You can’t make friends in business
Yes, I’m a fat artist. Nice to meet you!
And other lies you’ve been told.
You’ve heard it all. The importance of branding and putting your why at the centre of it. Speak, but not too much. Post, but not too much. Be relatable -- but certainly not too much.
Business is transactional, and it is changing. Note how many people you know are shopping local this season? Moving away from mass-produced goods toward personalized gifting that adds value, sentiment, even nostalgia. We are changing - and most of us don’t even know it. We’re more willing, and likely, to pay a higher price for a product that makes a difference - for the recipient, or for the seller.
The heart of business is changing - from transactional, to relational. And I’m here for it.
Fields of Fire, Original
Now let’s be honest with ourselves and others - my business benefits from this shift, and we use it in our branding! Buy personal, buy relational, buy… and while this branding helps us to make sales and continue to bring accessible art in to homes, it is also the heart of our business.
At the heart of our why is art and design as a means of giving and building community - and we have accomplished just that. Not only have we made friends, but we’ve kept them. Repeat clients, referrals... LDC has lived on through a difficult year in large part thanks to the relationships we’ve built, and maintain. You invest in your relationships. You support your friends. You trade goods and services. You answer the phone when you’re needed (but please don’t text me because I may never respond - my mum says I should try harder at this in 2021). Businesses flourish when your community relations are at their strongest - with your clients, and with other businesses.
OK now I’m rambling but you get it. that’s what this blog is for anyhow. So, for our small business friends with nothing but your product, time, and support to give - your relationships are invaluable. Cultivate them. Grow them. Maintain them. And not for the sake of the transaction - transactional business behaviors even when disguised as relational, are still transactional, and will be seen as such.
Be relational in nature. Show us who you are, what you have to offer, and more importantly what you have to give. Show us your heart, and show up. Stand behind that heart. You don’t have to be perfect for us - you just have to be willing to give and take a little.
Here’s to the next phase of business & here’s to all of the friends we haven’t yet met. Send us an email, even just to say hello - we’d love to know you.
