How to attract more customers by providing better access to your business
Disability Rights
Missed Business - How to attract more customers by providing better access to your business
Last updated: 29 November 2004
Missed Business is a guide developed by the Australian Human Rights Commission and Marrickville Council. It aimed to provide small businesses with information on how they can make their businesses more accessible to all their customers, particularly people with disabilities.
- Who will use the guide
- Different editions of the guide
- Getting hold of the guide
- Ideas for Using the Guide - Marrickville Council strategy
Missed Business drew on material developed by the UK Disability Rights Commission.
Who will use the guide
While the guide is available to any individual or organisation we hope that Local Governments, local business associations, Main Street Committees and others providing advice or support to small businesses will use the guide as part of a broader plan to encourage better access. For ideas on how to use the guide see below.
Different editions of the guide
There are two editions of the guide. One has been prepared specifically for Marrickville Council with local information in it.
The second has been slightly edited so that any Council or organisation can use it in their local area and can add their own local information if they wish.
Getting hold of the guide
There are a number of ways you can get a copy of the guide.
PDF format.Secondly, you could download a copy as a pdf file which includes all the graphics and photographs and which you could print off your own printer.
Thirdly, you could download a copy of the text in plain Word format. This file does not include graphics or pictures, and be customised with your own fonts, photographs and graphics.
Word file for use in your local area.Ideas for using the guide
Here is a brief outline of the Marrickville Council strategy.
Local promotion and distribution
To coincide with the guides release a promotional postcard has been developed to capture the attention of small businesses and encourage them to read the guide and implement some of its suggestions to improve access and attract more customers. The postcard includes the following message;
Caption: Is business passing you by?
The reverse side of the postcard gives an explanation of the guide, potential customers they may be missing out on and how to get a copy of the guide. The postcards will be distributed to local businesses over December 2004 and January 2005. The images have already been 'road tested' to ensure the message is easy to understand. This strategy has been designed following discussions with business operators within the Main Street areas and consultants involved in media campaigns designed to encourage social change.
The guide will be available on Council's website as well as in hard copy for those who request it. Each local Main Street Committee will play an important part in encouraging its members to think about the advice given in the guide and implementing its suggestions.