The Wall Street Journal featured a story recently that held some tremendous promise for Sacramento Area small businesses.  The article titled “Three Best Ways to Win Community Support” outlines the some opportunities that small businesses can create or take advantage of.  I think these are particularly ripe for those businesses around the Sacramento community.

First off, a recent trend in small business marketing has been to develop community around your products and services.  Community is where loyalty comes from.  It is why we have newsletters, a social networking presence, and why we all wish there was a bar where everybody knew our name.  These tips will help you further to engage your customer outside the confines of your primary place of business.

The articles first recommendation was to hold a contest or event with local flair.  Being a New York paper they pointed to the Nathan’s Hot Dog eating contest.  Sacramento has an active community.  This week my wife has our family signed up to participate in the annual Run to Feed the Hungry.   The event is sponsored by numerous local and nationally franchised businesses and is a fundraiser for the Sacramento Food Bank.  This is a great example of participating in events with local flair.  My favorite new pizza spot in Sacramento is Hot Italian.  As a fan on Facebook and recipient of their weekly emails I know that they participate in a lunch hour concerts held in the Freemont Park across the street.  Another example may be a Second Saturday event.  Monthly these events are hosted all over Sacramento with particular fervor in the Midtown area as well as some Suburban locations like the Fair Oaks Village.  People who attend these events often are a good source of repeat business.

The second recommendation: Team up with other local businesses, especially those with complementary products.  Every business is looking for that perfect partner.  We often forget how teamwork works.  One customer of mine is a local Max Muscle.  The owner selected a site two doors down from a sports footwear store and shares the shopping center with a soccer supply store.  Shortly after moving in the footwear store began to sell sports supplements.  Now instead of stores working together to build a successful shopping center they are taking an isolationist approach.  Why not offer complimentary products from other local businesses in your store.  When local businesses win, we all win.  A common mistake of marketing is also that it is done in sort of a self congratulatory manner.  Working in community helps us to avoid this pitfall.  It turns out that customers listen far more when we begin to talk about others.  Find some complimentary businesses to partner with.  Generate some conversation about each other.  Begin a movement together!  And that brings us to recommendation number three.  

Join or start a grassroots business alliance. The Midtown Grid is a fantastic example of a business alliance in Sacramento.  With a dedicated website at MidtownGrid.com these business has joined together in a variety of campaigns for mutual beneficial causes.  One in particular is the Green The Grid initiative. When businesses set aside their own well being and put the community first they will experience the same in return.

I believe that most people want to shop local.  Given the option of supporting a local business or not, I think there is a strong desire to participate in supporting a local economy.  Show your community that your feel the same.  Be a business that contributes to the community and see if the community does not give right on back.  So host some parties, build some partnerships, and participate in a movement.  

I am sure I have missed some well behaving local examples.  What Sacramento Area business have you seen using these principles to better the community and grow their businesses?  Please, include a link.