Portland.CityJournal.us

Tonight the Pro 300 Lanes bowling alley on SE Powell Blvd. was packed. It's July the 3rd and hot outside but inside General Manager Donna Stewart had everyone of her employees on hand to serve up $2 hotdogs, pizza and drinks to a full house of happy bowlers. Stewart was throwing a July 4th party and used Craigslist to invite Portland families to come and bowl for free.

"Last year on the 3rd, we were empty. We had to do something" Steward explained. Her idea was a hit. Guests had to reserve via email. Those that came spent money on drinks and food and got to bowl free for three hours. Stewart's crew of waiters were busy all night. Bowlers also learned about free summer bowling for kids and summer leagues. One lucky bowler won an Obama/King bowling ball.

I think there's a lesson to be learned here. Stewart could have written off a July 4th. weekend night as just another slow night and sent her staff home early. Instead she took advantage of free advertising on Craigslist and brought in a couple of hundred new customers and kept all of her employees working. Her take on the drinks and food made this an above average night for the lanes instead of a write off. She figured out a way to increase business during hard times and it worked.

When money is tight and people are being conservative about how they spend it, businesses need to exude high value. It's no wonder why Walmart is doing well right now. Pro 300 Lanes showed good business savvy by opening their doors and showing folks how much fun they can have. They also made money and kept their staff working. Earning market share by working hard in slow times is smart. My prediction is good times ahead for Stewart and AMF bowling.