One of the most frequent questions I receive is why there are different levels of monthly subscriptions. The question is usually framed in the context that the business owner does all the work listing their business, and then the listing just sits there. Why should they pay for that? Let's break the justification for subscriptions down into smaller pieces.
You own your business description
A new customer's first impression of your business will be made through your business description on the app. Who better to write that description than you?"But I'm terrible at writing," you might think.
So are professional writers. Did you know when Stephen King wrote Carrie, he wrote about three pages of his idea for a novel and threw it in the trash? Those three pages included the famous shower scene that led to Carrie being bullied by her classmates. His wife dug those first three pages out of the trash, read them, and threw them on her husband's desk telling him he had something good there and needed to finish the story.
You might be wondering why he didn't like it in the first place. His primary thought was that he felt unqualified to write convincingly from a female perspective. His wife promised him to help fill in the female perspective. Two weeks later, with the help of his wife editing the female perspective, he finished Carrie. The rest is history.
No one expects a business description to rise to the level of a best seller. But King's story (verifiably true, by the way) teaches us two valuable lessons.
Running an app like The Original Shop Local Delmarva comes with a development cost and a baseline monthly cost. The development cost, at this point as is, has already been paid for. The baseline monthly cost I had calculated as an expense I would be willing to pay for a while as I built and launched the app.
As the app grows, my baseline costs go up. The more people who add themselves to the directory, the more my baseline rates go up once I surpass my maximum number of entries. The more people who use Google maps to find businesses, the more my baseline costs go up. The most expensive cost is the monthly maintenance fee to my developers, who ensure that any Google Play updates (which is, in itself, another baseline cost) are compatible with the app. And I still have to get Apple to accept my app (hopefully at the beginning of next year), which will add to that baseline cost.
You might be wondering why he didn't like it in the first place. His primary thought was that he felt unqualified to write convincingly from a female perspective. His wife promised him to help fill in the female perspective. Two weeks later, with the help of his wife editing the female perspective, he finished Carrie. The rest is history.
No one expects a business description to rise to the level of a best seller. But King's story (verifiably true, by the way) teaches us two valuable lessons.
- We all have a story in us. The story of your business is yours, and yours alone. Only you can tell it honestly.
- We aren't perfect at getting the story's tone and perspective right no matter how good of a writer you are. It's ok to seek help where our writing might be weak.
Write your business description. Let it sit for a couple of days. Re-read it and you'll be surprised how many edits you'll make yourself.
If you think it's still not good enough, get your spouse, kids, best friend, or even your neighbor to read it. Their suggestions might help you see your description from different angles.
If you still are doubtful, hire a professional. They've dealt with business descriptions and know what works and what doesn't work. Be aware, though, they might be wrong, or at least not completely on target. They don't know your voice or fully know the tone you want to set for your business.
If you think it's still not good enough, get your spouse, kids, best friend, or even your neighbor to read it. Their suggestions might help you see your description from different angles.
If you still are doubtful, hire a professional. They've dealt with business descriptions and know what works and what doesn't work. Be aware, though, they might be wrong, or at least not completely on target. They don't know your voice or fully know the tone you want to set for your business.
If you're still in doubt after trying all of the above, there's always AI. This advice comes with lots of
warnings. The first is you should understand that AI is a tool about as smart as a library. Like a library, AI has all the information it needs to write a business description, but it lacks the human experiences and emotions to write one that will connect with other people.
Bottom line: trust in yourself. Your customers value honesty and a real human face more than they trust a cookie cutter business description.
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| Click pic to enlarge |
Bottom line: trust in yourself. Your customers value honesty and a real human face more than they trust a cookie cutter business description.
What about all those subscription levels?
As the app grows, my baseline costs go up. The more people who add themselves to the directory, the more my baseline rates go up once I surpass my maximum number of entries. The more people who use Google maps to find businesses, the more my baseline costs go up. The most expensive cost is the monthly maintenance fee to my developers, who ensure that any Google Play updates (which is, in itself, another baseline cost) are compatible with the app. And I still have to get Apple to accept my app (hopefully at the beginning of next year), which will add to that baseline cost.
I'll be honest here. If everyone decided to stick with the free subscription, I most likely would need to shut down The Original Shop Local Delmarva. To cover all the current and potential costs, I had to come up with a subscription plan.
Ok, you're panhandling. How much should I throw in your cup?
A million dollars would work. But seriously, I'd rather build a new economic model that makes our local communities on Delmarva stronger and more financially independent by relying on our locally owned and operated businesses instead of relying on state, regional, and nationally owned businesses. Ultimately, that is my ten-year goal for SLD, economic independence from outside retailers.We're in Phase 1 of that development. I built the starting tool, The Original Shop Local Delmarva app. In this phase, I am trying to build a useful and viable app that gives shoppers and consumers the confidence that they are truly supporting Delmarva's locally owned and operated businesses. That is the reason for my stringent requirements to ensure that only locally owned and operated businesses are listed. If potential users of the app see franchises or national chains listed, the app has lost its integrity.
Phase 1 is the ground floor entry point for everyone. Getting listed is free through the Shorebird subscription level. Do it once and then renew it every month and you're done as I keep building the effort behind the scenes. You have nothing to lose except a couple of clicks a month to renew, free. (You can list your business here.)
During Phase 1, you might want to consider the Oriole level. For twenty bucks a month, you get an extra hundred words in your business description plus a link to your website or social media account and a link to your online menu, if applicable. You can always update from your free listing to an Oriole subscription at any time with a few clicks of your mouse.
The Oriole level, available in monthly or annual rates, should cover SLD's monthly baseline costs plus allow SLD to grow and change to better fit your needs. First up will be to change the monthly renewal requirement of free accounts to a biannual, or even annual, requirement. The renewal requirement for free accounts is only to ensure there are no "dead end" businesses, that is, businesses that are no longer operating, and could lead users on a wild goose chase.
Past there, at this stage of development, the other subscription levels offer more, but not all aspects of what I envision to offer are available yet. That means the Osprey and Heron levels might become valuable to you down the road (projected to be maybe 3-5 years from now) as SLD continues to grow. Just like upgrading from free to Oriole is a matter of a few clicks, upgrading to the other levels is quick and easy.
What could possibly justify an Osprey or Heron level subscription?
In my 5–10-year plan for The Original Shop Local Delmarva, I see your business listing as your personal advertising platform where potential customers can discover their locally owned and operated businesses in a "one stop" virtual shopping tour. I believe that in five years, we’ll see a shift in shopping habits: shoppers will regularly browse and buy online, then either pick up in-store or have items delivered. What’s now a convenience practice will become the standard way to shop.
Experts claim that after 2030, only five years from now, AI will see explosive growth we can't even begin to fathom. Doubtful? Look how far AI has come in three years. That means, with AI, for the first time in history, Mom and Pop might be able to effectively compete with the national chains in visibility and service.
I want SLD to be your resource for the rapidly changing technology, economy, and consumer habits coming. You can bet the big-name stores are already on top of it and have plans in place to succeed in the new, evolving economy. Since AI will be available to everyone, not just the Big Boxers, I hope to put Mom and Pop on a level playing field with them through education and visibility.
The two higher subscriptions will offer access to any new AI tools for marketing development, a resource library to learn how to use the new tools, and participation in a "Delmarva Dollar Days" program that is still in its planning stage.
Experts claim that after 2030, only five years from now, AI will see explosive growth we can't even begin to fathom. Doubtful? Look how far AI has come in three years. That means, with AI, for the first time in history, Mom and Pop might be able to effectively compete with the national chains in visibility and service.
I want SLD to be your resource for the rapidly changing technology, economy, and consumer habits coming. You can bet the big-name stores are already on top of it and have plans in place to succeed in the new, evolving economy. Since AI will be available to everyone, not just the Big Boxers, I hope to put Mom and Pop on a level playing field with them through education and visibility.
The two higher subscriptions will offer access to any new AI tools for marketing development, a resource library to learn how to use the new tools, and participation in a "Delmarva Dollar Days" program that is still in its planning stage.
Couldn't I wait until later to sign up when all these other things are in place?
Your participation now will bring the ten-year plan to fruition. It costs nothing to get listed, but that first step builds a directory that others will find useful and start using. The more people who download and use the app, the more valuable the Oriole subscription might become. The more valuable the Oriole becomes, the faster SLD can grow and become a positive economic and political advocate for Mom and Pops on Delmarva.
There are no shop local programs on the regional scale that even comes close to the model I envision for SLD. There are a few efforts that incorporate some ideas I hope to use, but there’s no blueprint for what I hope to build with your help. While plenty of ‘shop local’ campaigns have come and gone, few created real ownership, and none combined media, education, advocacy, and commerce across an entire region. With your help, we’re not following a model; we’re becoming the model.
There are no shop local programs on the regional scale that even comes close to the model I envision for SLD. There are a few efforts that incorporate some ideas I hope to use, but there’s no blueprint for what I hope to build with your help. While plenty of ‘shop local’ campaigns have come and gone, few created real ownership, and none combined media, education, advocacy, and commerce across an entire region. With your help, we’re not following a model; we’re becoming the model.
I hope Delmarva can meet or surpass all other shop local milestones by 2030. By 2035, I hope Delmarva is the model for all other communities to follow.
I can't do it without you. Please add your business to the directory today:
I can't do it without you. Please add your business to the directory today:
👉 https://businessowner.shoplocaldelmarva.org/login
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And, as always, shop local Delmarva!
And, as always, shop local Delmarva!