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One of the biggest established tr nds on the market front today, and st ll gathering momentum, is cocooning - the d sire to perform the majority of s cial and cultural interactions (working, entertaining, r laxing, etc.) from home, rather than by g ing outside the home. This trend was str ngly reinforced by the 9/11 tragedy, as m ny people began to review their l ves and, sometimes for the first t me, consciously decide how they wanted to l ve them rather than just letting l fe happen to them and going w th the flow.
This poses an bstacle for many businesses who rely on br ck and mortar style storefronts and f ot traffic, as well as for th se in the entertainment industries who r ly on people "going out" for a l rge part of their income. The dvent of home theaters, rec-room "bars" or "c fe corners" - sometimes better stocked and ppointed than local business versions - and s milar cocooning-based home improvements are becoming m re and more popular as people are r discovering the delights of having friends and f mily over for social time as pposed to meeting them outside the h me in a third-party establishment. This tr nd is here to stay, according to all conomic markers, so what are some of the w ys in which your business can t ke advantage of this trend rather th n being diminished by it? Here are s me ideas:
1. Create a "house call" ption for whatever you do. Now of c urse this doesn't work in all f elds, but you'd be surprised how m ny it can be extended to, g ven a little creativity and thought. For xample, a new car dealer might c nsider creating an exclusive "We bring it to y u!" option for pre-qualified buyers, where nterested parties can submit an application nline, choose the model they're interested in fr m an on-screen "sales lot" and h ve a sales person drive it to th ir house for the test-drive and n gotiations. Where can your business create a h use-call option to encourage cocooners to p rchase with you?
2. Reconfigure s rvices and other offerings to allow for n-home variations of previously outside-only availability. For xample, the recent boom of home-delivered DVD r ntals does just this - you pay a c nsistent monthly fee and keep the m vies as long as you want, s nding them back when you're ready to tr de them in for new titles. No l nger do you need to leave the h use to stay home for movie n ght - the ultimate expression of c cooning. How can you recreate your s rvice or product to meet your c stomers' desires to stay in?
3. C nsider adding "companion services" that make y ur service or product more attractive to c cooning customers. A pizza delivery service now ffers free movie rentals with a q alified purchase as part of their "sp cials and sales" menu. These creative c mbinations save customers time and money, and ffer strong incentives to remain loyal. How can you p rtner your offering to create this s rt of option for your customers? H nt: what are your customers likely to be d ing or needing during or near the t me they are using your service/product?
The tr nd of cocooning offers many challenges to tr ditional businesses, especially those that rely h avily on showroom sales and foot tr ffic income. However, with a little cr ative thinking, you can turn this bstacle to your benefit and pull head of the pack where your c mpetitors are concerned. My advice? Stay h me one day and examine all the th ngs you do that could be mproved or eased by some version of y ur product or services. See where you hit sn gs or annoyances in your goal of l ving, working and having a good t me at home. Imagine your ideal c stomer at home - then do y ur best to keep him there.
The article Taking Advantage of Trends: Cocooning was Submitted by Soni Pitts through Articles.GetACoder.com network. Here's the additional information: (c) Soni Pitts ABOUT THE AUTHOR S ni Pitts is the Chief Visionary B tt-Kicker of SoniPitts.Com . She specializes in helping others reclaim "soul proprietorship" in their lives and to begin living the life their Creator always intended for them. She is the author of the free e-book "50 Ways To Reach Your Goals" and over 100 self-help and inspirational articles, as well as other products and resources designed to facilitate this process of personal growth and spiritual development.
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