By Dallea Caldwell
As a city girl living in a small town world, I had to get used to a sad reality: the hipper the business, the sooner it goes under. Towns that are too small to draw crowds to trendy new places leave a trail of well-designed websites and hugely popular Facebook pages behind like empty shells washed ashore.
Once, I saw a sign advertising belly dancing. Belly dancing! Searched Facebook and saw a post only a week old promoting Thursday night lessons. I called and heard a voicemail greeting for the company. I showed up the very next Thursday only to loiter in front of an empty, locked door that would never open. I should have known that it was too cool to last.
Worse, even the essentials like available plumbers, handymen, and electricians are hard to find online. These are the 4 extremely frustrating problems I face whenever I look for a local pro online.
In a small town, business social media pages are ancient:
In the city, social media might be a good place to find info on a company. But, you’re in the boonies. So, while it’s nice that Joe’s Mechanic did a great job fixing someone’s brand new Model T Ford at the turn of the century, it takes current info to reassure you. Instead, you’re looking at a social media page that could easily be a time capsule to the early 90’s.
In a small town, a rave review is one that exists.
After looking up business after business and seeing empty reviews, you promise yourself that when you finally book a pro, you will come back and post a review. Funny how the same neighbors who join Neighborhood Watch to catch a robber, won’t leave a review when an inflated estimate robs them and soon, their neighbors.
In a small town, your heart isn’t the only thing broken when you visit that website you saw in a local directory.
Sure, you live in a small town where small businesses aren’t even aware of half the places where they’re listed online. So, you don’t blame them for forgetting to update all 50 million online directories. But, boy…visiting a website or calling a number you found on a trusted online listing only to find it broken or disconnected really burns your biscuits.
But then, you finally find guy and guess what:
They’re booked, of course.
It seems like the handful of small town businesses that make themselves visible are always booked.
And why not? It’s not like they have any real competition. And you never know whether to assume other businesses simply don’t exist or that they’re in the witness protection program. Your town, after all, is the type of place they send you when they need you off the grid.
But finding local pros doesn’t have to be such a hassle, not even in a small town.
Luckily, I have my TalkLocal app. It scours the web to find an available pro, even if local businesses don’t have a “fancy-pants online presence like those big-shot city fellers!” Plus, it converts online searches to phone calls to area businesses; you know, for all of those old school pros who still think phones are more for talking. The national average for the time it takes TalkLocal to get consumers talking to the right, available local pro is about 4 minutes, that includes small towns like ours. TalkLocal, available at www.talklocal.com, is free to use and free for download on iPhone and Android. Check it out!
“My friend is abroad and wasn’t here for Thanksgiving so I sent her a message with good wishes and asked what she wanted for the holidays (and her birthday, the little Christmas baby). She said that she wanted me to donate money for research on ALS (Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis). I knew how important it was for her so I donated a bit early for it to be considered a Christmas present but it’s okay because I still plan to give her an awesome birthday gift.”
“Thanksgiving is about great food and family. So, rather than slave in a hot kitchen all day and dirty our finest china, we had reservations at a Brazilian Steakhouse called Chima. All of the food was done to perfection and we didn’t have to worry about Grandma catching her death trying to please the whole family. Next year, if you want a simple way to make Thanksgiving special, I highly recommend the Chima Thanksgiving Special.”
“My family and I went to NY to see my cousin and her husband (who just got to the US from India). Their home was so neat and tidy and I was terrified my little brother would make a mess of everything. I won’t lie; my little brother ran the show. Ferry rides, cab rides, the Lego store, and tons of other expensive things. But, my brother was happy and we all had fun. That’s what Thanksgiving’s about, right?”
“I’ve earned a reputation as a bad cook. So, when my sister told everyone about my Sweet Potato Casserole, four different households demanded proof. And each wanted the proof on their separate tables for Thanksgiving. Preparing so many batches was a challenge for an amatuer cook like me, but each host said the dish was gone within the hour.”
“It’s sort of a gift and curse, but I never have to choose which side of my family I’ll spend Thanksgiving with. I do it all. My family in York, PA have Thanksgiving around noon while my family in Baltimore, MD are barely ready by 6pm. So, it was a long day and a 2 hour drive, but I got to spend quality time with both.”
1) “Goblin” Blanket Flower: This red, yellow, and maroon flower blooms June to August and is one tough flower. It can withstand hot and dry soil, poor soil, as well as seaside weather and soil conditions. This flower does need full sunlight to properly bloom and develop.
3) “Moonbeam” Threaded Coreopsis: This bright yellow flower blooms from June to frost and is beautiful in its daintiness but colorful presence in the garden. It needs full sun to partial shade.
4) “Pink Jewel” Daisy Fleabane: A bright pink flower with a yellow center that blooms June to September. It is truly a low maintenance plant as it requires full sun and can withstand light shade.
5) “Hidcote” English Lavender: This tall deep blue-purple flower blooms from June to August and requires full sun. For this plant, too much moisture is a problem, so make sure the area you wish to plant it has good drainage.
