Couldn't "Family owned businesses" work today in

[Mark Crnolatas]

What happened to the family owned bakeries, meat markets, hardware stores, ice cream stores, dime stores, all those storefronts, I used to ride my bike to, or walk to with my grandmother up and down Madison filling every storefront?

I know the answer, as well as everyone else. ( Or maybe there's other answers to that, that I didn't know. )
So I propose, why couldn't those work today, maybe in a different way?

[Charyn Varkonyi]

As a small business owner, I can tell you that one thing that I think makes it VERY hard to maintain a small business is the tax burden. (and mind you as consultants we dont have to pay sales taxes - another HEFTY portion for those opening a retail establishment).

Considering that I could go back in the corporate world and make significantly more money (particularly with a nice benefit package)... it makes it hard to keep doing what we are doing. For us - the schedule flexibility is key. But after children are grown will we keep doing it? Hard to say...

Probably not the only issue - but I think it one of the big ones out there and, unfortunately, it isn't only a local issue.

FFT

~Charyn

[Jim O'Bryan]

What happened to the family owned bakeries, meat markets, hardware stores, ice cream stores, dime stores, all those storefronts, I used to ride my bike to, or walk to with my grandmother up and down Madison filling every storefront?

I know the answer, as well as everyone else. ( Or maybe there's other answers to that, that I didn't know. )
So I propose, why couldn't those work today, maybe in a different way?

Mark

I guess you do not get out much.

Bakeries - Bavarian, Elmwood, Create-a-Cake, DoughBoys, Avenue, and more soon to be opening.

Meat Markets - TJ's might be the best in town, right downtown, Rego's

Hardware - Stores - Residents didn't support them as much as Home Depot

Ice Cream Stores - Rosati's, Dairy Queen, DoughBoys and one on Madison near Hopkins

Dime Stores - In ourour hayday we had three, now we have two Dollar Store and Dollar Tree

We have 12 new storefronts that have happened in the past three months, food, exercise, martial arts, art, furniture/decorations, to name a few.

Get your ass back on the bike and get out more often.




.

[Joan Roberts]

The problem of course is that independent retailers just can't compete with national chains. They're selling for less than what independents can get at wholesale. Plus they can market a brand nationwide.

More people know the Dollar Tree is here after a month than know some Lakewood businesses that have been around for a decade.

Plus, it's a nasty brutish way to make a living. Going to law school or getting the MBA gets you more money with less grief.

There ARE exceptions to every rule, of course. But they're harder to find every year.

The one real exception though is dining and enterainment. Plenty of independent players still out there in that category.

[ryan costa]

creeping professionalism.

[dl meckes]

While it falls into that popular (for successful independent businesses) food category, I am always amazed at the business that the Donut Pantry does, particularly on weekends, but the place is normally very busy every morning. Smoke-free, too.

And if you haven't been to the custard place on Hopkins and Madison... well, you're missing something wonderful. They have quarts of custard for $1. You just can't beat it.

[Bryan Schwegler]

I think the problem is convenience. As has has been states, the prices at big retailers are often unmatchable by small business and they don't always have as wide or varied a selection.

In today's world where the dollar stretches less far and time is stretched too much, independent stores will have a hard time long term. It's easier for me, and costs less usuallly, to head to Target to do a lot of shopping than to try and visit 5 or 10 independent stores to get the same thing.

Now that being said, I think independent stores could thrive, but they need to move away from trying to compete directly with Home Depot, Target, et al. They need to provide a unique service, array of products, or outstanding dining.

Lakewood has some of those types of places now. The custard place as has been mentioned is great, 3 Birds is unmatched, and some of the shops offer a unique assortment of products. And of course Phoenix has outstanding coffee and completely different atmosphere than you'll get across the street at Caribou.

[ryan costa]

All I am looking for is three commodity grade monocolor t-shirts....

[dl meckes]

What I am looking at (and admiring) are the growing number of "wellness" related businesses.

Retail is nice, so is commercial. What is really nice are finding things that can't be found elsewhere. And telling other people about them.

[john crino]

Two things filling my ship with water are the commercial property taxes and the gas bills.

[Glenn Palmer]

I am curious how the decision that people did not support the local hardware stores came to be? In the past 5 years we have lost Bobson, Freese, Meilander, Coleman (2 locations) and soon Lakefront. None of these establishments succumbed to the pressure of the Home Depot Monster. The perception that the big box stores ran everyone out of town is way off base. That course of thinking better applies to the loss of some of the family run pizza houses where you buy a product and need no knowledge to eat it. I'm sure the families that ran the hardware stores would take exception to the inference that they took the easy money and ran when times got tough leaving their loyal customers to fend for themselves. Cleveland Lumber opened a hardware division 6 months prior to the opening of the Depot and has had much success even though they are 1/2 mile from the beast. Thanks for listening.

[Jim O'Bryan]

Glenn

Are you saying that big box stores had NO impact on small hardware stores?

How is your dad and brother doing?


.

[Stan Austin]

Bobson's Hardware was at its peak when it faced its hardest competition. During the period of @ 1990-96 Bosbson's was doing an enormous amount of business and faced hard price and convenience competition from Forest City/Handy Andy, DIY, Builders Square, as well as the locals-- Freeze, Meilander, and Bahr Lumber.
Unfortunately, internal factors within the Bobson business itself caused a decline in business.
Similarly, Lakewood Paint and Wallpaper had a robust business and loyal following. But then it changed ownership and different policies and undercapitalization caused its decline.
The retail market is rugged but those with a good idea can succeed.

Stan Austin

[Glenn Palmer]

The impact from big box stores is temporary while customers see what all the fuss is about. After the honeymoon period is over the greatest impact is the PERCEPTION that the prices are lower at the big boxes. I will concede that the marketing of highly visual items at a low price attracts customers, the reality is the remaining items have no distinct price advantage. I do agree with Stan with his statements on Bobson's and Lkwd Paint. Mielander, Freese, Coleman's and soon Lakefront were all the result of the owners retiring.

Jim, my Dad and Brother are both doing wonderful, I'll pass along your concern.

[ryan costa]

the general trend is that as the size of the company increases and division of labor and managerial functions increases, the less likely you are to encounter anyone at the company who can answer your questions meaningfully, or understands what the company does or how its products and services really work. Hopefully by then Academia has reduced reality to enough variables that a new generation of managers are trained up: Although they may not truly understand the company well, they understand how to write reports and reduce things to the variables that plug into formulae in such a way as to appeal to wall street gamblers, venture capitalists, and the big banks. In a way this makes things easier for many of us, as success then becomes mostly the ability to remember the right set of scripted responses.