Just because you live in a small town, it doesn’t mean that your business needs to be old-fashioned. There are upwards of 23 million Canadians online, who spend about 45 hours a month on the internet. And they don’t all live in cities. So why not go where your customers are?

A few months ago, I went to a hair salon in a small town in Nova Scotia to book an appointment for hair and makeup. Actually, it’s for my wedding in June, so I needed to book hair and makeup appointments for five girls. I asked if they could accommodate us, but the person at the desk wasn’t sure and wrote my information down on a scrap of paper. “Can you email me once you find out?” I asked. She just shrugged apologetically, pointed to the lack of computer at the reception desk and assured me that they’d call once everything was sorted out.

So I went about my day and ended up at another salon in the next town over. I went inside to check it out, and lo and behold, they had a computer. Within five minutes I had appointments booked for everyone. And within fifteen minutes, I had an email sitting in my inbox with the details of everyone’s schedule.

And the other salon? They left a voice message a week later. “We’re having trouble understanding the note left at the desk. Is Daphne in your wedding? Or do you want her to style your hair? Please call us back.”

Lesson? Get organized; get a computer (they don’t have to be expensive – help the environment & your pocket book by buying a refurbished one); buy a scheduling software package. You’ll be glad you did. And so will your customers. Especially the ones with email addresses.