There was a time when being first in the Yellow Pages meant survival. With the major shift to web search and community directories, names like this may (hopefully) be a thing of the past.
{ 0 comments }
The news about Yellow Pages these days is pretty grim. The San Francisco Board of Supervisors has imposed delivery restrictions that effectively ban Yellow Pages distribution.
But in the small towns around the Midwest, the news for community directories has been entirely different.
In an effort to spread some good news (and blow our own horn), I’ve put together a series of press releases to highlight real, tangible local growth in print advertising.
Cedar Lake, Indiana Economy Comes Roaring Back with 44% increase in local business advertising.
Edinburgh, Indiana Economic Indicator Rises 22% on Local Advertising Surge
Anamosa, IA economic indicators up 20% over last year for small businesses
Pecatonica, Illinois Economy Shows Promising Growth
Hobart, Indiana Businesses Thrive as Local Economy Experiences Upturn
Indianola, Iowa Businesses Surge Ahead as Economy Rebounds
Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin Economy Shows Solid Recovery, 21% increase in local business advertising
Will these drops of good news change the thinking of the non-believers? Not likely.
But for the family owned businesses that serve tight-knit communities, they may be happy to know that they are not alone in appreciating fantastic local directories.
{ 0 comments }
Starting a business is like rolling a snowball downhill. At first it takes all of your energy just to pack together a few handfuls of snow. Once you’ve made the snowball, you have to push and push and push to build up some weight.
The heavier the snowball becomes, the more snow it picks up. If you can get it moving fast enough down a slope, it will take off on its own gaining speed, size and momentum. It needs both mass and speed to keep rolling.
When a new business opens, it has to expend tremendous effort to pick up the first few customers. Each successive customer comes a little easier than the one before it, but there’s a catch.
Just like rolling a snowball downhill, if a business can’t pick up customers fast enough, it will not gain the momentum necessary to take off.
A Yellow Pages advertising program by itself will not generate all the customers necessary for a business to be successful. However, it contributes by adding additional customers that boost the company’s momentum.
Explaining that a business needs to add customers just as a snowball needs to add snow may help an advertiser visualize how Yellow Pages can help him.
Special thanks to Tom Davis, author of “The TRUTH about Yellow Pages” for this story.
{ 0 comments }
What will you tell your grandkids?
My college roommate’s Uncle Howard was a wealthy businessman who gave millions of dollars away .
His most visible gift was the “Touchdown Jesus” mosaic on the Notre Dame’s Library.
While attending Notre Dame in the 1920′s, he sold World Book Encyclopedias door-to-door.
He became a school teacher and continued selling encyclopedias after graduation to supplement his salary.
I asked Uncle Howard to tell me about “Black Monday” when the stock market plummeted in 1929 triggering the Great Depression.
He said he wasn’t worried. Earlier that day, he sold a set of encyclopedias and had $50 in his pocket. If everything went to pieces, he still had $50 and knew he could get by.
He sold right through the depths of the Depression. It wasn’t easy, but he never slowed down. To his customers, encyclopedias provided education, and education meant opportunity for a brighter future.
Surrounded by problems, Uncle Howard delivered solutions.
He rose through the World Book ranks and became the number two person in the company working for Marshall Field. Uncle Howard earned a small override on every sale, and he amassed a fortune.
Today, we are surrounded by fear, turmoil and uncertainty. A young person may someday ask YOU what it was like back in 2008, and how did YOU respond?
What will your role be following the Great Crash of ’08?
Will you be defeated by circumstance, or will you provide solutions and support to others?
I hope that I will be able to say that I chose to be a
victor rather than a victim. In the midst of calamity, I saw
opportunity.
Have a prosperous week.
Dick Larkin
ps. Next time you see “Touchdown Jesus,” remember Uncle Howard, a man who refused to relinquish control of his destiny.
{ 0 comments }
