This business development workshop is free to all members of Bayonne Town Center, the UEZ, and the Bergen Point Merchants Association.
The workshop is designed to make business owners aware of the importance that "community" and "downtown" play in marketing, and how to help local businesses attract customers by promoting the community as a shopping destination.
The workshop will help business owners understand their unique value to the market, discover their advantages over larger competitors, how to identity a particular business' customers and how to promote these community-based businesses.
"The overall goal is to utilize knowledge gained in these workshops to create an action agenda for business development and growth," said Cathy Jakubowski, executive director of Town Center.
Scott Schultz, an expert from The Market Department - a strategic marketing agency specializing in business development - will talk about defining business strengths and goals and development of grass roots marketing strategies to create sales.
Relationships, according to Schultz, are valuable and essential to the success of small business.
"Local business differs from their larger competitors in that they can know and care about their customers as individuals," Schultz said.
Town Center officials said that by developing a sense of community with a proper strategy and commitment, the business center in downtown Bayonne can become a destination with as much pulling power as any mall.
Bayonne's Broadway shopping corridor has felt the economic pinch as residents flock to out of town shopping malls. Town Center has been developing a series of strategies to combat this customer flight including the promotion of niche marketing - which is highlighting of areas of service that can be found in abundance in Bayonne. The workshop is designed to provide businesses with additional tools.
Schultz is expected to highlight the way in which business can improve effectiveness in marketing.
"Some [ways] may seem self-evident, such as knowing who their customers are," Jakubowski said. "But, in fact, knowing who customers are is not self-evident. Zeroing in on customer demographics requires ongoing research because communities are constantly turning over, and the needs of the community are constantly changing."
Jakubowski said New Jersey local communities often see a 20 percent or more turnover rate each year.
"With local schools in the mix, it's even higher," she said. "The truth is, at any given time our businesses don't have a real understanding of who their potential customers are."
A business' research in this one area could make an incredible difference, she said.
The event will be held on April 4 at 8:30 a.m. at The Big Apple, 414 Broadway. A continental breakfast will be served. All attendees are entitled to one year free e-mail and phone support for their individual marketing efforts. Seating is limited, so business owners are encouraged to reserve a place early.
For more information or to attend, contact Jakubowski at Bayonne Town Center, bayonnetwncenter@aol.com or (201) 339-9409.
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