Why Venus Creations in the Neighbourhood Is Doing Great Work for Our Community?

Photo Collage: Building the Friendship of Neighbours in Business
Wo-Built at Venus Creation in the Neighbourhood Gathering
Vivid Pizzeria (1067 St. Clair Ave West, Toronto), November 24, 2010
2010 @ Olga Goubar, wobuilt.com

Shopping locally, we support our neighbors. Sharing marketing ideas, helping each other do more business, and bringing new customers to the area, we stimulate local growth.
Wo-Built Inc. - Innovative Design and Build

In November, Iain Morrison wrote an impassioned article about what Venus Creations In the Neighborhood is to him. If you didn’t get last month’s issue, Iain is new to the area and after meeting with Joe Furtado of Amar Flowers; he found neighbours with whom he now does business at least every other day. Joe introduced him to merchants on the street who in turn introduced him to others and now Iain is an active part of this very vibrant community.

But, this article is not about telling ‘A Day in the Life’ story of Iain, even though he is a nice guy and you should meet him. Instead, it tells the story of what YOU can expect from being part of Venus Creations in the Neighbourhood.

First, to be clear, Venus Creations in the Neighbourhood is NOT Joe Furtado. Joe quarterbacks a lot of the efforts to put it together, but he would gladly share the heavy lifting with our community. Venus Creations in the Neighbourhood isn't just for making Joe's business better - it's for making all our businesses better. Joe had the inspiration to start Venus Creations in the Neighbourhood and brought together neighbouring businesses that collectively ARE Venus Creations. This includes every business owner who attends our monthly gatherings and who advertise in the monthly publication – in short it’s YOU. That’s a big difference and an important one. Venus Creations in the Neighbourhood is a community of neighbors - businesses who benefit from knowing each other in different ways.

For example, at our last get-together at Vivid Pizzeria (“Go there” “Try it” “It was great – thanks, Peter!”) a new member, Mary Scalia of Bare Me Skin Care Clinic, shared a recent marketing effort she did that brought 500 new customers to our area! That gem of an idea was worthwhile and shared freely. This is just one example of the upside of having dinner together with friends. Another benefit is that we meet businesses we haven’t known before. When we can, we try doing business with our new friends. By visiting each other’s businesses and telling acquaintances about local merchants and services, we stimulate local growth. Venus Creations in the Neighbourhood is about joining together; sharing with our neighbors and helping each other do more business, share local interests and concerns, let the local community know what they would like to provide or advertise to their local business partners in a particular month, or simply, just meet and mingle.

In the course of meeting with the local businesses, I found great shopping at good prices - even some ‘Friends Priced’ deals. Since relocating our construction business to the area, I bought clothing, shoes, groceries, baked goods, catering, restaurant food, hardware, banking services and much more in the St. Clair West’s area.

Yes, I could have got all of this elsewhere, but shopping locally, I supported my neighbors while looking after our everyday needs. And, guess what??? They do the same for us. By doing business with friends and neighbours you benefit from getting what you need. But more than that, you make your business familiar to those who will find you when they need your products and services or when their other friends have those needs.

It’s pretty simple - people do business with people they like. Meeting with friends each month over food at local restaurants (at no cost to you… but just remember to tip the servers!), you get acquainted with the neighbours and they with you. Simple. Knowing you are there, what you do and how you can help them and their friends, you make a very direct and personal marketing connection that helps grow your business or at least survive rough times.

People have choices about where to shop. So why not make your business interesting to people who work all around you? Some call it networking. Others call it referral marketing. All you really need to know about Venus Creations in the Neighborhood is: you meet neighbors, talk, have an enjoyable night out and invest in making your business visible to the people who pass your front door daily.

We at Venus Creations in the Neighbourhood wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Ari Berman
Management Consultant
Wo-Built Inc. - Innovative Design and Build
"Management Advice When Your Decisions Matter"