Are you sure you want to keep that a secret?

Yesterday I hosted a shop local event at my studio.  I invited two Canadian designers to spend the afternoon showing their beautiful wares.  Brenda Beddome with her stylish clothing line and Roxana of Barcelona Collective with her fashion forward shoes.

The afternoon went by in a snap.  Women came, they shopped and they brought their friends.

When the day was done the three of us discussed our businesses.  In a world of Social Media and lots of noise on the Internet, the topic of conversation that always comes up with fellow entrepreneurs is – How much of your time is taken up by Social Media?  Is it really growing your business?  Is it getting you new customers?  The short answer to that is –  Hmmm, we think so, we hope so, but we’re not 100% certain about what the impact is.

When you are in the business of helping women to look and feel their best, some of us have a huge problem.  A flattering problem but  nevertheless it comes up as a road block.  There are women who love how our products look on them, they love how they feel and they really love the compliments they receive.  All good, right?  Well, they love the exclusivity we give them so much that they keep us a secret.  They don’t want to share us with their friends because THEY want to be the girl in the room with something different, a signature look.

You know what’s so funny?  I get it!  I love having something no one else has.  It creates interest and conversation and makes me feel really special.

Here’s the problem with it . . .

Ask any small business what their strongest marketing channel is.  It’s not Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. It’s their customer base!  Word of mouth remains the most powerful form of marketing above any other.

Here’s why . . .

When you tell a friend about your favourite small business it’s authentic, they trust you.   You have their best interest in mind and you are referring them to someone who will help make their life even better.

When your favourite small business finds out you are spreading the word about them a special kind of magic happens.  First of all, you make that small business owner do a happy dance.  You hold a special place in their heart and they want to do more for you.  The love and good energy spreads.  You are fulfilling a dream for someone.  Now they get to stay in business, contribute to the community, inspire other people to work hard at their dreams and hopefully take you for a get-away on their private jet one day!  As business owners we NEVER forget the people who stood by us and helped us to build our empires! – Just sayin’ . . .

We are very fortunate at glamjulz to have so many amazing customers who do tell their friends about us.  They appreciate that our business is all about creating custom julz.  We pride ourselves in our unique colour combinations.  This ensures the right piece will find it’s way to the perfect woman because every woman is unique.

Sharing is caring and I just want you to know that when you share us, you set our hearts on fire.

We’ve been in business for 18 years now and that’s all thanks to you.

Monica XO

We believe in promoting small business so much that it’s become a part of our business model to invite artists and designers to exhibit their work at our studio.

Did you know that every Thursday we promote a Canadian designer with our beads & julz posts on Facebook and Instagram?

We are passionate about sharing the love and giving back to those who work just as hard as we do.

*If you are interested in sharing us with your friends before Christmas, we are now booking “Parties with A Purpose”.  Email us at designgirl@glamjulz.com for more info*