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Sikander Jaad’s column used to be about “how to run a business in Ferry County.” But this latest column seems to be an extensive advertisement for a local bookshop.
Instead of saying, “Hey, we all ought to support this woman’s business,” it would have been wiser--and more true to the original goal of the column--to have tactfully explained all the errors that Ms. Milne engaged in:
1) She apparently did little market research about bookstores. Anyone who has done the smallest amount of research knows that small bookstores are failing all over the world. To succeed, you must have a viable sideline, like a coffee shop (even the big bookstores like Barnes & Noble do this).
2) She apparently did little research about the area. She should have asked herself, “are there enough people in the Republic area wanting to buy fairy statuettes?”
3) She apparently did little research about walking & travel patterns. There are far fewer pedestrians at that end of town. Bookstore sales tend to be spur-of-the-moment purchases and need that walk-in traffic.
4) She has no signage visible from the road. The only signage I’ve noticed for her shop is a sandwich board, visible only to pedestrians.
5) She does little advertising. I notice that she has a small ad in the back of the View, and I’ve seen a few flyers around town. She’ll need to do better than that to keep in the public eye.
Ms. Jaad’s assumption that it is the community’s responsibility to shop there is somewhat disturbing. Is it the responsibility of the community to serve the local business, or is the reverse true?
Ms. Jaad also speaks vaguely about some sort of involvement of county leaders, but never explains just what the leaders are to do. Make concrete suggestions, Ms. Jaad.
How about this: There are at least three chambers of commerce or similar organizations in Ferry County, and last I heard, very little cooperation between them. Perhaps Ms. Jaad can attend the meetings of these groups, interview some of the people (and past leaders) involved, and offer some (concrete) suggestions on how these people can work together and what they can do to facilitate county business.
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Letters to the Editor
