A message from Studio R leadership
Locally-owned small businesses play an important role in supporting the community. All small businesses ranging from the corner flower shop to the local pizzeria rely on the support of loyal customers not just to keep their doors open, but also to provide excellent, personalized services. Small business owners love what they do and where they do business, and Charlottesville is no exception. These small businesses often know their community best, provide local jobs, and support other local small businesses through networking and referrals. Communities benefit in several ways when local residents support small businesses.
Excellent, Personalized Customer Service
Speaking from experience, small-business owners highly value the relationships they have with all of their customers. We prioritize the customer experience and rely on happy clients to spread the word to others about their experiences. Small businesses need the support of local consumers and in return, typically provide more friendly, personalized customer service. Our staff are more available to answer detailed or complicated questions about the services and products we offer. We also enjoy getting to know our customers – everyone has a unique story and they are an important part of the community. Word of mouth is the most effective way to market services, so small businesses want every single customer to have a great experience every time. We greet every customer with a smiling face and try to treat them as if they were a family member, which is a win-win for everyone.
Competition and Innovation
Small businesses are not constrained by the big business hierarchy that can make larger corporations slow to implement new, innovative processes that increase competition and improve the level of services provided. Healthy competition encourages small businesses to work harder for their customers, increases the availability of new services and products, can reduce prices for customers, and weeds out the poorly-performing companies. It is often more difficult for small businesses to stay relevant, so they approach customers as individuals who are valued. We offer more personalized services that you won’t see at larger, national companies. Larger retailers tend to focus only on the most popular or profitable services with less freedom to fill smaller niches with less common and more innovative products. Small businesses will offer special memberships, promotions and discounts for loyal customers who return for services so that those customers will continue to choose the small business as their primary location. Innovation sparks creativity and new ways to sell goods and services – which primarily happens at the small business level.
Community Support
Supporting a small business is also supporting the local community. We create and sustain jobs in the local region. As local small businesses become more successful, they help stimulate the local economy and help keep the area vibrant with shoppers and tourists. The support of the community means everything to small business owners, who are then able to support fundraisers and local donation efforts that benefit the community. The support of the community works both ways when it comes to buying from and owning a small business. Every purchase made from these companies helps the business provide good wages for their employees and put food on the table for their families.
