THE IN BOX

BUSINESS: THE IN BOX Try Innovation by Amy Barnes

When someone is considering opening a business or looking for ways to increase profits for an existing business, he or she often looks at existing businesses or the competition to see what is working for them.

Then, they make a second mistake. They decide to open the same type of store or to start doing what their competition is doing.

Not something innovative, not unique, but more of the same. Blah!

Sure, it might increase business for a while, but in the long run, doing what Dick and Jane are doing only succeeds in spreading existing business thinner.

Imagine that shopping dollars are like a big blob of peanut butter. Spread that entire blob on one slice of bread. It is nice, thick, filling, and satisfying. No need to worry because, even with economic fluctuations caused by weather, shopping patterns, a pandemic, there will be enough peanut butter to survive.

Then, others see how much peanut butter you have. They assume there is more peanut butter to be grabbed. They open stores similar to yours, one even opens next door to you.

Unfortunately, there is a limit to the peanut butter. The peanut butter, once the perfect amount for one business, is now stretched among several similar businesses. Your slice has gone from thick and satisfying to a mere smear of color.

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There are those who will argue that the blob is endless and there is always plenty to go around. Yet, from what I have seen, the opposite is true.

Take pizza shops, for instance. How much pizza can any household eat? Yet, pizza shops continue to pop up like mushrooms.

Worse, the constant duplication of businesses causes shopper weariness that results in decreasing sales for all.

More than once, I have heard complaining and endless snide comments when another pizza shop, mattress store, oil change location, or auto parts store opens in the area. It has become a joke now that any empty lot is going to become one of those often-copied businesses.

Shoppers crave variety, yet shopkeepers seem to go with what they think is safe and just keep opening more of the same.

Here is a new year challenge for those considering opening a new business in Medina County: Do something different! Be innovative. Throw in some creativity. Please!

Interested in writing this column? Contact Amy Barnes at Joy@BlakeHousePublishing.com Be sure to include information about your business experience and a sample column of no more than 350 words.