Keeping Going During This Time

I will celebrate 3 years the first of June for Travel Backroads. It's exciting because it was the culmination of a dream that started in 2014.  If you follow me, you know what I'm speaking of.

Since my start and a loan to begin my first business, I have put money into a variety of ways to market my clients such as Apple Marketing (Siri and marketing), Ads on social media as well as listing on approximately 6 platforms and last year I joined SD Tourism.  I won't be able to do that any more because they have a policy of their membership that about kills a mission like mine.  If I'm representing several businesses, and not just myself whose mission ironically is to promote them, it costs an expensive amount for a membership. When I started "Backroads Dakota" there was only a mention on the website of traveling Highway 14 and stopping in several towns along the way, and since that time there has been an explosion of backroad travel and rural. This is great because most of SD and our region is rural so I'm happy that the state is on it. 

Giving free advertising to small businesses would be nice if I could manage that, but my time is valuable and what I do to promote businesses is of value.  I can talk myself blue in the face about how I am loyal, fiercely so, or how I'll do it non-stop but the buck really stops with the faith and trust from your business and you as an owner, in me. My heart is in this for the long haul, so I'll keep doing what I can for small business. I hope you do however take a chance on me and let me promote yours.

The future is uncertain now for a great deal in our lives. It's interesting too because at the risk of sounding dramatic, what does the future hold?  I am not an economist and it worries me for all the local businesses, entrepreneurs, and even our society as we know it as we move into this time of uncertainty with the CoVid-19 Pandemic and that uncertainty grows daily.  Where will our businesses be in a month or our lives in 6 months?  What we're experiencing now is obviously unprecedented and time will tell.  I hope we can explore new ways to support local and ways to assist those in need. 

​You might have seen these because I posted them recently on Facebook, but they are great messages to share with your community.  We're going to be hit hard, but taking this advice from some of our Chambers is an act of being PRO-active!   

Owning a business, keeping a physical location, employees and paying the bills is always difficult but I believe we are headed into very difficult times. Even thinking about the ripple affects is overwhelming and mind boggling for me. I find it very difficult trying to promote other businesses and getting others to get a picture of what Travel Backroads is and what we do. But we all keep at it because we believe in our dreams, our business, and seeing the big picture and the future of our lives and communities.

Let's hang in there; help your neighbors, help your businesses, keep the tax dollars flowing best you can, buy gas in your communities, your groceries, eat out or carry out when you can, don't get caught up in all the media of blaming others or our government because this was not done, or that.  To me that makes us all bullies--laying blame non-stop. Let's hope; that what we've learned we won't repeat, that we correct the problems, and we support each other.    We see a shift in values, families hanging together, working together, and lives changing forever and loved ones dying.  We've got to make it for the long haul and of course, we can do what it is going to take.

My thoughts are with you as we move with hope & faith into the future,
Joan  

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