2021 SMALL BUSINESS con't from FRONT PAGE 2021 SMALL BUSINESS continued
in the age of a global pandemic. None of us
have a crystal ball, but staying ahead of your
competition and having a plan in place will
help your business be even stronger.
USER REVIEWS
Purchasing a new product involves many
steps. Customers have started to focus on a
single aspect above all others—reviews. It is
not just about features, price, or experience
anymore; it is also about what other people
have to say.
Many small businesses do not have
extensive marking budgets, so user reviews
are critical. When real people advocate your
brand online, your business and product
become more trustworthy and can lead to
increased sales. Customers are very influential
on what people will and will not purchase
whether in store or on-line.
REMOTE WORK IS GROWING
As a small business, infrastructure and
space can eat up costs. That is why remote
work has appealed to many small businesses—
working 9-to-5 five days a week is no longer
the norm.
And given the nature of how 2020 has been
so far, remote work is even more appealing.
Ensure that you are keeping your remote
workers engaged, productive, and included
into the company culture, and know exactly
what it means to work from home as well.
GIG WORK CONTINUES TO GROW
According to Gallup, around 36% of
workers in the United
States are in the gig
economy—which trends
with the rise of the
remote worker. Gig work
is becoming popular
because people like
flexibility and enjoy
being their own boss. As
a small business owner,
you have an opportunity
to hire talent without
putting them on as a
permanent employee,
plus they work remotely.
A win for them and a
win for you as a business owner.
E-COMMERCE
Statista reported that global e-commerce
will grow to about $5 trillion within the next
four years. It is important to leverage social
media to gain more sales, use a cutting-edge
warehouse to ship orders quickly and to stay
on point with e-commerce trends, even if you
have a brick and mortar location.
STORIES ARE MORE IMPORTANT
THAN A NEWS FEED
Stories are short video content that
disappear after 24 hours—this kind of “in the
moment” content makes a stronger connection
to an audience. It used to be that news feed
posts brought a ton of attention to companies
on social media; however, stories are growing
2021 SMALL BUSINESS con't. next column
15x faster than the news feed. In addition, to
live streaming, stories are the primary way
that brands should convey their message. As
a business, build an authentic voice and use it
to connect with your audience. While stories
are short in length and disappear, you can
reach a larger audience and can quickly catch
their attention.
CUSTOMER SERVICE SHOULD
HAVE A PERSONAL TOUCH
Providing your customer with a
personalized experience is what it is all about,
after all, customers are individuals with their
own tastes and wants. Consider Amazon,
when visiting your homepage, you see
product recommendations that are similar
to something you purchased before—if you
bought books, then you’ll see more books,
or if it was running shoes then more exercise
equipment is targeted. Your homepage on
Amazon is tailored to your needs. What can
you do to make each of your customers feel
important and have a personal experience
whether shopping online or in person?
BE ACTIVE ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Research found that 77% of small
businesses in the United States are using
social media to promote critical business
functions such as sales, marketing, and
customer service. What does all this translate
to? More traffic and profit for your small
business! Understand that 84% of Americans
are shopping for something at any given
moment so ensure you are capitalizing on
social channels to bring these consumers to
your site to purchase your goods or services.
The Chamber encourages you to continue
to stay at the forefront of these and other
trends that are quickly emerging to help your
business continue to thrive. ☐
Adapted from Connect Team at www.
connecteam.com/latest-small-business-trends/
Gig work is
becoming
popular
because
people like
flexibility
and enjoy
being their
own boss.
Linda Parsons,
Moore County
Chamber
of
Commerce.
Getting to Know Ed Hill
Founder & President of Edward Hill
Wealth Management in Seven Lakes, Ed is
a local born and raised here who chose to
return to the land of the pines to raise his
own family.
Who inspires you? My kids inspire me
more than anything else. When your kids say
they want to do what you do—that’s pretty
important! The biggest thing you don’t want
to do is disappoint your children, and there is
nothing better than being a hero to your kids!
Greatest advice given? My mom always
shares quotations from my grandfather like,
“It doesn’t matter how much you make, it’s
how much you save.” That’s an important
quote. Also, we need to stay humble.
What advice do you give your children
about finances? I teach my children about
the stock market and how important it is
to save. Another thing is it doesn’t matter
how smart you are, but rather what matters
is your emotional intelligence and how you
treat other people. How you handle getting
knocked down and getting back up is key.
I was a waiter for many, many years, and
I judge the character of many people by how
they treat the service industry. I am still in
the service industry as a certified financial
planner, and I still think it’s important to
treat every service person with respect. That’s
probably the best thing I can teach my kids.
How would you encourage someone
starting off in their career? Never stop
learning. Never have the mindset that you
know it all. Just because you pass the exam,
doesn’t mean you are an expert. Continue to
learn and continue to better yourself.
Find a healthy balance between work and
family and enjoy the journey. You can’t work
for thirty years and forget about everything
else. Family is the most important thing in life.
Life is? Life is a gift. Treasure the moments.
Favorite restaurant in Moore County?
Chef Warren’s in downtown Southern Pines. I
worked for him for ten years.
Favorite activity? Swimming. My kids
and I swim for the Sandsharks. I am on the U.S.
Master’s team for the Sandsharks; my goal is
to swim at Master’s Nationals. Physical training
is just as important as training your mind.
I am an Eagle Scout; my boys are in Scouts,
and we enjoy camping together. My oldest is
almost an Eagle Scout; he’s got another year.
We are all members of Troop 98.
Serving as a Mason, Shriner, and with the
Kiwanis, I am the President of the Business
Guild in Seven Lakes and manage the “Avenue
of Flags.” If I’m not at work or with family, then
I’m participating in civic activities.
Moore County is? Moore County is
beautiful! It’s like a bubble! I feel like Moore
County has a protected bubble over it and
remains a little gift undiscovered by many.☐
For more on Ed Hill, see Front Page
story entitled, “Make the Investment.”
p.26 The Pinehurst Gazette, Inc. No. 141
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