Observing many new small businesses in Santa Fe, New Mexico entering the industry such as dispensaries, are there trends of where you could see money better spent to improve business?
Well, back to the budtender training in Santa Fe, New Mexico, that’s something that they wouldn’t even have to really spend money on. A way to do it is have brand ambassadors or the reps from the different vendors come to the store and educate the budtenders on their product. And in so doing the budtenders will learn their way around the larger scene and learn the language. I also see money spent on advertising that just seems like a waste. Like the phone messages, you know, they collect phone numbers and then they’ll send out a text once a week that says, “Check out our website!”. Which may or may not drive traffic to the website, but doesn’t really drive traffic to the store. I’d like to see more of these messages being inclusive and inviting. If a store has someone’s phone number, that could be seen as a buyer’s club and instead of asking them to look at your website, give them a gift. “Thanks fam. Show this to your budtender for 10% off”. Also utilizing some creative marketing. Stick your business in people’s faces in places other than cannabis magazines, in Edible Magazine and some of the museum magazines and maybe even a trifold color flyer in the little kiosks in front of the hotels with the whitewater rafting and all that. I think there are some ways around the advertising restrictions that stores aren’t really looking at.