Editorial, continued.

We will also feature a pair of Tracy businesses and one of them are an unlikely candidate for Internet commerce, but Granny Ruth’s Fudge has found some success in breaking the rules and building the company in an unconventional manner. Granny Ruth is sending their fudge throughout the United States through their presence on the Internet.

   ABS alarm company is a local Tracy company that is unique in that it has set company policies that make it much easier for customers to leave and go to a competitor. They are keeping and building their customer base by providing excellent customer service.  I find this to be a refreshing change from the companies who try to raise profits by reducing their support of customers or who try to trick customers into buying things they don't need.
 

   The Internet is making the same changes to the business community as a whole that the large chain stores have done to the smaller stores in the past. I have heard many stories of small businesses in the downtown area being lost as larger chain stores moved in and stole their market. They failed to adapt and adjust to the new competitive marketplace. This same effect is now taking place as local companies are threatened by competitors on the Internet who might be on the other end of town or at the other end of the nation.

    Local businesses in Tracy must learn to embrace the Internet and the new competitiveness and opportunities it brings. We hope this issue of the Tracy Business Journal will help a few people with that transition in some small way.

   I have heard too many logical reasons for not shopping in the local community.  Much of our population works outside the city and commutes into the bay area.  This creates shopping opportunities in those areas where people work as they wait for the commute traffic to subside.

   I have also heard way too many people tell me that they do not shop in Tracy because the stores close before they return home from work.  Unfortunately, many of these people are finding that shopping on the Internet is easier than shopping in stores.

Tracy businesses must adjust or risk failure.

Keith T. Chiles MBA

Return to the Table of Contents