Business & Tech

Small Business Owners Offer Tips for Expanding Services

Small business owner Linda Fuller offers tips for growing your business and offering more services to expand cliental.

There are a number of small businesses in Foxborough.

Some of them may be places you and your family frequent, businesses that have been in Foxborough for as long as you can remember. And some may be your go-to places instead of national chains.

Small business owner Linda Fuller is no stranger to starting a business from the ground up. In her recent interview with Patch Partners, a website connecting business owners to Patch in local communities, she offers insight into how she expanded her business’s services from just flowers to wine, beer and gourmet gift baskets at Lake Anne Florist in .

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Homework must be done first, she said.

“Research what’s compatible with your own products and services, what the current trends are and what your competition is doing.”

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In Foxborough, the key is providing unique services or merchandise to local consumers, says small business owners June Brady-Wooding and Trish Matthies.

Brady-Wooding, owner of Fanautical at Patriot Place, sells a uniquely branded style of clothing and incorporates regular fundraisers into her business plan to give back to area communities. 

“Fanautical is for those who feel that life is not just about surviving; it is about living it to the max,” Brady-Wooding writes on her website. “There is something about water that represents freedom, liberation and fun. Fanautical appeals to those who push beyond their own comfort zone, as well as those who share an irreverence towards typical societal boundaries.”  

Her clothes, tagged with a sarcastic, edgy cartoon fish, "Louie," also break traditional branding with fun, pun-intended names. 

"What I like about my store is the fact that people experience great energy and they feel like they are on vacation," Brady-Wooding said. "For them to spend money and say, ‘Thanks, I had a blast’ means a lot. Because of the economy I like to have “Moor-chandise or multi-use clothing. For instance, you may have something like one of our F-shirts where you can use them for different purposes. You can wear them to work, wear them to the gym or wear them with jeans."

Matthies, owner of The Healing Moon Wellness Center on School Street, offers clients a "variety of classes and workshops at THM's 'Meditation Room.'"

"We have weekly classes of yoga and guided meditation, as well as various specialty workshops such as Crystal Grid Healing, Chakra Balancing, Reiki Training, Moon Magic Classes and lots more," Matthies said. 

Fuller also notes, “Have three times the money you think you need and access to more. Make a business plan for one, three and five years, with goals. Most businesses fail because they’re undercapitalized. Prepare for three years of working like a dog.”

She said it's also important to use your resources and spread the word about your business.

“Get help and advice, whenever and wherever you can. Every business has a trade organization and those organizations usually have wealth of information available. Finally, advertise, advertise, advertise. Don’t see it as an expense. See as an investment.”

Another way to support locally owned small businesses is to participate in Amex’s Small Business Saturday on Nov. 24. Last year, more than 100 million people participated in this day dedicated to supporting small businesses.

There are more articles and interviews about small businesses on the Patch Partners website, where you can also sign up for the Patch Partners newsletter and Patch Partners Twitter feed to stay better informed, grow your small business and strengthen your community.


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