Orange E-Business Advocate
Here's a good anecdote from ecommerce-guide.com about a successful entrepreneur who partnered up with some local fellow business owners to pool resources for advertising:
"She and nine other local online craft merchants formed a group called the Austin Craft Mafia. The ACM created its own central Web site, which links to each of its members. All the group's ads drive users to this central site."
Full article: http://www.ecommerce-guide.com/solutions/advertising/article.php/3452971
I think this is a fantastic idea. I'm amazed we haven't seen more of it here in Orange County. Small businesses need a way to keep up with all the chains and superstores that are closing in on this rapidly growing region. Name recognition is essential. Yet advertising is probably the least important item in a small business owner's budget.
OCEA would like to see more local storeowners, craftspeople, and freelancers band together to make the consumers in Orange County better aware of what they have to offer. The strategy is simple. First, find several like-minded fellow business owners who you would feel proud to be associated with. Then, come up with a common message for your advertisement; chances are, if you all respect one another, your businesses have qualities in common. Finally, seek out a competitive price for an advertisement, website or commercial (pick the best medium for reaching the right audience). Remember, you will have more resources, and more leverage, if you act as a single group!
Oh, and if you're looking for a website, touch base with OCEA Group. This is the type of project we'd love to work on!
Posted by joseph at January 6, 2005 09:40 PM