Raise your hand if you live in what’s considered a small town? ✋ I do. My community has about 50,000 people. (Believe it or not, that’s considered a larger city in my area, but that’s a whole other topic.) If you live in a small town, how many of you believe that your success is limited? I used to. Our gym started off well – 20 kids registered the first night and by the third month, we were up to 56! By the time we were six months in, we were looking for our own space. By our 2nd season, we were up to 80 kids and living the dream in a gym of our own. Crazy!
Then we hit a plateau. No matter what we did (or thought we did), we just couldn’t seem to break through that number. It was discouraging. It couldn’t be because we were doing anything wrong; it must be because we were in such a small city. And then I went to the Next Gen conference and listened to Danielle talk about her successes in a small town. The population there? About 20,000. And she was killing it! I was taking notes upon notes on what she was doing. I could do that! So many great ideas came from just that one session and from that moment, I thought that if she could do it, I could do it, too. And so can you. It takes some hard work (but what entrepreneur doesn’t already know that) and patience, but it is achievable.
Top 5 things I’ve learned about how to grow my business within a small community:
- Build relationships in your community.
This is the key to success in any size town, but especially small ones. Chat up your neighbour, the teacher, your favourite store clerk. You never know who might have a connection that can help you and your business. My gym has been open for nine years and this is the first year our makeup company hasn’t been on the ball with ordering, leaving us in a tight squeeze to get makeup in time for competitions. The solution? Our connections at our local pharmacies. The managers at a few different stores have rallied together to get us large quantities of a certain item that you normally can’t get by popping into Walmart.
- Get involved in your community.
When we first started, we took advantage of every public relations opportunity we could. Need someone to lead the warm-up at a local marathon? We’ll be there! Impromptu Canada Day celebration parade? Count us in! Can you say, “Hello, Santa Claus!” parades? Participating in local activities helps you better understand the needs of your community. From food drives to business-to-business partnerships with the shop down the road, they all lead to people getting to know you. Who knows? You might also make a friend or two! - Research and tap into local resources.
Get your t-shirts designed and printed by your local print shop. Connect with your town’s college or university and see if you can attend an event as a guest speaker on teamwork and communication. (Pretty sure all cheer coaches can chat about that at the drop of a hat.) Offer to help co-ordinate a high school sideline team. Make sure to send out press releases to your local newspaper/radio/online news sources each and every time you attend competitions/do something for the community. They’re always looking for news items and it’s free advertising for you and your gym. Networking with the people in your community can help you gain insight into opportunities that are available and how to make the most of them. BONUS: People get to know you, too. (Are you seeing a pattern here?) - Stay positive … no matter what.
It can be hard in a small town when you hear someone say, “Really? I’ve never heard of you. I had no idea that was even a thing.” Ugh! Ten years into building a business and there are still those who have no idea you’re here. Frustrating, right? Turn those conversations into opportunities. Give them a smile and your best elevator pitch. No need to go into detail. Simply talk about how excited you are to be able to offer a great sport option for local families. Make sure you’ve got a great website that people can easily find to learn more. Even if they’re not ready to join, they may know someone else who is looking for something new. - Believe in yourself.
“Yeah, yeah,” I hear you say. “I already do that.” But do you really? You have a dream and a goal that you are working towards, but do you actually believe that you’ll get there? Self-belief, not just belief in your business, is often the difference between success and failure. When you believe in yourself, you trust in your skills and your resources. You stay resilient, because you know you can learn from your mistakes and use them to push yourself further toward your goals. One of the best parts about believing in yourself is watching your confidence soar.
There are so many more ways you can help yourself achieve success – consistency, reputation, promotion – I could go on and on about my love of being a business in a small town. Those connections with real people not only give you a true sense of community, they make you proud of creating a better version of the town you live in.
Want to chat about how you can achieve your goals and be a successful business? Book a call to learn more about the Next Gen Academy at nextgenowners.com/book-a-call. I’d love to work with you in the Next Gen Academy to help you grow your gym in any size town! We’re here to help.
