The Three-Mile Radius

In last year's animated film Shrek II, a giant gingerbread man steps on a building and sends all the customers scurrying across the street. The name of the establishment they leave and the one they run into is "Farbucks" ? poking fun at the fact that an unending stream of patrons appears willing to pay four bucks for a cup of coffee.

While it's an exaggeration to say there is one on every corner, since 1992, Starbucks has exploded from 192 locations to more than 9,000 worldwide, and will average four new store openings every day this year.

Starbucks isn't the only retailer attempting to create density in the marketplace. Walgreen's and CVS are popping up locations everywhere ? usually across the street from each other, just like Lowe's and The Home Depot. In my small community, there are even two Shell stations on either side of the primary street; definitely a strategy of getting your customers coming and going.

As a small business owner, your challenges probably lie more in the area of finding new customers than in what area to open your new location. The first step in growing your business is to own the three-mile radius surrounding it. Before worrying about how to get folks from the other side of the city to do business with you, make sure you've taken the proper approaches to informing everyone who lives and works nearby that you are there for them.

There are many techniques for getting your name out to prospects, and you may already be utilizing some of them. Networking at community events is a great way to become visible to your potential customers. And don't be shy about asking your best customers to refer you to their friends and associates. Advertising in a local magazine is an excellent way to reach those in your target market. Direct Mail, billboards, Yellow Pages, radio/TV and even a magnetic sign hung on your car door are all proven forms of effective advertising.

An often overlooked marketing gem is public relations. Think of PR as free advertising?with one big difference. With advertising, you pay for the ad and control the message. When it comes to PR, a newspaper or magazine publishes a story about your company and charges you nothing, but they control the editorial content. Despite this important distinction, PR has the potential to send many new customers your way.

To get publicity for your business, write a press release containing your newsworthy information. Don't worry about making it fancy, just include the "Who, What, Where, When, Why and How" and your contact information. Find out the names of the editors of local publications who distribute in your three-mile radius such as the Tri-County News, Local Villager and Area Sun, then send them ? by fax or e-mail ? your press release. Be sure to follow up the next day with a phone call asking if they received it, and if there is any more information you can provide. They'll respect your determination and you'll rise to the top of their "possibilities" file.

Editors are always looking for news, but be aware they don't like press releases that appear to be promotions or sales pitches. One of the first things I learned in journalism school more than 25 years ago is "Dog bites man. No story. Man bites dog. That's news." Be creative in crafting your press releases. Start by thinking about yourself. What makes you unique?

One of our coaching clients is a former two-time individual world champion in his sport. When opening his business, he decided to separate the successful athlete of his youth from the aspiring business owner of his adulthood, so "people would take me more seriously." When we started working together, I immediately suggested he change that philosophy and capitalize on the champion angle. After sending out a few press releases, he started receiving many calls from editors who recognized the connection between perseverance as an athlete and a business owner. The ensuing articles led to speaking engagements at community events and, ultimately, to more customers.

The mythical kingdom in Shrek ? home of Princess Fiona ? is named Far Far Away, and some area businesses are able to attract customers from far away neighborhoods. The faux jewelry and fashion stores you would drive miles to visit are perfect examples, as are unique restaurants far far away. If your business doesn't fall into this category, remember to focus on owning your three-mile radius. There are plenty of potential customers within that circle just waiting for you to tell them how you will make things better for them.

The Coach, David Handler, is the founder of Success Handler, (http://www.successhandler.com), and specializes in helping small business leaders find clarity and take action. He understands the challenges of running a business, because he's been there ? as a small business owner, franchisee, franchisor, corporate leader, and trainer. Much like sports coaches, his coaching will show you how to compete on a level playing field in your industry.

best cleaning company Highland Park ..

In The News:

The ClickFix campaign disguises malware as legitimate Windows updates, using steganography to hide shellcode in PNG files and bypass security detection systems.

Researchers from Osaka Metropolitan University designed a 21-foot dome that combines aquaculture and hydroponics to create a self-sustaining urban food system.

The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.

ChatGPT data breach exposes personal info of users through partner Mixpanel. OpenAI confirms names, emails compromised in security incident.

Android rolls out Emergency Live Video for 911 calls, letting dispatchers see real-time scenes during emergencies. Great for holiday travel safety.

Malicious Chrome and Edge extensions collected browsing history, keystrokes and personal data from millions of users before Google and Microsoft removed them.

Google's new Call Reason feature lets Android users mark calls as urgent before dialing, displaying an urgent label to recipients using Phone by Google app.

Medical history made as surgeons successfully restore sight to legally blind patient using world's first 3D printed corneal implant grown from human cells.

Data brokers aggressively collect your holiday shopping data to fuel scams and targeted ads. Learn how to delete your digital profile before 2025 starts.

Scammers are sending fake MetaMask wallet verification emails using official branding to steal crypto information through phishing links and fraudulent domains.

Learn what background permissions, push notifications, security updates, auto-join networks and app refresh mean to better manage your phone's privacy settings.

Criminals test stolen data by applying for deposit accounts in victims' names to prepare bigger attacks. Learn why banks won't share fraud details.

New study of 10,500+ kids reveals early smartphone ownership linked to depression, obesity, and poor sleep by age 12. Earlier phones mean higher risks.

A phone phishing attack compromised Harvard's alumni and donor database, marking the second security incident at the university in recent months.

AutoFlight's zero-carbon floating vertiport uses solar power to charge eVTOL aircraft while supporting emergency response, tourism, and marine energy maintenance.

A new phone return scam targets recent buyers with fake carrier calls. Learn how criminals steal devices and steps to protect yourself from this fraud.

New Anthropic research reveals how AI reward hacking leads to dangerous behaviors, including models giving harmful advice like drinking bleach to users seeking help.

The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.

Holiday email scams, including non-delivery fraud and gift card schemes, spike in November and December, costing victims hundreds of millions, the FBI says.

Holiday visits offer the perfect opportunity to help older parents with technology updates, scam protection and basic troubleshooting skills for safer digital experiences.

Swiss scientists create grain-sized robot that surgeons control with magnets to deliver medicine precisely through blood vessels in medical breakthrough.

Researchers exploited WhatsApp's API vulnerability to scrape 3.5 billion phone numbers. Learn how this massive data breach happened and protect yourself.

Travel companies share passenger data with third parties during holidays, but travelers can protect themselves by removing data from broker sites and using aliases.

Xpeng's humanoid robot moves so realistically that crowds believed it was fake, marking a major advancement in robotics technology ahead of 2026 commercial launch.

Researchers discover phishing scam using invisible characters to evade email security, with protection tips including password managers and two-factor authentication.

The Three-Mile Radius

Public Relations