Independent operators are always working with limited advertising budgets, so any- thing that allows you to promote your business for free is fabulous. It’s easy to use and it’s just for independent business owners across Canada. The best part is CFIB has figured it all out and set it up to work for you.”
Since adding her listing last year, she has been able to access posters and marketing materials, and social media tools to raise awareness of the importance of shopping at small businesses. “For example, I can paste images on my Facebook page to promote shopping small and keep the message going.”
The Shop Small Biz directory was launched in 2012 and new tools and functions were added in 2013, says Corinne Pohlmann, CFIB’ senior vicepresident. “Its purpose is to give small and medium-size independent businesses the ability to come together to speak directly to consumers through an online directory and deal finder made exclusively for them.”
Any independently owned and operated Canadian business can set up a listing by registering on the site and entering their business details, as well as location, hours, contact information, photos, web links and special deals. Once this task is completed, they get an email with a link that activates the listing. Consumers looking for deals in their area can search keywords or browse by type of business. Registration and use is free for businesses and consumers alike.
“Our goal was to connect small businesses with consumers,” Pohlmann explains. “Sometimes those business aren’t easy to find. With the Shop Small Biz directory, however, consumers have an easy tool to look for businesses in the region they’re in.”
Today the directory has thousands of registered businesses, with more signing up every day. There’s an extensive variety of businesses included in the mix, Pohlmann notes.
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“There is everything from small corner cafes and restaurants to florists and chocolate shops, and accounting and consulting services.”
The site will soon be offering instructional videos for business owners about how to use social media to market their business, as well as links to CFIB resources.
CFIB also has a dedicated Shop Small Biz Facebook page that has over 13,000 likes. “It’s the most popular FB page we’ve ever launched and does a great job of getting the public really engaged,” Pohlmann says.
At the moment, the directory is focused on the business-to-consumer market. Plans are to build a business-to-business component in the near future so CFIB can also help owners look for services to support their business needs, adds Pohlmann
For the owner of the Green Gecko, it’s the community the directory creates that matters the most.
“I always say we’re greater than the sum of our parts. We can do so much more if we put our ideas together than we could ever do on our own,” says Dawson.