Bricks AND Clicks Key to Small Business Success

Small Business Saturday brings to mind the notion of bricks vs. clicks. Yes, online shopping can pose a challenge to bricks and mortar stores. But University of Minnesota professor says successful retailers incorporate both bricks and clicks.

“The whole system is set up now, even if you’re a small business, you can expand your reach. That doesn’t mean you don’t need your store, you just have to be creative about what it is that I need my store for, what it is that I can do online, how do I blend the two. And the people who are successful have creatively blended the two,” said Professor George John with University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management.

Sue’s Country Cottage, for instance, plans to increase its online presence. But owner Sue Schmit says her focus remains on in-store sales.

“That also brings them to Osseo and helps the other businesses in Osseo as well,” said Schmit. “Small businesses employ about 53 percent of the workforce. And I think that’s wonderful because it helps not only the small business, but the community that it’s in.”

And while shoppers may increasingly turn to online purchases, John says e-commerce still isn’t the big beast you may think it is.

“It’s much lower than we think. It’s not 50 percent. It’s not 60 percent. It’s closer to 20 percent,” said John.

According to U.S. Census Bureau data, e-commerce is growing about one percentage point a year.

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