3 Ways to Be Taken More Seriously as a Local Business

The saying that familiarity breeds contempt doesn’t just apply to personal relationships. If you’re a member of a small community and decide to start your own business, it’s not always going to be straightforward. Sure, some members of your community will be happy for you, support you, and want you to succeed. 

According to Cindy D. Kam, Professor of Psychology and Human Development at Vanderbilt University, our brains are evolutionarily adapted to small-scale interpersonal relationships. She believes this is why local mom-pop stores resonate with us so much. This is backed up by data from Pew Research Center, which found that 86% of small businesses have a positive effect on ‘the way things are going in the country these days.’

However, you’ll also run into people who feel like they can take advantage of you because they know you. These are people who’ll badger you for discounts and conversations that go “I’ll pay you later, but can you…” 

Even if you have thick skin, that kind of dynamic gets to you. If you want to be taken seriously, you need to create that distinction with a combination of professionalism, expertise, and efficiency. Let’s learn more below. 

Permit Yourself to Set a Formal Business Dynamic

People take advantage when they feel like the other party will let things slide. While we’ll get into setting boundaries later on, it’s important to realize that being super-professional and efficient will shake things up. So, if your neighbor messages you an inquiry about your service, don’t discuss it over with them at a usual bar meetup. 

 

Instead, respond as a legitimate business would. Send them a professional email or call them up and set up a meeting in your office where you can discuss things further. You’ll have to be firm here, because there’s going to be some pushback and reluctance to do things formally. If you give in and meet up at bars or diners to do your business, it sets the relationship up for an informal dynamic. 

Ensure You Have a Solid Online Presence

If you live in a small town, it’s natural to believe that reputation is only going to spread via word of mouth alone. While that’s true, having a good online presence is never going to hurt. Opinions can change in a flash when a local patron sees people from out of town come to visit your business. 

 

A good online presence is also something you’ll want to develop anyway for the benefits it brings. The NY Post highlights research by Birdeye, which found that people spend 15 minutes on average on social media before committing to a provider. They also read at least five reviews per provider to find a perfect match. 

 

So, people’s perception of your business instantly changes based on your online content. All it takes is a professionally designed website, which isn’t too hard with AI website builders. As Hocoos explains, all you do is answer a few questions about the kind of website you want, and it’s ready in minutes.

 

Eventually, your detractors will get curious and check out your online presence. Now, you don’t have to impress anyone, but it helps if your website and social media pages don’t look too amateur. 

Pick a Community Stake You’re Willing to Invest In

One reason why resentment toward you can brew amongst locals is the feeling that you only care about money. People forget that businesses help the community, and it’s important for you to remind them indirectly of this fact. A great way to do so would be to find one community stakeholder that you can get associated with or become involved in. 

 

For instance, you could sponsor food for some event that happens every month. Some act to show that your business is giving back to the community. This is why when traveling through college towns, you’ll see signs on parks saying “Maintained by XYZ University.” 

 

This type of community involvement is quite common as well. One nationwide survey by NFIB Research Center found that 76% of business owners reported volunteering their time to work on behalf of the community. Similarly, 63% of small business owners provided in-kind contributions for functions, charities, and local schools.

 

It is a constant reminder for people to remember that they are lucky to have you and your business as a part of the community. 

 

At the end of the day, it will feel a little awkward to treat your neighbors and acquaintances with professionalism. However, remember that you don’t have to change your interaction style in normal life. These tips are mainly relevant during business interactions where it’s perfectly fine to draw some boundaries.