In a world where human connection is at a premium how could this work for your business?

Work Smart Not Hard Tip No. 35 in a series written for Indie Cambs.

Last month I talked about 2025 being a year when we need to review how we work smart because it’s clear that business as usual won’t cut it.

As things keep unravelling around the world, the way we connect to our customers and give them a chance to connect to each other and feel part of a community becomes more and more important. In a world of faceless, automated, AI driven interactions, anyone who provides real connection is meeting a human need.

Small, independent businesses have always had this advantage but have too often been tempted to throw it away, mistakenly thinking that the strategies that bigger businesses use to attract and keep customers must be better. “Personalised” and “targeted” adverts are among the most hated and blocked and websites that use tracking cookies are avoided in favour of more transparent interactions.

At a recent gathering of independent businesses lots of marketing tactics were discussed about all the ways local businesses can attract local customers with well-designed websites and imaginative local marketing but attracting them is only one part of the picture. What keeps people coming back? What makes them keep choosing a small independent business over faster, cheaper, more convenient ways to get what they need? How do you turn customers into real fans?

Report after report is revealing the extent to which loneliness is a significant concern to many people – and it’s worse in cities. Businesses that prioritise profit, consumption, and individualism are making it worse and more and more people are using GenAI as a therapist replacement, which is extremely alarming and very sad.

Could your business make people feel less lonely? Do you have time to really connect with your customers – and not just to sell them something but to let them know how much you appreciate them? Are there ways they could connect with other customers? A lot of my conversations with business owners at the moment are about creating communities where customers become so much more than consumers and enjoy meeting other fans of the business. On-line and offline events can be blended to create experiences where even the shyest of people feel comfortable, and for businesses that don’t have publicly accessible premises, on-line events can work really well.

When we look at a world in chaos, one of the few things we can do is make our own part of it somewhere that people feel comfortable and appreciated. We may be small but there are more of us and there are people all over the world taking action in their own communities and finding that it really makes a difference.

Let me know if I can help in any way!