Opinion: Promotion of businesses in less visible areas is key to success
Local campaigner David Barton believes better signposting will fairly distribute custom
COMMUNITY CAMPAIGNER: David Barton
Submitted by David Barton
A campaigner for the heritage of Sefton is calling for greater effort to be made to promote the existence of shops based in areas less visible to everyday pedestrians and motorists, as part of a drive to fairly distribute custom to all.
David Barton believes that a long-term plan which may include various forms of advertisements both on and offline with pictograms of said businesses to help identify their exact location would be useful in attracting investment into other similar areas.
He says: “There are many roads and streets, especially based in East Birkdale where there are excellent niche based services and outlets ran by long-established people with experience and prim customer experience skills yet without prior signposting and recommendation it can be difficult to know what is there.
READ MORE
“The Mews at No.15A Liverpool Road is a perfect example of a series of businesses located in a period-style cloister with a long-built repute for both the units and the location itself. I myself used to attend Speech & Drama classes here whilst attending Kingswood School, formerly based in Birkdale and can attest to the excellent siting of such a facility based in serene and tranquil surroundings.
“Whilst I’m pleased to see this shopping precinct well occupied to date, I would still suggest more is done to promote the businesses here alongside other such essential service providers based along and beyond Liverpool Road if we are to truly give everyone a chance to succeed, grow and more importantly continue operating for many years in the future ahead. I am therefore suggesting a hard-copy and online prospectus be commissioned by the local business societies and associated person(s), that may at least be published per annum with clear images, mapped markings and descriptions to educate and encourage people as to the plethora of different resources actually available to them throughout the year.”
“Supporting a business through uncertain economic times can be very simple whether it’s trying out a new place when your usual outlet is busy, recommending a burgeoning business to people less familiar with the geography or simply just knowing where to acquire the necessary things specific to your everyday life. This is similar to previous spreads run by local newspapers with the exception that more spacing would be provided to advertise each business with the relevant contact information available to access including opening and closing times particularised to individual bank holidays as they arise on the online version.
A hard copy may be available for posterity to generate a savings fund for future collective grant projects which may be useful for people living in Birkdale, Sefton and the immediate surrounding areas that are likely to frequent here such as Lancashire, etc.”
