Thinking About a Simpler Time

Hi everyone, John here. Ever since I was a small boy I have wanted to be in business. I think it all started back in the 1950’s. “Wow am I old.” I was named after my uncle, John W. Marks. He owned a grocery store in the very small town of 300 I grew up in. I loved to go into his store and run up and down the 2 aisles of canned goods and other food items. His main service was the fresh meat he sold. I loved to watch when the man brought the sides of beef into the store. They had a system with a large pulley that rolled right through the back door and into the refrigeration room. On butchering day my uncle would hire extra people to help him cut and wrap the meat. Some of the meat went on display in his one glass refrigerated display case. Another part of his business was to rent out small refrigerated units called “lockers.” As time passed fewer and fewer people rented locker space, because many of them started buying their own refrigerators.

At this point you are probably wondering how on earth did he stay in business with such a small store. Believe it or not two other stores offered groceries on a smaller scale as well. It is difficult for us to grasp the concept of three small grocery stores in this small town of 300 hundred people. The one thing that gave my uncle an edge over his competition was “friendly service.” He treated everyone with respect and a smile when they walked through the door. He also gave his customers great service, because he genuinely cared about all people, even the people that didn’t come to his store. I had gained great respect and admiration for my uncle, because he cared about me as well. To sum up his marketing skills, it was all about friendliness, service, and word of mouth. Yes, I believe that it was well known in our small town that “Marks’ Grocery” was the place to shop.

It is fun to reminisce about simpler times, but these marketing skills are not nearly enough in today’s world economy. It is good if your business is known for friendly service, but in the online world of internet marketing, it is far from enough to stay in business. The greatest need for an online business is online presence. Having a website is like building a brick and mortar business in the middle of the desert. It may be the greatest website in the world, but if no one ever walks through the door, your business is doomed before it starts. My uncle’s little grocery store made him somewhat wealthy by 1950’s standards. In today’s world of online marketing, having the right tools to drive business to your business is paramount and the life blood of your business. My uncle passed away at the age of 89 on 9/11/2001. Yes, it was on the same day that the twin towers were attacked. He was a memorable man that died on a memorable date.