It’s a strange time to be in business. The economic reopening, present staffing shortages, supply chain delays, and nervousness around safety protocols are creating unprecedented challenges for small business owners.

 

Here in Garrett County, most signs seem to point to another record-breaking summer for tourism. So - we know that there will be a large influx of families with disposable income and time here to dine out, shop, and do other fun activities. It’s important for the success of our local economy to capitalize on this boom, while also realizing that this trend won’t last forever.

 

How can you get out in front of this, and set your business up to thrive this summer? Here are five easy to-dos to tackle right away:

 

When was the last time you did a review of your online presence? Primarily, your  website (if you have one), your social media channels, and your Google business listing? Remember that customers often do a search for you online before patronizing your business. If your hours of operation are incorrect, your address or phone number is wrong, or you have a Facebook page you haven’t updated since 2018, this will cause undue frustration and incorrect assumptions about your business (or if you’re even still in business at all)! All it takes is your time to go in and update any outdated information.

And if you’re going to have a presence on a social media channel, make sure to have a plan to post relevant and engaging content to it regularly.

 

There are so many wonderful events that happen throughout the summer in Garrett County, including Little Yough Family Flicks and Live Music Festival, Grantsville Days, Fire on the Mountain, and more! Many of these events are looking for sponsors and community partners in exchange for advertising space or a physical presence at the event. It’s a great way to get your name out there, while helping local organizations put on free/low-cost events for our community.

 

Many local businesses thrive on year-round support from local customers, and that’s fantastic. But creating a special discount or offering just for visiting families can be a wonderful way to find new customers that will come back year after year! Partnering with another business or encouraging tourists to bring their ticket stub from an event for a special discount can also be really effective.

 

That being said, many businesses (particularly closer to the Lake) can get so caught up in tourist business that the local clientele often gets overlooked. Having a “locals only night,” for instance, can be a great way to bring in more business during what would otherwise be a slow time. Creating a product or menu item especially for your local customers can be really successful!

 

This is the time to have grace with yourself. The foodservice industry, in particular, is struggling to find people to hire, creating constant staffing problems and leading to long wait-times for the customers. Some businesses have even needed to scale back business hours. Make sure to communicate any updates or changes with the public and be as transparent as possible. And if there are ways to streamline certain processes (even temporarily) to help offset your staffing shortages, this is the time to implement them. When appropriate, set expectations with your customers before they even set foot in your door. This will curb complaints and hopefully leave your customers with a better impression of their experience.